Large effectiveness: 1.0
What is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)?
1. Clients are asked to develop an understanding of relationship between actions and 
emotions, with actions being seen as the cause of emotions.
2. Based on principles of operant learning and focuses on remediation of deficient language, imitation, pre-academics, self-help and social interaction skills.
3. Works on challenging behaviors, social skills, communication skills, and daily living skills.
Some techniques:
- Discrete Trial Training: “What color is this?” Child says, “Blue,” you give them a reinforce such as a high five, over and over again- Discrete Trial Training: “What color is this?” Child says, “Blue,” you give them a reinforce such as a high five, over and over again
- Verbal behavior: “Point to blue. What category is blue in?”
- Naturalistic teaching: Sounding out the word “swing” little by little, in order to get a push on the swing, get a push on the swing for every sound that the child says that sounds like the word swing, “-ing” is enough
Evidence:
0.83 large effect: overall outcome effectiveness (Ejiyeh, Abedi, & Behnamnejad, 2015)
0.93 large effect: increased cognitive skills (Ejiyeh, Abedi, & Behnamnejad, 2015)
0.15 no effect: did not improve social development (Ejiyeh, Abedi, & Behnamnejad, 2015)
1.58 large effect: reduced problem behaviors (Richman, Barnard‐Brak, Grubb, Bosch, & Abby, 2015)
1.50 large effect: improved receptive and expressive language and communication skills (Virués-Ortega, 2010)
Ejiyeh, A. M., Abedi, A., & Behnamnejad, N. (2015). Effectiveness of applied behavior analysis (ABA) for children with autism spectrum disorders in Iran, 2005-2013: A meta-analysis. Iranian Journal Of Psychiatry And Clinical Psychology, 21(1), 17-25.
Richman, D. M., Barnard‐Brak, L., Grubb, L., Bosch, A., & Abby, L. (2015). Meta‐analysis of noncontingent reinforcement effects on problem behavior. Journal Of Applied Behavior Analysis, 48(1), 131-152. doi:10.1002/jaba.189
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. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2010.01.008
