ABA (applied behaviour analysis)

[loulou]

Hi,

 

I've been looking at schools for my son (ADHD/ASD).

 

One i have found bases it's teaching on ABA. I don't really know much about it and can't seem to find a great deal of info on the internet.

 

I've heard some good and bad press about it.

 

Also, is it suitable for children anywhere on the spectrum, or is it more aimed at lower functioning ASD?

 

I would be grateful if anyone knows any good web-sites about ABA, or if anyone has direct experience of it.

 

Loulou x

[Helen]

The Jargon Buster mentions ABA.

 

ABA: Applied Behaviour Analysis - ABA is the application of the principles of behaviour analysis and is a scientific method of understanding, analysing and changing behaviour. This is an NAS link to ABA websites:

 

http://rsaffran.tripod.com/aba.html

[Corcaigh]

Here, Loulou, some on-line info about ABA. It's an excellent method, but you must be very determined and consistent.

 

http://www.iaba.com/

http://www.cabas.com/

http://www.behavior.org/

http://www.abainternational.org/

http://seab.envmed.rochester.edu/jaba/index.html

http://psych.athabascau.ca/html/aupr/ba.shtml

 

Hope they help.

[Lucas]

And this is the part where I come in saying ABA is an evil tool used by the scum of the earth. Proberley not a fair thing to say, some people even say to me "It's easy to criticise".

 

So what better reason do they give me to do it?

 

Despite what behaviourists themselves might say, ABA is not exactly about understanding or accurately analysing behaviour. It is more focused on changing it.

 

In the field of Autism there has never been such an unscientific explaination provided for what Autistics do than the reasons given by many a behaviourist. Ivor Lovaas himself coined the term 'self-stimulation' as he was unable to explain how Autistics appeared to break the laws of behaviour. The basic premise is:

 

Organism+Stimuli=Behaviour.

 

But Autistics often behave in certain ways in absence of stimuli, so Lovaas assumed that the stimuli was internal, an area where behaviourism doesn't involve itself yet still behaviourists criticise others for doing so.

 

Behaviourist ultimately study behaviour, they do not study Autism. This should mean that consultancy among the Autistic populace by behaviourists should be done to insure accuracy, but this is not done.

 

Behaviourists will look at behaviour and deduce that it is done for this or that reason, but they are applying non-Autistic values to Autistic people when they do. Autistics are not the same as NTs, but you can't explain that to behaviourists as their science doesn't allow for Autism to exist, only 'Autistic behaviour'.

 

There's a very good reason why ABA often requires 40 hours a week and you must be determined and consistent: it's cr@p. Like those washing powder adverts where they test a huge amount of their brand against a small amount of the next best brand and act suprised when theirs gives the better results. Results are pretty much the thing, how they are achieved doesn't really matter.