Behavior Analysis and ABA Therapy

• Behavior analysis is an applied science that uses principles of respondent and operant conditioning to change behavior of social significance.
• Behavior analysis began with the study of psychiatric nurses as behavioral engineers.
• Behavior analysis has been used to manage the behavior of children and adolescents in juvenile detention centers and organize employees who require proper structure and management in businesses.
• Behavior analysis is considered controversial by many within the autism rights movement because they perceive it to emphasize normality instead of acceptance.
• Behavior analysis is the study of how behaviors are produced and maintained.
• Behavior analysis is used to treat a wide range of problems, including autism.
• Behavior analysis uses methods that produce changes in behavior.
• Behavior analysis is based on careful initial assessment of a behavior's function and a testing of methods that produce changes in behavior.
• Behavior analysis is a type of therapy.
• Behavior analysis is used to help children learn new skills.
• Behavior analysis is a type of intervention.
• ABA is a type of therapy used to treat autism.
• ABA is often used to teach adaptive behaviors or to diminish behaviors associated with autism.
• ABA is considered an effective "intervention for challenging behaviors" by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
• There is limited evidence that ABA is effective for treating autism.
• There is a risk of bias in many of the studies that have been conducted on ABA.
• There is a publication bias against single-subject research studies that show that ABA is ineffective.
• ABA is generally considered to be an effective treatment for autism, but there is limited evidence to support this claim.
• ABA is a type of behavioral intervention that has been found to be effective in enhancing global functioning in pre-school children with autism.
• There is strong evidence that EIBI is effective for some, but not all, children with autism spectrum disorders.
• Any improvements are likely to be greatest in the first year of intervention.
• One area of critique has been the "ideological warfare" surrounding ABA and TEACCH, despite the philosophies and practices of the two approaches not necessarily being in opposition.
• Researchers have critiqued the leniency of the ABA ethical code, discussing how it does not restrict or clarify the "appropriate use of aversives", does not require competency as ABA therapists are "not required to take even a single class on autism, brain function or child development", and its view of the client as the parent meaning that requiring "client consent" is not always necessary.

Test your knowledge about behavior analysis and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, including its applications, controversies, and effectiveness in treating autism. Explore the principles of respondent and operant conditioning used to change behaviors of social significance.