ABA Therapy Autism Breakthrough Method

Autism Breakthrough ABA
Method
The Amazing Method That Has Helped
Millions All Over the World
Doris J. Barnes
Copyright © 2016 by Doris J. Barnes

Table of Contents
“ABA THERAPY” (AUTISM)................................................1
THE BASICS OF APPLIED BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS..8
What is ABA Intervention all about and what does it
involve? ...................................................................16
DISTINCTIVE AND DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF
ABA ...........................................................................................19
Autism: Does ABA therapy force conformity or
introduce the children to the Society at large? ......21
How much ABA is enough?.....................................24
Components of an Effective Program.....................26
Steps in Getting an ABA Program Started...............31

ABA METHOD • 1
“ABA THERAPY” (AUTISM)
BRIEF INTRODUCTION- ABA is not just an
intervention for children with ASD (Autism
Spectrum Disorder). Applied Behavior Analysis
(ABA therapy) is a generic term for a widely used
scientific method of behavior modification. It is
based on the principle that influencing a response
associated with a particular behavior may cause that
behavior to be modified and controlled. ABA is the
science of Applied Behavior Analysis. In other
words, it can simply be defined as a scientific
approach to observing, evaluating, and developing a
plan to address undesired behaviors. It takes into
consideration, the understanding of events and the
role of environment just before and right after
behaviors occur, which can give parents, guardians
and other caretakers the information they require to
begin shaping a child's behavior.
Applied Behavior analysis is a scientifically
approved approach to understanding behavior and
how it is affected by the environment. In this
particular instance, “behavior" is referring to actions
and skills while “environment" includes any
influence be it physical influence or social influence,
that might be changed by one's behavior. Practically
speaking, the different principles and many methods
of behavior analysis have in one way or the other,
helped different kinds of learners master many

2 • Doris J. Barnes
different skills, starting from healthier lifestyles to
the learning of a new language.
Applied Behavior Analysis is not only very
common most, but it’s also one of the most
evidence-based methods employed in the treatment
of Autism.
It has been discovered about Applied Behavior
Analysis that it is an effective means of intervention
for children with pervasive developmental
disorders, and it’s being widely used within this
population. ABA therapy approaches such as Picture
Exchange Communication System (PECS), Pivotal
Response Treatment (PRT), Self-Management, and a
range of other social skills training techniques are
all importantly critical in teaching children with
autism. Ultimately, the goal is to find a way of
encouraging the child and using a number of
different motivational strategies and positive
reinforcement techniques to ensure that the
sessions are enjoyable and at the same time,
productive.
In ABA therapy programs, most especially in
PRT, the intent of the therapist is to increase and
generalize skills in forms of language, play and
socialization, etc. while decreasing and discouraging
behaviors that interfere and hinder the learning
process. The results can be profound. Many children
with autism who have self-injurious and ritualistic
behaviors reduce or eliminate these behaviors
totally. ABA programs ensure the establishment of
better eye contact and encourage learning and

ABA METHOD • 3
staying on task. Finally the children will then be able
to acquire the ability and the desire to learn and to
do well. Even if the child does not achieve an
“outstanding result or outcome”, it would have been
reduced to a satisfactory level. Notwithstanding,
almost all autistic children enjoy the benefits of
early intensive ABA programs.
The Applied Behavior Analysis approach deals
with the teaching of verbal, motor, and social
behaviors and reasoning skills, and can also be
effective in managing unwanted behaviors. Applied
Behavior Analysis therapy is especially useful in
teaching behaviors to children with Autism who do
not otherwise interact and act on these behaviors on
their own as other children would. Applied Behavior
Analysis teaches these skills by making use of
cautious behavioral observation and positive
reinforcement or prompting to teach each step of a
behavior. Applied Behavior Analysis in a general
term, involves intensive training of the therapists
and spending extensive time in Applied Behavior
Analysis therapy i.e. 20 to 40 hours per week and
weekly supervision constantly carried out by
experienced clinical supervisors known as a
certified behavior analyst.
ABA Methods: ABA therapists employ the use of
applied behavior analysis methods and techniques
in order to teach children with autism through
intensive and thorough one-on-one therapy
sessions. ABA therapy is generally applicable to any
children at any level on the Autism Spectrum
Disorder. ABA therapy works on promoting

