Understanding Applied Behavioral Learning Experiences

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a science dedicated to understanding and improving human behavior. It's a framework, not a specific program, based on the principle that behavior changes in response to environmental events. While often associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) interventions, ABA principles are applicable in various contexts, influencing how we interact and learn every day. This article explores the core concepts of ABA, its various applications, and its role in shaping positive change.

What is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)?

ABA is a psychological discipline that uses respondent and operant conditioning to change human and animal behavior. ABA is a set of principles that guide how we all change our behaviors based on events that happen in our environment. It goes beyond simply changing behavior; it focuses on clarifying the relationship between a targeted behavior and the environment, a process known as a functional behavior assessment. This assessment helps identify the environmental variables and reinforcement contingencies that maintain a target behavior.

At its core, ABA leverages the power of consequences to shape behavior. Behaviors that are reinforced are more likely to increase, while those that are not reinforced will decrease and eventually disappear. ABA requires the implementation of established principles of learning, behavioral strategies, and environmental modifications to improve and teach new behaviors. In practice, implementation must be systematic so teachers can identify how behavior can be changed and understand how learning occurred. The ultimate goal of ABA is to establish and enhance socially important behaviors.

The Seven Dimensions of ABA

In 1968, Baer, Wolf, and Risley outlined seven key characteristics that define ABA, which are still used as the standard description of ABA. These dimensions ensure that interventions are effective, ethical, and contribute to meaningful change. These seven characteristics of ABA include:

Applied: ABA interventions deal with behaviors of demonstrated social significance -- behaviors that are important. When implementing ABA interventions, teachers are targeting behaviors that are essential to the person.
Behavioral: ABA focuses on behavior, which is defined as the observable and measurable movements of an organism. In order to understand ABA, it is critical to understand what is meant by behavior. Behavior is anything a person does. Behavior is measurable and observable.
Analytic: Behavior analysis is successful when the analyst understands and can manipulate the events that control a target behavior. In order to consider something to fall under the spectrum of analytic, it must demonstrate a functional relationship and it must be provable.
Technological: The techniques of ABA are described clearly and concisely so that others can implement them accurately.
Conceptually Systematic: There should be relevance to established and accepted principles of ABA (for example, positive reinforcement). The interventions should be consistent with the principles of behavior analysis.
Effective: ABA must be able to demonstrate that its methods are effective. ABA intervention should produce practical results.
Generality: ABA intervention should focus on selecting and teaching new behaviors so the client can transfer those skills into new environments and stimuli outside of what was directly taught.

Stages of Learning in ABA

When an ABA program is selected, components of that program address specific skills for the child as well as consider that stage of learning that child is in for that skill. There are generally four stages of learning that everyone goes through when learning a new skill. These four stages also occur for our children with ASD. ABA breaks skills down so they can explicitly be taught in these stages using systematic teaching procedures. It also strives to intersperse skill stages so that not all goals are in the same phase. The four stages include:

Acquisition: This is the initial stage where the skill is new and challenging. To compensate for this, we do things like develop a very structured time for learning.
Fluency: With practice, the individual becomes more adept at the skill, remembering the steps involved.
Maintenance: During this time, skills become stronger, but are still not automatic.
Generalization: The skill becomes automatic and can be applied in various settings and situations.

Key Components of ABA

ABA relies on several key components to effectively analyze and modify behavior:

Antecedents and Consequences

The basic principles of ABA consist of environmental variables that impact behavior. These variables are antecedents and consequences. Antecedents are events that happen right before the behavior, and a conse-quence is the event following the behavior. There is always an antecedent to a behavior, whether its a positive behavior to be increased or a negative behavior to be decreased.How behavior is affected by the consequences that follow is a crucial element in all aspects of ABA. There are limitations to what can be changed before a behavior occurs, but the most control that teachers have is over how they respond to a behavior.

Antecedent: What happens immediately before a behavior occurs. Antecedents are important to understand as they help the learner know what to do. There are many ways to alter antecedents to impact learning. The most important way to target antecedents is by directly adapting instruction and student tasks so the student will have success.
Behavior: The action or response to the antecedent. Behavior is anything a person does. Behavior is measurable and observable. Often behavior is thought of in negative terms, for example, screaming or hitting. Behaviors that should be increased. Behaviors that need to be decreased.
Consequence: What happens immediately after the behavior, influencing the likelihood of it occurring again. Is attention the consequence? Is praise delivered as the consequence? The most effective consequence is the use of reinforcement to reinforce appropriate behaviors.

Reinforcement

Reinforcement is defined as something that, when provided after a behavior, increases the future frequency of that behavior. ABA breaks reinforcement down into positive and negative reinforcement.Positive reinforcement is one of the main strategies used in ABA. When a behavior is followed by something that is valued (a reward), a person is more likely to repeat that behavior. Over time, this encourages positive behavior change.

Positive Reinforcement: The addition of something the person likes (praise, money, food, or toys) increases the frequency of the target behavior in the future.
Negative Reinforcement: The removal of something aversive or "negative" to increase the future frequency of that behavior.

