Lovaas Blog - ABA Treatment for Children with Autism

Behavior Plans in School Settings

nospam@example.com (The Lovaas Institute) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:39:00 -0400

By Vince LaMarca, M.A., BCBA, Editor
Lovaas Institute - Indianapolis

As every teacher and paraprofessional knows, behavior challenges that arise at school cannot always be approached the same way they are handled at home. Some strategies available at home are difficult to implement at school. For example, ignoring a tantrum at school can make it difficult for other children to concentrate. Equally, the school setting may not be suitable for incorporating the same types of reinforcement that have been effective with a child at home. Although not all strategies used in the home setting can be applied to the school environment, the same thought process used in home behavioral treatment programs may be used to find effective solutions in the classroom. Below are six key steps to determining an effective behavior intervention.

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Incorporating Learning at the Grocery Store

nospam@example.com (The Lovaas Institute) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:37:00 -0400

By Keri Spence
Lovaas Institute - San Diego

A frequent comment I hear from parents is that there is just not enough time in the day to set aside for learning. So, how can parents incorporate learning opportunities into their busy daily schedules? A trip to the grocery store is a routine family chore that may provide an opportunity. The following suggestions would be appropriate for a child who can follow simple instructions and has shown his parents that he can handle a short trip to the store. It would also be important that he has learned ahead of time to follow visual instructions.

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ABA Treatment for Children with Autism: Scientific Language vs. Parenting Behavior

nospam@example.com (The Lovaas Institute) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:21:00 -0400

Two recent experiences got me thinking once again about the relationship between scientific terminology and parenting.

Experience 1: At the beginning of an initial consultation, I recommended that at least one of the parents conduct some of the 1:1 therapy for at least the first six months. The parents were hesitant and stated they didn’t want their child to see them as teachers who put lots of demands on him. They just wanted to “be the parent.”

Experience 2: I attended a follow up consultation with a child who has a brother and sister. When the child and team went to the therapy room to practice a few programs, the brother and sister came rushing in afterwards. The mom laughed and said that the brother and sister don’t think it’s fair that her other son receives so much attention and gets to have so much fun with the instructors. They want to participate too.

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Continuing Progress for Children with Autism Through ABA Research

nospam@example.com (The Lovaas Institute) — Thu, 29 May 2008 18:41:15 -0400

I just finished attending the 34th annual ABA convention, this year held in Chicago. 3394 participants from 23 countries presented research and discussed issues, all of which were open for critique by other behavior analysts. Just a few of the various topics for discussion included: marriage and divorce, economics, workplace environments, bullying at school, and interventions for children with autism. Perhaps the most enlightening talk I heard was from Dr. Per Holth of Norway who demonstrated how behavioral descriptions of joint attention are helping develop and refine effective strategies for teaching these critical skills to children with autism.

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The Language of Applied Behavior Analysis and Children

nospam@example.com (The Lovaas Institute) — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:42:00 -0400

In my last post, I referred to some amazing feats of children (such as learning to talk) as “another step in the ongoing chain of more complex behavior.” I’m well aware that some people are offended by such descriptions. This is unfortunate. Behavioral language is not meant to diminish the accomplishments of humanity any more than scientific language diminishes the incredible beauty of the universe. Every behavioral consultant I have ever known has had tears come to their eyes on at least one occasion after witnessing a child learn something new, do something others would have once thought impossible. When this has happened to me, I am also fully aware that it is precisely because of the objective language of behavior that procedures were developed which made the incredible accomplishment for which I am about to cry, quite possible.

I’m interested in any moments others would like to share that they have been able to celebrate because of the use of behavioral treatment.

By Vince LaMarca, M.A., BCBA, Editor
Lovaas Institute - Indianapolis

Why Applied Behavior Analysis Works With Young Children

nospam@example.com (The Lovaas Institute) — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:27:35 -0400

I have lost count of the number of times that I have worked with a child who showed inconsistent abilities with a skill who quickly became consistent once behavioral treatment was started. At the age of 5, one girl I taught had a very limited vocabulary. She had made minimum progress on all of her speech goals because she wouldn’t consistently repeat any words. At the age of 4, one girl I worked with had made no progress at school in her ability to string beads. And at the age of 3, one boy I worked with used only 3 vocal approximations to request and typically did not repeat any other words.

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Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism in the News

nospam@example.com (The Lovaas Institute) — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:35:43 -0400

I seldom see a newspaper article about a child learning to read through the use of phonics. I guess that’s not surprising. Most people know that phonics is an effective method to teach someone to read. There’s nothing that makes it especially interesting enough to make the news. As Autism Awareness month ends, I noticed that I seldom saw newspaper articles about children with autism learning new skills through behavioral treatment. Most articles or TV coverage I saw focused on the latest medication, diet, or novel intervention that has made a big difference in one child’s life. Again, I guess that’s not surprising.

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Utilizing ABA in Extracurricular Activities

nospam@example.com (The Lovaas Institute) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:00:00 -0400

Jennifer LaMarca
Lovaas Institute - Indianapolis

Programs for children with autism utilizing the Lovaas Model of Applied Behavior Analysis typically require a minimum of 6-12 months of one-to-one in-home teaching in order to teach the child the prerequisite skills they need to partake in a group setting. As many of the children progress from basic to more advanced and complex learning programs they are gradually integrated into group settings in their local communication and the teaching procedures become less structured.

While the school setting is one of the most important group environments we want the children to learn and thrive in, there are other groups that may function either as stepping stones to ease a child's transition to the school environment or as extra curricular activities for a child already in school. Such group activities include, but are not limited to, gymnastics, soccer, Gymboree and Kindermusic, library, zoo, and museum classes. When a child is enrolled in any such group activity, we recommend that an instructor from the in-home program accompany the child to help facilitate the transition to group routines and instructions, promote generalization of skills acquired at home to the new environment, and to encourage interaction with other children.

