Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder characterized by significant impairment in social interactions, communication and restricted behavior, interests, and activities. According to the Center for Disease and Prevention (CDC), ASD impacts approximately 1 in 59 children in the United States. There is currently no one standard treatment for ASD. There are many ways to increase your child’s ability to grow and learn new skills. Early intervention can lead to better results. Treatments may include behavior, communication therapies, and skills training.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is an evidence-based applied science. It is a scientific approach that studies how the environment influences behavior. The procedures used are simple and easy to replicate, like a recipe, to ensure that multiple people can carry out the intervention as intended. ABA provides effective interventions to create lasting change.
Behavior refers to the whole range of measurable activities of a living organism. In other words, behavior refers to everything people do and say. These important behaviors may include communication and language, social skills, and adaptive behavior such as eating and grooming. The field of ABA is broad, addressing socially significant behaviors across a wide range of people and settings. While most recognizable in the treatment of children with developmental disabilities, the science of ABA is regularly used to improve performance in a variety of fields, such as health, education, organization and business management, and sports. Research indicates that with early intensive intervention, children with autism have had a significant progress in their IQ, adaptive functioning, and language skills. Following appropriate intervention, some individuals may no longer meet the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder. The implementation of these scientific principles can change lives!
A support team is formed to observe and identify behavior-environment relationships. Behavior Analysts predict and control behavior. They identify and measure the challenging behavior, assess the environment, and conduct a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) to determine what is maintaining the behavior.
