Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)  has a bad reputation in the world of therapeutic practices, but what most people don’t know is ABA is used all the time in everyday life! As adults we use ABA if we find an inappropriate joke unfunny or offensive by simply not laughing and perhaps even commenting on the rude nature of the joke. These actions signal to the jokester not to tell this type of joke as people don’t find it funny. Another example is in schools.. teachers use ABA to teach children to raise their hand if they have a question rather than shout and use positive reinforcement to reinforce good behaviour! So what exactly is ABA then? Applied behaviour analysis uses the science of learning to improve behavioural skillset such as social skills, communication skills and dealing with challenging behaviours such as biting, hitting or tantruming. 

ABA, as the name suggests is a behavioural practise. It helps us to understand why certain behaviours occur, why and how certain behaviours are learned and determine what shapes behaviour. So lets talk about why ABA has a bad rep! There is a misconception that what ABA intends to do is force neurodivergent children into societal “norms”. Some have even gone as far as to say that ABA is “abuse”. This is simply not the case and couldn’t be farther from what most ABA therapists wish to accomplish. If your therapist is anything like me, then their first priority is the child and their quality of life. Every child deserves to be able to communicate effectively, not harm themselves when they get overwhelmed or over stimulated and socialise. 

So what can ABA do for my child? 

The list of topics that ABA can cover is lengthy! For the sake of this article, I will outline  some of what I work on in my practise. 

• Turn taking
• Emotional Regulation
• Behavioural Intervention
• Language development
• Language Comprehension
• Non verbal communication
• Social skills
• Waiting & Patience 
• Household Routines

The list can and does go on! 

ABA should be engaging and interactive while incorporating a real world environment with the overall goal of equipping children with the necessary tools to help them in life.