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Teaching Social Skills to Children with Autism

nospam@example.com (The Lovaas Institute) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:40:00 -0400

By Vince LaMarca, M.A., BCBA, Editor
Lovaas Institute - Indianapolis

Teaching social skills to children with autism is an area of behavioral treatment that is continuously evolving, perhaps more than any other area. The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis alone frequently includes articles discussing the teaching of interactive play skills, the development of creativity and spontaneity, and the development of conversational skills. These articles are now free to the public on the website, http://seab.envmed.rochester.edu/jaba/. (Begin with a "full-text search" or go directly to the "Table of Contents" section).

While the social skills programs at the Lovaas Institute are both numerous and complex it may prove helpful to become familiar with some general basic steps.

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ABA Treatment for Older Children with Autism

nospam@example.com (The Lovaas Institute) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:36:00 -0400

By Mariko Okano, M.A., BCABA
Lovaas Institute - Los Angeles

Research conducted as part of the UCLA Young Autism Project (Lovaas, 1987) focused on treatment for "younger" children under the age of 4 years. Treatment for children with autism often lasts longer than a few years, and oftentimes programming and intervention goals change as the children grow older. How can we teach and prepare older children to be successful in school, home, and community settings?

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Autism Awareness Month - Changes and Challenges

nospam@example.com (The Lovaas Institute) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:39:55 -0400

April is Autism Awareness month. When I look back on my experiences with children and families in the past 13 years, I am amazed by the changes that have taken place. Before, families used to tell me they had never heard of autism before their child was diagnosed. Now, many families have heard of autism but have difficulty finding a specialist who can make a diagnosis in a timely manner. Before, school districts used to question the validity of the use of applied behavior analysis for treating children with autism. Now, many school districts I work with accept the usefulness of applied behavior analysis but question the level of expertise needed in order to implement these techniques.

One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the incredible commitment of parents to finding the best support for their sons and daughters. I’m thankful to all the families who have told me the Lovaas Institute has been part of that support, and I am certain that we will also continue to change as we strive to find what support works best for each family and child with autism.

I would be interested to hear what changes or new challenges others have seen in their experiences with autism across the years.

By Vince LaMarca, M.A., BCBA, Editor
Lovaas Institute - Indianapolis

Parent Collaboration is Critical to Success in ABA Treatment for Autism

nospam@example.com (The Lovaas Institute) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:21:00 -0400

By Vince LaMarca, M.A., BCBA, Editor
Lovaas Institute - Indianapolis

As explained on our website, the Lovaas Model of Applied Behavior Analysis provides two general types of treatment: clinic-based services and consultation services. In either service, a thoroughly trained senior staff member is assigned to a family as their consultant/supervisor. While a consultant provides expertise in behavior therapy, parents also play a crucial role in the development of a behavioral treatment program.

Parents are the ones who know their child best. We need to access that knowledge and be familiar with a family's daily routines in order to provide the best behavioral treatment program. Programming is not meant to become a checklist of skills to complete. Such a mindset is why critics will protest that behavioral treatment isn't functional. These critics would be right, if it weren't for the many parents and consultants who, from the beginning, make treatment relevant to their particular family and child's life.

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Data Collection Tips for School and Home ABA Treatment Programs

nospam@example.com (The Lovaas Institute) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:49:00 -0400

By Vince LaMarca, M.A., BCBA, Editor
Lovaas Institute - Indianapolis

As many teachers know, keeping appropriate data on a skill is not as easy as it seems. On one hand, data needs to be collected in order to track a child's progress. On the other hand, data collection cannot be so overwhelming as to interfere with teaching a child. Below are some tips, based on data collections strategies used at the Lovaas Institute, as well as some examples of basic data collection forms.

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Dynamic and Creative Ways to Teach Pretend Play Skills to Children with Autism

nospam@example.com (The Lovaas Institute) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:32:00 -0400

By Vince LaMarca, M.A., BCBA, EditorLovaas Institute - Indianapolis

Play scripts are often an important component in teaching creative and spontaneous pretend play. Some people mistakenly believe that scripted responses result in robotic play however, research data indicate that scripted responses often serve as stepping-stones to spontaneous statements. For example, in 2001 Sarokoff, Taylor, and Poulson taught children with autism to engage in conversational exchanges using scripts that were faded over time. The children continued to engage in scripted conversation after the scripts had been removed, but they also added a number of unscripted spontaneous statements.¹

Play scripts can be short or long, based on a child's current skills. Typically, the script starts out in a short form that the child can quickly learn. Once a child is successful with the interactions in the short script, additions are made to facilitate spontaneous and creative responses during the play.

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Comparisons of Behavioral Versus Other Treatments for Children with Autism

nospam@example.com (The Lovaas Institute) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:58:00 -0500

By Vince LaMarca, M.A., BCBA, Editor
Lovaas Institute - Indianapolis

After reading examples in our newsletter about generalizing skills in the natural environment or the use of incidental teaching, some might start to wonder, "Isn't this a lot like other kinds of therapy: like Floor Time or speech therapy or just good teaching in general?" The simple answer is, "yes." Practically speaking, some of the suggestions we make will be the same kinds of suggestions other treatments make. However, the reasons we make the suggestions may differ from the reasons other treatments give. While this may seem like a minor difference, these reasons can also change the amount of time devoted to or emphasis placed on specific suggestions. The extent to which different treatments employ similar and different procedures in their practical application would make for an interesting research article. For now, all we know is that of all the treatments for children with autism, behavioral treatment has undergone the most rigorous research. Go to The Lovaas Difference for a comparison of different treatment strategies, based on information gathered from the main websites of particular treatments and the National Research Council's Educating Children with Autism.