ABA Flashcards
What does ABA stand for?
Applied Behavioural Analysis
What does ABA aim to do?
To improve communication and socially significant behaviours
How does ABA work?
Takes challenging behaviours and teaches more appropriate forms of communication
What sort of approach does ABA take?
A systematic approach - discrete trial training - breaks behaviour into easy to learn steps
How is the programme versitile?
Rewards and progression monitored to adapt programme if needed
What are the steps to ABA?
1) Choose skill deficit
2) Indentify goals
3) Find ways to measure behaviour
4) Get a baseline measure
5) Implement therapy
6) Evaluate progress
What is the focus of ABA?
Antecedant - what goes before unwanted behaviour
Behaviour - what is the behaviour to be challenged
Consequence - what does the behaviour produce for the child
What principles does ABA operate on the basis of?
Operant conditioning - reinforces behaviours to increase the likelihood of them
What skills can ABA improve?
Communication, daily living skills and communication skills
How does Lovaas (1987) support the use of ABA?
Found that 9/19 who had more than 40 hours a week of ABA needed minimal support at school compared to 1/40 who had no intervention
What did McEachin et al (1993) find in his follow up of Lovaas (1987)?
That the experimental group had maintained their improvement over the comparison group
What did Ospina et al (2008) find when he reviewed therapies into autism?
That ABA was effective
What did Myers et al (2007) find?
That ABA intervention in children who experience intervention early enables them to make IQ gains, lanuage gains and improved academic performance
What is a criticism of ABA?
Could be seen as a form of social control as it pushes the child towards what behaviours are deemed acceptable and doesn’t allow them to make choices
Why can ABA not be practical?
Expensive programme to undergo - impacts others in the family as well as the child with autism = stress
