ABA and Instruction of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Introduction to the Special Series.(autism spectrum disorders)(Brief Article)

As parents, educators, and other professionals collaborate to develop programs and Individualized Education Programs for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), it becomes evident that there are varying degrees of awareness of the elements of effective instruction and, within that, confusion concerning applied behavior analysis (ABA). Much of the confusion arises from the fact that a variety of strategies are derived from the behavioral principles that are the foundation of ABA. Some advocates define ABA very narrowly, in terms of a single instructional strategy, while others use the term to classify a wide range of strategies. Applied behavior analysis is a branch of behavioral psychology that focuses on the study of observable interactions between humans and their environment. Considerable …