Quick Look at the World of ABA

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, ABA therapy can help with:

• managing negative behaviours such as severe tantrums, aggression, self-injury

• communication and social skills such as requesting items, playing with others

• daily living skills such as toileting, feeding, grooming

• instructional control such as following instructions, safety compliance

• school readiness skills ranging 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 that emerge from data such as:

• 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?

  
  

At Spectra, we take a play-based approach to ensure your child is motivated to learn.

ABA therapists use 'Behaviour Support Plans' (BSP) that outline the goals and methods for replacing negative behaviours with positive behaviours that support your child's well-being. Outcomes are achieved by teaching skills, and rewarding positive behaviours (known as 'reinforcement'). Negative consequences (known as 'response cost') may also be used to reduce negative behaviours.

When teaching adaptive behaviours (such as communication and instructional control), the 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 systematically reduced, so your child can perform the behaviour independently, in real-world situations.

ABA is supported by research to improve the communication and social skills of children with autism (Yu et al., 2020). See the NDIS brief overview of behavioural interventions. Spectra Behaviour Solutions provides comprehensive ABA program supervision and short-term behaviour management for children with support needs.