What is Applied Behavior Analysis?

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a therapy based on the science of learning and behavior.

Behavior analysis helps us to understand:

● How behavior works

● How behavior is affected by the environment
● How learning takes place

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.

ABA therapy programs can help:

● Increase language and communication skills

● Improve attention, focus, social skills, memory, and academics
● Decrease problem behaviors

The methods of behavior analysis have been used and studied for decades. They have helped
many kinds of learners gain different skills – from healthier lifestyles to learning a new language.
Therapists have used ABA to help children with autism and related developmental
disorders since the 1960s.

How does ABA therapy work?

Applied Behavior Analysis involves many techniques for understanding and changing behavior.
ABA is a flexible treatment:

● Can be adapted to meet the needs of each unique person

● Provided in many different locations – at home, at school, and in the community
● Teaches skills that are useful in everyday life
● Can involve one-to-one teaching or group instruction

Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement is one of the main strategies used in ABA.

When a behavior is followed by something that is valued (a reward), a person is more likely to
repeat that behavior. Over time, this encourages positive behavior change.

First, the therapist identifies a goal behavior. Each time the person uses the behavior or skill
successfully, they get a reward. The reward is meaningful to the individual – examples include
praise, a toy or book, watching a video, access to playground or other location, and more.

Positive rewards encourage the person to continue using the skill. Over time this leads to
meaningful behavior change.

Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence

Understanding antecedents (what happens before a behavior occurs) and consequences (what
happens after the behavior) is another important part of any ABA program.

The following three steps – the “A-B-Cs” – help us teach and understand behavior:

1. An antecedent: this is what occurs right before the target behavior. It can be verbal, such
as a command or request. It can also be physical, such a toy or object, or a light, sound, or
something else in the environment. An antecedent may come from the environment, from
another person, or be internal (such as a thought or feeling).
2. A resulting behavior: this is the person’s response or lack of response to the antecedent.
It can be an action, a verbal response, or something else.
3. A consequence: this is what comes directly after the behavior. It can include positive
reinforcement of the desired behavior, or no reaction for incorrect/inappropriate
responses.

Looking at A-B-Cs helps us understand:

1. Why a behavior may be happening

2. How different consequences could affect whether the behavior is likely to happen again

EXAMPLE:
 ● Antecedent: The teacher says “It’s time to clean up your toys” at the end of the day.
● Behavior: The student yells “no!”
● Consequence: The teacher removes the toys and says “Okay, toys are all done.”

How could ABA help the student learn a more appropriate behavior in this situation?

● Antecedent: The teacher says “time to clean up” at the end of the day.
● Behavior: The student is reminded to ask, “Can I have 5 more minutes?”
● Consequence: The teacher says, “Of course you can have 5 more minutes!”

With continued practice, the student will be able to replace the inappropriate behavior with one
that is more helpful. This is an easier way for the student to satisfy the child’s needs!

What Does an ABA Program Involve?

Good ABA programs for autism are not "one size fits all." ABA should not be viewed as a
canned set of drills. Rather, each program is written to meet the needs of the individual learner.

The goal of any ABA program is to help each person work on skills that will help them become
more independent and successful in the short term as well as in the future.

Planning and Ongoing Assessment

A qualified and trained behavior analyst (BCBA) designs and directly oversees the program.
They customize the ABA program to each learner's skills, needs, interests, preferences and
family situation.

The BCBA will start by doing a detailed assessment of each person’s skills and preferences.
They will use this to write specific treatment goals. Family goals and preferences may be
included, too.

Treatment goals are written based on the age and ability level of the person with ASD. Goals can
include many different skill areas, such as:

● Communication and language

● Social skills
● Self-care (such as showering and toileting)
● Play and leisure
● Motor skills
● Learning and academic skills
The instruction plan breaks down each of these skills into small, concrete steps. The therapist
teaches each step one by one, from simple (e.g. imitating single sounds) to more complex (e.g.
carrying on a conversation).

The BCBA and therapists measure progress by collecting data in each therapy session. Data
helps them to monitor the person’s progress toward goals on an ongoing basis.

The behavior analyst regularly meets with family members and program staff to review
information about progress. They can then plan ahead and adjust teaching plans and goals as
needed.

ABA Techniques and Philosophy

The instructor uses a variety of ABA procedures. Some are directed by the instructor and others
are directed by the person with autism.

Parents, family members and caregivers receive training so they can support learning and skill
practice throughout the day.

