Summary
Summary Overview and evaluation of Applied Behavioural Analysis
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Notes about Applied Behavioural analysis. Citing literature to consider the effectiveness of the technique
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Objectives• Critically evaluate ABA
• Understand predictors of outcome in ABA
What is ABA
• Based on behaviourist principles of learning and is routed in evidence based practice (APA,
2017)
• https://www.autismspeaks.org/applied-behavior-analysis
Cihon and Ferguson (2018)
• Systematic approach to understanding behaviour
• Rooted in classical research such as Watson, Pavlov and Skinner
• Principles
o Classical conditioning - behaviour comes about through a conditioned of
unconditioned stimulus
o Operant conditioning – antecedents and consequence manipulation can alter
behaviour through reinforcement
• Procedures used
o Discrete trial training – breaks down skills into smaller components. Each trial
consists of a discriminative stimulus, a response by the learner and a consequence
(reward or punishment)
o Prompting – to assist the learner such as pointing (e.g. Soluaga et al., 2008) or
physically guiding to correct response (Leaf et al., 2010)
o Incidental teaching – following child’s lead to identify natural situations then use the
situation to do ABA
o Token economies – exchanging tokens for preferred item or activity
o Response cost – removal of reinforcement vents upon showing undesired behaviour
o Differential reinforcement – reinforcing appropriate behaviour whist withholding
reinforcement of an inappropriate behaviour (often by ignoring)
o Time out from reinforcement – removes or delays reinforcement due to undesired
behaviour
Supporting evidence
Rodgers et al. (2020) – Intensive behavioural interventions based on ABA for young children with
autism
• Meta analysis
Methods
• Studies were eligible if they
o Included children with a diagnosis of autism based on DSM
, o Used ABA based teaching as core components of intervention, face to face by
trained providers at least 15h a week, on a one to one or small group basis
o Used comprehensive approach
o Were child focussed
o Were prospective randomised control trials or non randomised controlled studies
• Primary focus on pre school children
Results
• 10 studies were included
• Mean age was 38.4 months and 87.5% were male
• All studies were non randomised and rated as having risk of bias
• All used convenience samples
• Measures included
o Adaptive behaviour – all 10 studies
o Cognitive ability – IQ was reported in 7 studies, ABA shown to improve at 1 and 2
year follow up
o Autism symptom severity – not enough evidence for analysis
o Language – benefit of early intensive ABA intervention
Conclusion/evaluation
Research suggests relative benefits in child cognitive ability and adaptive behaviour in early
intensive ABA interventions – only limited conclusions
• Studies rarely looked at quality of life, emotional and mental health and well being
• Lack of information of long term consequences
• No data on possible adverse effects of intervention
Markrygianni et al. (2018)
- Meta analysis of 29 studies
- Found ABA to be moderately to highly beneficial for children with ASD
especially helpful in improving intellectual ability, moderately to very effective in improving
communication skills, expressive language skills and receptive language skills, moderately
effective in improving IQ, adaptive behaviour
- Low effectiveness in improving daily living skills
- IQ is not a good measure of intelligence
- High interobserver reliability
- Issue of publication bias – ABA is widely accepted as evidence based so want to find
supporting evidence
- Not a standardised ABA technique as its individualised
Dillenburger et al. (2002)
- Good treatments and interventions should empower parents to be in charge of their child’s
care
- Two of the most common approaches used are ABA and TEACHH
- ABA is applied in many areas including community development, social work, nursing,
teaching, criminology etc
- For autistic children, it aims to set tight the balance between their behavioural excesses and
deficits
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