communication, behavioral, social and academic
skills. Specific targets of the interventions are
carefully chosen based on the child's individual
behavioral problems and disorder. Children
suffering from autism spectrum disorder often
exhibit behaviors such as “unwillingness to make
eye contact, unwillingness to interact and engage”
and a reduction in these compliance behaviors is
often the first intervention target. After successfully
controlling behavioral problems, the intervention
aim can now shift to the other aspects of autism,
such as improving communication skills and social
interaction. In an intensive behavioral intervention
program, goals are set and progress is continuously
monitored, measured and evaluated.
The goals are changed over time as the child
shows some level of improvement or whenever
there is a change in the surrounding requiring a
change in the target behaviors. Treatment that will
follow is mainly based on functional assessment,
information, and family input. Children eventually
undergo many different skill areas that include such
skill areas like receptive language, expressive
communication, mathematics, visual performance,
and other academic and life coping skills. Behavior
modification and socialization skills are injected and
incorporated into a child's program if and as at
when necessary only. Therapists use reinforcement
and other behavior modification techniques during
the sessions to slowly and steadily shape a child's
behavior. The same principles are also used to
reduce negative behaviors in a child.

ABA METHOD • 5
An example of applied behavior analysis in social
skills is given below; Here is a child's interaction
with a therapist trying to study the child so as to be
able to figure out how to attend to him or other
adult who is trying to be as helpful as possible
without appropriate training:
ABA therapist: Hi, Bryan, come here, are you
excited about this year’s Christmas?
Bryan: [no response]
ABA therapist: What are you going to do on
Christmas?
Bryan: I don't know.
ABA therapist: But you are going to get presents
right?
Bryan: Yes.
ABA therapist: What else do you have on your
mind?
ABA therapist: What else are you going to do
Bryan?
ABA therapist: Bryan come on, do you have a
tree?
Bryan: Yes.

ABA therapist: Who's going to bring presents
on Christmas?
Bryan: I don't know.
ABA therapist: Is it Santa Claus?
Bryan: Yes.
ABA therapist: [smile] Thanks, Bryan!
This is the child's half of the conversation: “I
don't know, No response, Yes, No, Yes, I don't know,
yes." This gives the trained ABA personnel the
chance to use this as an opportunity for practicing
conversation skills with the child.
Trained ABA personnel might want to make the
conversation go like this:
ABA therapist: Hi, Bryan, good to see you today,
are you excited about Christmas?
ABA therapist: Are you excited about
Christmas? Say, Yeah, I want to open my...
Bryan: Yeah, I want to open my presents!
ABA therapist: [Smile] me too! What presents
did you ask for?
Bryan: I asked for presents.

ABA METHOD • 7
ABA therapist: What presents did you ask for?
Say, For Christmas, I asked for...
Bryan: I asked for a bike, for Christmas.
ABA therapist: Cool! [Small tickle] Are you
excited about Christmas?
Bryan: Yeah, I want a bike.
ABA therapist: [Bigger tickle] A bike! That's
great! I've also got my tree all decorated with
fine ornaments. I put lots of ornaments on my
tree. [Point to Bryan's tree.]
Bryan: I put heart ornaments on my tree.
ABA therapist: Alex, that's so great! [Great big
tickle]
Bryan: Ahhhhh! Cut it out!

THE BASICS OF APPLIED BEHAVIORAL
ANALYSIS.
THE ABC MODEL: The first step in Applied
Behavior Analysis is to analyze the behavior. This is
done using the ABC mode which gives parents
proven strategies to manage their child’s behavior.
A – Antecedent- This comes before the adverse
behavior. It is a directive or request for the child
to perform an action.
B – Behavior- We note down the child’s
behavior, or response from the child - successful
performance, noncompliance, or no response.
C – Consequence- A consequence, defined as the
end result or the reaction from the therapist,
which can range from strong positive
reinforcement like special treats, verbal
praises,etc to a strong negative response like
“No!”
Some of the techniques used in Applied Behavior
Analysis include:
Task Analysis- Task analysis is a process in
which a task is examined, resolved and analyzed
into its component parts so that those parts can be
taught through the use of chaining: forward
chaining, backward chaining and total task
presentation.

ABA METHOD • 9
Chaining- The skill to be learned is broken down
and arranged into the smallest units for easy
learning. It means dividing a larger task into small
tasks. First we may start to teach one of the
behaviors within the larger task of tying your shoes.
Once the child is able to independently do the first
task, the next step would be introduced, thus
building upon each step toward a new behavior.
Chaining requires reinforcement and monitoring of
each step until the child is able to complete the
entire sequence without assistance. For example, a
child learning to brush teeth independently may
start with learning to unscrew the toothpaste cap.
Once the child has mastered this, the next step may
be squeezing the tube, and so on.
Prompting- This is another important technique
in which the child’s parents or therapist provide
assistance to encourage the desired response from
the child. The aim and objective of this technique is
to use the least intrusive prompt possible that will
still lead to the desired response. Prompts can
include:
Verbal hints e.g. "Take the toothpaste cap off,
Bryan".
Visual hints e.g. pointing at the toothpaste for
the child to see.
Physical guidance e.g. moving the child's hands
to unscrew the lid.
Demonstration e.g. taking the cap off to show the
child how it is done. All these will help and

