If you speak with experts, such as those at Psychology Today, they would tell you that Applied Behavior Analysis or ABA is “a type of therapy that focuses on improving specific behaviors, such as social skills, communication, reading, and academics as well as adaptive learning skills, such as fine motor dexterity, hygiene, grooming, domestic capabilities, punctuality, and job competence.” It is deemed highly effective for both children and adults with a wide range of psychological disorders and deemed effective for improving skills and behaviors while decreasing the need for special services.
Where Is ABA Used?
Currently, Applied Behavior Analysis is being used in homes, clinics, schools and even the workplace, and it is most frequently practiced as a form of therapeutic intervention for those with the condition known as autism. When used accordingly, ABA has shown itself effective at improving the individual’s ability to learn and maintain new skills, enjoy better social experiences and reinforces positive behaviors. It is also showing great headway in enabling individuals to transfer behaviors or skills between situations and reducing negative behaviors.
How Is It Done?
For most, the use of Applied Behavior Analysis begins with individual evaluations of behaviors. Then, treatment plans are developed to support improvement in behavioral skills and communication. It is an approach that demands a great deal of ongoing evaluation and continuous monitoring, and though it sounds like something for clinicians alone, it is an approach that parents and teachers can use.
Getting Started
It helps to understand, as the organization Autism Speaks indicates, that ABA is “a scientifically validated approach to understanding behavior and how it is affected by the environment.” This simplifies the concept. For example, positive reinforcement is a very strong component of ABA, and when desired behavior is followed by a reward, it is likely that the individual is going to repeat the behavior. Today, ABA is seen as a way of using very specific “techniques for increasing useful behaviors and reducing those that may cause harm or interfere with learning.”
If you are eager to use ABA to help your child, and all in the comfort of your Illinois home, get in touch with Cornerstones Autism Services. They offer entirely customized ABA therapies specifically designed for children living with symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Capable of improving their lives and educational or learning experiences, it is a way of putting goals within reach.
