Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

The basis of an ABA program is the premise that responses that are reinforced are more likely to occur again than responses that are ignored, so learning can be shaped by reinforcement. Every skill that is taught to a child is broken down into small steps that the child can master. Each step is taught by giving the child an instruction, and rewarding the child's correct response. Eventually, the child will give the correct response even without the reward.

Example:
The student is given a stimulus--a question, a set of blocks and a pattern, a request to go ask Mom for a glass of water--along with the correct response, or a strong 'hint' at what the response should be. He is rewarded (an M&M, a piggy-back ride, a happy "good job!") for repeating the right answer; anything else is ignored or corrected very neutrally. As his response becomes more reliable, the 'clues' are withdrawn until he can respond independently. This is usually done one-on-one at a table (thus the term table-top work), with detailed planning of the requests, timing, wording, and the therapist's reaction to the student's responses.)

This method of instruction- response- consequence is called discrete trial. Discrete trial training is possibly the most structured and invasive behavioral intervention. It generally focuses on repetitive practice presented in blocks of time for 5-6 hours each day. Discrete trial teaching is also referred to as the Lovaas Method, after Dr. O.I. Lovaas who completed the most widely sited research in using this tactic with children with autism, or Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) as that was the name of the project Dr. Lovaas developed.