encourage the child to master the behaviors and
be on top of it.
Fading-The major focus of fading is for a child to
not to need prompts anymore. This is why the least
intrusive prompts are employed, so the child does
not become totally dependent on those prompts
when learning a new behavior or skill. Prompts are
gradually faded out as the new behavior is learned.
Learning to unscrew the toothpaste lid may start
with physically guiding the child by helping me
straighten his hands, to pointing at the toothpaste,
then just a verbal request.
Shaping-Shaping involves gradually modifying
the existing behavior of an autism victim into the
desired behavior. It consists of starting where the
child is already at in terms of skill acquisition level
and reinforcing closer and more accurate
approximations to the overall goal. An example here
is a young boy who only engages with the pet dog by
kicking it. Although it consumes time, the parents
intervene every time he interacts with the dog, grab
his leg and teach him how to use his hand to play
with the dog in a stroking motion. This is paired
with positive reinforcement "Hey Tommy, it’s great
when you play with the Dog!" and doing a favorite
activity immediately afterwards as a reward.
Differential reinforcement- It provides a
positive response to a child's behavior that will most
likely increase that behavior. It is “differential”
because the level of reinforcement changes and
varies depending on the child's response. Difficult

ABA METHOD • 11
tasks may have to be reinforced heavily whereas
non difficult tasks may be reinforced less heavily.
We must systematically and constantly change the
way we reinforce so that the child will later respond
appropriately under natural schedules of
reinforcement i.e. occasional, with the most natural
types of reinforcers i.e. social. Reinforcement can be
positive (verbal praise, or a favorite activity) or
negative (a strong and an emphatic 'no').Positive
reinforcement is an incentive given out to a child
who complies with some request for behavior
change. The purpose of this reinforcement is to
increase the chances the child will respond with the
changed behavior. Positive reinforcement is given
out immediately after the desired behavior has
occurred so that it will shape the child's future
behavior and make the child want to continue
behaving that way since ABA is based on the idea
that people are more likely to repeat and continue
with behaviors that are rewarded than behaviors
that are not recognized or are ignored Some
examples of positive reinforcement include
Preferred activities like specific job; coffee with a
friend; concert; sporting event, Free time, Verbal
praise, Applause, Food-related activities (special
treats and not food they have the right to access
anyway),Desired objects (if affordable),Privileges
(e.g., being a team leader for a day or week;
certificate; badge; choice of outing),Tokens (e.g.: a
special trip to his favorite place when the child
earns five gold stars on the fridge).

Generalization- Behavior analysts have spent a
good amount of time studying factors that lead to
generalization. Once a skill has been learned in a
controlled environment (table-time most times), the
skill is then taught in more general and broad
settings. Perhaps the skill will be taught in the
natural environment. If the child has successfully
mastered learning colors at the table, the teacher
may take the student outside, around the house, the
compound or his school and then re-teach the skill
in these more natural environments.
Video modeling- One of the most effective
teaching techniques among some students,
particularly children, is the use of video modeling
(which is the act of making use of taped sequences
and videos as exemplars of behavior). It can be used
by therapists to assist in the acquisition of both
verbal and effective motor responses, in some cases
for long chains of behavior.
ABA therapy provides a structure for examining
human behaviors, what causes them and how to
make them increase or decrease. It also provides a
basic structure for teaching new skills. It can be
used to help with anything that ranges from treating
eating disorders to traffic control. Behavior analysts
examine the reasons, causes and the consequences
of behavior. They then develop interventions based
on the information gathered from this examination.
One of the strengths of ABA for children with autism
is that it can correct and address every behavior
relevant to that child (both excesses and deficits).
Behavior Analysts are not distracted by the varying

ABA METHOD • 13
theories of the causes of autism and their related
treatments, so they have been able to steadily
develop and refine their approach.
Today’s modern ABA programs look way very
different from what we had in place 20 years ago.
ABA has been made to be much more flexible,
functional, effective and fun for the child. We can
deduce from recent research that ABA is most
effective for children with autism when used
intensively (30-40 hours per week). These
programs are also known as EIBI (Early Intensive
Behavioral Intervention). Applied Behavior Analysis
or ABA is a field that deals with resolving, examining
and analyzing the basic principles of learning theory
and applying the knowledge in an organized manner
to change behavior of social importance. It is the
application of behavioral principles and techniques,
to daily situations to increase or decrease targeted
behaviors within a given period of time. Just as the
name implies, it is the applied form of behavior
analysis.
Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is the use of
some special techniques and principles to bring
about meaningful and positive change in behavior.
There are many kinds of specific behavioral therapy.
However, applied behavioral analysis is widely
being used as one of the most common types of
behavioral therapy used for children with some
specific developmental disabilities.
Applied behavior analysis, or ABA, was
developed in the late 1960’s by a group of faculty

