What is ABA?

What is Applied Behavior Analysis?

Although the roots of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) can be traced to the 1938 publication of “The Behavior of Organisms” by B.F. Skinner, most behavior analysts would agree that the founding of ABA coincides with the first publication of the “Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis” in 1968.  ABA was defined by Baer, Wolf, and Risley in this initial publication and the definition is relevant still today: 

To date, an estimated 800+ peer-reviewed research articles have demonstrated the effectiveness of using ABA to teach a variety of skills (e.g., language, play, socially-appropriate behavior) to people who are diagnosed with autism.  Additionally, 6 studies incorporated a comparison group to determine that young children who received ABA at least 19-40 hours per week had better outcomes than children who did not.

ABA involves breaking complex skills down into a series of very small components that build upon one another.  For instance, a child usually must be able to look at the teacher before he or she can imitate sounds.  Learning to imitate sounds leads to imitating words.  After learning to imitate words, he or she can learn to request using those words.  Initially, children work on very simple skills such as eye contact and imitation.  Later skills are more complex such as maintaining conversation and determining how others feel.  The skills taught, as well as the methods used to teach those skills, are highly individualized.

The child is reinforced when he or she performs each task successfully.   Reinforcers can include a variety of items and events such as brief presentations of toys, TV, hugs, praise, tickles or small bites of snacks.  The teacher initially assists the child in being successful by “prompting” a correct response.  Then, over time, the prompts are gradually removed until the child can perform the task independently.  Data are taken on each response to ensure that progress is occurring.

As most children with autism exhibit some inappropriate behavior (e.g., aggression, self-injurious behavior, excessive tantrums), steps are taken to reduce those behaviors.  First, the teaching protocol is implemented in ways that decrease behavior for that particular child (e.g., more frequent breaks, reinforcing appropriate attending, mixing tasks that are easy and difficult for the child).  Then, a consequence such as time-out, redirection, or ignoring the behavior is consistently used each time the behavior occurs.

Teaching usually takes place in the home, although it can also take place in school or community locations.  Parents and paraeducators (frequently college students) are taught to implement the intervention with the help of a behavior analyst who regularly provides individualized training and adjusts the teaching strategies and skills taught to best meet the child’s needs.  Qualified behavior analysts typically are “Board Certified Behavior Analysts”, a certification which requires a Masters or Doctoral Degree, in addition to several hours of supervised or mentored work as a Behavior Analyst.  Parents are very involved as they must help the child to extend skills taught within structured teaching sessions to other settings and situations.