What is ABA Therapy? Quick Guide for Caregivers
Updated: Sep 23
Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) is based on the science of learning and behaviour. It is a systematic and evidence-informed approach to understanding and facilitating behaviours that are meaningful to the individual. ABA can be used at any age, to teach a variety of important life skills. For children and young people, ABA therapy can help with:
managing behaviours of concern such as severe tantrums, aggression, self-injury
communication and social skills such as requesting items, making conversation
daily living skills such as independent toileting, following instructions to stay safe
school readiness skills from writing their own name, to taking turns with peers
ABA focuses on behaviours that can be observed and measured. ABA therapists find effective ways to change behaviour by analysing patterns in:
Antecedents - What happened before the behaviour? What was the trigger?
Consequences - What happened after the behaviour? How did others respond?
Functions - Why did the behaviour happen? What need or desire did it satisfy?
Reinforcers - What increases the behaviour? What rewards are motivating?
Certified Behaviour Analysts (CBA) design 'behaviour support plans' (BSPs), outlining the goals and strategies for increasing participation, independence and safety in areas that support your child's developmental needs. Outcomes are typically achieved by using reinforcement, targeting what naturally motivates your child so that new skills continue to be reinforced in the environment of their everyday life.
When teaching adaptive behaviours (such as communication and toleration), skills are broken down into their simplest parts, and taught step-by-step, using prompting techniques. Prompts are any type of help given when teaching a behaviour. Prompting and reinforcement are then systematically reduced, so your child can perform the behaviour independently, in everyday situations.
ABA is supported by decades of research to improve the communication and social skills of autistic children (Yu et al., 2020). Spectra Behaviour Solutions provides comprehensive ABA program supervision and short-term behaviour management for children with support needs.
