Company Profile
ABA is the applied use of behavioral principle based on The Learning Theory from Ivan Pavlov and John B.Watson. Since the 1960s, ABA has been widely used by professionals to foster basic skills in children with autism. Currently, ABA is one of the most effective techniques to help people with autism living an independent life.
ABA has undergone various testings and research, and has been proven effective for children with special needs. For children with autism, intensive and long term ABA therapy has shown to have increased their intellectual functioning, language development, independence and social functioning. Additionally, for children with ADHD, ABA therapy has shown to have improved their general functioning and reduced their disruptives behaviors. In general, 87% of children who had ABA therapy experienced benefit and 47% gained functionality.
Improved joint attention. Increases the ability to engage in a proper eye contact when interacting with others. Also increasing social skills such as sharing to interact with adults and peers.
Improved cooperation. Teaches the child to wait appropriately, taking turns while playing or during activity, etc.
Independence. Teaches functional skills; for example eating skills, dressing skills, etc.
Positive behaviors. Decreases problematic behaviors and replaces them with functional behaviors.
- Myth: “ABA is only effective for children with autism”
Fact: Evidence shows that ABA is an effective treatment for children with other types of backgrounds, including ADHD, global delay, oppositional disorder, and many more. The principles and techniques of ABA could actually be applied to anyone with undesirable behaviors.
- Myth: “ABA will heal my children”
Fact: ABA has not been shown to completely heal a child. It could only improve children’s functioning ability by reducing their disruptive behaviors, and help them become indistinguishable from their typical peers in most areas of development (e.g., language and motor skill).
- Myth: “ABA uses bribes.”
Fact: It is not bribes, but positive reinforcement. ABA uses reinforcers to encourage wanted behavior. A big distinction between bribes and reinforcement is that bribes stop an unwanted behavior (e.g., “If you stop shouting, I will give you the Ipad”) while reinforcement increases positive behavior (e.g., “When you ask nicely, then you can have the Ipad”).
- Myth: “ABA makes children robotic.”
Fact: ABA may have a structured teaching process, but it actually aims towards the generalization of skill. In the beginning of the teaching process, children may need to go through some amount of “drills” – whereby children will be repeatedly asked the same question and need to give the same answer. This process is needed for children with developmental disabilities as they often demonstrate difficulty in learning and processing new information. However, once the skill is acquired, children should be taught to generalize their responses. In other words, children are taught to carry over their skill across different stimuli, different settings and different people, and also taught to have generalized response form.
Generalization across stimuli means that children should be able to label cats on flashcards, on a cute cat video, a doll or when the child meets a real life cat. Generalization across settings means that children should be able to greet someone at school, at home, at the supermarket or at the park. Generalization across people means that children should be able to greet his mother, his father, his grandmother and his neighbor. Generalized response form means that children should be able to label a dog as dog, puppy, K9, etc.
- Myth: “All ABA is the same.”
Fact: Each child’s ABA program is special and individualized towards their own needs. Their specific likes, strengths and weaknesses will be taken into account when creating their programs, to ensure that the programs could address their needs.
ABA is the applied use of behavioral principle based on The Learning Theory from Ivan Pavlov and John B.Watson. Since the 1960s, ABA has been widely used by professionals to foster basic skills in children with autism. Currently, ABA is one of the most effective techniques to help people with autism living an independent life.
ABA has undergone various testings and research, and has been proven effective for children with special needs. For children with autism, intensive and long term ABA therapy has shown to have increased their intellectual functioning, language development, independence and social functioning. Additionally, for children with ADHD, ABA therapy has shown to have improved their general functioning and reduced their disruptives behaviors. In general, 87% of children who had ABA therapy experienced benefit and 47% gained functionality.
Improved joint attention. Increases the ability to engage in a proper eye contact when interacting with others. Also increasing social skills such as sharing to interact with adults and peers.
Improved cooperation. Teaches the child to wait appropriately, taking turns while playing or during activity, etc.
Independence. Teaches functional skills; for example eating skills, dressing skills, etc.
Positive behaviors. Decreases problematic behaviors and replaces them with functional behaviors.
- Myth: “ABA is only effective for children with autism”
Fact: Evidence shows that ABA is an effective treatment for children with other types of backgrounds, including ADHD, global delay, oppositional disorder, and many more. The principles and techniques of ABA could actually be applied to anyone with undesirable behaviors.
- Myth: “ABA will heal my children”
Fact: ABA has not been shown to completely heal a child. It could only improve children’s functioning ability by reducing their disruptive behaviors, and help them become indistinguishable from their typical peers in most areas of development (e.g., language and motor skill).
- Myth: “ABA uses bribes.”
Fact: It is not bribes, but positive reinforcement. ABA uses reinforcers to encourage wanted behavior. A big distinction between bribes and reinforcement is that bribes stop an unwanted behavior (e.g., “If you stop shouting, I will give you the Ipad”) while reinforcement increases positive behavior (e.g., “When you ask nicely, then you can have the Ipad”).
- Myth: “ABA makes children robotic.”
Fact: ABA may have a structured teaching process, but it actually aims towards the generalization of skill. In the beginning of the teaching process, children may need to go through some amount of “drills” – whereby children will be repeatedly asked the same question and need to give the same answer. This process is needed for children with developmental disabilities as they often demonstrate difficulty in learning and processing new information. However, once the skill is acquired, children should be taught to generalize their responses. In other words, children are taught to carry over their skill across different stimuli, different settings and different people, and also taught to have generalized response form.
Generalization across stimuli means that children should be able to label cats on flashcards, on a cute cat video, a doll or when the child meets a real life cat. Generalization across settings means that children should be able to greet someone at school, at home, at the supermarket or at the park. Generalization across people means that children should be able to greet his mother, his father, his grandmother and his neighbor. Generalized response form means that children should be able to label a dog as dog, puppy, K9, etc.
- Myth: “All ABA is the same.”
Fact: Each child’s ABA program is special and individualized towards their own needs. Their specific likes, strengths and weaknesses will be taken into account when creating their programs, to ensure that the programs could address their needs.
The Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills (ABLLS-R)
One of our assessment tools is ABLLS-R (The Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills). ABLLS-R is an assessment tool, curriculum guide, and skills-tracking system, developed based on Verbal Behavior (Skinner, 1957) by Dr. Partington. ABLLS-R helps and guides the instruction of language and critical learning skills for children with autism or other developmental disabilities. The assessment results allow professionals to pinpoint obstacles that have been preventing a child from acquiring new skills and to develop a comprehensive, highly personalized, language-based curriculum. (partingtonbehavioranalysts.com)
This assessment uses a rubric to assess child’s skill levels in the areas of:
Basic Learner Skills, Cooperation, Visual Performance, Receptive Language, Motor Imitation, Vocal Imitation, Requests, Labeling, Intraverbal Skills, Spontaneous Vocalizations, Syntax and Grammar, Play and Leisure, Social Interactions, Group Instruction, Classroom Routines, Generalized Responding
Academic Skills, Reading, Math, Writing, Spelling
Self-Help, Dressing, Eating, Grooming, Toileting
Motor Skills, Fine motor, gross motor
The Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS)
Another assessment tool is AFLS (the Assessment of Functional Living Skills). It is the extension of ABLLS-R. AFLS is a criterion-referenced skills assessment tool, tracking system, and curriculum guide. AFLS is used for teaching children, adolescents, and adults with developmental disabilities the essential skills they need in order to achieve the most independent outcomes. AFLS is the most versatile assessment system available and offers learners a pathway to independence. (functionallivingskills.com)