The person with autism will have many opportunities to learn and practice skills each day. This
can happen in both planned and naturally occurring situations. For instance, someone learning to
greet others by saying "hello" may get the chance to practice this skill in the classroom with their
teacher (planned) and on the playground at recess (naturally occurring).

The learner receives an abundance of positive reinforcement for demonstrating useful skills and
socially appropriate behaviors. The emphasis is on positive social interactions and enjoyable
learning.

The learner receives no reinforcement for behaviors that pose harm or prevent learning.

ABA is effective for people of all ages. It can be used from early childhood through
adulthood!

Who provides ABA services?

A board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) provides ABA therapy services. To become a
BCBA, the following is needed:

● Earn a master’s degree or PhD in psychology or behavior analysis

● Pass a national certification exam
● Seek a state license to practice (in some states)

ABA therapy programs also involve therapists, or registered behavior technicians (RBTs). These
therapists are trained and supervised by the BCBA. They work directly with children and adults
with autism to practice skills and work toward the individual goals written by the BCBA. You
may hear them referred to by a few different names: behavioral therapists, line therapists,
behavior tech, etc.

To learn more, see the Behavior Analyst Certification Board website.

What is the evidence that ABA works?

ABA is considered an evidence-based best practice treatment by the US Surgeon General and
by the American Psychological Association.

“Evidence based” means that ABA has passed scientific tests of its usefulness, quality, and
effectiveness. ABA therapy includes many different techniques. All of these techniques focus on
antecedents (what happens before a behavior occurs) and on consequences (what happens after
the behavior).

More than 20 studies have established that intensive and long-term therapy using ABA principles
improves outcomes for many but not all children with autism. “Intensive” and “long term” refer
to programs that provide 25 to 40 hours a week of therapy for 1 to 3 years. These studies show
gains in intellectual functioning, language development, daily living skills and social
functioning. Studies with adults using ABA principles, though fewer in number, show similar
benefits.
What is Applied Behavior Analysis?

by Dawn Hendricks, Ph.D., Susan Palko, M.Ed. and Adam Dreyfus, MA, BCBA

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a scientific approach to understanding behavior. ABA

refers to a set of principles that focus on how behaviors change, or are affected by the
environment, as well as how learning takes place. The term behavior refers to skills and actions
needed to talk, play, and live. While these principles impact everyone each day, they can be
applied systematically through interventions to help individuals learn and apply new skills in
their daily lives.

ABA requires the implementation of established principles of learning, behavioral strategies, and
environmental modifications to improve and teach new behaviors. In practice, implementation
must be systematic so teachers can identify how behavior can be changed and understand how
learning occurred. The ultimate goal of ABA is to establish and enhance socially important
behaviors. Such behaviors can include academic, social, communication, and daily living skills;
essentially, any skill that will enhance the independence and/or quality of life for the individual.

Question: How are Applied Behavior Analysis principals and methods used?

Answer:The principles and methods of ABA can be used to support individuals in at least five
ways.

● ABA can be used to increase behaviors, such as attending to a speaker or greeting a peer.
● The principles and methods can be used to teach a student new skills, including using a
spoon and learning addition.
● ABA can be used to maintain behaviors, for example, reading sight words that were
learned previously.
● ABA principles and methods can be used to help a student generalize or transfer behavior
from one situation or response to another. For instance, a student may learn to generalize
completing assignments in the resource room to completing them in the general education
classroom.
● ABA can be used to reduce interfering or challenging behaviors.

Understanding what is meant by ABA is increased if each term is defined individually: Applied,
Behavior, and Analysis.

Question: What does the word, "Applied" mean?

Answer:ABA interventions deal with behaviors of demonstrated social significance -- behaviors
that are important! When implementing ABA interventions, teachers are targeting behaviors that
are essential to the person. For example, learning to cross a street safely may be critical for a
person who has a new job in the city, while learning to order lunch in the cafeteria may be
critical for someone else. The range of behavior issues addressed by ABA is broad and deep.

The following list illustrates the scope of possible behaviors:

● Teaching social skills,

● Generalizing reading sight words in different texts,
● Teaching toileting skills,
● Teaching appropriate break room behavior,
● Teaching the bed time routine,
● Increasing requesting desired objects,
● Generalizing conversational skills to colleagues in the work place, and
● Teaching riding a bus.

Question: What does the word, "Behavior" mean?

