ABA Basics

 

ABA therapy applies our understanding of how behavior works to real situations. The goal is to increase behaviors that are helpful and decrease behaviors that are harmful or affect learning. We often use verbal (great job), physical( hugs, high-fives), or tangible (toys, food) reinforcement to increase the likelyhood of a positive behavior occuring. 

 

IT ( intensive teaching): used to teach direct skills using repition and reinforcement.  Used to teach social skills, academics, and daily living skills.  Skill data is tracked and maintained to guide student programs

 

Natural Environment teaching:  Teaching skills in day to day actitivies. We often transfer skills taught in intensive teaching into natural environment teaching to show generalization and mastery. For example, if a child is learning to label spoon in IT we will play with a spoon and ask the child " what's this" when playing in the kichen area.

 

A-B-C data:  Antecedent-behavior-consequence  

  What happened before the behavior, what the behavior was, what the consequence was. Often used to track behaviors we are trying to improve. 

 

Common Behavioral protocols: Accepting No, Count and Mand, Reinforcement, Escape Extinction