What is Autism?

Autism is a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, that adversely affects a child's performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences.

Autism was first identified in 1943 by Dr. Leo Kanner of Johns Hopkins Hospital. At the same time, a German scientist, Dr. Hans Asperger, described a milder form of the disorder that is now known as Asperger Syndrome . These two disorders are listed in the DSM IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) as two of the five developmental disorders that fall under Autistic Disorders or PDD. The others are Rett Syndrome, PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified), and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. All of these disorders are characterized by varying degrees of impairment in communication skills and social abilities, and also by repetitive behaviors.

Autism Spectrum Disorders , which describe autism, PDD-NOS and Asperger Syndrome, can usually be reliably diagnosed by age three, although new research is pushing back the age of diagnosis to even earlier. Parents are usually the first to notice unusual behaviors in their child or their child's failure to reach appropriate developmental milestones. Some parents describe a child that seemed different from birth, while others describe a child who was developing normally and then lost skills.

What is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)?

Applied Behavior Analysis is the science in which procedures derived from the principles of learning are systematically applied to improve socially significant behavior and to demonstrate experimentally that the procedures employed were responsible for the improvement in behavior. (Cooper, Heron and Heward, 1987)

Behavior analysis is the natural science of behavior that was originally described by B.F. Skinner in the 1930's. The principles and methods of behavior analysis have been applied effectively in many arenas. For example, methods that use the principle of positive reinforcement to strengthen a behavior have been used to develop a wide range of skills in learners with and without disabilities.

Since the early 1960's, hundreds of behavior analysts have used reinforcement and other principles to build communication, play, social, academic, self-care, work, and community living skills to reduce problem behaviors in learners with autism of all ages. Some ABA techniques involve instruction that is directed by adults in a highly structured fashion, while others make use of the learner's natural interests and follow his or her initiations. Still others teach skills in the context of ongoing activities. All skills are broken down into small components, and learners are provided many repeated opportunities to learn and practice skills in a variety of settings, with abundant reinforcement. The goals of intervention as well as the specific types of instructions used are customized to the strengths and needs of the individual learner. Performance is measured continuously by direct observation, and intervention is modified if the data shows that the learner is not making satisfactory progress.

Over the past 30 years, several thousand published research studies have documented the effectiveness of ABA across a wide range of:

Populations
•  Children and adults with mental illness, developmental disabilities, learning disorders and all learners
Service Providers 
•  Parents, teachers and staff
Settings
•  Schools, homes, institutions, group homes, hospitals and business offices
Behaviors
•  Language, social, academic, leisure, functional life skills, aggression, self-injury, oppositional and stereotyped behaviors

The effectiveness of ABA-based interventions with persons with autism and PDD-NOS is well documented, with current research replicating already-proven methods and further developing the field. Documentation of the of ABA-based interventions with persons with autism and PDD-NOS emerged in the 1960s, with comprehensive evaluations beginning in the early 1970s. ABA methods are used to support idividuals with autism and PDD-NOS in at least these ways:

1. Increase appropriate behaviors
2. Teach new skills including replacement skills to challenging behaviors
3. Generalize or transfer behavior from one situation or response to another 
4. Decrease challenging behaviors 

Crossroads professionals utilize the techniques of ABA to help teach skills and reduce challenging behavior.

Recognized ABA Sources

Recognized ABA links recommended by Crossroads:

• The Association for Behavior Analysis- www.abainternational.org
• The Association for Science in Autism Treatment- www.asatonline.org
• ABA Parent-Professional Partnership Special Interest Group- www.pppsig.org
• The Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies- www.behavior.org