Applied Behavior Analysis ( Aba )

Thank you for your considering my application to the Applied Behavior analysis program. For all of my life I have known that I was going to help people. It could be said that it is in my DNA. I just never suspected what the capacity would be. On December 15thI graduated from Albright college, I began working at Melmark on December 16th. My first thought, on that first day was “Oh no, I can’t do this, I need to quit” That was over two years ago, and I have gone to work every day, with a smile on my face. While working at my first position, out of college, I discovered my passion. My passion, I find, is working with children and adults with autism and with people who suffer from addiction. Watching the smiles on their faces, the determination when they work to complete a goal, and just the progress makes every hardship worth it, I love it. Each day, in my position as an ABA, I run behavior support plans, IEPs, teaching plans and other protocols, and each day I truly wish that I could have contributed to these plans, protocols, and IEPs. I ponder the recommendations that I could come up with, I wonder that if I had been able to participate in these conversations to create these plans could I have brought something else to the table, a different viewpoint. Affecting the way that the plans are written and in turn ran, I feel that I could make a big difference in the lives of the children and their families also. Every two weeks each child’s team meets to discuss his or her

Applied behavioral analysis (ABA) is the leading scientific method that helps patients with Autism to overcome their condition. In order to improve their condition, ABA specialists focus on a system of reward, which encourages positive actions like speech, social activity and life skill improvements. This works mostly with children as they are more likely to absorb and accept new challenges; this is commonly referred to as "positive reinforcement" in the literature and has become one of the leading directions for treatment. ABA therapy was devised and implemented by Dr. O. Ivar Lovaas at UCLA in 1987. Since then, ABA therapy has become a leading branch of psychology - behaviorism.

Autism is a disease that is being diagnosed today more than ever before. In fact, as of 2014 the statistics for diagnosis of autism are one in sixty-eight children, with diagnosis being much more common in boys (Autism Speaks, 2016a). While there are many theories about what causes autism, there is currently not any proven predictor of what will cause this disease to develop (Landrigan, 2010). Since prevention is not possible at this time, it is extremely beneficial and important to research understanding and treatment of those diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). There are many avenues of treatment for ASD, but one method that has received significant attention is applied behavior analysis (ABA). The goal of this research article is to explore the definition of applied behavior analysis, its development over time, and its application to real life. Some questions that will be explored are when and where did ABA originate, how has it developed over time, and what researchers contributed new findings to this intervention. Additionally, the methods that have been developed over time to implement ABA will be discussed, specifically with their application to autism and individuals diagnosed with ASD. Finally, there will be a discussion of how skills that individuals with ASD gain from applied behavioral analysis can be applied to a classroom setting.

My enthusiasm for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in kids and pre-adults began in the midst of my journey for a graduate degree in teaching. When I graduated with my Bachelors in Psychology, I noticed there were many available instructing positions in teaching. I chose to seek after a graduate

If we look at the anatomical parts of the brain, we can notice differences in autistic children’s brain. According to Just, Cherkassky, Keller, Kana, and Minshew (2007), when autistic group was compared to control group, the functional connectivity was lower for the autistic participants between frontal and parietal areas, relevant parts of corpus callosum were smaller in cross sectional area and the size of the genu of the corpus callosum was associated with the functional connectivity of frontal-parietal. Applied Behavioral Analysis is one of the most widely used interventions working with children that have autism. ABA intervention is bases of the behavioral therapy that was introduced by B.F.Skinner, a spokesperson for

In a wide-ranging study, Gresham, Beebe-Frankenberger & MacMillan (1999) reviewed and critiqued several of the most cited treatment programs for children with autism, including Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA). In essence, they concluded that there was no one flawlessly reliable treatment protocol for autism. However, they found that virtually all programs reviewed, showed some degree of developmental gain in each of its participants. Particularly when it came to measurable IQ gain. With direct reference to the Applied Behavioural Analysis approach, it would appear that there is not sufficient evidence to promote it as being a superior or universal treatment program for all children with

