Applied Behavior Analysis: Teaching Procedures and Staff Training for Children with Autism

The current chapter will present an overview of current effective teaching methods for children with autism. Applied behavior analysis has been referred to as the treatment of choice for those with autism (United States Surgeon General, 1999; New York State Department of Health, 1999a, 1999b, 1999c). At its core, applied behavior analysis is the dataand research-based application of behavioral principles to socially relevant behavior (Baer, et al., 1968; Cooper, et al., 2007; Wolf, 1978). Additional key components of applied behavior analysis are generalizability, conceptually systematic, technologically sound, practical, and effective (Baer, et al., 1968). These key components will be described below. Due to the pervasive nature of autism that results in dramatic impairments in communication and social behavior, along with restricted and repetitive behavior — the primary goals of treatment are to improve the child’s communication and social behavior as well as reduce the occurrence of restricted and repetitive behavior (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Applied behavior analysis has been demonstrated to be the treatment of choice for students with autism based on over 40 years of supportive evidence in improving social behavior and communication and reducing levels of problem behavior (Lovaas, 1987). The methods used in applied behavior analysis focus on targeting specific behavior, defining the behavior, designing an intervention to meet the goal of behavior change, implementing the intervention, analyzing the effectiveness of the intervention, and continuing the intervention or designing a procedure to maintain the behavior change (Cooper et al. 2007). Research approaches for teaching students with autism have been effective across social, communication, and problem behavior areas (Smith, 2001). Teaching methods will be reviewed in the current chapter along with staff training methods for building effectiveness and competency with those who teach students with autism (Reid & Green, 1980; Ryan & Hemmes, 2005, Ryan, et al., 2008).