Controversy around ABA

Early behaviorism posited that a stimulus would prompt a response in a simple cause-and-effect manner; Skinner later argued that the stimulus directly following a behavior (the antecedent) is just as important, if not more important, than the stimulus that came before it. Using Skinner’s principles, ABA was first coined in the 1950s, with a 1959 journal article becoming the first official study on its effectiveness. Early ABA studies focused predominantly on reducing self-injurious behaviors in patients with schizophrenia and neurodevelopmental disorders by providing positive and/or negative reinforcement* after the patient behaves in a way that the researcher wants to encourage. 

*Reinforcement refers to a stimulus that encourages a behavior. Negative reinforcement differs from positive or negative punishment in that it is supposed to encourage the behavior by taking away a dislikable stimulus.   

History of ABA

Operant conditioning is a form of associative learning in which the motivation for a behavior occurs after the behavior is demonstrated. An organism learns to associate a voluntary action with its subsequent consequence, which can be either a reinforcer or a punisher. This consequence then modifies the likelihood of the behavior being repeated in the future.

Operant Conditioning

Applied behavior analysis principles drove educational practices. This ideology permeated all classroom interactions. The authors argue it harms both students and teachers.

Systemic Instruction Ideology

Often students with Severe Intellectual Disabilities are taught communication in the context of ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis. This type of therapy is focused on getting children to produce predetermined behavioral responses to certain stimuli in an attempt to correct "undesirable behaviors" that may be natural responses to the situation. This paradigm undermines the child's agency in the pursuit of performing normativity.

The Origins of the "Correct Response"

What is the primary methodology and objective of applied behavior analysis?

Applied behavior analysis is a subfield of psychology that emerged in the 1960s to apply the principles of the experimental analysis of behavior to practical, human-focused research. By utilizing single-subject research methodologies, this discipline seeks to develop and evaluate interventions for real-world issues. It plays a critical role in contemporary applied research across various domains, including the treatment of developmental disabilities, education, health, and organizational behavior.

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Bowdoin College

This list includes different types of methods for treating and/or managing different autism spectrum and related disorders. These include:
-	TBD



Treatment & Management Methods for Autism Spectrum and Related Disorders

The experimental analysis of behavior is a prominent subfield of behaviorism that relies almost exclusively on single-subject research designs to investigate how external factors, such as rewards and punishments, systematically influence behavior over time. Developed in the mid-20th century by B. F. Skinner, who refined the techniques of single-subject methodology, this approach was traditionally conducted using nonhuman subjects like rats and pigeons to establish foundational principles of learning.

Experimental Analysis of Behavior

“Applied Behavioral Analysis”. American Psychological Association Dictionary. https://dictionary.apa.org/applied-behavior-analysis 

Definition of Applied Behavioral Analysis

https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/psychmethods4e/

KPU Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition

Parents of Children with ASD are at a higher risk for developing mental health illness due to greater levels of stress.

Acceptance and Commitment therapy for Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study examined the impact of priming on improving students with ASD's academic achievements and general classroom behaviors

Priming as a Method of Coordinating Educational Services for Students With Autism

Sizoo, B. & Kuiper, E. (2017). Cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness based stress reduction may be equally effective in reducing anxiety and depression in adults with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 64, 47-55.

Cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness based stress reduction may be equally effective in reducing anxiety and depression in adults with autism spectrum disorders.

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