Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) is one of the only interventions that has been scientifically proven to generate observable, measurable and lasting progress in children with Autism. Studies to-date demonstrate that the majority of children with Autism in intensive and well-supervised ABA programs have made gains in some or all developmental areas.

What is ABA?

ABA is an empirically-based method of teaching individuals with Autism. Using one-on-one instruction and programs tailored to each child’s strengths and needs, ABA Instructors teach communication, socialization, self-care, academic, safety, leisure and play skills.

ABA techniques break down complicated learning sequences into smaller steps that are taught one at a time to the child. Reinforcement and prompting children learn and retain new skills. The key to this type of intervention is the precise analysis of progress and accurate records made possible by continuous data recording and summary procedures.

We use ABA methods at Shining Through to support children with Autism:

to improve behaviors. We use reinforcement to help the child practice on-task behaviour and social interactions.
to teach new skills. Our systematic instruction and reinforcement procedures teach functional, life, communication and social skills.
to maintain behaviors. We teach self-control and self-monitoring in order to build job-related and social skills.
to generalize or to transfer behavior from one situation (or response) to another. Our program helps children transition from completing assignments in the Centre to performing in the mainstream classroom.
to reduce behaviors that interfere with learning.

Our program reduces instances of self injury or stereotypy (fixed and repetitive language and/or behaviours).

Skinner’s Analysis of Verbal Behaviour

B. F. Skinner, or Burrhus Frederic Skinner, (1904 - 1990) was an American psychologist who studied human behaviour intensively and developed many influential theories and inventions. Approximately 30 years before his death, he published Verbal Behaviour, the culmination of his human behaviour analysis.

“Verbal behaviour” is a term Skinner created to include what we call speech, language and linguistics. Skinner felt that verbal behaviour - like other types of behaviours - was subject to many controlling variables.

Over the last 10 years, interest in Skinner’s theory of verbal behaviour has been on the rise and we’ve seen enormous growth in the body of research that supports it.

More on Verbal Behaviour

Skinner outlined a group of "verbal operants": functional units of language. Each verbal operant serves a different behavioural function.

Using Skinner’s analysis of the function of words allows us to talk about and analyze language in new ways. We can look at language as behaviour, and therefore we can shape language – as we do other behaviours – using the principles of ABA.

Students respond positively to ABA instruction and the amount of positive reinforcement that is used. Instructors must be creative and flexible in order to keep students interested and motivated. Maintaining a high level of flexibility while continuing to target necessary curriculum skills demands a skilled Instructor. Our Instructors continually refine their skills in order to maximize our students’ learning and motivation levels.