Applied Behavior Analysis - ABA Services

Soccer Player

Applied Behavior Analysis is the design, implementation, and evaluation of environmental modifications to produce socially significant improvement in human behavior. ABA includes the use of direct observation, measurement, and functional analysis of the relations between environment and behavior. ABA uses antecedent stimuli and consequences, based on the findings of descriptive and functional analysis, to produce practical change. ABA is based on the belief that an individual’s behavior is determined by past and current environmental events in conjunction with organic variables such as genetics. Thus, it focuses on explaining behavior in terms of external events that can be manipulated rather than internal constructs that are beyond our control.

ABA methods are used to support persons in at least six ways:

  1. to increase behaviors (i.e. reinforcement procedures increase on-task behavior, or social interactions);

  2. to teach new skills (i.e. systematic instruction and reinforcement procedures teach functional life skills, communication skills, or social skills);

  3. to maintain behaviors (i.e. teaching self control and self-monitoring procedures to maintain and generalize job-related social skills);

  4. to generalize or to transfer behavior from one situation or response to another (i.e. from completing assignments in the resource room to performing as well in the mainstream classroom);

  5. to restrict or narrow conditions under which interfering behaviors occur (i.e. modifying the learning environment); and

  6. to reduce interfering behaviors (i.e., self injury or stereotypy)

ABA is an objective discipline that focuses on the reliable measurement and objective evaluation of observable behavior.

It was very difficult to obtain ABA services in our area but we were able to obtain these services from Building Blocks of Danville. Three years ago, we lost these services and since that time we have gone out to bid at least three times in an attempt to seek ABA services from another agency. Franklin County Public Schools, through the Department of Pupil Personnel Services, has been very fortunate to contract with Central Health (the Central Autism Program) to provide Applied Behavior Analysis methods/strategies to students requiring more intensive behavior and/or academic instruction. A board-certified behaviour analyst and a board-certified assistant behaviour analyst will be able to provide consultation and training for teachers, principals, and other staff in our schools.

If you should have any questions, please contact me.

Your collaboration and support of the programs/services we provide for our students has and will always be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Gwendolyn Adkins
Director of Pupil Personnel Services

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