Applied Behavior Analytic Approaches to Early Intervention for Children with Autism

Abstract

Many early intervention programs for children with ASD are based on the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA). This chapter will cover the basic principles of ABA, as well as the strategies and procedures used in the ABA-based early intervention program for ASD called "early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI)," while an in-depth discussion about naturalistic applications of ABA for ASD early intervention will be the focus of the next chapter. As mentioned in Chap. 1, applied behavior analysis is a scientific discipline (rather than a specific treatment or a curriculum) which investigates the variables that influence an individual's behavior, with a focus on the improvement of behaviors considered to be important for the individual's functioning and well-being (Baer et al., 1968). Within the field of ABA the term "behavior" applies to any observable and measureable act performed by an individual, in contrast to the traditional use of the term to refer to how a person behaves. Talking, running, eating, laughing, screaming, and hitting are all forms of behavior within this frame, because one can observe and measure the occurrence of each of them. The goal of applied behavior analysis is to carefully measure the occurrence of socially significant behavior and modify the behavior using systematic "environmental contingencies," i.e., modifying the circumstances or stimuli that create or encourage the behavior. The following vignette exemplifies a common situation in which a socially important behavior, a child's verbal response, is influenced by two key variables; what happens before the child's behavior and what happens after. During a play routine, a caregiver says "ready, set …" while looking expectantly at her child with