and researchers at the University of Washington.
Many of the strategies used in the early stages of the
design are based on the principles of “operant
conditioning”. It’s a form of learning which depends
on manipulating consequences to change the rate at
which behaviors occur in the future. It is
characterized by a thorough analysis of challenging
behaviors as they occur within the child’s natural
environment.
Today, ABA is generally accepted and recognized
as a safe and effective treatment for autism. The
ABA approach has been in use with children with
autism spectrum disorders and other problems of a
developmental and behavioral nature. ABA
techniques can be employed to develop simple and
basic skills such as looking, listening and imitating,
as well as some difficult and complex skills such as
reading, conversing, arguing and understanding
another person’s perspective. These remedial
approaches might also be used to help a child handle
things like social relationships, a change in schedule,
self-care, changes in their environment or other
things that might be difficult for them to manage
without support. ABA can reduce the chances that
these situations will lead to problem behaviors.
Even though there are specific and definite
concepts that guide ABA, there is no standard
treatment policy and procedure. The concepts are
applied to each child based on the child’s abilities,
skills, level of functioning and behaviors to tailor a
program to individual needs.

ABA METHOD • 15
As a profession, ABA providers are charged with
improving socially significant behaviors. Socially
significant behaviors include some social skills,
communication, academics, reading and adaptive
living skills such as gross and fine motor skills,
singing, toileting, dressing, eating, clapping,
personal self-care, domestic skills, and work skills.
ABA methods are used to support persons with
autism in at least six ways:
(1). to increase behaviors e.g. reinforcement
procedures increase on-task behavior, or social
interactions.
(2). to teach new skills e.g. systematic instruction
and reinforcement procedures teach functional
life skills, communication skills, or social skills.
(3). to maintain behaviors e.g., teaching self-
control and self-monitoring principles and
procedures to generalize and maintain job-
related social skills.
(4). to transfer or generalize behavior from one
particular situation or response to another e.g.
from completing assignments in the resource
room where the child is being attended to, to
performing as well in the mainstream classroom.
(5). to restrict or narrow conditions under which
interfering behaviors occur e.g. changing the
learning environment and:

(6). to reduce interfering behaviors e.g., self-
injury.
ABA is an objective profession or discipline. ABA
focuses on the reliable measurement and objective
evaluation of a very observable behavior.
RELIABLE MEASUREMENT- It actually requires
that behaviors are defined objectively. Vague terms
such as depression, fury, anger, tantrums or
aggression are redefined in observable and
quantifiable terms, so their frequency, duration or
other measurable properties can be directly
measured and recorded.
What is ABA Intervention all about and
what does it involve?
Effective ABA intervention for autism cannot be
over emphasized due to its importance. It should be
approached with all manner of seriousness and it
should never be viewed as a "canned" set of
programs or drills. On the contrary, what a skilled
therapist will do is to customize and modify the
intervention to each learner's skills, needs, interests,
preferences and family situation. For these reasons,
an ABA program for one learner will vary and look
different than a program for another learner. That
said, it will be noticed that quality ABA programs for
learners with autism have the following in common:

ABA METHOD • 17
Continuous planning and Ongoing Assessment
(1). A qualified and trained behavior analyst
oversees designs and directly monitors the
intervention. The practitioner’s development of
treatment and intervention goals stems and
originates from a detailed assessment of each
learner's skills, choices and preferences and may
also include family goals as the case may be.
(2). Treatment goals and instruction are
developmentally relevant and appropriate and
they also target a broad range of skill areas such
as communication, sociability, self-care, play and
leisure, motor development and academic skills.
(3). Goals lay emphasis on skills that will enable
learners to become independent, stand alone
and be successful in both the short and long
terms.
(4). The instruction plan breaks down desired
behavior and skills into manageable steps that
are easy to follow which will then be taught from
the simplest form (e.g. imitating single sounds)
to the more complex form (e.g. carrying on a
conversation).
(5). The intervention has to do with taking
objective measurement of the ongoing progress
of the learner.
(6). The behavior analyst constantly reviews and
crosschecks information on the learner’s

progress and uses the information to adjust
procedures and goals as needed and as required.
(7). The analyst meets regularly with family
members and program staff to discuss, plan
ahead, review progress and make adjustments
that will deliver a fast and expected result.
ABA Techniques and Philosophy
* The instructor makes use of behavior analytic
procedures, out of which some are directed by
the Instructor and others initiated by the
learner.
* Parents, guardian and/or other family
members and caregivers undergo training so
they can support learning and skill and behavior
practice throughout the day.
* The learner’s day is programmed and
structured to bring about many opportunities –
both planned and naturally occurring - to learn
and practice skills in both unstructured and
structured situations.
* The child receives an abundance of positive
reinforcement as an encouragement for
demonstrating useful skills and socially
appropriate behaviors. The focus is on positive
social interactions and enjoyable and effective
learning.
* The learner receives no reinforcement for
behaviors that pose harm or prevent learning.

