Autism and Applied Behavior Analysis
Affecting one in every 150 children born in the United States, Autism Spectrum Disorder is a vicious disease with no known cause that affects social, communication and language skills. Many trials and treatments have been and will continue to be conducted to find the best way to treat, cure and prevent Autism. One finding that has particularly been praised is Applied Behavior Analysis. Applied Behavior Analysis is four different treatments, Discrete Trial Learning, Pivotal Response Training, Verbal Behavior and Incidental Teaching that focus on natural intervention and behavioral issues of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The term Autism has been around since around 1911 when a Swiss psychiatrist, Eugen Bleuler, …show more content…
Discrete Trial Learning (DTT) breaks down behaviors into different, small parts that focus on one behavior and works through toward more difficult tasks. This method teaches certain skills by giving positive reinforcement as the child with ASD begins to learn the behaviors. Beginning DTT means focusing on a child’s individual needs such as, tantrums, peer interaction, play and communication. Throughout treatment, as skills are mastered, changes in instruction are made, newly mastered skills are reviewed to ensure they are retained, and skills are practiced more and more in less structured environment and tested among natural environments. DTT uses a form of chaining, that starts small and works up to retained behavior. Putting this in play involves pulling children out who have problems in ASD areas. For example, if the problem was tantrums on the playground, the treatment would be finding out why tantrums and meltdowns are happening and the best intervention. Beginning small, and working toward using skills against meltdowns in a natural environment for a child would prove very effective. Parents can also be included and can help keep the child on task and mastering the skills in the home environment. This form of mastery has been proven to be very affective throughout the treatments of ASD with DTT (autism …show more content…
Incidental Teaching is based on the research of Dr. Locaas in 1987 and is often associated with Discrete Trial Training but is not completely the same. Incidental Teaching has three major components. The first component is systematic prompting and fading of skills in school, the second is facilitating social play, and number three is treatment, teaching and evidence based practice (lovaas). Parents can take great advantage of Incidental Teaching because Incidental Teaching utilizes the natural environment and natural situations. This technique works best when parents, “create a rich environment, allowing a child time to explore, and being mindful of typical objects and activities in which that child demonstrates interest, one is able to capitalize on a child 's motivation to learn new skills” (lovaas). This specific ABA is preferred because it focuses on natural setting rather than structured class rooms or
Affecting one in every 150 children born in the United States, Autism Spectrum Disorder is a vicious disease with no known cause that affects social, communication and language skills. Many trials and treatments have been and will continue to be conducted to find the best way to treat, cure and prevent Autism. One finding that has particularly been praised is Applied Behavior Analysis. Applied Behavior Analysis is four different treatments, Discrete Trial Learning, Pivotal Response Training, Verbal Behavior and Incidental Teaching that focus on natural intervention and behavioral issues of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The term Autism has been around since around 1911 when a Swiss psychiatrist, Eugen Bleuler, …show more content…
Discrete Trial Learning (DTT) breaks down behaviors into different, small parts that focus on one behavior and works through toward more difficult tasks. This method teaches certain skills by giving positive reinforcement as the child with ASD begins to learn the behaviors. Beginning DTT means focusing on a child’s individual needs such as, tantrums, peer interaction, play and communication. Throughout treatment, as skills are mastered, changes in instruction are made, newly mastered skills are reviewed to ensure they are retained, and skills are practiced more and more in less structured environment and tested among natural environments. DTT uses a form of chaining, that starts small and works up to retained behavior. Putting this in play involves pulling children out who have problems in ASD areas. For example, if the problem was tantrums on the playground, the treatment would be finding out why tantrums and meltdowns are happening and the best intervention. Beginning small, and working toward using skills against meltdowns in a natural environment for a child would prove very effective. Parents can also be included and can help keep the child on task and mastering the skills in the home environment. This form of mastery has been proven to be very affective throughout the treatments of ASD with DTT (autism …show more content…
Incidental Teaching is based on the research of Dr. Locaas in 1987 and is often associated with Discrete Trial Training but is not completely the same. Incidental Teaching has three major components. The first component is systematic prompting and fading of skills in school, the second is facilitating social play, and number three is treatment, teaching and evidence based practice (lovaas). Parents can take great advantage of Incidental Teaching because Incidental Teaching utilizes the natural environment and natural situations. This technique works best when parents, “create a rich environment, allowing a child time to explore, and being mindful of typical objects and activities in which that child demonstrates interest, one is able to capitalize on a child 's motivation to learn new skills” (lovaas). This specific ABA is preferred because it focuses on natural setting rather than structured class rooms or