Effective Techniques Used In Applied Behavior Analysis For Children
Collaborating with children having disabilities takes a special heart to respond to and value them. Such children require the attention of specialized professionals. This may require handling the children with applied behavior analysis.
What is Applied behavior analysis?
It is a type of therapy utilized for improving social interactions, learning abilities, communication, and much more using reinforcement strategies. Many practitioners see ABA as a gold-standard therapy for human beings (of all ages) suffering from autism or spectrum disorders. Apart from this, visiting this site would be ideal if you need any guidance on aba jobs.
Additionally, this therapy helps treat some other health problems as well, including -
Dementia
Substance use disorder
Eating disorders
Borderline personality disorder
Anger problems
Cognitive impairment, especially after brain injury
Anxiety and other neurological disorders including - obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobia, etc.
How does it work?
ABA uses different functional approaches to handle the worsening condition of ADS sufferers. Some common practices involved in this process are -
#1 - Negative reinforcement - Generally, a child never responds negatively to any circumstances in life. However, if you notice such things, you should correct the behavior immediately. This needs to be done before the child adopts it in his/her nature forever. Begin with punishing the child and letting them know what’s wrong and right. Here, your behavior should be a blend of harsh and mild to handle the situation adequately.
#2 - Generalization - It’s more like a model to help your child learn better. Here, the instructor analyzes what the child learned in the last session and applied it to the other class/session. For instance - If a child has learned how to sing alphabet songs, the teacher’s following approach should be to teach a new pair of alphabets or try a new fun activity.
#3 - Work on communication - That’s an integral part of the teaching and should be treated with the utmost attention. For this, ensure you work on picture exchange communication systems. The Delaware Autism Program invented this therapy in 1985. It uses the concept of communication pictures to develop social skills and help children with limited speaking potential. If required, the program is likely to involve reinforcement strategies.
Generally, it’s a practice of six phases, including - how to communicate, distance and persistence, picture discrimination, sentence structure, responsive requesting, commenting, attributes & language expansion.
#4 - Behavior contracts - The program may use some contracts to teach children the correct behavior conduct. This involves three-part plans distributed among children and teachers. The concept is to reward the children after completing a long-term behavior training program. You may give the child a shiny token of appreciation or a treat to push positive behavior.
What are the end goals of all these practices?
Developing interest in people around you.
Regaining focus at school and studies.
Reduced number of tantrums and outbursts in the public area
Reduced practices of self-harming or weird behavior
Communicating with others effectively and normally
The last word -
ABA is a proven method to improve the condition of children and adults suffering from ADS and other types of brain development issues. It enhances the ability to attend social gatherings, reducing self-injury and the tendency of harmful behavior.