Answer: In orderIn order to understand ABA, it is critical to understand what is meant by

behavior. Behavior is anything a person does. Behavior is measurable and observable. Often
behavior is thought of in negative terms, for example, screaming or hitting. However, behavior
applies to all kinds of positive actions and skills too, including greeting a peer, performing a
math problem, signing a letter, asking a question, and so on.

When behavior is discussed in the context of ABA, it is generally considered in three differents
contexts.

● Behaviors that are to be maintained over time, such as a child who has learned to brush
his teeth or the adolescent who has learned to manage a check book.
● Behaviors that should be increased. For the person who is unable to request something to
eat or interact with a peer, teaching these skills is a priority.
● Behaviors that need to be decreased. Obviously, a parent wants to see a child spending
less time screaming or having a tantrum, in this case, the parent would also want to see
positive behaviors increase, such as communicating or asking for help.
Question: What does the word, "Analysis" mean?

Answer: Through the use of clear definitions for behavior and systematic delivery of
interventions, reliable relationships between interventions and behavior can be established. There
is also a need for a reliable collection of data, as well as analysis of these data to determine if
behaviors are changing. Through analysis, teachers can determine if behaviors are increasing or
decreasing, as well as the rate of the change. This allows objective decisions to be made about
future interventions. The following components are needed to ensure analysis can be completed:

● Specific intervention goals and objectives,

● A well-defined plan including the strategies used to meet the goals and objectives,
● Ongoing data collection to show the intervention was actually responsible for the
behavior gains, and
● A plan to ensure the generalization and maintenance of treatment gains.

Question: What are the basic principles of ABA?

Answer: The basic principles of ABA consist of environmental variables that impact behavior.
These variables are antecedents and consequences. Antecedents are events that happen right
before the behavior, and a conse-quence is the event following the behavior. The following
figure demonstrates the behavior change contingency and provides an example. It is through
systematic application of antecedents and consequences that target behavior will maintain,
increase, or decrease -- this is how learning will occur!

A comprehensive ABA plan needs to address all the component areas: antecedent, behavior, and
consequence.

Question: How can antecedents be used to impact behavior?

Answer: There is always an antecedent to a behavior, whether its a positive behavior to be

increased or a negative behavior to be decreased. Antecedents are important to understand as
they help the learner know what to do. For example, when John, a 16 year old with ASD, is
shown a picture of the family van, he knows to put his shoes on and get in the car.

There are many ways to alter antecedents to impact learning. The most important way to target
antecedents is by directly adapting instruction and student tasks so the student will have success.
For example, Ty has a difficult time responding to multiple word sentences so one word
instruction will be used instead of sentences. James gets overwhelmed when he does not know
what he is supposed to do in his reading assignment. Therefore, directions are presented to him
using picture cards.
The environment or instructional materials can also be altered when considering antecedents.
This addresses circumstances that set the stage for a behavior. The following examples illustrate
how manipulating the environment and/or instructional materials can change behavior.

● Jake has difficulty completing a writing task in a collaborative work group, so he is

paired with one peer instead of a group of his peers.
● Joni has difficulty with math; therefore, she completes her math problems in the morning
when she is at her best.
● When Skyler works on reading comprehension, she is asked to match a picture to the
sentence that she just read; her peers are asked to answer a multiple choice question.

Question: How can consequences be used to impact behavior?

Answer: How behavior is affected by the consequences that follow is a crucial element in all
aspects of ABA. There are limitations to what can be changed before a behavior occurs, but the
most control that teachers have is over how they respond to a behavior. Is attention the
consequence? Is praise delivered as the consequence? Is the person allowed to "get out of" an
activity?

The most effective consequence is the use of reinforcement to reinforce appropriate behaviors.
The term reinforcement is often assumed to refer to things that an individual likes to do or a
preferred object. However, in ABA, reinforcement goes further than this. Reinforcement is
defined as something that, when provided after a behavior, increases the future frequency of that
behavior. In other words, reinforcement must result in a behavior change!

ABA breaks reinforcement down into positive and negative reinforcement. Positive
reinforcement is defined as an event in which the addition of something the person likes (praise,
money, food, or toys) increases the frequency of the target behavior in the future. For example,
Joey shares his toy with his little brother and his mom tells him how nice he is and gives him a
treat. In the future, Joey shares his toy with his little brother more often.

Negative reinforcement is defined as the removal of something aversive or "negative" to increase

the future frequency of that behavior. For example, Ms. Wiley gives homework every day;
however, yesterday, each student turned their homework in on time so Ms. Wiley does not give
homework today. In this case, the negative occurrence of daily homework was removed to
reinforce turning in homework. Is it likely Ms. Wiley's class will turn their homework in more
frequently now?

