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Comprehensive Services: ABA
There are many strategies and supports that are shown to be effective for individuals diagnosed with autism. These strategies are rooted in the field of
applied behavior analysis (ABA), with research to show they work. ABA is the application of behavior principles with the goal to increase quality of life for an individual and their family. These are called evidence-based practices. Terms for some common ABA strategies for children under three with autism include the use of positive reinforcement, antecedent-based interventions, visual supports, modeling, differential reinforcement, and prompting.
You can get a full list of definitions of these and a full list of evidence-
based practices from the National Professional Development Center on Autism.
Interventions using the principles of ABA have demonstrated positive outcomes, which usually means that children made the most progress with these types of approaches. These treatment models focus on a range of target skills (across developmental areas and core ASD symptoms). For children under three, the recommendation is to use naturalistic, developmentally appropriate ABA strategies. Research on younger children suggests that interventions that are embedded into the child’s routine and environment may be better than when kids practice skills in unfamiliar places. In behavior analysis, these are called Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention (NDBI) strategies. However, as noted above, each program should be individualized to best meet the needs of the child and family. In order to do this, data must be collected and reviewed regularly by all team members AND a collaborative multi-disciplinary team approach should be used for the best outcomes. The following table explains important components of what Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions should include.