ABA METHOD • 19
DISTINCTIVE AND DISTINGUISHING
FEATURES OF ABA
1. ABA concentrates on the social significance,
importance, and application of the behavior
studied. It involves researching and study many
forms of attitudes and behaviors so as to be able
to determine the behavior that needs to be
changed for it to be more acceptable to the
people involved, to others and to the general
society as well.
2. ABA is a practical process. It involves
discovering how an individual can handle a
challenging behavior, finds ways to get such an
individual to do change the behavior after
objectively measuring the behavior itself.
3. ABA deals with total understanding and the
ability to manipulate and control the events that
control behavior. Several behaviors are
examined and measured and then the
intervention is applied to each of them in turn.
The effectiveness of the intervention is revealed
by changes in the affected behavior to which the
intervention is being applied.
4. ABA involves detailing the results of previous
analytic research and putting them into writing
so that a person trained in applied behavior
analysis can read the description and then follow

the procedure step by step in detail and in the
right way.
5. ABA has a long lasting effect that is good
enough to be put into practice by anybody
trained in applied behavior analysis.
6. ABA involves the use of methods that work in
different environments, and make use of
interventions that apply to more than one
specific behavior.
7. ABA is always convincing and accountable. It
must be able to demonstrate that its methods
are effective. This requires repeatedly measuring
the success of interventions, and, if necessary,
making changes that improve their effectiveness
at any point in time.
8. ABA empowers therapists by providing them
with tools that give them the feedback on the
results of interventions that they have carried
out. These allow therapists and clinicians to
assess their skill level and build confidence in
their effectiveness.
9. ABA employs systematic but simple and
doable techniques. For it to be generally
acceptable and useful, interventions should be
available to a variety of individuals, who might
be teachers, parents, guardians, therapists, or
even anybody who is interested in modifying
their own behavior. With effective and proper
planning and training, many interventions can

ABA METHOD • 21
be done by almost anyone that is willing to
invest the effort.
10. The methods, results, and theoretical
analyses of ABA musts be published and be
made open to Scrutiny by the general public.
There are no hidden treatments and the use of
immaterial, mystical, metaphysical explanations
should be strongly discouraged.
Autism: Does ABA therapy force
conformity or introduce the children to
the Society at large?
Applied behavior analysis, widely used
throughout the World, aims to boost
communication, social skills and help people with
autism live happy and productive lives but some
critics have come out to declare that it ‘hinders the
kids from being who they are’. A token economy is a
process used in ABA for providing positive
reinforcement to a child so as to encourage and
motivate him to engage in desired behaviors and to
decrease “challenging, undesired and inappropriate”
behaviors.
The demand for providers of ABA therapy has
skyrocketed over the past five years throughout the
World, taking the United States of America for an
example, where 38 states and the District of
Columbia have all passed laws making it compulsory
for private insurance companies to offer more

coverage for the increasingly growing population of
people with an autism diagnosis.
The report released by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention in 2014 showed that one in
68 children were identified with Autism Spectrum
Disorder in a study conducted in the year 2010. This
estimate is roughly 30% higher than the estimate
for 2008, one in 88, which is also 60% higher than
the estimate for the year 2006 which is one in 110,
and 120% higher than the estimates for 2000 and
2002, one in 150. Although we are not sure how
much of this increase is as a result of a broader
definition of Autism Spectrum Disorder and
improved efforts in diagnosis. We are however
certain that a true increase in the number of people
with an Autism Spectrum Disorder cannot be ruled
out. A number of peer-reviewed studies have
discovered the potential benefits of combining
multiple ABA methods and techniques into a
detailed, comprehensive, individualized and
intensive early intervention programs for children
with Autism Spectrum Disorder. "Comprehensive"
in this sense, refers to interventions that encompass
and address a full range of life skills, from being able
to communicate effectively, to self-care and
readiness for school. "Early intervention" refers to
programs designed to begin early as soon as they
start showing the symptoms of ASD, which is before
the age of 4. "Intensive" refers to programs that total
between 25 to 40 hours per week for the first 3
years.

