According to the official BACB website, Applied Behavior Analysis is a systematic approach for influencing socially important behavior through the identification of reliably related environmental variables and the production of behavior change techniques that make use of those findings. Practitioners of behavior analysis provide services consistent with the dimensions of ABA.

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is the leading scientific method used to bring about behavior change in a positive and meaningful way. The behaviors targeted are considered socially significant, harmful or they interfere with learning for children, teens, and adults with a diagnosis of autism. It is the systematic application of interventions used to bring about positive and beneficial change in behaviors that are disruptive to individuals with autism, as well as teach appropriate adaptive skills and replacement behaviors that will be utilized for a lifetime. ABA uses research proven principles of learning and ways of motivating individuals to effectively teach new behaviors. ABA therapy is driven by data collection and the thorough study of individual behaviors.

Board Certified Behavior Analysts offer many services including:

• Conducting behavioral assessments
• Analyzing data
• Writing and revising behavior-analytic treatment plans
• Training others to implement components of treatment plans
• Overseeing the implementation of treatment plans

The word behavior means anything a person says of does. Behavior is influenced by environmental events and can be observed, recorded, and described. There are many influences on behavior. These influences are environmental, emotional, and cognitive. Each of these influences can severely impact the way someone with autism learns. During ABA therapy, these influences for each individual are considered and a treatment plan is created that reflects how they affect a child's behavior. 

A behavior analyst will assist you to clearly define the strengths and learning needs of your child followed by addressing those needs using research-based methodologies. This includes observing your child's behavior in a variety of environments, in order to understand the current learning strengths and needs. Your behavior analyst will train family members, so that your child will generalize these new skills across the many people and places in their life. For example, your child will learn how to request a drink from different family members across different settings and environments.  

Once a child is assessed to determine their needs and current level of function, a trained Behavior Technician will work one on one with them in settings that range from in-home sessions to community sessions. Sessions can also be done in the office. These sessions will use positive reinforcement to increase the child’s positive behaviors and how they interact within various social environments while decreasing undesirable behaviors.

A Behavioral Technician will work with a child one on one during their ABA sessions. The  sessions typically last between 2-3 hours, and during this time the behavioral technician will implement the plan put in place by the BCBA.​

Behavior Technicians are highly trained and skilled in the application of ABA therapy. With the guidance of BCBAs, a child's behavior technician will address a child's maladaptive behaviors and help them develop more appropriate play, social, communication, self-care, home and community skills.

A BCBA sees a child as an individual, no one person with autism is like the other. With a tailored plan that is explicitly designed to ensure that the child will learn skills that will be invaluable throughout their lifetime, ABA therapy can make all the difference.

The rate of Autism is on the rise, with more and more children being diagnosed with Autism every single day. In 2014, the Center for Disease Control found that 1 in 66 children are now diagnosed with Autism every year. With the rates of Autism increasing, more and more parents and guardians are faced with the enormous decision of picking a therapy that will best increase the quality of life for their children. This decision can become complicated and stressful, due to the overwhelming amount of proposed treatments for Autism.

So, what is the first step in picking a treatment for your child with Autism? One important factor in picking an intervention is to look and see if the treatment is backed by science. There are many supposed treatments for Autism that are not backed by science. These include: vitamin regimens, strict dietary regimens, non-vaccination, and certain medications. These treatments may seem appealing; however, they have not yet been scientifically proven to effectively treat Autism.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is an evidence backed treatment that has been implemented since the 1980s to treat children with Autism and has been scientifically proven to improve skills and increase the quality of life in children diagnosed with Autism. In 2010, Dr. Virués-Ortega looked at 206 studies to determine if ABA truly had a significant impact in treating Autism. An overall analysis of these studies showed that ABA led to positive effects for children diagnosed with Autism in these specific areas: intellectual functioning, language development, acquisition of daily living skills, and social skills. These promising findings only add to the scientific evidence that’s ABA has a positive impact on the lives of children diagnosed with Autism.

​With the rates of Autism increasing, it is important for parents to know what treatments and interventions are the best for their child. There is so much information on what may treat Autism, however, it is important for parents and caregivers to find out what treatments actually work. At this point, ABA is the only long-standing scientific based approach to treating Autism. Parents and guardians should always talk to their child’s pediatrician before implementing a new treatment to help their child.

References
Virués-Ortega, J. (2010). Applied behavior analytic intervention for autism in early childhood: Meta-analysis, meta-regression and dose–response meta-analysis of multiple outcomes. Clinical psychology review, 30(4), 387-399.