Another consequence is punishment. Punishment is providing something following a behavior

that decreases the frequency of the target behavior in the future. Punishment is not recommended
as it often has a negative impact on the individual and yields change that is not long lasting. In
some cases, when using punishment to decrease future occurences of a behavior something is
added that is aversive or not liked such as yelling or social disapproval. Many of us have been
exposed to this form of punishment. Examples include a verbal reprimand or a speeding ticket.
Other punishment might entail removing or taking away something enjoyed to decrease future
behavior. Loss of computer time and being grounded for the weekend are two examples of this
type of punishment.

Question: Who can benefit from ABA?

Answer: The principles of ABA are present daily in all our lives. Behaviors are shaped or
altered based on the antecedents and consequences that a person encounters. For example, if a
barking dog keeps someone in the neighborhood awake at night, the person will likely learn to
shut the window before going to bed. This is an example of an antecedent that affected behavior.
If an employee receives a bonus at work for doing a good job, he or she is likely to work harder.
This is an example of how a consequence may shape behavior. Environmental variables such as
these are constantly at play, often impacting learning and behavior.

Question: Where and by whom is ABA used?

Answer: The interventions that have been developed using the principles of ABA are used in
every walk of life and every profession. Different types of people use ABA in their jobs and in
their lives. Parents, teachers, psychologists, managers, and a wide variety of others use these
principles in education, weight loss, animal training, gerontology, industrial safety, advertising,
medical procedures, marketing, automobile safety, sports, and a host of other fields and
activities. Applied Behavior Analysis is used in both general and special education classrooms.
For example, teachers use ABA to manage classroom behavior, teach group reading skills, and
help the class memorize multiplication facts.

These principles have also been studied and developed to be used with special populations of
individuals in recent years, including those with ASD. ABA techniques can be especially useful
in teaching behaviors to children with ASD who may otherwise not “pick up” these behaviors on
their own as quickly as other children might. A wide variety of ABA techniques have been
developed for building useful skills in learners of all ages. These techniques can be used in both
structured situations, such as formal instruction in classrooms, and in more natural everyday
situations, such as play or mealtime. They are used to develop basic skills like attending,
listening, and imitating, as well as complex skills like reading, conversing, and taking the
perspective of others.

Question: What are some of the teaching strategies used in ABA?

Answer: Teachers, parents, and behavior specialists have many tools in their tool boxes. ABA
includes many strategies and procedures that can be helpful. Some of the most frequently used
include prompting, shaping, task analysis, functional behavior analysis/assessment, antecedent
interventions, and functional communication training. Please visit the VCU-ACE website for
additional resources on teaching strategies: www.vcuautismcenter.org
Question: Is Discrete Trial Training the same as ABA?

Answer: There is confusion around the terms Discrete Trial Training (DTT) and ABA. DTT is
one of many teaching procedures used within ABA. However, these terms are NOT
synonymous. Instead, DTT is a teaching strategy based in the principles of ABA that focuses on
skill acquisition and is useful when teaching early learning skills such as receptive instructions or
imitation, or when the learner needs skills broken down into small, learnable parts.

There are four main components to discrete trial training: instruction, response, consequence,
and the inter trial interval. First, the teacher gives an instruction. Second, the student responds. If
it is a new skill, a prompt may be given by the teacher between the instruction and response to
help the student respond correctly. The student’s response is evaluated as correct or incorrect and
based on this determination, a consequence is delivered. If correct, positive reinforcement is
provided. If incorrect, the teacher will provide a correction procedure. This completes the
discrete learning trial and the teacher then waits for a determined period of time (e.g. 5 seconds)
before continuing with the next trial. If the teacher needs to design a learning program that
breaks each component down into the simplest possible terms and plans to teach each item
individually, then he or she might choose to use discrete trial training.

Summary

Applied behavior analysis is a science in which interventions are taken from existing research
and applied to improve behavior in socially significant ways. ABA is a way to approach behavior
that will maximize positive outcomes. Simply put, ABA requires constructing intervention
strategies that define the antecedents and consequences that will result in the increase of positive
skills and the decrease of problem behaviors. Decisions regarding the effectiveness of the
intervention are based on data collected. Based on the data analysis, the parent or interventionist
may choose to continue with the intervention or change the intervention to produce positive
outcomes for the individual.