Autism Therapy: reinforcer

This article describes in detail how the applied behavior analysis (ABA) approach can be used to decrease problem behaviors in young children with autism.

The authors focus on using the ABA approach to reduce inappropriate behaviors, for example, hitting, tantrums, finger-chewing, self-injury, and aggression. The ABA approach has been shown to reduce these behaviors by about 90% or more, regardless of the type of autism diagnosed. In addition, the reduction in problem behaviors is larger when familiar people (for example, teachers and parents) are responsible for ABA treatment versus when hospital staff or specialists are involved. Further, the ABA approach works best when the practitioner observes the child carefully enough to know what a good reinforcer would be for that specific child. For example, one child may respond to praise, but another may want access to a mechanical car. Finally, the authors conclude that future research should focus on, among other things, the effectiveness of ABA treatments in different settings (home, community, school, clinic).