ABA therapy programs can help:

• Increase language and communication skills
• Improve attention, focus, social skills, memory, and academics
• Decrease problem behaviors

Therapists have used ABA to help children with autism and related developmental disorders since the 1960s.

How does ABA therapy work?

Applied Behavior Analysis involves many techniques for understanding and changing behavior. ABA is a flexible treatment:

• Can be adapted to meet the needs of each unique Individual
• Provided in many different locations – at home, at school, and in the community
• Teaches skills that are useful in everyday life
• Can involve one-to-one teaching or group instruction

Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is one of the main strategies used in ABA.

Positive rewards encourage the person to continue using the skill. Over time this leads to meaningful behavior change.

Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence

Understanding antecedents (what happens before a behavior occurs) and consequences (what happens after the behavior) is another important part of any ABA program.

The following three steps – the “A-B-Cs” – help us teach and understand behavior:

• An antecedent: this is what occurs right before the target behavior. It can be verbal, such as a command or request. It can also be physical, such a toy or object, or a light, sound, or something else in the environment. An antecedent may come from the environment, from another person, or be internal (such as a thought or feeling).
• A resulting behavior: this is the person’s response or lack of response to the antecedent. It can be an action, a verbal response, or something else.
• A consequence: this is what comes directly after the behavior. It can include positive reinforcement of the desired behavior, or no reaction for incorrect/inappropriate responses.

How could ABA help the student learn a more appropriate behavior in this situation?

• Antecedent: The teacher says “time to clean up” at the end of the day.
• Behavior: The student is reminded to ask, “Can I have 5 more minutes?”
• Consequence: The teacher says, “Of course you can have 5 more minutes!”

Planning and Ongoing Assessment

Therapist start by doing a detailed assessment of each person’s skills and preferences. They will use this to write specific treatment goals which includes Family Preference also.

Therapy Plans based on the level and ability of Patient with Autism. Goals can include many different skill areas, such as:

• Communication and language
• Social skills
• Self-care (such as showering and toileting)
• Play and leisure
• Motor skills
• Learning and academic skills

Special Education

Special education is a practice of educating students in a way that helps their individual differences, disabilities, and special needs. It involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, and accessible settings. These approaches are designed to help individuals with special needs achieve a higher level of personal self-sufficiency and success in school and in their community.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and social interaction, and repetitive or restricted patterns of behaviors, interests, or activities, which can include hyper- and hyperactivity to sensory input.

Intensive, sustained special education programs and behavior therapy early in life can help children with ASD acquire self-care, social, and job skills, and often can improve functioning, and decrease severity of the signs and observed behavior’s thought of as maladaptive3.

Approaches include applied behavior analysis (ABA), structured teaching, speech and language therapy, social skills therapy, and occupational therapy.