1. Why ABA?
Should I use ABA for my child with
autism or other developmental
disability?
2. Table of Contents
• What is ABA
– What ABA is not
– ABA process
Quiz # 1
• ABA and Behavior
– Typical behavior of autistic child
– Verbal behavior
Quiz # 2
• Conclusions: Outcomes for children
• Answer Key
• Bibliography
3. What is ?
ABA stands for Applied Behavioral Analysis and is based
on the works of B.F. Skinner.
Intensive 1 on 1 therapy.
A treatment for autism that identifies skill deficits then
breaks each skill into its smallest manageable unit.
Goals are make for each specific behavior. The skills are
then expanded into larger, more significant units.
Table of Contents
4. What ABA is not.
It is not just for children with autism. ABA has helped children
with Rhett’s, down syndrome, and many other
developmental disabilities.
It is not discrete trial training, although it does use techniques
from discrete trial training
It is not speech therapy, physical therapy, or occupational
therapy; though recommendations from these
professionals can be incorporated into the ABA therapy.
ABA is not a means of teaching children using any physical
punishment. ABA concentrates on reinforcement.
Table of Contents
5. ABA process
• Direct observation- test all behaviors through
personal experience
• Rigorous data collection- notice patterns and
strengths in child’s learning
• Reinforcement- Find what motivates each child
and use to shape behavior
• Stimulus control- use prompting, extinction, and
fading to encourage appropriate behaviors and
aide in learning.
Table of Contents
6. 1) What does ABA stand for?
a) Applied Behavioral Analysis
b) Analytic Behavior Accounting
c) Assertive Behavior Analyzing
2) ABA is therapy for:
a) kids who want to go into business
b) only for autistic children
c) for children with development disabilities
3) What does ABA use to teach children?
a) time outs
b) physical punishment
c) reinforcement
4) ABA therapists can pick up on behavior patterns through:
a) asking the parents
b) taping therapy sessions
c) rigorous data collection
5) ABA goals are made for:
a) each specific behavior
b) categories of behavior
c) the ease of the therapist
Answer Key
7. ABA and Behavior
Behavior is anything a person does that can be
observed and measured.
ABA uses the pattern of
antecedents, behavior, and consequence (the
ABC’s) to help children predict outcomes and
control behavior.
ABA uses natural environment training to help
generalize behaviors across different
environments.
Table of Contents
8. Typical Behavior of an Autistic Child
These are just some of the behaviors a child with
autism may exhibit that ABA can focus on.
• Poor or no speech
• Lack of eye contact
• Self stimulating Behavior (flapping arms, repetitive noises, etc.)
• Sensitivity to sounds and textures
• Physical aggression
• Strong desire to follow patterns in behavior and interactions
• Toe-walking
• Repetitive Behavior
• Self-injurious behavior
• Does not respond (acts like they are deaf)
Table of Contents
9. Verbal Behavior
• Behavior that involves communication and
conveying information
• Includes both vocal and non-vocal
communication (sign
language, speech, communication
device, gestures)
• Skinners 4 categories of verbal behavior:
– Echoic – imitation
– Mand – request/demand
– Tact – labeling
– Intraverbal – conversational.
Table of Contents
10. 1) Behavior is anything a person does that can be:
a) annoying and noisy
b) observed and measured
c) felt and seen
2) Which is not a typical behavior of an autistic child.
a) above average math skills
b) toe walking
c) lack of eye contact
3) Conversational behavior is known as:
a) Echoic
b) Intraverbal
c) Mand
4) The ABC’s stand for _____, behavior, and consequence.
a) antecedent
b) action
c) arrangement
5) Children with autism may seem to be:
a) blind
b) dizzy
c) deaf
Answer key
11. Conclusion- Outcomes
• Children with autism who receive
early, intensive, intervention consistently out
pace their autistic peers who do not receive
such therapy. The most famous, consistently
replicated study is Lovaas’ “Behavioral
Treatment and Normal Educational and
Intellectual Functioning in Young Autistic
Children”
Table of Contents
12. Quiz 1
1) A) Applied Behavioral Analysis
2) C) Children with developmental disabilities
3) C) Reinforcement
4) C) Rigorous data collection
5) A) Each specific behavior
Return to ABA and behavior
Quiz 2
1) B) Observed and measured
2) A) Above average math skills
3) B) Intraverbal
4) A) Antecedent
5) C) Deaf
If you scored 8/10 Congratulations! Press button to move on.
If you scored less than 8/10 Uh-Oh. Press button to try again.
13. Bibliography
Buchanan, S.M., & Weiss, M.J. (2006) Applied
Behavioral Analysis and Autism: an introduction.
Ewing, NJ: New Jersey Center for Outreach and
Services for the Autism Community.
Lovaas, O.I. (1987) Behavioral Treatment and
Normal Educational and Intellectual Functioning
in Young Autistic Children [Electronic version].
Journal of Consulting and Clinical
Psychology, 55, 3-9.
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14. My A-ha moments
• I never made a power point presentation using
hyperlinks. I found the highlighting and selection
process very simple and useful
• As I made my presentation 2 slides were out of order at
first I thought I would have to delete them to rearrange
them then I found the slide sorter. All I had to do was
click and drag the slides to their correct placement.
• I was able to make a sunshine smiley face button and a
sad face button for my answer key page. I was
unaware that I could make a button by using a picture
and the hyperlink button.