Children with autism have difficulties understanding social models and so many of them have difficulties acquiring social skills while children with health development normally gain social and appropriate behavior by observing a model (Mash &Wolfe, 2010). If a child with autism is able to acquire social and adaptive skills they still need to learn how to generalize correct behaviors to different situations and tend to need consistent practice in maintaining those skills. To an autistic child generalization can be extremely difficult to break down and understand. Because of this ABA is

The hallmarks of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involve marked deficits in social interaction as well as engagement in repetitive behaviors and language difficulties (Leblanc, Richardson, & Warnie, 2005). Although autism can have a profound impact on the capabilities and functioning of the individual, emerging research indicates that applied behavioral analysis (ABA) can be an effective tool for addressing many of the deficits that children with ASD face (Boutot & Myles, 2016). In fact, emerging research indicates that when ABA is utilized for the treatment of young children with ASD many of the challenges faced by this group can be ameliorated (Boutot & Myles, 2016). With these issues in mind the current investigation considers the seven elements of ABA identified by Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968) in their seminal article on applied behavioral analysis and their application to individuals with ASD. Through a critical review of the seven elements of ABA in relation to ASD it will be possible to illustrate how this approach can be effective for improving outcomes for individuals diagnosed with autism.

Furthermore, if a child with autism or any other related disabilities, is placed into a program that respects them it can be positive experience. As ABA, has been proven to be the most successful therapy for autism, I believe it is the best chance that child has to learn. Also, it is the best chance for parents to learn how to help them. It is extremely important to do thorough research on the programs out there, as they are all different, finding the most compatible one is imperative to each child’s success and

Conceptually consistent programs within behavior analysis are those programs that use the principles of operant learning theory. Sensory integration and mindfulness therapies are not conceptually consistent with the principles of behavior analysis.

A similar study, which sought to show training parents in behavior management methods as more useful than simply educating them about autism performed by Bearss, K., Johnson, C., Smith, T., Lecavalier, L., Swiezy, N., Aman, M., … Scahill, L. (2015), showed a higher rate of improvement in those whose parents attended the training; however, improvements failed to yield results that could be determined to be statistically significant. Through the inclusion of only children who were enrolled in school, English speaking, and predominantly male, it leaves room for further investigation. At 24 weeks the behaviors decreased, as reported by parents, 47.7%

Applied Behavior Analysis analysts are required to know the steps that are needed and necessary for behavior modification. This type of modification requires a clear definition of the behavior needing modification (target behavior), how this will benefit the individual in need of the modification, a clear plan of modification, and consistent data gathering to determine the effectiveness of the proposed behavior modification plan. In order to achieve a successful modification plan, the ABA professional first needs to gather information about the individual either by direct or indirect means. The modification must always been in the best interest of the individual, or those closest to the individual, and it must be a functional modification that can be carried out in the absence of the analyst. The ABA professional needs to understand the needs of each client. In order to do this, the professional will have to assess the behavior, gather data, identify a target behavior, propose a hypothesis about an intervention, implement the modification program, gather more data about the effectiveness of the program, and report about the outcome.

Overall, I thought that the information provided in this article was informative and it helped me to understand more about ABA. It is shocking to me than many educators are not taught about ABA when it can be so useful to not only teach students with autism but also special education students in general. I am very glad that I have the opportunity to learn about using ABA in the classroom because it will be very beneficial to me in my future career because I want to teach students with learning behavior disorders and moderate-severe disabilities at the elementary

In order for a parent training session to be successful, there are many essential elements that should be considered. The parents are the most important members to include to be a part of an ABA team. You should be talking with them, because they are the ones that know their child best and will help you in making the right decision for them. There are two types of training formats and they are: the individual training format and the group-training format. After reading the notes, I would think if I were a parent with an Autistic child, I lean towards the group training as being the better type of parent training over the individual training format.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is one of the most misunderstood methods of reinforcement. ABA also is referred to as ‘behavior modification’, which is the main contributor of the negative connotation with this method. ABA is the application of behavioral learning principles to change behavior (Woolfolk 256). Applied Behavior Analysis can be very successful in the classroom if done correctly. However, to begin this, one must study a student to decide what reinforcers will best work to modify the behavior.