Applied Behavioral Analysis
From Autism Wiki
Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is the most common behavioral intervention for autistic children. ABA is sometimes called Early Intensive Behavior Intervention or the Lovaas method after its inventor, Dr. Ivar Lovaas.
The intervention focuses on one-to-one interaction between the child and a trained therapist, who creates a highly structured, individualized and systematic learning environment. The process requires a significant investment in time to be effective; Lovaas recommends 40 hours a week of intensive therapy for two years. [1]
In the intervention, skills are broken down into small, achievable tasks. Every task then consists of three parts: The therapist asks the child to perform a specific action; the child responds; and the therapist reacts to the child's response.
When the child successfully completes a task, the therapist gives the child praise and reinforcement. The rewards for successful completion may be small bites of food, playing with the child's favorite toy, hugs and tickles. Gradually, external rewards like food and hugs are replaced with verbal praise and social reinforcers. Aggressive and self-stimulating behaviors are redirected into more socially acceptable responses.
[edit] 2007 study
A study completed in April 2007 by the UK foundation Research Autism found that 25 hours a week of therapy could significantly raise IQ scores. [2] According to news service NewsWales, "IQ increased for two thirds of the children receiving the early intervention and very substantially for more than a quarter of them. For example, one child moved from an IQ of 30 up to 70; another from an IQ of 72 to 115. Most of the population of the UK has an IQ of between 85 and 115." [3]
