Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)

Introduction

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is the kind of therapy that can be used to enhance communication, social, and learning skills through positive reinforcement in toddlers. Experts believe that ABA is an effective way of treating children who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as well as other developmental conditions. Research by healthcare practitioners has demonstrated that one of the effective interventions of ASD disorder is ABA.  Over the years, ABA has been used in different regions to assist children with autism. However, ABA has turned out to be familiar and not entirely adequate. The ineffectiveness of ABA in treating ASD conditions had become a significant debate on whether to look for other alternatives that would address the disease much better. Parents should use alternative therapies for children with ASD because ABA therapy is not always practical. However, ABA methods can be repetitive, and alternative therapies are more holistic.

According to Bowker & Wells (2011), there has not been a single medication that has been approved by physicians for the treatment of the critical symptoms of ASD. As a result, considering the nature of autism as well as the needs of children with ASD, parents always become interventionists and teachers. That is a comprehensive program for children with autism when parents offer training rather than relying on ABA. The objective of training by parents is to enhance social communication and language impairments to improve children’s quality of life and increase social acceptance. Healthcare practitioners have developed significant learning opportunities through teaching strategies that provide that help child other than ABA. Besides the use of ABA therapy, physicians have been acquainted with objectives that embrace children through communication preferences.  

Sinha & Williams (2011) argue that serious chronic problems are associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) because ABA has proved to be ineffective. The persistent issues include autistic disorders, disintegrative child disorders, and perspective developmental disorders. Recent research showed that Autism Spectrum Disorders are persuasive when they show up in early childhood. That is the reason why ASD accompany them for the rest of their lives. Parents have argued that ABA therapy is tough for the kids because it involves a lot of repetition. The skills the children learn from ABA do not simplify to other situations that might benefit the kids. Additional criticism from parents concerning ABA is that it stems from a failure of practitioners that meant to focus on developmental skills rather than reducing problem behaviors.

To relieve the warning signs of ASD, parents, along with certified health care workers, use a cure that is external to what is suggested by the pediatrician. Current studies demonstrate that children with an ASD could have tried CAM treatments, and up to 10% may perhaps be using potentially unsafe medication. There is no specific medicine that can treat or cure ASD symptoms. However, researchers claim that there are drugs that can aid children who have ASD to function better. These drugs can assist or manage high energy levels, depression, seizures, as well as an inability to focus. Parents have argued that ABA is not sufficient for children because it does not offer ideal results to victims of ASD (Thompson & Tielsch-Goddard 2014).

Raising children with ASD can be rewarding and fulfilling; parents’ interventions have offered support through the education of children with ASD. Excluding ABA, the most researched parent interventions are the once that assist parents in managing the child’s performance. Educational and school-based therapies foster a parent-child emotional connection to improve skills, communications as well as emotional balance. Parents are mainly encouraged to talk to other families and their providers about diverse treatment options. Combining medication for behavioral problems with interventions like behavioral therapies can offer the best opportunity for patients as well as parents to attain the best results.

Research by Tchaconas and Adesman (2013) argues that there is no specific medicine that can cure ASD as well as treat the critical warning signs. However, the use of ABA treatment program has significantly improved the lives of many children globally. Other forms of effective medications that have assisted children within ASD to function better include Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). CAM embodies a popular curative option for parents with children suffering from ASD. Conversely, risperidone medicine is for children with ASD and can be prescribed to children between 5 to 16 years. It is rare to find that the use of ABA completely replacing the need for medication. In most cases, effective medication use can maximize the need for patients with ASD. ASD is challenging to treat, and at times, a remedy can fail. In cases where child symptoms fail to improve after several medications, the other options to consider Applied Behavioral Analysis since it is the most effective.

As a result, parents have resolved to consider other alternatives such as Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), which embodies a popular curative option for parents children who have ASD. The change in using the type of medication to treat ASD has been the current developing trend in the modern world. Parents consider alternative methods because they believe ABA has failed to show the expected results over the years. Recent studies by Tchaconas & Adesman (2013) proved that ABA offer does not require comprehensive improvement to the essential skill areas in toddlers that had ASD. The reviews have stated that approximately 88% of children with ASD that used complementary and alternative medicine other than ABA show a slight improvement in behavior.

Counter perspective

Interventions based on ABA have demonstrated to be useful for children with ASD. Healthcare practitioners believe that ABA interventions are the most effective when it comes to the treatment of ASD. The only challenging part is to explain to parents how to apply ABA skills to assist children with Autism Disorder. According to Thompson and Tielsch-Goddard (2014), ABA assists autistic children learn new skills, improve social interactions as well as maintain positive behavior. ABA is the only therapy that aids in transferring behavior and skills from one situation to another. With the issue of Autism, ABA is one of the most successful treatments when applied intensely for more than 30 hours a week to children aged four years and above.

Conclusion

While several parents believe that ABA is ineffective, studies demonstrate that it is the most practiced therapy globally. ABA mainly focuses on the connection or association between a particular behavior and the result of the action. ABA remains to be the most successful therapies in assisting children with ASD to enhance skills, communications, and academic performance. Study shows that healthcare practitioners have struggled to look for alternative medication other than ABA without success. However, as physicians continue to look for alternative medicine that would be used for the treatment of ASD, healthcare practitioners request parents to embrace the application of ABA on children with autism. Parents are hoping to get better medication that will assist in treating the condition of ASD to children other than ABA.

References

Bowker, A., & Wells, K. (2011). Treatments for autism: Parental choices and perceptions of change. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41(10), 1373-1382.

Sinha, Y., & Williams, K. (2011). Auditory integration training and other sound therapies for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (12).

Tchaconas, A., & Adesman, A. (2013). Autism spectrum disorders: a pediatric overview and update. Current opinion in pediatrics, 25(1), 130-143.

Thompson, D. G., & Tielsch-Goddard, A. (2014). Improving management of patients with autism spectrum disorder having scheduled surgery: optimizing practice. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 28(5), 394-403.

Volkmar, F., & State, M. (2014). Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 53(2), 237-257.