Many children with autism learn best with teaching techniques that come from the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA). More than 40 years of research has shown the effectiveness of these methods in teaching children with developmental delays a broad range of skills in the areas of communication, self-help, academics and compliance. The basic premise of these techniques is that we all respond to specific actions or instructions in our environment (antecedents) with the expectation of certain rewards (consequences). The first challenge in working with our children then is to find out what they want – what’s reinforcing – and deliver it to them immediately when they exhibit the behaviors we are trying to teach. If a child enjoys swinging, for example, it’s a great time to get them to say “push” or approximate the consonant “p.” Or, if we’re trying to teach them to “stand up” when asked, they may get a few seconds with a favorite toy for performing this action correctly.
ABA programs for young children with autism are often intensive (30-40 hours a week) and rely heavily upon positive reinforcement in conjunction with repeated prompting and prompt fading to teach children specific skills, such as verbal imitation or signing, toileting, reading, and following instructions.
A number of experts in the field have become very well known for the work and research they’ve completed showing the benefits of ABA programming for young children with autism. Perhaps the best known is O. Ivar Lovaas, author of The ME Book (PRO-ED, Inc., 1981) and director of UCLA’s Clinic for the Behavioral Treatment of Young Children with Autism. In 1987, he published a landmark study of a small sample of children who’d received intensive ABA-based programming. The study showed that 47% achieved such substantial gains that they were indistinguishable from their peers by first grade. A second subset made significant gains as well, and only 6% did not progress significantly with intensive (30-40 hours per week) programming begun before age five. In a follow-up study published in 1993, the Lovaas team documented that the children who made the most substantial gains in his first study had maintained those gains.
Lovaas was the first to publish a comprehensive study of the effects of intensive ABA programming on a group of children matched to a control group who did not receive similar programming. So the practice of using ABA techniques in intensive programs for children with autism is often called “Lovaas training.” But many other behavior analysts have used ABA techniques to formulate appropriate educational programs for children with autism. The experts at the Princeton Child Development Institute showed in their 1985 study (Fenske, et al.), that the key to the success of these programs seems to be intensive intervention begun early in life – before age six.
There are a number of center- or school-based private programs in the United States that offer intensive ABA programs for young children with autism. These include the Princeton Child Development Institute, New Jersey; the New England Center for Children and the May Institute in Massachusetts; and the ABC School and the STARS School in California. The list of programs continues to grow, so parents seeking a center for their child should check local autism resource support groups for programs in the area.
There are many communities, however, not served by private or public schools offering intensive ABA-based programming for young children with autism. As a result, families often create their own “home program” that resembles the “Lovaas” model of early intervention that takes place in the home environment. A qualified behavior analyst is hired as a consultant to direct the program – making regular visits to evaluate the child’s progress, suggest changes in teaching methods and recommend which skills to teach next as other skills are mastered by the child. The child is instructed by members of the family and individuals hired and trained to teach the child – often college students or teachers.
There are a number of good books on how to implement an ABA program for a young child with autism. These include:
Manuals
Behavioral Intervention for Young Children with Autism, edited by Catherine Maurice, Ph.D., Gina Green, Ph.D., and Stephen Luce, Ph.D., Pro-Ed, 1996. This book evaluates the research available on autism treatments, provides valuable information on hiring a consultant and tutors, and is an excellent resource for curriculum.
Making a Difference: Behavioral Intervention for Autism, edited by edited by Catherine Maurice, Gina Green, and Richard N. Foxx., Pro-Ed, 2001. This book is an extension of the 1996 manual above.
A Work in Progress: Behavior Management Strategies and a Curriculum for Intensive Behavioral Treatment of Autism, Edited by Ron Leaf and John McEachin, DRL Books, 1999. This book offers both curriculum specifics and specifics on how to conduct teaching sessions.
Teaching Language to Children with Autism or Other Developmental Disabilities, Mark L. Sundberg, Ph.D. and James W. Partington, Ph.D., Behavior Analysts, Inc., 1998. (925/210-9374, www.corteks.com/STARS) Based on errorless teaching techniques and the effort to boost language through requesting behaviors, this book offers excellent step-by-step guidance on improving children’s verbal or signing behavior.
Activity Schedules for Children with Autism, Teaching Independent Behavior, Lynn E. McClannahan, Ph.D. and Patricia J. Krantz, Ph.D., Woodbine House, 1999. A guide to building more independent functioning in children with autism.
Parent
Accounts that Include Resource Information
Facing Autism, Lynn M. Hamilton, Waterbrook Press, 2000. (ISBN 1-57856-262-7)
Let Me Hear Your Voice: A Family’s Triumph Over Autism, Catherine Maurice, Knopf, 1993.
Other
Resouces
Right From the Start: Behavioral Intervention for Young Children with Autism. Sandra L. Harris, Mary Jane Weiss, Woodbine House, 1998.
The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) Training Manual, Lori A. Frost and Andrew S. Bondy, Pyramid Educational Consultants (1-888-732-7642, http://www.pecs.com)
Different Roads to Learning Catalog. 1-800-853-1057. Includes many materials and books basic to intensive ABA programming.
Autism Society of America (800/328-8476) offers an information packet on Intensive Behavioral Intervention. http://www.autism-society.org.
Parent Information
Package:
FEAT-North Texas offers a parent package with essential information about autism
and intensive behavioral intervention. Donation:
$10.
P.O. Box 211764, Bedford, TX 76095-8764.
FEAT-Houston
is a Houston, Texas based non-profit organization committed to supporting
families who are interested in assisting their children with autism.