ABA: The Science of Changing Lives One Behavior at a Time! JUAN - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

ABA: The Science of Changing Lives One Behavior at a Time! JUAN CARLOS LOPEZ, PH.D., BCBA-D, LBS EPIC DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES MAY 12, 2017 CBH, PHILADELPHIA, PA

ABA: Seven Defining Characteristics 1. Applied 2. Behavioral 3. Analytic 4. Technological 5. Conceptually Systematic 6. Effective 7. Generality of results

1. APPLIED Interventions have social significance: ◦ How important are the behaviors or environment to the person? ◦ Activities of daily living ◦ Eating ◦ Showering ◦ Toileting ◦ Academics ◦ Math ◦ Reading ◦ Behavior problems ◦ Aggression ◦ Self-injuries

2. Behavioral Behaviors are defined and can be observed and measured by human observers ◦ Task analysis ◦ Behavior definition  Object mouthing: placement of an inedible object past the plane of the lips.  Food consumption: placement of food past the plane of the lips. ◦ From: The effects of noncontingent access to food on the rate of object mouthing across three settings. ◦ Henry S Roane, Markell L Kelly, Wayne W Fisher. J Appl Behav Anal. 2003 Winter; 36(4): 579–582

3. ANALYTICAL It can be demonstrated that the procedures used are reliably responsible for behavior change.

4. Technological Procedures are completely identified and described. Test: Can a trained person implement these interventions and obtain the same results by simply reading the procedures? For example: Provide… “continuous access to foods that had been previously identified to compete with the occurrence of object mouthing: chewing gum, marshmallows, and hard candy. Jason wore a fanny pack containing these items around his waist.”

5. CONCEPTUALLY SYSTEMATIC Procedures use the scientific principles of behavior ◦ Reinforcement principles ◦ Stimulus control ◦ Verbal behavior ◦ For example: “… continuous provision of food may result in satiation, which may recreate the establishing operation for object mouthing (deprivation of oral stimulation)… the long-term use of leisure items may be more beneficial than the noncontingent provision of food.”

6. EFFECTIVE The results obtained are large enough for practical value.

7. GENERALITY OF RESULTS Do the results last over time? Do they occur in all desired environments? Do they spread to related behaviors? Not taken for granted: program for it

Whose lives have changed with ABA? People with and without disabilities: ◦ Infants ◦ Toddlers ◦ School-age ◦ Adolescents ◦ Adults ◦ Elderly

Features of high quality ABA services for children with autism “The responsibility of learning rests with the teacher ( caregiver )” The environment ◦ Space designed systematically ◦ Distractions minimized ◦ Materials within reach of adults, matched to child’s level, support goals ◦ Daily schedule – supports child-adult interactions many times over day, followed regularly by adult as well ◦ Parents treated as valued team members ◦ Learner’s progress: Data collected, displayed, reviewed, and analyzed regularly

Features of high quality ABA services for children with autism (cont.) The instructors ◦ Caring and supportive ◦ Trained ◦ Use variety of validated assessments and curricular materials ◦ Teach replacement behaviors when problem behaviors occur ◦ Can communicate principles underlying change ◦ Specify treatment outcomes ◦ Change intervention timely if lack of progress

Features of high quality ABA services for children with autism (cont.) The instruction ◦ Methods are ABA based ◦ When needed, methods are changed based on data ◦ Learners have multiple and ongoing opportunities to respond and learn skills ◦ Learners are taught to fluent levels ◦ Learners’ likes and dislikes are taken into consideration ◦ New behaviors are taught ◦ Problems behaviors are reduced or eliminated ◦ Assessments are used systematically to determine instructional priorities ◦ Taught skills are developmentally appropriate ◦ When possible, taught skills match the general curriculum

References Baer, D. M., Wolf, M. M., & Risley, T. R. (1968). Some current dimensions of applied behavior analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1, 91-97. Heward, W. L. (2007). Applied Behavior Analysis (2 nd Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Ed.). Pearson Prentice Hall, NJ: Upper Saddle River. Hall, V. R., Lund, D., & Jackson, D. (1968). Effects of teacher attention on study behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1, 1-12. How to know if your child’s program uses ABA. (2017, April 17). Retrieved from http://abainpa.com/images/pdf/How%20Would%20I%20Know%20My%20Child%20Was%2 Roane, H. S., Kelly, M. L., & Fisher, W. W. (2003). The effects of noncontingent food on the rate of object mouthing across three settings. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 36, 579–582 .