A therapeutic strategy known as applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy emphasizes employing positive reinforcement to enhance behavioral, social, communication, and learning skills. To create goals, reinforce behaviors, and track results, ABA therapy uses behavioral principles.
This method is frequently referred to as the “gold standard” for treating autism. It is frequently employed and has been proven to be successful in enhancing particular talents and reducing problematic behaviors. Additionally, it has been viewed as rude and occasionally even dehumanizing, which makes it contentious. The foundation of ABA therapy is behaviorism, namely operant conditioning and the use of rewards and punishments to change behavior. Mental health experts started using concepts like token economies in the 1950s and 1960s to address disorders including schizophrenia and developmental impairments.
Ivar Lovaas, PhD, modified ABA later to treat autism. His theory was that social and behavioral skills could be taught, and that other behaviors might be curbed by using rewards and punishments. Since then, numerous treatment methods for disorders like autism have been developed. Many more recent methods combine elements of emotional and social interaction in addition to the fundamentals of ABA therapy.
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Types of ABA Therapy
ABA therapy can include a variety of interventions of various kinds.
- Training using discrete trials (DTT)
- In discrete trial training (DTT), a skill is dissected into its component parts and taught one step at a time. The three parts of this method are as follows:
The antecedent, is a stimulus that causes behavior.The conduct (the reaction to the trigger)
What follows the response is the conclusion
If the behavior is effectively created, the person will be rewarded; however, if the desired response is not successfully produced, they will not be awarded.
EIBI, or early intensive behavioral intervention
This method can be used to teach social, adaptive, communicative, and functional skills to young children. Typically, it is extremely individualized, thorough, and complete.
Denver Early Start Model (ESDM)
Between the ages of 12 and 48 months, this method, which is based on applied behavior analysis, is frequently employed with autistic children. It makes use of play activities to support the development of verbal, social, and cognitive skills.
Training in a Natural Environment
People learn and practice new abilities in settings that are more similar to their native environments after acquiring them through discrete trial training. For instance, after learning a particular talent, a child can start using it at home or at school. Additionally, there are often two ways to administer ABA therapy. It can be applied as a thorough program that offers extensive intervention in a variety of settings and circumstances. Or, it might be a component of a more narrowly targeted program that solely addresses certain actions or circumstances.
Broad-based ABA Therapy
This method provides treatments which typically last for a number of hours each day. Each week, a therapist or behavior technician interacts with the person for at least a few hours in a variety of locations, such as the individual’s home and place of education. In addition to working with the patient directly, therapists may also train parents and other carers on techniques that can be applied outside of ABA therapy sessions.
Concentrated ABA Therapy
This kind of therapy may concentrate on assisting a patient in a particularly challenging circumstance. It could also concentrate on particular abilities that a person needs to develop. The person frequently works one-on-one with a therapist, but they may also hone these abilities in community settings or small groups.
Techniques
ABA therapy usually involves a few different steps. Treatment plans are tailored to the needs of the individual.
- The initial stage of ABA therapy is assessment. The child or person will meet with a therapist at this point, who will enquire about their skills, weaknesses, needs, and objectives. The specialist will create a treatment plan using this data.
- To achieve the patient’s goals, many strategies will be used during treatment. Although they frequently go on for many hours at a time, treatment sessions can occasionally be as brief as an hour.
- Parental carers, other carers, and family members can all benefit from training and support. Parents and family members are given skills and tactics by therapists to assist them sustain desired behaviours in the home, classroom, and community.
What ABA Therapy Can Help With
A number of disorders can benefit from ABA therapy, including:
- Anxiety conditions
- ADHD is an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
- Spectrum diseases in autism2
- BPD, or borderline personality disorder
- defects in development
- OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder
- (PTSD) Post-traumatic stress disorder
- issues with sleep4
- diseases caused by drug usage
Benefits of ABA Therapy
Although ABA therapy cannot “treat” autism, it can be used to teach positive behaviors and to lessen or eliminate negative ones. For instance, ABA may be applied to children with autism to lessen their tantrums, educate them to sit quietly or use words to request things. A child may be rewarded for both simple and sophisticated behaviors, such as successfully brushing their teeth or sharing a toy with a friend.
Some effects of ABA therapy on a person’s life include the following:
- developing and using social skills
- reduction of problematic behaviors
- enhancing cognitive and memory skills
- enhancing human connections on an emotional level
- language and communication skills improvement
- Increasing focus and attentiveness
- learning practical skills
- Managing irrational and hostile feelings
Effectiveness
The use of ABA therapy in the treatment of diseases like autism has grown significantly. It has been connected to enhancements in important areas like language, social abilities, and adaptive abilities.
- A long-term, comprehensive ABA program can assist autistic children in enhancing their language skills, social skills, intellectual functioning, and daily living abilities, according to one study.
- ABA therapies were successful at enhancing social skills, adaptive behaviors, language proficiency, and cognitive ability, according to a 2011 analysis of 27 trials. Additionally, these interventions helped children and adolescents feel less hostile and anxious.6
- According to a 2012 study, children with autism spectrum disorder ought to receive at least 25 hours per week of full ABA therapy because it has been shown to increase play abilities, behaviors, language, and social interaction.
Things to Consider
Since ABA is not the sole method of treatment, it’s critical to pay attention to a person’s reactions and listen to their requirements in order to choose the best course of action.
Even though ABA is commonly used nowadays, there are several issues with it. This sort of therapy used to need hours of therapy every day, frequently in constraining settings. Harsh punishments were frequently used to correct undesirable behavior, which was seen as disrespectful and frequently dehumanizing to people receiving therapy.
More contemporary strategies avoid using punishments and instead concentrate on providing or withholding reinforcement. Treatment is increasingly frequently provided in natural settings, such as the home, school, and community, as opposed to spending hours per day conducting isolated trials while seated at a desk.
The goal of ABA therapy is frequently to encourage patients to exhibit “typical” behaviors. Neurodiversity is now more widely recognized and valued.
How to Get Started
There are several measures you can take to assist in locating the appropriate treatment for your requirements if you’re ready to start ABA therapy for yourself or your child.
- Obtain a referral. To get a recommendation for an ABA provider, speak with your doctor or your child’s pediatrician. Additionally, you can look up nearby service providers online.
- Consult your insurance, please. Insurance frequently pays for ABA therapy, so make sure to ask your policy provider about coverage and confirm with your therapy provider that they accept your insurance.
- Identify the ideal therapist. Make sure your therapist is a board-certified behavioral analyst (BCBA) before anything else. Consider whether it seems like a good fit. Early ABA sessions frequently center on developing a rapport with the therapist, so pay carefully.
Like other forms of therapy, it can be beneficial to give it a shot and monitor how things develop. It can be a good idea to persist with it over the longer term if you start to see positive results over time. It can be a good idea to change your treatment strategy if you or your child struggles with it or makes slow, unsatisfactory improvements over time.
