Tuesday, January 1, 2013

When Participating In ABA San Francisco Children Develop Learning Skills

By Stefanie Knox


Learning disabilities including autism spectrum disorder respond particularly well to new treatment methods that make use of consequences. When taking up ABA San Francisco therapists use behavioral modification based on scientific principles. Applied behavioral analysis is a wide term that applies to a number of techniques including DTT. Discrete Trial Teaching is often misunderstood to be the only kind of applied behavioral analysis technique.

The technique works on the principle that response and consequence can modify action. Psychology and education techniques are combined to help children with autism to learn to function healthily. Its final goal is to teach social skills and improve standard learning through positive reinforcement. Enjoyment is a pinnacle part of learning in this method, as children retain information more efficiently when they are having fun.

Some programs focus on improving language, playing and social skills whilst simultaneously trying to reduce the behaviors that get in the way of learning. Autism patients often repeat unhealthy behaviors that are self-injurious, and applied behavioral analysis is effective at omitting those actions.

One of the oldest forms of applied behavioral analysis is DTT. It originated in the 1970s, and its founders were UCLA therapists who studied learning theories. They discovered that rewarding children with autism for their positive behaviors made them more likely to repeat those actions. Praise and incentives are used.

ABA techniques have showed excellent results in clinical trials. A study conducted in the Eighties showed that almost half of participants functioned as healthily as children without learning disabilities before they entered second grade. Extensive therapy is needed. Patients who received ten hours of treatment a week didn't produce results that were as positive.

Many therapists believe that applied behavioral analysis should be given to all autistic children because of the reliably positive results it has produced in trials. Other therapists have concerns about too much rigidity in certain techniques. Generally, this is because they confuse the early DTT with contemporary techniques, which have evolved.

Intensive one on one sessions are provided daily in therapy between the child and therapists. Communication, social interaction and academic learning are rewarded. Therapy is highly individualized so that behaviors are directly targeted to produce stronger results. When using uniquely developed techniques, individual problems can be omitted more effectively.

Family input plays an important role in therapy. Parents are asked to participate by offering input and feedback on results. Therapy evolves over time to include a greater number of skills. Eventually, behavior is modified in niche areas such as language, expression and mathematics. Therapy focuses on increasing positive actions and decreasing unhealthy ones.

Reinforcement is the most important part of learning. Consequences are positive or negative, depending on the behavior that has been displayed. Some techniques attempt to modify actions before they happen.

Children who have autism aren't as socially motivated as others, which results in non-compliance, heated tempers and inattentiveness. Sessions focus on trying to increase social motivation so that actions are modified at their foundation. Usually, treatment begins before children turn six, and 40 hours of weekly sessions are provided. When making use of ABA San Francisco families are actively involved in therapy.




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