Punishment

Another consequence is punishment. Punishment is providing something following a behavior that decreases the frequency of the target behavior in the future. Punishment is not recommended as it often has a negative impact on the individual and yields change that is not long lasting. In some cases, when using punishment to decrease future occurences of a behavior something is added that is aversive or not liked such as yelling or social disapproval. Other punishment might entail removing or taking away something enjoyed to decrease future behavior.

Extinction

Extinction is a procedure of withholding/discontinuing reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior, resulting in the decrease of that behavior. Although extinction is less restrictive than punishment procedures, clients may exhibit extinction bursts when a previously reinforced behavior is no longer being reinforced.

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Motivating Operations

Motivating operations are variables that alter the effectiveness of a reinforcer.

Respondent (Classical) Conditioning

Respondent (classical) conditioning is based on involuntary reflexes. In respondent conditioning, an unconditioned response occurs in the presence of an unconditioned stimulus.

Measurement and Evaluation

Applied behavior analysis relies on meticulous measurement and impartial evaluation of observable behavior as a foundational principle. Through the use of clear definitions for behavior and systematic delivery of interventions, reliable relationships between interventions and behavior can be established. There is also a need for a reliable collection of data, as well as analysis of these data to determine if behaviors are changing. Through analysis, teachers can determine if behaviors are increasing or decreasing, as well as the rate of the change. This allows objective decisions to be made about future interventions.

Task Analysis and Chaining

Task analysis is the process of breaking down a multi-step instruction into its component parts. The student is then taught to complete a task analysis through chaining. Chaining is the process of teaching the steps of a task analysis. The two methods of chaining, forward chaining and backward chaining, differ based on what step a learner is taught to complete first.

Prompting and Fading

A prompt is a cue that encourages a desired response from an individual. Prompts fall into one of two categories: stimulus prompts and response prompts. The overall goal is for an individual to eventually not need prompts. As an individual gains mastery of a skill at a particular prompt level, the prompt is faded to a less intrusive prompt.

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Generalization

Generalization is the expansion of a student's performance ability beyond the initial conditions set for acquisition of a skill.

Shaping

Shaping involves modifying a single existing behavior into the target behavior by differentially reinforcing successive approximations of the target behavior.

Types of ABA Programs

There are many different programs that are based on ABA methodology. These programs can range from child directed, play-based interventions all the way to structured adult driven table tasks. They can be used in isolation or combined to create an individualized learning program for a child.

Discrete Trial Training (DTT)

DTT programs are often what people mean when they say âmy child has an ABA programâ. These programs are highly structured, adult-driven programs, where a therapist and child typically sit at a table and engage in repeated learning trials designed to teach specific skills. These programs are also known under other names, such as the Lovaas Method. Some proponents of DTT programs recommend that this type of teaching be used with a high level of intensity, such as 20-40 hours per week. There are four main components to discrete trial training: instruction, response, consequence, and the inter trial interval.

Naturalistic Teaching Strategies

Naturalistic Teaching Strategies programs are less structured than DTT and strive to embed ABA-based learning opportunities into the childâs natural environment and naturally occurring interactions with others. For example, these programs often train parents, teachers and even peers in ABA strategies they can embed in their interactions with the child to enhance learning. The number of hours is often less of a focus with these programs since a high level of service intensity can be reached by embedding intervention into natural settings.

Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT)

Pivotal Response Treatment moves beyond the strict task-oriented instruction. PRT is intended to be more driven by the child, rather than structured more by the therapist. Rather than focusing on individual behaviors, PRT looks to target âpivotalâ developmental functions. Natural forms of reinforcement related to the behavior are stressed, rather than non-related tangible rewards, such as an M&M.

Early Start Denver Model (ESDM)

The Early Start Denver Model is a newer form of Applied Behavior Analysis that can be done in individual or group sessions. It involves creating activities that are play-based, like PRT, but the therapist also incorporates more traditional ABA if needed.

Applications of ABA

The interventions that have been developed using the principles of ABA are used in every walk of life and every profession. Different types of people use ABA in their jobs and in their lives. Parents, teachers, psychologists, managers, and a wide variety of others use these principles in education, weight loss, animal training, gerontology, industrial safety, advertising, medical procedures, marketing, automobile safety, sports, and a host of other fields and activities. Applied Behavior Analysis is used in both general and special education classrooms. ABA techniques can be especially useful in teaching behaviors to children with ASD who may otherwise not âpick upâ these behaviors on their own as quickly as other children might.

ABA therapy programs can help:

Increase language and communication skills
Improve attention, focus, social skills, memory, and academics
Decrease problem behaviors

ABA has also played a role in shaping public policy. In 2015, President Barack Obama signed an important executive order.

Ethical Considerations

While ABA has proven effective, it's essential to acknowledge and address ethical concerns. Historically, some ABA techniques involved aversives, raising significant ethical questions. Modern ABA prioritizes positive reinforcement and avoids punishment-based approaches.

Finding ABA Services

To get started finding ABA services, follow these steps:

Speak with your pediatrician or other medical provider about ABA.
Check whether your insurance company covers the cost of ABA therapy, and what your benefit is.
Search our Resource Guide for ABA providers near you. Or, ask your childâs doctor and teachers for recommendations.
Call the ABA provider and request an intake evaluation.

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