What is Applied Behavior Analysis?

 ABA can be used to reduce interfering or

challenging behaviors.
by Dawn Hendricks, Ph.D., Susan Palko, M.Ed.
and Adam Dreyfus, MA, BCBA Understanding what is meant by ABA is
increased if each term is defined individually:
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a scientific Applied, Behavior, and Analysis.
approach to understanding behavior. ABA refers
to a set of principles that focus on how behaviors Question: What does the word, "Applied"
change, or are affected by the environment, as mean?
well as how learning takes place. The term
behavior refers to skills and actions needed to Answer:ABA interventions deal with behaviors
talk, play, and live. While these principles of demonstrated social significance -- behaviors
impact everyone each day, they can be applied that are important! When implementing ABA
systematically through interventions to help interventions, teachers are targeting behaviors
individuals learn and apply new skills in their that are essential to the person. For example,
daily lives. learning to cross a street safely may be critical
for a person who has a new job in the city, while
ABA requires the implementation of established learning to order lunch in the cafeteria may be
principles of learning, behavioral strategies, and critical for someone else. The range of behavior
environmental modifications to improve and issues addressed by ABA is broad and deep.
teach new behaviors. In practice, implementation
must be systematic so teachers can identify how The following list illustrates the scope of
behavior can be changed and understand how possible behaviors:
learning occurred. The ultimate goal of ABA is
to establish and enhance socially important  Teaching social skills,
behaviors. Such behaviors can include academic,  Generalizing reading sight words in
social, communication, and daily living skills; different texts,
essentially, any skill that will enhance the  Teaching toileting skills,
independence and/or quality of life for the  Teaching appropriate break room
individual. behavior,
 Teaching the bed time routine,
Question: How are Applied Behavior Analysis  Increasing requesting desired objects,
principals and methods used?  Generalizing conversational skills to
  colleagues in the work place, and
Answer:The principles and methods of ABA  Teaching riding a bus.
can be used to support individuals in at least five
Question: What does the word, "Behavior"
ways.
mean?
 ABA can be used to increase behaviors, Answer: In orderIn order to understand ABA, it
such as attending to a speaker or greeting is critical to understand what is meant by
a peer. behavior. Behavior is anything a person does.
 The principles and methods can be used to Behavior is measurable and observable. Often
teach a student new skills, including using behavior is thought of in negative terms, for
a spoon and learning addition. example, screaming or hitting. However,
 ABA can be used to maintain behaviors, behavior applies to all kinds of positive actions
for example, reading sight words that and skills too, including greeting a peer,
were learned previously. performing a math problem, signing a letter,
 ABA principles and methods can be used asking a question, and so on.
to help a student generalize or transfer
behavior from one situation or response to When behavior is discussed in the context of
another. For instance, a student may learn ABA, it is generally considered in three
to generalize completing assignments in differents contexts.
the resource room to completing them in
the general education classroom.  Behaviors that are to be maintained over
time, such as a child who has learned to
 brush his teeth or the adolescent who has A comprehensive ABA plan needs to address all
learned to manage a check book. the component areas: antecedent, behavior, and
 Behaviors that should be increased. For consequence.
the person who is unable to request
something to eat or interact with a peer, Question: How can antecedents be used to
teaching these skills is a priority. impact behavior?
 Behaviors that need to be decreased.
Obviously, a parent wants to see a child Answer: There is always an antecedent to a
spending less time screaming or having a behavior, whether its a positive behavior to be
tantrum, in this case, the parent would increased or a negative behavior to be decreased.
also want to see positive behaviors Antecedents are important to understand as they
increase, such as communicating or help the learner know what to do. For example,
asking for help. when John, a 16 year old with ASD, is shown a
picture of the family van, he knows to put his
Question: What does the word, "Analysis" shoes on and get in the car.
mean?
There are many ways to alter antecedents to
Answer: Through the use of clear definitions for impact learning. The most important way to
behavior and systematic delivery of target antecedents is by directly adapting
interventions, reliable relationships between instruction and student tasks so the student will
interventions and behavior can be established. have success. For example, Ty has a difficult
There is also a need for a reliable collection of time responding to multiple word sentences so
data, as well as analysis of these data to one word instruction will be used instead of
determine if behaviors are changing. Through sentences. James gets overwhelmed when he
analysis, teachers can determine if behaviors are does not know what he is supposed to do in his
increasing or decreasing, as well as the rate of reading assignment. Therefore, directions are
the change. This allows objective decisions to be presented to him using picture cards.
made about future interventions. The following
components are needed to ensure analysis can be The environment or instructional materials can
completed: also be altered when considering antecedents.
This addresses circumstances that set the stage
 Specific intervention goals and objectives, for a behavior. The following examples illustrate
 A well-defined plan including the how manipulating the environment and/or
strategies used to meet the goals and instructional materials can change behavior.
objectives,
 Jake has difficulty completing a writing
 Ongoing data collection to show the
task in a collaborative work group, so he
intervention was actually responsible for
is paired with one peer instead of a group
the behavior gains, and
of his peers.
 A plan to ensure the generalization and
 Joni has difficulty with math; therefore,
maintenance of treatment gains.
she completes her math problems in the
Question: What are the basic principles of morning when she is at her best.
ABA?  When Skyler works on reading
comprehension, she is asked to match a
Answer: The basic principles of ABA consist of picture to the sentence that she just read;
environmental variables that impact behavior. her peers are asked to answer a multiple
These variables are antecedents and choice question.
consequences. Antecedents are events that
happen right before the behavior, and a conse- Question: How can consequences be used to
quence is the event following the behavior. The impact behavior?
following figure demonstrates the behavior
change contingency and provides an example. It Answer: How behavior is affected by the
is through systematic application of antecedents consequences that follow is a crucial element in
and consequences that target behavior will all aspects of ABA. There are limitations to what
maintain, increase, or decrease -- this is how can be changed before a behavior occurs, but the
learning will occur! most control that teachers have is over how they
respond to a behavior. Is attention the grounded for the weekend are two examples of
consequence? Is praise delivered as the this type of punishment.
consequence? Is the person allowed to "get out
of" an activity? Question: Who can benefit from ABA?

