ABA is the applied science of learning and behavior!
It tells us:
- Why a particular behavior is happening?
- How the environment affects behavior?
- What we can do to help a behavior change?
What types of behaviors does ABA change?
ABA provides the groundwork for how to change ANY behavior, but ABA therapy really focuses in on two specific areas:
Problem Behaviors: These could be behaviors like hitting and kicking, wandering or running away, yelling, screaming, and tantrums that disrupt a child’s life and prevent them from being able to participate in everything they should!
Skill Deficits:
- Communication – ABA can be used to teach individuals how to communicate their wants and needs and advocate for themselves in the manner that’s best for them! Vocal, pictures, Sign-Language, or even computerized language, it doesn’t matter! What matters is your child will be able to express themselves effectively!
- Social Skills – BFC teaches individuals everything from sharing and turn taking, to participating in group activities, to making friends! Children learn the value in others and how to find and maintain the relationships that they want and are comfortable with!
- Self-Care Skills – Does your child need help with toileting? Bathing? Toothbrushing? What about making their own meals, keeping a schedule, or shopping for groceries? BFC utilizes ABA to teach all activities of daily-living that are appropriate for the individual’s age; this can be as simple as washing their hands or as complex as filling out a job application! The determining factor is always what’s important to you!
- Safety Skills – BFC takes your child’s safety very seriously. From basic skills like responding to “stop” or “come back” to complex skills like internet safety, BFC uses ABA to ensure that your child is learning how to respond to the dangers of the world around them.
How does ABA change behavior?
ABA uses scientifically proven methods to analyze the situation and make changes to the environment and contingencies in order to change behaviors!
Using this information, Behavior Analysts create individualized programs that set up the opportunity for children to learn the skills they need to engage in appropriate behaviors instead of problem behaviors and to be able to successfully participate in their home, school, and community!
ABA uses scientifically proven methods to analyze the situation and make changes to the environment and contingencies in order to change behaviors!
Using the “ABC’s” behavior analysts identify:
Antecedents: What comes before a behavior and sets up the motivation and the timing for a behavior to occur.
Behaviors: What the child is actually doing or needs to do
Consequences: What rewards or punishments are maintaining the behavior or discouraging the behavior from occurring again.
Who is qualified to provide ABA therapy?
Your therapy team will likely be made up of several individuals who have been certified by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB) as meeting the qualifications to provide ABA therapy.
These include:
BCBA: These are individuals with a Master’s degree who have completed extensive education and fieldwork requirements and passed the BACB exam in order to achieve this certification. All ABA therapy programs should be headed by a BCBA!
BCABA: These are individuals with a Bachelor’s degree who have completed educational and fieldwork requirements and passed the BACB exam in order to achieve this certification. All BCaBA’s are required to receive supervision from a BCBA.
Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) RBT’s are generally the person who will be implementing your child’s program on a daily basis. These individuals have completed an educational course, hands-on competency exam, and the BACB exam in order to achieve this certification. All RBT’s are required to receive supervision from BCaBA’s or BCBA’s.
Resources
Autism Speaks https://www.autismspeaks.org/ – Autism Speaks provides a variety of information and support services for individuals and parents of individuals who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
https://asatonline.org/ – ASAT provides free access to current, high quality research on Autism treatment.
https://cfl.ucf-card.org/ – CARD provides support, information, and advocacy services for parents of children diagnosed with Autism.
https://www.bacb.com/about-behavior-analysis/ – The BACB is the certification board that governs the BCBA, BCaBA, and RBT certifications. They provide and enforce ethical guidelines for these practitioners.