| As you may know there are several autism | | | | reinforcement, fading, shaping (chaining), and |
| intervention strategies available to you. However, | | | | prompting. |
| many can be a simple fad that may have | | | | The most important and primary factor in |
| seemed to work with one or two children, but | | | | teaching new skills is the use of positive |
| because of the testimonials and the desire of | | | | reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is the |
| parents to want to "cure" their child, they will try | | | | method of providing an individual with something |
| almost anything. | | | | that will increase the probability of the behavior to |
| Intervention teaching strategies that have worked | | | | occur again. Some think this is as simple as giving |
| and continue to work are those that have been | | | | a reward, but what may be rewarding to one, |
| researched and proven to help many times. Can | | | | may not be rewarding to another. An example of |
| you guess what this may be? It is Applied | | | | this autism intervention strategy is that a child |
| Behavior Analysis, also known as ABA. This | | | | may be given a piece of candy for saying, "hi" to |
| intervention method is based on applying the | | | | another individual. If the child likes candy he/she |
| principles of behavior into teaching skills that | | | | may begin to say "hi" more often; if the child |
| promote behavior change to individuals with | | | | does not like candy, the probability of the child |
| autism spectrum disorder (ASD). | | | | increasing that behavior is not likely. |
| This autism intervention or ABA can be used to | | | | It is important to have many different reinforcers |
| teach many skills that are broken down into | | | | (motivators) available when teaching and |
| smaller sub skills. These sub skills are taught by | | | | maintaining skills learned. |
| using behavior change techniques such as positive | | | | |