The most effective consequence is the use of Answer: The principles of ABA are present
reinforcement to reinforce appropriate behaviors. daily in all our lives. Behaviors are shaped or
The term reinforcement is often assumed to refer altered based on the antecedents and
to things that an individual likes to do or a consequences that a person encounters. For
preferred object. However, in ABA, example, if a barking dog keeps someone in the
reinforcement goes further than this. neighborhood awake at night, the person will
Reinforcement is defined as something that, likely learn to shut the window before going to
when provided after a behavior, increases the bed. This is an example of an antecedent that
future frequency of that behavior. In other affected behavior. If an employee receives a
words, reinforcement must result in a behavior bonus at work for doing a good job, he or she is
change! likely to work harder. This is an example of how
a consequence may shape behavior.
ABA breaks reinforcement down into positive Environmental variables such as these are
and negative reinforcement. Positive constantly at play, often impacting learning and
reinforcement is defined as an event in which the behavior.
addition of something the person likes (praise,
money, food, or toys) increases the frequency of Question: Where and by whom is ABA used?
the target behavior in the future. For example,
Joey shares his toy with his little brother and his Answer: The interventions that have been
mom tells him how nice he is and gives him a developed using the principles of ABA are used
treat. In the future, Joey shares his toy with his in every walk of life and every profession.
little brother more often. Different types of people use ABA in their jobs
and in their lives. Parents, teachers,
Negative reinforcement is defined as the removal psychologists, managers, and a wide variety of
of something aversive or "negative" to increase others use these principles in education, weight
the future frequency of that behavior. For loss, animal training, gerontology, industrial
example, Ms. Wiley gives homework every day; safety, advertising, medical procedures,
however, yesterday, each student turned their marketing, automobile safety, sports, and a host
homework in on time so Ms. Wiley does not of other fields and activities. Applied Behavior
give homework today. In this case, the negative Analysis is used in both general and special
occurrence of daily homework was removed to education classrooms. For example, teachers use
reinforce turning in homework. Is it likely Ms. ABA to manage classroom behavior, teach
Wiley's class will turn their homework in more group reading skills, and help the class
frequently now? memorize multiplication facts.

