Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Description: Practitioners of
applied behavior analysis (ABA) aim to improve socially
important behavior by using interventions that are based upon
principles of learning theory and that have been evaluated in
experiments using reliable and objective measurement. ABA
methods are intended to support persons with autism spectrum
disorders in many ways: - To increase behaviors (e.g. to
increase on-task behavior, or social interactions) and to teach
new skills (e.g., life skills, communication skills, or social
skills); - To maintain behaviors (e.g., self control and self
monitoring procedures to maintain and generalize job-related
social skills); - To generalize or to transfer behavior from one
situation or response to another (e.g., from completing
assignments in the resource room to performing as well in the
mainstream classroom); - To restrict or narrow conditions under
which interfering behaviors occur (e.g., modifying the learning
environment); and - To reduce interfering beh