Common myths surrounding applied behavior analysis

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is arguably the most extensively studied method of behavior modification for children with autism spectrum disorder. While ABA is well known to the informed quarters in the autism circle, there are still a lot of misconceptions about the basic principles of the method in general. For example, ABA is often misunderstood as being limited to Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT), whereas both in theory and in practice, DTT is just a part of ABA therapy.

Then again, a very common myth is that applied behavior analysis is punishing and dreadful for a child already lacking in ‘normal’ sensory and response behaviors. This myth is rooted in the early days of ABA when teachers actually used physical punishment, either as a deterrent or as a form of retribution. But as the world came to know more about autism and the ways to deal with it congruently, out went punishment and in came positive reinforcers. Today, ABA therapy completely rules out the use of punishers. If a response is unwanted, the stimulant eliciting that response is removed.

A reinforcer is not a bribe, but that’s what some people think it is. Well, a bribe is agreed upon as a reward before the act is done. But a reinforcer, which is an integral part of the applied behavior analysis model of autism management, is provided after the act is done.

Unfortunately, ABA is often erroneously likened to a mechanical teaching tool. It is not. While teaching language skills to children with autism, the applied behavior analysis method breaks down the complex procedure of language acquisition into smaller steps, so the learner can systematically develop the necessary skills starting with the simplest.

In case you are an aspiring behavior analyst or just fascinated with scientific autism research, send your feedback to info@ilearnnearn.com.

Change is okay

According to a proverbial saying in French, "The more it changes, the more it remains the same." Without getting into the philosophical obscurity of the observation, it is safe to say that change is not always met with an open heart. This is particularly true within the autism community where even the slightest amount of change in routine amounts to a lot of confusion, puzzlement and tantrum-throwing. A majority of children with autism spectrum disorder function ‘normally’ in a cluster of repetitive behavior patterns. Visually oriented as they are, they can easily identify what’s same as before and what’s not. In the words of special educator Richard Schrameijer:

I saw a child of nine refusing to open his book when one of the teachers started standing at a different part of the classroom. It was not too much of an irregularity if you ask me, but for the child, it was sticking out like a sore thumb.

There are plenty of stories about how a newly refurbished bedroom can send an autistic child into a sensory overload. Some parents have reported that a mere replacement of room lighting got their child into a state of shock and sleeplessness. Paul Mercado (name changed), 12, from Milford, DE, reportedly bit on a large chunk of wood and bled to unconsciousness after finding that his bedroom light shade was darkened.

So the question is: how do parents and teachers help special children COPE with changes?

Schrameijer strongly asserts that change management is possible and very much a necessity. Given that the purpose of special education for autism is to help foster independence in those affected, it only makes sense to brace for changes to cope with them. The first rule, he says, is to make tiny changes in the child’s schedule over a long period of time. Another important consideration is to have a lot of reinforcements to help the child cope with a changed perception of his/her immediate surroundings. Now twist the second rule a bit and reward the child whenever he/she does something different.

Do you have a suggestion to share? Send in your comments to info@ilearnnearn.com.

Top 4 Autism Intervention Apps of 2013

The year 2013 has been quite staggering for WebTeam Corporation’s special needs education initiatives. With the introduction of several new autism intervention apps and enhancement of a few old ones, the numbers in the download column have soared drastically. Best of all, apps covering all major learning domains registered a high volume of download counts on App Store, putting to rest initial speculations that some apps might not get the attention they deserve. A total of 845 paid apps have been downloaded globally till the end of November. Given below are the top four ABA apps.

Sounds of the House – Autism Series

Looking for an app that introduces a specially- a bled child to myriads of sounds capes that often go unheard…? Sounds of the House – Autism Series might just be the perfect choice for you. Featuring on top of the list of most downloaded paid autism intervention apps developed by WebTeam, So He can be a great tool to learn the sounds of various household objects such as washing machine, toaster, coffeemaker, blender, and vacuum cleaner. The app contains 20 activities at a nominal price, which gives you an economic reason to add it to your kitty as a beginner’s tool.

Signs

Special needs children are mostly visually oriented. Even then, learning basic signs can be a challenge for them in the absence of verbal cues. That’s where Signs can come handy for a young child with autism. The interactive app can engage children as they learn basic street signs and various day-to-day gestures. Going by the principles of applied behavior analysis, the app offers reward animations for every correct response.

Add Me – Autism Series

Mathematics and autism have a telepathic connection. Add Me – Autism Series can arouse a child’s interest in Mathematics at a very early age. The fun parts include attractive graphics, reward animations and very endearing S.H.A.N.E.S.H. characters. We strongly recommend Add Me as one of the best autism intervention apps for learning Math fundamentals.

iLookAskNShow

WebTeam developed iLookAskNShow with guidance from Dr Vidya Bhushan Gupta of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The app provides a unique solution to a very common problem almost all children with ASD and ADHD face: inability to attend to an object jointly. Once again, with a modest price and highly structured and relevant content, iLookAskNShow is worth a try.

For Apps visit us:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sounds-house-autism-series/id591755490
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/signs.-autism-series/id515940533?mt=8
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/add-me-autism-series/id560089903?mt=8
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ilookasknshow/id562879368?mt=8

Is Applied Behavior Analysis best for early Autism Intervention?

Bill was born in a reasonably wealthy and educated family. The stars aligned in the sky perfectly alright, leaving no bad omen for the newborn. But little did the Flores family know about the shocking turn their lives would take in the next few months…

As Kimberley and Ryan – Bill’s mom and dad respectively – geared up to celebrate their son’s first birthday, Bill started showing some behavioral signs that were atypical of other children of the same age. He hardly made eye contacts and mostly gave an expressionless look in social situations. Soon afterwards, Bill almost ceased to coo.

Their family doctor could instantly relate all these symptoms to a developmental delay, most likely autism spectrum disorders, and advised Ryan and Kimberley to immediately consult a pediatrician.

Turned out, the family doctor was right.

At the tender age of 23 months, Bill was diagnosed with autism. Ryan had a friend who worked as a teacher in one of the local special needs schools. As a staunch advocate of applied behavior analysis (ABA), he convinced Bill’s parents to hire an ABA therapist for intense, early intervention.

On closely examining little Bill’s condition, the hired therapist set the learning goals and started delivering 20 hours of applied behavior analysis-based intervention a week. The well-organized intervention quickly reaped big benefits for Bill. His adaptive behavior improved a great deal with intensive applied behavior analysis. Best of all, there was a marked progress in his IQ score at the end of the program.

What was possibly lacking in Bill’s early intervention regime?

An experienced BCBA charges $40 on average for an hour of intervention. The high cost is mainly due to the amount of time and efforts the therapist must put in to understand the learning goals of the child and then to chalk out the most effective intervention plan. Now with an app to assist the therapist, the entire process can speed up considerably. Want to know about a structured autism apps that can be therapist’s best friend? Click here.