ABA METHOD • 23
These programs allow children to learn and
practice skills overly and thoroughly in both
structured and unstructured situations. The
“intensity” of these programs may be particularly
important to replicate the thousands of interactions
that typical toddlers experience each day while
interacting with their parents, friends and peers.
Such studies have shown several times that many
children with autism experience major and
noticeable improvements in learning, reasoning,
communication and adaptability when they
participate and involve themselves in high-quality
ABA programs. Some preschoolers who participate
in early intensive ABA for two or more years acquire
enough skills to participate in regular classrooms
without any external support. Other children learn
many important skills, but still need additional
educational support to succeed in a classroom.
Efficiently and competently delivered ABA
intervention can help learners with autism make
meaningful and important changes in many areas
their behavior. However, this is not to disregard the
fact that changes do not typically occur quickly.
Rather, most learners in most cases require
intensive and ongoing instruction that builds on
their step-by-step and gradual process. Moreover,
the rate of progress, just like the goals of
intervention, varies considerably and noticeably
among individuals depending on age, assimilation
level, level of functioning, family goals and other
factors. Some learners do learn acquire skills quickly
while others do not. But typically, this rapid
progress happens in just one or two particular skill

areas such as reading, while much more instruction
and intense practice is needed to master another
skill area such as interacting with peers. Across
studies, a small percentage of children show
relatively little improvement. More research is
needed to determine why some children with
autism learn and respond more favorably and
rapidly to early intensive ABA than others do.
Generally, it has been discovered that children
who receive intensive ABA treatment make larger
improvements in more skill areas than do children
who receive other interventions. In addition, the
parents of the children who receive intensive ABA
report greater reductions in daily stress than the
parents whose children receive other treatments.
Thankfully, the more than 40 years of scientific
research on ABA has empirically validated today's
therapeutic approach to autism as a very effective
means of increasing intellectual aptitude and
modifying the social and emotional behavior of
children with autism to match that of their typically
developing peers, making it the most effective
method to tackle autism in Children.
How much ABA is enough?
ABA should begin as soon as a child starts
showing the symptoms of ASD, which is before the
child clock 4 years. Research supports a minimum of
25 hours per week of intensive behavioral
intervention for young children diagnosed with

ABA METHOD • 25
autism for 12 months, i.e. a year and studies have
shown that approximately half the children were
able to achieve the targeted development with, on
average, minimum of 40 hours per week over at
least 2 years. It should also be noted that Parents
have a very big role to play in their children's ABA.
They role is very important and critical at the same
time. Studies show that children whose parents are
actively engaged in the process make measurable
gains. This is because no one understands the child
better than the parent; the child’s parents provide
important, critical and insightful information that
will help guide the ABA program. Moreover, parents
are able to continue to initiate, prompt and reinforce
the child through his or her various daily activities
which is a very important and essential component
to generalizing skills. The role of Parents in ABA
cannot be over emphasized because they are in a
position to be able to record and track the
development data in the home and community
setting. This contributes immensely to the
determination of the right conditions that encourage
specific behaviors.
There is no single study that can inform a parent
of the optimal number for their child. But, frankly,
some fundamental ABA, like breathing and eating,
should be incorporated into a family’s lifestyle. It
does mean that the family should learn ABA
principles and how to apply them in the context of
daily activities.

Components of an Effective Program:
The use of effective interventions is what every
child needs to tackle autism. The following
components meet the criteria of research-based,
effective interventions for children with autism:
Antecedent manipulation - This is the
modification and alteration of conditional events
that comes before the target behavior. These
alterations, which include behavioral momentum,
inter-trial intervals, contrived motivational
operations, are designed to increase the likelihood
of success of the targeted behavior. Behavioral
treatment-programs designed to decrease problem
behaviors and to increase functional alternative
behaviors include: functional communication
training, discrete trial training, etc.
Quality Supervision- The child should be given
a very close watch and quality supervision.
Supervisors should meet regularly with the parents
and aides occasionally to discuss the child’s
progress, figure out and identify new areas of
strength and weakness, and adjust the program
curriculum appropriately so as to achieve the
desired result. Supervisors should have ample
experience and quality education in ABA therapy
and should work hand in hand with either a PhD
level psychologist or Board Certified ABA Therapist
in developing the child’s program.

