What is Applied Behaviour Analysys (ABA)?
Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) is an approach to understanding and changing children’s behaviour. ABA aims to help children increase positive behaviour and reduce negative behaviour. It does this by reinforcing or rewarding positive behaviour so that it’s more likely to happen again. Negative behaviour doesn’t get attention, which means it’s less likely to happen again. This approach is based on a theory of learning called behaviourism. ABA is also used to look at the triggers and consequences of children’s behaviour. This information can be used to develop strategies that help children learn new skills and behaviour. ABA can be used with autistic children and children with developmental disabilities.
Applied Behaviour Analysys (ABA) Strategies
- Discrete trial teaching: Lovaas’s original technique breaks down lessons into simple tasks rewarded after successfully employing a cue-and-response structure.
- Naturalistic teaching: This aspect of teaching allows the student to set their own learning pace throughout the day based on the context of their regular routines.
- Pivotal response training: This student-directed teaching improves motivation, response to more than one cue, social setting structure, and self-regulation.
- Token economy: This strategy rewards or removes a token based on predefined behaviors. Also called condition reinforcers, tokens are similar to actual-world currency exchange.
- Contingent observation: The last learning strategy is used in a group of peers. After showing a child that their behavior is unacceptable, the child is instructed to observe their peers performing a task successfully.
