Aba Therapy: Best Practices To Know

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy uses reinforcement to teach skills and appropriate behaviors, proving effective in helping autistic individuals acquire new abilities, including communication, social, and self-regulation skills. Therapists reinforce desired behaviors through reward systems while discouraging undesirable ones, focusing on behavior modification rather than emotions or beliefs. Techniques like discrete trial instruction break lessons into simple, reward-driven tasks, while naturalistic instruction allows students to learn at their own pace within real-life contexts. ABA also equips parents with strategies for teaching and tracking progress, such as breaking language into smaller steps or reinforcing basic skills like brushing teeth or sharing toys. While ABA has been shown to improve children’s IQ, behavior, and reduce autism severity, it faces criticism for sometimes being overly rigid and forcing conformity to societal norms.