ABA METHOD • 27
Modeling- adults or peers provide a
demonstration of the target behavior; the student is
expected to imitate. Therefore, imitation skills are
very important just as they are a necessary
prerequisite to this type intervention. Modeling is
often combined with reinforcement strategies which
can assist the student to acquire imitation skills.
Naturalistic teaching strategies- It is the use of
child-initiated interactions to teach functional skills
in the natural environment. This intervention
requires creating a stimulating environment,
modeling play, providing choices, encouraging
conversation and rewarding reasonable attempts.
Emphasis on generalizing skills-
Generalization is a process whereby the child can
perform a particular skill in any given environment,
in the presence of any person, objects or
instructions. An effective and a quality ABA program
has a simple but systematic, continuous plan for
generalizing skills learned in the therapy room.
There should also be a schedule whereby the child
will be trained to follow a task list (picture or word-
based) through a series of laid down guidelines
activities or steps in order to complete a given
activity.
Peer training- This involves training peers
without disabilities strategies and techniques for
interacting (both play and social) with children with
autism. Some commonly known effective peer-
training programs are circle of friends, buddy skills,
peer networks, etc.

Self-management- this treatment intervention
teaches a student to regulate and control his or her
behavior by recording the occurrence or non-
occurrence of the target behavior, and secure
reinforcement for doing so.
Story-based interventions- involve a written
description of the situations under which specific
behaviors are expected to occur. The stories aim to
teach the: who, why, what, when, where of social
interactions to improve perspective taking.
However, some ABA interventions require a
demonstration of the events that are responsible for
the occurrence, or even non-occurrence, of behavior
as the case may be. ABA makes use of tested and
trusted methods of analysis that yield convincing,
effective, reproducible, and conceptually sensible
demonstrations of how to accomplish specific
behavior changes. These behaviors are evaluated
within relevant settings such as the immediate
surroundings, schools, homes and the community.
Single case experimental design usage to evaluate
the effectiveness of individualized interventions is
an integral component of programs based that are
based on ABA methodologies. The following
components are included in this process:
(1). Selection of interfering behavior or
behavioral skill deficit.
(2). Identification of goals, aims and objectives.
(3). Establishment of a means of recording and
measuring target behaviors.

ABA METHOD • 29
(4). Evaluation of the current levels of behavioral
performance (baseline).
(5). Implementation and design of the
interventions that teach new skills and/or
reduce interfering behaviors.
(6). Constant measurement and recording of
target behaviors to know the effectiveness of the
intervention, and:
(7). Ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness of
the intervention, with modifications made as
necessary to maintain and increase both the
effectiveness and the efficiency of the applied
intervention.
For example, a goal to reduce a child's aggressive
behavior might term "aggression" as: "attempts,
episodes or occurrences (each separated by 10
seconds) of biting, gnashing, scratching, pinching or
pulling hair,” while "Initiating social interaction with
peers" might be termed as: "looking at classmate
and verbalizing an appropriate greeting.
The large amount of scientific evidence
supporting ABA treatments for children with autism
spectrum disorder have led many other
independent and private bodies to endorse the
effectiveness of ABA, including New York State
department of health and some other top health
agencies throughout the world.

Other components and quality indicators of an
effective ABA program include:
1. Planning, prioritizing and maintenance of
mastered skills.
2. Individualized programming.
3. High rates of Active Student Responding
(ASR).
4. Consideration of student motivation.
5. Progress is monitored.
6. Changes made are based on measures of
progress.
7. Conduct functional assessment/analysis of
behavior - aberrant and academic.
8. Immediate feedback is given to student while
Predictability and routine are established.
9. Use of accurate, immediate models and
modeling, errorless strategies.
10. Measures of baseline data are taken.
11. Supervision of ongoing project is provided by
a competent and well trained individual.
12. Low student to staff ratios (not too many
students per staff).
13. Behavior plans, teaching sequences and
programs are written.

ABA METHOD • 31
14. Monitoring of treatment integrity (the rate
which a program is implemented as intended).
15. Plans for transitions are considered and are
in place.
16. Uses empirically-validated teaching methods.
17. Interdisciplinary; the team collaborates
w/other disciplines, including medical staff as
appropriate.
18. Intensive teaching is available - increase in
number of hours traditionally provided, if
recommended.
19. Treatment acceptability; program includes
measures of social validity.
20. Use of self-management procedures, when
appropriate.
21. Measures of fluency
(accuracy/speed=fluency).
22. Teaches generative/pivotal skills.
Steps in Getting an ABA Program Started:
Now that we all know how important the ABA
program is to addressing autism among children,
what are the steps we are to take in getting ABA
program started?

