Applied Behavior Analysis - Essay Example

APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS What is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)? There are many definitions of ABA but first let us start with the root which is behavior. Behavior is the manner in which one conducts itself in response to a stimulus. Each of us have different characteristics, we react differently under the same circumstances which leads to the analysis of behavior by various researchers. “Behavior analysis is a science concerned with the behavior of people, what people do and say, and the behavior of animal. It attempts to understand, explain, describe and predict behavior.”(Sloane) Applied behavior analysis can then be defined as follows: “Applied behavior analysis is the science in which procedures derived from the principles of behavior are systematically applied to improve socially significant behavior to a meaningful degree and to demonstrate experimentally that the procedures employed were responsible for the improvement in behavior”.(Cooper,Heron,Heward, p.14) Brief History of Applied Behavioral Analysis In 1938, B.F. Skinner published the results of his experiments, on the behavior of animals in relation to rewards which leads to behavioral changes, in his book entitled, “The Behavior of Organisms”. In this book he delineated two types of behavior; respondent and operant behavior. Respondent behaviors are elicited by stimuli that precede the behavior. On the other hand, operant behaviors are influenced by stimuli that follow the behavior. Skinner observed that most of the human behavior is a result of operant conditioning. He then named this new discovery the experimental analysis of behavior. Since then many studies has been conducted in the field of behavior analysis. In 1949, Fuller conducted one of the first studies on the application of principles of operant conditioning with humans. Bijou researched on the principles of behavior with both the neurotypical and mentally retarded subjects from 1955-1958. Baer examined the effects of punishment, escape, and avoidance contingencies on preschool children from 1960-1962. Ferster & DeMyer conducted a systematic study of principles of behavior with children with autism from 1961-1962 but the field on applied behavior analysis formally began with the 1959 publication of Allyon and Michael’s paper entitled, “The Psychiatric Nurse as a Behavioral Engineer.” Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in Contrast to Discrete Trial Training (DTT) and Lovaas Therapy Over the years, there are still many misconceptions regarding ABA. Applied behavior analysis is often synonymously used with “Discrete Trial Training” (DTT) and “Lovaas Therapy” which is hardly the case. DTT is based on the principle of applied behavior analysis which uses a specific procedure which can be utilized in behavioral treatment programs. Lovaas Method is a specific behavioral treatment program which was proven to be effective in the intervention of children with autism. ABA, on the other hand, is a scientific discipline based on the theory of behaviorism. It teaches basic and complex skills through a reward system. “The discrete trial is the primary teaching method for a number of behaviorally-based interventions used in teaching children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)”. This type of training involves in asking a student a question or giving him/her a request along with a strong hint of the correct response. He/she is then rewarded whenever he/she repeats the right answers. This procedure is done repeatedly until the response becomes more reliable, then the “hints” are slowly withdrawn until the student can respond independently. Lovaas Method or Lovaas Model of Applied Behavior Analysis was developed by Dr. Ivar Lovaas, a Norwegian psychologist from the University of California, Los Angeles in the 1960’s. This involves one-on-one coaching lessons with a therapist. This intensive therapy is done 40 hours a week at home so that the therapist could teach the student and train their parents at the same time. Like DTT, each task is taught in repetitive way until the child masters it completely. Children were taught everything including communication, expression and socialization. Users of Applied Behavior Analysis Effectiveness of ABA has been documented across a wide range of; Populations- these includes children and adult with mental illness, developmental disabilities and learning disorders, animals, geriatric patients, addicts, etc. Settings- like schools, homes, institutions, group homes, hospitals, organizations and businesses. Interventionists- like therapists, parents, siblings, teachers, and staff. Behaviors- in the form of language, social, academic, leisure and functional life skills, aggression, self-injury, oppositional and stereotypical behaviors. Uses of Applied Behavior Analysis Applied behavior analysis is mostly associated with people with autism but studies have shown that ABA-based interventions can be used to, teach new skills generalize or to transfer behavior from one situation to another (e.g., from communicating with caregivers in the home, to interacting with classmates at school); modify conditions under which interfering behaviors occur (e.g., changing the learning environment so as to foster attention to the instructor); Reduce inappropriate behaviors (e.g., self injury or stereotypy). Seven Essential Elements of an ABA-based program Baer, Wolf, and Risley have outlined the following seven important elements of applied behavioral analysis: The program must be applied. In behavioral application, the behavior, stimuli, and/or organism under study are chosen because of their importance to society, rather than their importance to theory. The program must be behavioral. The environment and physical events should be recorded with precision. The program must be analytic. There should be a believable demonstration of evidence, through carefully collected data, that the intervention is responsible for the occurrence or non-occurrence of behavior. The program must be technological. The techniques that one uses should be described completely enough to allow for duplication by another individual. The program must be conceptually systematic. There should be relevance to established and accepted principles (e.g., the principle of operant conditioning). The program must be effective. The program should seek to change the targeted behavior to a meaningful degree (e.g., behavioral techniques must produce large enough effects for practical value). The program should display some generality. A behavioral change must prove to be durable over time, it must appear in a wide variety of possible environments, or it must spread to a wide range of related behaviors. The Pros and Cons of ABA Parental involvement is greatly emphasized in the implementation of ABA programs. Parents must take time to participate during therapy sessions in order to implement strategies used during therapy thereby, reinforcing skills already taught, to enable the student to generalize skills with other people and in other environments. There is controversy surrounding ABA programs, some people believed that these programs produce robotic children although there was no study conducted to substantiate this claim. This criticism often refers to the fact that children with ASD have an impassive note in their voice which causes them to sound robotic. Research indicated that optimal result can be derived from DTT using the 40 hours a week program. This is often very challenging for the parents and sometimes it creates stress in some families. But, ABA may be implemented for whatever amount of time is feasible for the family. It may not achieve significant gains but improvement can be seen. Finding a qualified professional to supervise these programs is difficult since there is a huge demand for ABA service providers. Other people may pose as qualified behavior analyst therefore, parents must be extra careful when enlisting a supervisor/therapist for their children. As of date, there have been no studies that disprove the effectiveness of behavioral intervention programs. Works Cited Baer, D., Wolf, M., & Risley, R. “Some current dimension of applied behavior analysis”. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1 (1968): 91-97. Baer, D., Wolf, M., Risley, R. “Some still-current dimensions of applied behavior analysis”. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 20 (1987): 313-327. Cooper, J.O., Heron, T.E., Heward, W.L. Applied Behavior Analysis. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1987. Hagopian, Louis P., Boelter, Eric W. “Applied Behavior Analysis: Overview and Summary of Scientific Support,” FEAT-Houston News. Special Edition II: 4. Intensive Behavioural Theory (Lovaas Therapy). The Henry Spink Foundation. 19 December 2008. Rothstein, Alexandra, The History of Applied Behavior Analysis: It’s not just Discrete Trial Teaching.2008.AlexandraRothstein.com. 15 December 2008. Sloane, Howard. What is Behavior Analysis?.1992. Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies. 15 December 2008. Wallin, Jason M., Applied Behavior Analysis. 2001-2004.Polyxo.com. 15 December 2008. Read More