Developmental Behavioral Health, Inc.

• Autism is the most common disorder of the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
• Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically persists throughout a person's lifetime
• Currently 1 in 150 individuals are diagnosed with autism
• Autism occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups and occurs more frequently in boys than in girls 
      (1 in 94 boys is diagnosed with autism)
• Symptoms of autism can be mild to quite severe. Autism is characterized by:
• Inability to engage in and/or lack of interest in social interactions
• Impairment in communication skills
• Repetitive and self-stimulating behaviors
• Behaviors typically associated with autism may appear before the age of 2
• The cause of autism is unclear, though there are several theories:
• Genetics
• Toxic or infectious damage to the central nervous system during early development
• Currently there is no known cure for autism
• Research indicates that early intervention can result in significant improvements for many young children with autism spectrum disorders (See "Scientifically Supported Treatments")

• The science of human behavior

• The process of systematically applying interventions based upon the principles of learning theory to improve socially significant behaviors to a meaningful degree, and to demonstrate that the interventions employed are responsible for the improvement in behavior (Baer, Wolf & Risley, 1968; Sulzer-Azaroff & Mayer, 1991)

• An objective discipline. ABA focuses on the reliable measurement and objective evaluation of observable behavior

• Uses methods of analysis that yield convincing, reproducible, and conceptually sensible demonstrations of how to accomplish specific behavior changes (Baer & Risley, 1987)

• There is a wealth of validated and peer-reviewed studies supporting the efficacy of ABA methods to improve and sustain socially significant behaviors in every domain

• The effectiveness of ABA-based interventions with persons with autism is well documented, with current research replicating already-proven methods and further developing the field. Documentation of the efficacy of ABA-based interventions with persons with autism emerged in the 1960s, with comprehensive evaluations beginning in the early 1970s

• ABA methods are used to support persons with autism in 6 ways:

1.      to increase behaviors

2.      to teach new skills

3.      to maintain behaviors

4.      to generalize or to transfer behavior from one situation or response to another

5.      to restrict or narrow conditions under which interfering behaviors occur

6.      to reduce interfering behaviors

• Behavioral intervention is not without controversy, despite the empirical support. Detractors theorize behavioral programs produce robotic children. Research reviewed by MADSEC reveals nothing to substantiate this theory. On the contrary, one of the more consistent findings of the research is improved social skills in those children treated (eg Lovaas, 1987; Maurice, 1993). Others question whether Lovaas (1987) used a representative sample of children with autism. While that debate continues, subsequent research using a variety of samples (eg Anderson, et al, 1987; Sheinkopf & Seigel, 1998; Birnbrauer & Leach, 1993; Fenske, et al, 1985) shows that unlike other treatments proposed for autism, there have been no studies which do not support the effectiveness of behavioral intervention. To date, there are no published studies which refute the effectiveness of this approach.

Summarized from Association for Science in Autism Treatment

www.asatonline.org