applied behavior analysis
           What is applied behavior                                       What type of problems can                                      ask him to share, he would vigorously 
           analysis?                                                      ABA address?                                                   refuse. This behavior left him very 
           Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a                           ABA can be used to teach a variety of                          much isolated.
           methodology that involves the ap-                              skills and positive behaviors, including                       Using ABA techniques, clinical staff 
           plication of basic behavioral practices                        functional living skills, language, read-                      and teachers at a May Center School 
           (positive reinforcement, repetition,                           ing, social skills, positive peer support,                     helped Andy learn to share and be 
           and prompting) to facilitate the devel-                        academic engagement, and more. ABA                             more agreeable to giving up a toy 
           opment of language, positive skills, and                       methodology is also effective in de-                           when asked. At the start of play op-
           social behavior. ABA also helps reduce                         creasing inappropriate behaviors such                          portunities, teachers practiced sharing 
           everyday social problems and serious                           as noncompliance, tantrums, bed-                               with Andy, gently guiding him to share 
           behavior disorders.                                            wetting, feeding problems, aggression,                         and praising him each time he did so. 
                                                                          and self-injury.                                               Later, when he was with his peers, 
           Data collected and analyzed at May                                                                                            teachers periodically prompted shar-
           Institute support the findings of                              At what age can my child                                       ing. As Andy began sharing more, they 
           hundreds of other studies that indicate                        benefit from the ABA                                           faded the intervention. 
           ABA is the most effective method to                            approach?                                                      The teachers also measured sharing 
           teach children and adolescents with                            ABA can be effective in working                                among 4-year-olds without ASD in 
           autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and                            with individuals of all ages. However,                         Andy’s class. They found that, before 
           other developmental disabilities, as                           research shows that skill development                          intervention,  Andy shared far less 
           well as brain injury and other traumas.                        programs that are provided at a young                          than his peers. After intervention, 
           Is ABA safe?                                                   age foster better outcomes and can                             however, he shared as often and 
           Tested by research and experience for                          often reduce the likelihood of more                            sometimes more often than the other 
           more than 40 years, ABA practices                              severe or dangerous behaviors later in                         children. In this case, ABA was used to 
           have been endorsed by the Surgeon                              life.                                                          teach an essential social skill that was 
           General, the National Institutes of                            What is an example of                                          otherwise undeveloped as a conse-
                                                                                                                                         quence of ASD.
           Health (NIH), and the Association for                          ABA?
           Science in Autism Research. The skills                         Professionals at May Institute used                            In what environments are 
           and experience of an ABA professional                          ABA to successfully teach a 4-year-old                         ABA techniques used?
           are essential for success. Continuous                          boy with ASD to share toys with other                          ABA techniques work across all envi-
           and systematic evaluation of effective-                        children. Before intervention, Andy                            ronments — work, home, and school.
           ness is a fundamental component of                             tended to play by himself and hoard                            Home-based services require a signifi-
           the ABA methodology.                                           his toys. When a peer or adult would                           cant commitment of time and energy 
                                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                         © 2016 May Institute
        from parents and other caregivers. Some of the advantages          Before utilizing ABA practices, qualified professionals should 
        of working in the home are the early identification of prob-       evaluate a child with behavioral problems to identify his or 
        lems, the ability to incorporate elements that are relevant to     her specific needs for intervention and support. They will 
        the child into practice, and the opportunity to include those      observe a child in several situations to determine where 
        people who are closest to the child as teachers. At May            and why the problem behavior occurs. Once an evaluation 
        Institute, in-home therapists assist parents as they learn         is complete, a recommendation can be made regarding the 
        how to help their child acquire appropriate communication          type of program and setting that is best for the child and 
        skills and functional living techniques.                           the family.
        Likewise, children in school benefit from being in a familiar      Is ABA right for my child?
        setting and doing activities that are relevant to them. May        Parents who feel their child might be helped by ABA-based 
        Institute professionals work with hundreds of schools across       procedures should take several things into consideration: 
        the country to provide services using ABA techniques to            the time and resources of the family, the severity of the 
        help individual students, teachers, and entire classrooms.         behaviors, and the help available in the community. 
        May Institute also employs ABA methodology in its four pri-
        vate schools that serve children and adolescents with ASD            Proven Effectiveness
        and other developmental disabilities. May Institute also uses 
        ABA techniques in its school for children and adolescents            Hundreds of scientific studies have shown that ABA 
        with brain injury.                                                   is the most effective method to teach children and 
        How can I identify a qualified ABA                                   adolescents with autism and other developmental 
        professional and what should I expect?                               disabilities, and neurological problems. ABA has been 
        Professionals utilizing ABA techniques should have solid             endorsed by the National Institutes of Health and 
        practical experience in the field and meet high educational          the Association for Science in Autism Treatment, and 
        and professional standards — ideally a Ph.D. or Psy.D.,              has been identified by the Surgeon General of the 
        licensure, and board certification by either the Behavior            United Sates as the most effective way to treat autism. 
        Analyst Certification Board (BACB) or the American Board of 
        Professional Psychology (ABPP). May Institute employs some           According to the National Autism Center’s National 
        of the most highly trained and experienced ABA profession-           Standards Report (2009, 2015), data collected through 
        als in the country. Our nationally recognized ABA experts            hundreds of studies indicate that ABA is a highly 
        teach at top universities, publish regularly in professional         effective method to teach children and adolescents 
        journals, and make presentations at national and interna-            with ASD.
        tional conferences. 
                                                     www.mayinstitute.org
       May Institute is a nonprofit organization that provides educational, rehabilitative, and behavioral healthcare services to individuals with autism spectrum disorder and 
       other developmental disabilities, brain injury, and behavioral health needs. Since its founding more than 60 years ago, May Institute has evolved into an award-winning 
       national network that serves thousands of individuals and their families every year at nearly 140 service locations across the country. The Institute operates several schools 
       for children and adolescents with ASD and other developmental disabilities. They are located in Randolph, West Springfield, and Woburn, Massachusetts; and Santa Cruz, 
       California. Its also operates a specialized school for children and adolescents with brain injury and neurobehavioral disorders; it is located in Brockton, Mass. 
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                      For more information, contact May Institute at 800.778.7601 or info              mayinstitute.org.