ABA method: characteristics, functioning and objectives in therapy.

A summary of the ABA method, widely used in psychotherapy and in the educational field.

One of the most applied methods for children with developmental and learning problems is the one proposed by Dr. Lovaas: the ABA method.

This methodology is based on behavioral analysis and since it was conceptualized back in the 1980s it has been proving to be useful in improving the quality of life of children with ASD and PDD, helping them to acquire fundamental skills for their autonomy and self-worth.

Today we are going to explore in depth what the ABA method is all about, what skills it works on, what skills it works on, what it teaches and what it does.What skills are worked with it, how it is applied and which people can benefit from this methodology.

What is the ABA method?

The ABA method is a specific teaching method for children with learning difficulties.. Its name stands for Applied Behavior Analysis and its objective is to help children with learning disabilities to learn the necessary skills to achieve optimal development and autonomy, thus providing them with a better quality of life.

To achieve this, first a specific and personalized program is established for each student, which includes all the skills that are considered useful for their good development, highlighting those that help them to achieve autonomously other skills on their own.

Thus, the ABA method works especially on skills related to attention, imitation and cooperation.. It also includes those that can be useful to improve communication and language.

The three basic principles of the ABA method are:

• Analysis: the patient's progress is evaluated from interventions recorded and measured in their progress.
• Behavioral: based on scientific principles of behavior.
• Applied: principles applied to the observed behaviors.

The ABA method has its origins in the United States, specifically in the research carried out by the Norwegian clinical psychologist Ole Ivar Lovaas, Ph.D. (1927-2010), working in the United States. (1927-2010), working in the Department of Psychology at the University of Los Angeles (California) in 1987.

Dr. Lovaas, who is considered one of the founders of effective autism therapy, demonstrated that behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) could be modified through his ABA method. In his study he demonstrated that most children who are treated with this method could benefit significantly.

This methodology is usually applied individually, and requires a certain intense time commitment of at least 9 hours per week, although the ideal is to do therapy between 20 and 40 hours per week. A lot of time is needed to optimize learning in the therapy context and to cover as many skills as possible. and to be able to cover the largest possible number of skills to be worked on.

How does the ABA method work?

The method of Applied Behavior Analysis involves many techniques aimed at understanding the problem behavior and changing the patient's behavior.. ABA is a very flexible treatment if we consider the following:

• It can be adapted to meet the needs of each person.
• It can be applied in various settings: home, school, community...
• It teaches skills that are useful for daily life.
• Although it is preferred to be applied individually, it can also be applied in groups.

Positive reinforcement

One of the main strategies of the ABA method is positive reinforcement. When a behavior is followed by something that is perceived as pleasant (a reward or reward), the individual is more likely to repeat the behavior.. As the behavior is repeated and always rewarded, it is only a matter of time before a behavioral change in the right direction occurs.

To achieve behavioral change, it is first necessary for the therapist to establish a target behavior, a behavior that is desired for the patient to perform. Each time the individual performs that behavior or demonstrates a desired skill successfully, he or she will receive a reward. The reward or prize should be meaningful to the individual. such as, for example, a toy, a book, watching a video, being able to play with their toys, receiving a compliment....

These rewards, which are nothing more than positive reinforcement, encourage the individual to continue doing the desired behavior. With the passage of time, this will lead the individual to change his behavior significantly.

• Related article, "What is positive or negative reinforcement in psychology?"

Antecedent, behavior and consequence.

An important part of the ABA method is to understand what has been called the behavioral ABCs.. Let's see what it consists of.

Antecedent

The antecedent is what happens just before the behavior is performed.. It can be verbal, such as a command or request, or it can be physical, such as a toy or an object. It can also be something immaterial, such as a light, sound, a song... An antecedent can come from the environment, from another person or come from within the individual (e.g., a thought or feeling).

Behavior

A behavior is simply a person's response or lack of response to an antecedent.. This can be an action, a verbal response, or any other way of responding to the antecedent.

Consequence

The consequence is that which comes directly after the behavior is performed.. It may include positive reinforcement of the desired behavior, or the non-reaction to the behavior because it is considered an incorrect or inappropriate response.

Looking at these ABCs can help us can help us understand why a behavior occurs and how different consequences affect how the behavior occurs over time. over time.

Examples

This can be understood by looking at the following two examples.

Example 1

• Antecedent: the mother says "It's time to pick up the toys" at the end of the day.
• Behavior: the child yells "No!"
• Consequence: the mother picks up the toys and says "Goodbye, toys!"

The ABA method can help this child and his mother to change the behavior of the former, and as an example we can see the following.

Example 2.

• Antecedent: the mother says "It's time to pick up the toys" at the end of the day.
• Behavior: the child is reminded that he can ask "Can I play for 5 more minutes?"
• Consequence: mother says "Sure you can play 5 more minutes, but only 5."

As these guidelines are practiced, the child will be able to replace his past inappropriate behavior with one that is much more beneficial and less disruptive. and is less disruptive. By asking politely and calmly if he can play for 5 more minutes the child sees that with good words he can achieve more than by opposing to pick up the toys.

Areas in which the ABA method helps

The ABA method provides for the teaching of several areas important for the child's development and focuses on teaching and enhancing basic skills so that the child can function with a greater degree of autonomy in their daily life.. Among these fundamental skills to work on we find

• Academic skills
• Social skills
• Cognitive skills
• Language and communication
• Fine and gross motor skills
• Drawing and writing
• Eating habits
• Personal hygiene
• Dressing
• Adaptive play
• Household chores
• Impulse control

Who is it for?

The ABA method is especially used with children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders, since these two groups present notorious learning difficulties.

It has been seen that this methodology enhances the learning of people with this type of difficulties, since children with ASD and ASD do not learn in the same way as other children do, presenting serious problems in both learning and development.They present serious problems both in verbal and non-verbal communication, attention difficulties and, in addition, they are sometimes immersed in non-functional games and stereotypes.

It should be noted that the ABA methodology not only benefits the learning of children with these two pathologies, but it has also been found to be useful in young children with these two pathologies. has been found to be useful in children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Down syndrome, behavioral problems and more.. The ABA principles are applicable to all people and its methodology also works for adults. This method allows to help any person with special educational needs.