What Is ABA Therapy?

What Is ABA Therapy?

ABA（应用行为分析）治疗是一种侧重于使用的治疗方法积极加固to improve behavioral, social, communication, and learning skills. ABA therapy utilizes behavioral principles to set goals, reinforce behaviors, and measure outcomes.

This approach is often described as the "gold standard" in the treatment of autism. It is widely used and has been shown to be effective for improving specific skills and decreasing problem behaviors. It is also controversial, because it has been seen as disrespectful and even dehumanizing at times.

当它使用时

ABA疗法可用于教授所需的行为和减少或熄灭不良的行为。它可用于治疗各种条件，包括：

• Anxiety disorders
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Autism spectrum disorders
• Borderline personality disorder
• Developmental disorders
• 强迫症（OCD）
• 创伤后圣ress disorder (PTSD)
• Substance use disorders

Types

A number of different types of interventions can be used as part of ABA therapy. These include:

• Discrete trial training (DTT): This involves breaking a skill down and teaching it step-by-step. The three components of this process include the antecedent (a cue that triggers the behavior), the behavior (the response to the cue), and the conclusion (what happens after the response). When the behavior has been successfully produced, the individual will receive positive reinforcement, but will not be rewarded if they do not successfully produce the desired response.
• Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI)：这种方法可以用于幼儿，以教授社会，适应性，沟通和功能技能。它通常是非常个性化，密集和全面的。
• 早期开始丹佛模型（ESDM）: This technique is based on applied behavior analysis and is often used for children with autism between the ages of 12 and 48 months. It utilizes play activities to help foster cognitive, social, and language skills.
• Natural environment training：通过离散试验培训获得技能后，他们开始学习并练习更自然的环境中的技能。例如，孩子可以学习特定技能，然后在家或学校开始练习它。

ABA therapy is also often delivered in two different ways. It can be used as a comprehensive program that provides intensive intervention in many environments and situations. Or, it can be part of a more focused program that may involve only specific behaviors or situations.

• Comprehensive ABA therapy: This approach delivers treatments that usually last for several hours each day. A therapist or behavior technician works with the individual for at least several hours each week and often in different contexts, such as both in the home and in school settings. Therapists work directly with the individual but may also work with parents and caregivers to teach skills that can be used outside of ABA therapy sessions.
• Focused ABA therapy: This type of treatment may focus on helping an individual in a specific situation where they are facing difficulty. It may also focus on specific skills that an individual needs to work on. The individual often works one-on-one with a therapist, but may also practice these skills in small groups or in community settings.

这个怎么运作

ABA therapy usually involves a few different steps. Treatment plans are tailored to the needs of the individual.

• Assessment是ABA治疗的第一步。在此阶段，儿童或个人将与治疗师遇到，他询问有关优势，劣势，需求和目标的问题。从这些信息来看，专业人员将制定治疗计划。
• Treatment将涉及使用不同的技术来朝着个人的目标工作。治疗课程有时可以像一个小时一样短，但他们一次经常持续几个小时。
• Caregiver traininginvolves offering support and training to parents and other caregivers and family members. Therapists teach parents and family members skills and strategies that will help maintain desirable behaviors in the home, school, and community settings.

Impact

Some ways that ABA therapy can impact an individual's life include:

• Acquiring and practicing social skills
• Decreasing problem behaviors
• Developing memory and cognitive abilities
• Improving emotional connections with other people
• Improving language and communication skills
• Improvingattentionand focus
• Learning daily living skills
• Managing feelings of aggression and anxiety

Research suggests that ABA therapy can have a number of benefits in the treatment of autism. Some evidence supporting its effectiveness and impact:

• One study found that long-term comprehensive ABA treatment could help autistic children improve their daily living skills, language development, social abilities, and intellectual functioning.
• A 2011 review of 27 studies found that ABA interventions were effective for improving social skills, adaptive behaviors, language abilities, and cognitive skills. These interventions were also helpful for reducing aggression and anxiety in children and adolescents.
• 2012年的研究表明，自闭症谱系障碍的儿童应每周至少有25小时的综合ABA治疗。这与戏剧技能，行为，语言和社交沟通的改进有关。

提示与技巧

如果您已准备好尝试为自己或您的孩子尝试ABA疗法，您可以采取一些步骤帮助找到满足您需求的最佳处理。

• 获得推荐。Talk to your doctor or child's pediatrician for a referral to an ABA provider. You can also search online for local service providers.
• Check with your insurance。ABA疗法通常被保险覆盖，因此请与您的政策提供商联系覆盖，并联系您的治疗提供商以确保他们接受您的保险。
• Find the right therapist。Start by checking that your therapist is a board-certified behavioral analyst (BCBA). Early ABA sessions often focus on building a rapport with the therapist, so pay attention to whether it seems like a good match.

与其他类型的疗法一样，让它尝试并遵循事情的方式有助于。如果您随着时间的推移注意到良好的结果，它可能是一个很好的主意，将其坚持在长期内。如果您或您的孩子随着时间的推移挣扎或未达到良好进展，那么切换到不同的治疗方法可能是一个好主意。

Controversy

While ABA is widely used today, it is not without controversy. In the past, this type of treatment involved hours of treatment each day, often done in rigid environments. Failures to produce desired behaviors were often addressed with harsh punishments. This approach is both disrespectful to those in therapy and often dehumanizing.

最近的方法侧重于申请或扣留增强，不涉及惩罚。每天坐在每天几个小时的桌子上坐在桌子上，现在经常在自然设置中提供，包括家庭，学校和社区设置。

ABA therapy also often focused on getting people to engage in "typical" behaviors. Today, there is a greater appreciation and value for neurodiversity.

History of ABA Therapy

ABA治疗植根于原则behaviorism，特别是操作性调节和使用奖励和模具行为的后果。在20世纪50年代和20世纪60年代，精神卫生专业人员开万博手机客户端始利用原则，如令牌经济体的治疗，如精神分裂症和发展障碍。

Later, Dr. Ivar Lovaas adapted ABA for the treatment of autism. His approach was that behavioral and social skills could be taught while other behaviors could be extinguished by applying rewards and consequences.

Since then, a wide variety of techniques have emerged to treat autism and other conditions. Many newer approaches are still rooted in the basics of ABA therapy, but also incorporate aspects of emotional and social engagement as well.

A Word From Verywell

ABA therapy has become a widely used treatment approach in the treatment of autism and other conditions. It has been linked to improvements in key areas including language, social skills, and adaptive skills, but that doesn't mean that it is right for everyone. ABA is not the only approach to treatment, so it is important to listen and look at how a person is responding in order to determine which treatment is right for their individual needs.