Research findings tend to reveal that intensive application of various behavioral therapies such as Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) can be quite efficient in the treatment for patients with autistic spectrum. This comes after information emerged that many parents make treatment decisions hurriedly without seeking enough information on the best ways of establishing as well as maintaining these treatment programs. One of the best therapies is ABA therapists who are in an inimitable position to continuously aid the affected children as well as their families in making informed choices. These therapists can further provide information that is critical in terms of evidence-based treatment procedures. Moreover, they can assist one in overcoming existing barriers to intensive treatment together with offering support to the concerned family members. These intervention procedures by the ABA therapists are quite critical in ensuring that the autistic children, as well as their families address their autistic conditions.
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Autism Spectrum Disorders refers to a collection of developmental disabilities that make children display communication and social skills deficit. Children with these disorders tend to be deficient in both verbal and nonverbal communication, imaginative or pretend to play as well as general social interaction (Hillman, 2006). According to Hillman (2006), children exhibiting autism tend to have limited eye contact, the absence of social or emotional reciprocity and lack of appropriate peer relationships. Other deficiencies include reduced appropriate gestures and facial expressions. This is an addition to the typical characteristics of these children maintaining repetitive or restricted behavior, interests and activities as well as a strict adherence to repetitive and stereotypical movements.
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ABA Behavioral Therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) refers to the scientific application of the principles of learning as well as motivation in addition to the procedures and technology in order to solve problems which are related to social significance (Centre for Autism and Related Disorders, CARD, n.d.). Besides, according to CARD, ABA refers to the course of applying interventions which are centered on learning theory principles so as to help in improving behaviors that are socially significant to a meaningful degree in a systematic manner. Research findings indicate that ABA behavioral therapy has achieved quite some success in addressing the core deficits in autism. Ivar Lovaas, the founder of ABA behavioral therapy, has clearly outlined both long-term and short-term effectiveness of ABA behavioral therapy on children with the autistic spectrum (Hillman, 2006). As per Hillman (2006), children who receive intensive treatment for at least 25-40 hours per week in accordance with ABA principles are more likely to get positive results compared to those who do not.
Role of ABA Therapist
ABA Therapist is an individual who is highly specialized in helping parents and families with autistic spectrum children to effectively deal and handle with these children. In addition, the therapist gives information that is reliable as well as receiving and recording feedback on the progress of the child. An ABA therapist must involve the concerned families since available research shows that many parents are not aware of effective ways of dealing with their autistic children. Most parents end up making treatment decisions with insufficient information (Hillson, 2006). ABA therapist consistently focuses on reliable measurements from the children they assessing. The therapist must be objective so as to measure the mannerisms exhibited in specific terms.
The ABA therapist is further tasked with demonstrating events which are responsible for the occurrence or non-occurrence of certain behaviors (CARD, n.d.). To facilitate this treatment, an ABA therapist needs to work closely with the parents to ensure a timely and early identification of autism cases (Childress, et al., 2012). Early detection of autistic spectrum manifestations is very critical in managing and alleviating the effects the conditions may have on the child and the family as well as the community. According to Childress (2012) identification leads to an assessment where the ABA therapist gathers information about the child’s medical history, child’ development as well as their ability to fully participate in daily family activities and routines.
An ABA therapist must fully implement the ABA components so as to be efficient in helping the children as well as their families. These components include the following. First is the selection of behaviors that the family of the children considers as interfering and abnormal (Childress, et al., 2014). This is followed by an identification of desired goals and objectives which will be useful in alleviating these interfering behaviors. The next step for the therapist together with the child’s family is to establish effective methods to measure target behaviors once they occur regarding their frequency and duration. The therapist needs to advise the family on the best way to measure these behaviors as well as means of reinforcing them. After this, the ABA Therapist designs and implements interventions aimed at teaching new skills or reducing these interfering behaviors that are considered out of the norm. Once these processes are achieved, the therapist together with the family, continue measuring the target behaviors so as to determine the effectiveness of the interventions made. Finally, the family is involved in a continuous evaluation and monitoring to increase both the efficiency and effectiveness of the interventions constantly.
In conclusion, Autistic Spectrum Disorders are quite challenging to parents who have to constantly expect that their children’s communication and social skills will improve. Parents and families with this kind of children need to exercise a lot of patience as the keep on hoping that their children will automatically match their healthy peers. There is, however, hope for these parents since ABA therapists can apply the use of behavior analysis techniques scientifically to reduce the adverse effects of interfering behaviors and create target behaviors. Cooperation between parents and this ABA therapist has shown vast improvements especially if the interventions are started early enough and done consistently.
References
Centre for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD). (n.d.). ABA resources: what is ABA? Retrieved on 17 April 2017, from http://www.centerforautism.com/aba-therapy.aspx.
Childress, D. C., Conroy, M. A. & Hill, C. F. (2012). Supporting Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Their Families. Retrieved on 17 April 2017, from http://www.infantva.org/documents/pr-partc-asd-guidance.pdf on 17/4/201
Hillman, J. (2006). Supporting and treating families with children on the autistic spectrum: the unique role of the general psychologist. Psychotherapy: Theory Research, Practice, Training, 43 (3), 349-358. Doi: 10.1037/0033-3204.43.3.349.
