Applied Behavior Analysis

                                                Applied behavior analysis is the process of systematically applying interventions based
                                               upon the principles of learning theory to improve socially significant behaviors to a mean-
                                                ingful degree, and to demonstrate that the interventions employed are responsible
                                                for the improvement in behavior.

                                                Socially significant behaviors include reading, academics, social skills, communication,
                                                and adaptive living skills.  Adaptive living skills include gross and fine motor skills,
                                                eating and food preparation, toileting, dressing, personal self-care, domestic skills, time
                                                and punctuality, money and value, work skills, and home and community orientation.

                                                ABA methods are used to support people with autism in numerous ways:

                                                1.    to increase behaviors (ex. reinforcement procedures increase on-task behavior, or
                                                        social interactions.)

                                                2.    to teach new skills (ex. systemic instruction and reinforcement procedures teach functional
                                                        life skills, communication skills, or social skills.)

                                                3.    to maintain behaviors (ex. teaching self control and self monitoring procedures to maintain
                                                        and generalize job-related social skills.)

                                                4.   to generalize or to transfer behavior from one situation or response to another (for example
                                                      completing assignments in the resource room to performing as well in the mainstream
                                                      classroom.)

                                                5.    to restrict or narrow conditions under which interfering behaviors occur (example, modifying the
                                                        learning environment) and

                                                6.    to reduce interfering behaviors (example, self injury or stereotypy)

                                                ABA is an objective discipline. It focuses on the reliable measurement and objective evaluation of
                                                observable behavior. In order for something to be reliable, the behaviors have to be defined objectively.
                                                Vague terms such as anger, depression, or tantrums have to be redefined in observable and
                                                 quantifiable  terms so their frequency and duration can be appropriately recorded.  For example
                                                a goal to reduce a child's aggressive behavior might define aggression as attempts, episodes or
                                                occurrences each separated by 10 seconds of biting, scratching, pinching, or pulling hair.

                                                ABA interventions require a demonstration of the events that are responsible for
                                                 the occurrence or non-occurrence of behavior.

                                                Positive behavior supports is to teach functional skills as a replacement for problem behavior. Positive
                                                behavioral support plans typically involve changing existing environments in a manner that makes problem
                                                behaviors irrelevant, ineffective and inefficient.  This usually involves changing a variety of aspects of the
                                                environment such as physical setting, task demands, curriculum, instructional pace, instruction of new skills,
                                                and individualized reinforcement.