Top Applied Behavior Analysis Techniques

1. Top Applied Behavior Analysis Techniques ABA therapy in Dallas, TX is more popular than ever, with a growing number of individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and an increase in available funding sources for these services. The science of ABA utilizes many different procedures and interventions, but some are more effective and realistic than others. Reinforcement The key to building skills and promoting positive behaviors is reinforcement. After the child engages in these behaviors or completes a desired task, a reward is delivered in order to let the child know that they have done something correctly. This leads to an increase in positive behaviors and task completion in the future. At Behavior Pioneers, our Autism services in Dallas are heavily focused on the use of rewards and verbal praise to reinforce behaviors and skills that are likely to have a major positive impact on the individual and his or her family and friends. Token Economy One of the most widely used ABA techniques is a token economy. In this procedure, a token board is used as a visual to show the child how close he or she is to gaining the reward. Many different items can be used as tokens (e.g., stars, pennies, hearts, etc.). Once a predetermined

2. number of tokens is obtained, they can then be traded in for chosen rewards. The main benefit of a token economy is that these tokens can be used for an infinite number of items. This helps to ensure that the child never gets tired of earning tokens. In fact, much of our society is based on a token economy: money. And we don’t get tired of earning money because of the countless number of uses we have for it. Shaping A valuable teaching procedure, shaping is used to help individuals build their skills in a manner that brings them closer to the ultimate goal. A common issue for many of our families receiving ABA therapy in Austin TX is a lack of focus or ability to remain seated during instruction. At Behavior Pioneers, we use shaping to increase the amount of time children can remain seated and focused on the instructions being given. This is done by providing reinforcement for achieving success in increments until the final goal is achieved. For example, if the goal is for a child to remain seated and focus for 20 minutes, but he is currently only able to do 1 minute, we may make the initial goal 2 minutes and reward him for achieving this goal. Once he is able to sit and attend for 2 minutes, we would move the goal to 3 minutes, and the reward would then only be obtained for achieving this new goal. The program continues in this manner until the final goal of 20 minutes is reached.