The first step for parents wanting to start an
ABA program is to get an assessment and analysis of
their child’s current skill level. There are a number
of assessments available, and parents should try as
much as possible to get an assessment that is as
comprehensive as possibly required. This could
include:
Diagnostic Assessment- A standard diagnostic
assessment is conducted either at home or in the
clinic. A home visit is preferred because it provides
the opportunity to meet the child and to have an
idea of the child’s parent’s priorities. Specific
aspects of the child’s social behavior like imitation,
joint attention,etc are observed. It gives information
that is relating to your child’s diagnosis and is
completed by a licensed psychologist. This service is
not a service that is offered by an ABA therapist but
one that is highly recommended. A good and well
trained clinician will practically differentiate your
child’s diagnosis from autism, and Asperger’s
syndrome, also known as Pervasive Developmental
Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).
Common diagnostic assessments include the PDD
Behavior Inventory (PDD-BI), Autism Diagnostic
Observation Schedule (ADOS).
Developmental Assessment- This is the
assessment that has to do with a developmental
approach. It is given to children that are suffering
from autism or other related developmental
disorders. It’s a combination of skills and behaviors
designed to point out uneven learning patterns and
correct it. This assessment is usually administered

ABA METHOD • 33
to children within the age range of six months to
seven years. It identifies the level of abnormality in
behaviors while they are playing, talking, and
interacting with their peers. This “Norm-referenced
developmental assessments” provide information of
your child’s growth and development rate in every
area compared to peers of his or her own age.
Specialized assessments are also made available for
each area of development. For instance, a number of
assessments are put in place mainly for assessing
language development. These kinds of measures are
used to determine specific information about a
child’s delay. For instance, a developmental
assessment may reveal that a child has delays in
social skills and language skills. Other assessments
must then be completed in those areas so as to
determine the nature and extent of the delay. It
might be beneficial if you consult with specialists to
assist you in meeting your child’s needs within each
of these domains.
Communication Assessment, Standardized test
of intelligence, and toddler/infant assessment are in
the determination and analysis of the child
behavioral pattern.
Other Random Assessments- Your child should
also have other assessments completed as often as
necessary. Assessment methods like preference
assessments, functional behavioral assessments,
and skill probes etc., should be considered. These
measures should be regular components of your
child’s educational program. Solid assessments
provide a baseline upon which to begin building an

ABA program. In addition, the assessment outcomes
can provide year-to-year objective markers of
progress (or lack thereof) of the interventions
chosen. Second, parents will need to find a qualified
provider of ABA services.
There is a formal credentialing of behavior
analysts coordinated and supervised by the
Behavior Analyst Certification Board Certification.
This process safeguards parents and keep the
program in check. It assures the parent that the ABA
therapist has undergone specific training and has
been supervised by qualified Behavior Analysts and
has completed specific and mandatory coursework
related and relevant to behavioral analysis and
interventions. Notwithstanding, parents should
know that a BCBA certification does not guarantee
that that individual has the skills necessary to
produce optimal treatment outcomes. Thus, a
parent should always ask about the individual
professionals’ specific experience and training in the
implementation and training of ABA programs for
individuals with autism, parents are urged to
request information relating to their qualifications
and experience. Parents are advised to meet with a
consultant first, after which they will need to find
therapists to implement the ABA program designed
by the consultant. Some ABA providers can provide
parents with trained and well experienced
therapists; others rely on parents to find and hire
therapists which the consultant subsequently trains.
Just as a medical treatment program should be
directed only by a qualified medical professional,

ABA METHOD • 35
ABA programs for learners with autism spectrum
disorder should be designed and supervised by
qualified professionals, too which include but not
limited to, either licensed clinical psychologists with
training in applied behavior analysis or behavior
analysts, who are board certified with supervised
and ample experience providing ABA treatment for
autism or who can clearly document that they have
equivalent training and experience that is up to the
required standard.
Because of the huge demand for ABA
intervention for autism all around the world, many
individuals and programs now claim to provide
ABA. Some are private ABA practitioners or agencies
that render services in a family's home while others
operate in private schools and institutions. And still
others provide consultation services to public
schools. Unfortunately, some who claim to offer ABA
lack the required and established minimum
requirements in education and practical experience
which will yield to poor, unsatisfactory and
undesired result. Family members, teachers and
others involved in developing an individual’s
therapy and support program should observe
following when choosing an ABA program or
practitioner:
1. Always check, examine and validate
credentials of those who claim to be qualified in
behavior analysis. For example, for a licensed
clinical psychologist, you should inquire about the
level of training in behavioral interventions for
autism, which includes training in applied behavior

analysis. For behavior analysts, it is very important
that you should make inquiries and determine
whether the person has been rightfully credentialed
and certified either with the Behavior Analyst
Certification Board or the Association of
Professional Behavior Analysts. There is a formal
credentialing within the profession of behavior
analysts coordinated and directed by the Behavior
Analyst Certification Board. These professionals
often supervise other people, not excluding
paraprofessionals, who will be attending to and
working directly with your child. Thus, it is
important that you feel confident and be rest
assured that the licensed clinical psychologist is
providing regular supervision to anyone working
directly with your child.
2. Parents, guardians and other care givers
should make ensure that they are always available
to observe and monitor the program by observing
sessions and contributing actively in training in
consultations and sessions.

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