Another consequence is punishment. Punishment These principles have also been studied and
is providing something following a behavior that developed to be used with special populations of
decreases the frequency of the target behavior in individuals in recent years, including those with
the future. Punishment is not recommended as it ASD. ABA techniques can be especially useful
often has a negative impact on the individual and in teaching behaviors to children with ASD who
yields change that is not long lasting. In some may otherwise not “pick up” these behaviors on
cases, when using punishment to decrease future their own as quickly as other children might. A
occurences of a behavior something is added that wide variety of ABA techniques have been
is aversive or not liked such as yelling or social developed for building useful skills in learners of
disapproval. Many of us have been exposed to all ages. These techniques can be used in both
this form of punishment. Examples include a structured situations, such as formal instruction
verbal reprimand or a speeding ticket. Other in classrooms, and in more natural everyday
punishment might entail removing or taking situations, such as play or mealtime. They are
away something enjoyed to decrease future used to develop basic skills like attending,
behavior. Loss of computer time and being listening, and imitating, as well as complex skills
like reading, conversing, and taking the and applied to improve behavior in socially
perspective of others. significant ways. ABA is a way to approach
behavior that will maximize positive outcomes.
Question: What are some of the teaching Simply put, ABA requires constructing
strategies used in ABA? intervention strategies that define the
antecedents and consequences that will result in
Answer: Teachers, parents, and behavior the increase of positive skills and the decrease of
specialists have many tools in their tool boxes. problem behaviors. Decisions regarding the
ABA includes many strategies and procedures effectiveness of the intervention are based on
that can be helpful. Some of the most frequently data collected. Based on the data analysis, the
used include prompting, shaping, task analysis, parent or interventionist may choose to continue
functional behavior analysis/assessment, with the intervention or change the intervention
antecedent interventions, and functional to produce positive outcomes for the individual.
communication training. Please visit the VCU-
ACE website for additional resources on References:
teaching strategies: www.vcuautismcenter.org

Question: Is Discrete Trial Training the same Catania, C. (2007) Learning, Fourth Interim
as ABA? Edition. Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY: Sloan
Publishing
Answer: There is confusion around the terms Cooper, J., Heron, T., & Heward, W. (2007)
Discrete Trial Training (DTT) and ABA. DTT is Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition. 
one of many teaching procedures used within Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
ABA. However, these terms are NOT Lovaas, O. I. (1987). Behavioral treatment and
synonymous. Instead, DTT is a teaching strategy normal educational and intellectual functioning
based in the principles of ABA that focuses on in young autistic children. Journal of Consulting
skill acquisition and is useful when teaching and Clinical Psychology, 55(1), 3-9.
early learning skills such as receptive Simpson, R. L. (1999). Early intervention with
instructions or imitation, or when the learner children with autism: The search for best
needs skills broken down into small, learnable practices. Journal of the Association for Persons
parts. with Severe Handicaps, 24, 218-221.
Simpson, R. L. (2001). ABA and students with
There are four main components to discrete trial autism spectrum disorders: Issues and
training: instruction, response, consequence, and considerations for effective practice. Focus on
the inter trial interval. First, the teacher gives an Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities,
instruction. Second, the student responds. If it is 16(2), 68-71.
a new skill, a prompt may be given by the
teacher between the instruction and response to
help the student respond correctly. The student’s
response is evaluated as correct or incorrect and
based on this determination, a consequence is
delivered. If correct, positive reinforcement is
provided. If incorrect, the teacher will provide a
correction procedure. This completes the discrete
learning trial and the teacher then waits for a
determined period of time (e.g. 5 seconds)
before continuing with the next trial. If the
teacher needs to design a learning program that
breaks each component down into the simplest
possible terms and plans to teach each item
individually, then he or she might choose to use
discrete trial training.

Summary

Applied behavior analysis is a science in which

interventions are taken from existing research