Teaching through Applied Behavior Analysis

Human Brain Photo by Natasha Connell on Unsplash

Outside of his work, New York State dentist Dr. Joseph Ayoub is dedicated to causes that support the well-being of children with autism. Dr. Joseph Ayoub is a long-time volunteer with the Developmental Disabilities Institute Inc. for Autism, which uses applied behavior analysis (ABA) in its educational programming.

ABA programs help students with autism and other developmental disabilities to teach and improve life skills, communication skills, and academic skills. ABA is based on a method known as Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence (ABC). The antecedent is a circumstance that provokes a specific behavior. The consequence depends on whether the behavior is appropriate.

An ABA therapist will identify several skills to work on using the ABC approach and establish milestones to measure progress. When the student performs the desired behavior, he or she will be rewarded through praise or a personalized reward.

Over time, the student will be more inclined to exhibit behaviors that are rewarded. While most ABA practitioners hold a master’s degree, parents and caregivers can learn basic ABA techniques to help their child maintain healthy behaviors at home.