Definition of ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis)
Applied Behavior Analysis, commonly shortened to ABA, is a discipline devoted to the understanding and improvement of human behavior.
It involves 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.
It involves 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.
What are the dimensions of ABA?
Applied: The behavior must have immediate importance to the client. It must be a socially significant behavior, which may include anything from academic skills to sport and leisure skills.
Behavioral: The behavior chosen for the study must be the behavior in need of improvement. The behavior must be able to be observable and measured.
Analytic: The experimenter must be able to control the occurrence and nonoccurrence of the behavior. Data records the absence or presence of the behavior.
Technological: The tactics implemented in the behavior intervention are identified and described. The antecedents and consequences are defined so that any instructor may implement the procedure.
Conceptual Systems: The strategies and tactics implemented are derived from principals of behaviorism and are proven the research.
Effective: The behavior changes are socially significant and have value to the learner.
Generality: The change in behavior remains over time, across settings and may effect other behaviors also.
Behavioral: The behavior chosen for the study must be the behavior in need of improvement. The behavior must be able to be observable and measured.
Analytic: The experimenter must be able to control the occurrence and nonoccurrence of the behavior. Data records the absence or presence of the behavior.
Technological: The tactics implemented in the behavior intervention are identified and described. The antecedents and consequences are defined so that any instructor may implement the procedure.
Conceptual Systems: The strategies and tactics implemented are derived from principals of behaviorism and are proven the research.
Effective: The behavior changes are socially significant and have value to the learner.
Generality: The change in behavior remains over time, across settings and may effect other behaviors also.
Core Characteristics
- Focuses on skill acquisition, problem behavior reduction and replacement skills.
- Implements the use of proactive antecedent strategies.
- The intervention is based upon empirically validated research.
- Includes highly individualized instruction and implementation.
- There is ongoing assessment and data collection.
- That data drives the decision making.
- Progress and assessment of outcome is based on skill acquisition, maintenance over time, and generalization to real-life settings.
- Significant others play vital role.
References:
Baer, D.M, Wolf, M.M., & Risley, T.R. (1968). Some current dimensions of applied behavior analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1, 91-97.
Cooper, J., Heron, T., & Heward, W. (1987). Applied Behavior Analysis. Columbus OH: Merrill.
Baer, D.M, Wolf, M.M., & Risley, T.R. (1968). Some current dimensions of applied behavior analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1, 91-97.
Cooper, J., Heron, T., & Heward, W. (1987). Applied Behavior Analysis. Columbus OH: Merrill.