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mental health with a child psychologist using a psychotherapy session

What Is Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Therapy?

ABA is an approach to behavior intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related developmental disabilities. It emphasizes the use of evidence-based practices by trained professionals, parents, and caregivers.  ABA can be used as a primary treatment or as a task broken down into small steps and done to support and enhance strategies.

ABA therapy is based on the science of behavior analysis, which holds that all behaviors can be described by their function or consequence for a person.

Why is ABA therapy used?

Positive boy in development class with word and object card during ABA therapy

ABA Therapy is one of the most researched and effective interventions for ASD. It can reduce many problem behaviors and enable children with ASD to learn new skills.  It can also improve outcomes for children with intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, and other health conditions.  The goal of ABA is to create environments that support desired behaviors, which are then strengthened by rewarding these behaviors often enough that they become reliable habits.

Parents play an important role in behavioral treatment programs for their children because teachers cannot be at their children’s side all hours of the day or night. Parents are taught how the principles of behavior apply to their child’s needs, how to use positive reinforcement effectively, and what kinds of events

ABA therapy is the scientifically based treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as it draws on extensive research and clinical studies.

From https://www.autism-help.org/  “Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) or behavioral therapy involves analyzing behavior, identifying the factors that affect that behavior and changing those factors through various techniques to produce a more desirable outcome.” the science of learning.”

ABA therapy programs can help:

  • Improve your language and communication abilities.
  • Improve your focus, social skills, memory, and academic performance.
  • Reduce problematic behaviors

Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is one of the most common ABA methods. Positive reinforcement encourages the person to keep practicing the skill. This leads to significant behavior change over time.