The ABCs of ABA: What is Applied Behavioral Analysis and How It Works
Was your child recently diagnosed with autism? Are you searching for simple explanations of complex of this complex topic? You're in luck. This blog outlines the ABCs of ABA for practical applications.
Applying ABA with Positive Reinforcement
How many times have you seen a child learn to ask for a toy or point to something they want? Maybe you’ve seen someone teach a child to ask for “cookie” when they see a cookie or “help” when they are struggling with a task. These specific behaviors were shaped through reinforcement and repetition, much like how applied behavior analysis (ABA) works.
For example, imagine you are teaching your child to ask for “cookie”. At first, you might model the word “cookie” and encourage them to say it when they gesture toward the cookies. When they make any attempt to say “cookie,” you immediately give them the cookie and say, “Great job asking for a cookie!” After several repetitions, your child begins to ask for “cookie” on their own. Over time, they may even generalize this skill and ask for a cookie in different environments, with different people, and when they see different types of cookies or even different preferred foods without prompting. This is similar to how we work to increase functional communication, helping children express their needs more independently while reducing behaviors that may arise from difficulty in communication.
The Background of ABA
Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is the science of understanding behavior. It is the science of observing behaviors, recognizing what happens before and after a behavior, and making adjustments to the environment to support more functional behaviors. Our focus is on the environment and how others respond to concerning behaviors while teaching an alternative behavior that is more meaningful for the child and those around them. It is important to note that ABA is not specific to reducing concerning behaviors (e.g., hitting, head banging, kicking, etc.). A deep understanding of behavior allows ABA practitioners to increase more functional and less concerning behaviors.
ABA consists of many strategies meant to develop skills necessary for participation in school, the community, and within a family unit. As a parent you should receive frequent updates on the progress your child is making in therapy. This means your therapists are expected to collect data on all behaviors regularly. If something is not working as planned, the program should be changed to encourage success.
Care is at Our Therapists’ Core
ABA Spectrum therapists focus on the development of language to increase skills and decrease more concerning behaviors. This is called the Verbal Behavior approach and it encourages our patients to learn language by connecting words with their purposes. Our patients learn that words can help them get what they want or need. They also learn how to interact with others in a social environment. Verbal Behavior therapy does not focus on words as labels only (cat, car, etc.). Rather, it teaches why we use words and how they are useful in making requests and communicating ideas.
If you want to learn more about ABA, please reach out to us. Our parent training is focused on providing information on ABA in a way that is meaningful to parents and applicable in the home environment. This means that we do not want YOU to become the therapist, but we can work on making some adjustments in your home that supports the development of more functional behaviors while reducing more challenging ones.
