What is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)?

A science that explores the basic principles by which we learn and applies those principles in a systematic, concise manner to enhance learning in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

How is ABA done?

By taking these basic principles that govern our behavior and examining how they can be applied to both increase socially significant behaviors and decrease unsuccessful behaviors. Examples of Behavior: Imitating, Talking, Eating, Playing, Hitting, Dressing, Reading, Writing, Biting, Signing, Drawing, etcetera (almost everything we do!)

ABA and ASD:

We alter the environment to create instances in which the antecedents and consequences for behaviors that we want to increase (such as speech) are plentiful, creating systematic and consistent learning experiences. At the same time, we eliminate the antecedents and consequences for behaviors that we want to decrease (such as hitting).

 

Some Basic Applied Behavior Analysis Terminology:

Antecedents: Environmental events that occur before a behavior.

Consequences: Environmental events that occur after a behavior (reinforcement/punishment/withdrawal) which make the behavior more or less likely to occur in the future.

Reinforcement: An environmental event that occurs after a behavior that increases or maintains the future frequency of the behavior.

Punishment: An aversive event that decreases the likelihood of a behavior occurring.

Extinction: Decreasing the probability that a behavior that was once reinforced in the past will occur in the future by deliberately stopping any form of reinforcement for the that behavior.

 

Some Instructional Techniques Used With ABA

Discrete Trial Instruction (DTI): Individual, repetitive trials that focus on specific aspects of learning any given skill.

Shaping with DTI: Taking a skill, such as learning to speak, and gradually improving the sound and frequency of words through reinforcement.

Natural Environmental Teaching or Incidental Instruction: Setting up situations to learn within the natural play/living environment.