Learn About ABA Therapy - Part 1/3

Host: What type of treatment do you offer here? Terri Graunitz: We are an ABA school. Host: What does ABA mean; not scientifically speaking, but if someone was offered a treatment called ABA, what would that really mean to that person? Terri Graunitz: ABA means Applied Behavioral Analysis, and it encompasses psychological principles that we use to either increase certain behaviors, like learning, or decrease certain behaviors; maybe maladaptive behaviors or non-compliant. Host: Well, can we be a little bit like, give an example, because it's scientific. Terri Graunitz: One of the principles we use is reinforcement. So we believe that if behaviors are reinforced, they are more likely to occur again under the same conditions next time its presented. So that would be one of the -- Host: So is positive reinforcement the things you think would be good? Terri Graunitz: Yes, yes. Host: And you would not use real negative stuff, would you, if they do something wrong? Terri Graunitz: No. Host: You would avoid just not mentioning it or what? Terri Graunitz: Well, it depends. We do have, we do discuss positive reinforcement, as well as negative reinforcement, positive punishment as well as negative punishment. It would depend on the situation at hand and how it is addressed. Host: But Terri, most people like to be told they are doing something well, and they are not told that they are doing it not so well, is that true? Terri Graunitz: Yes, we usually are proactive in -- Host: So not just in kids, so in almost at any other age or something like that. Terri Graunitz: Yes. Host: Okay. What would be an example of a technique that would be applied for kid, initially? Terri Graunitz: We use discrete trial instruction. Host: What does that mean? Terri Graunitz: It starts off at a one to one session, and then sometimes it will go to two to one, and three to one. Host: What would be a good example of that? Terri Graunitz: It just provides repetitive opportunities to practice a target skill. So if you were looking for attending, it provides them many opportunities to engage in that type of behavior and if that type of behavior occurs, they get reinforced, again, hoping that the next time you present that same situation, they will be more likely to do it, and with the discrete trial instruction, they just have many more opportunities to practice that skill. Host: So it would be like a long little skill, you can't reinforce it. But ABA can be used for more than just reinforcement, is that true? Terri Graunitz: Yes. Host: What other conditions could it be used in? Terri Graunitz: ABA is actually used for many different -- Host: Could it be used for a person with attention problem? Terri Graunitz: I believe so, I believe so. Host: You don't do that here, but you could do it? Terri Graunitz: Right, right. There is research on ABA in general, where they do work with other populations, outside of humans. They even use ABA in working with animals. So there are studies where they have used ABA with dolphins, as well as other things, because its looking at certain principles, like reinforcement, and it's not just humans who rely on that type of feedback from certain situations. Host: Is it almost like a form of behavioral modification? Terri Graunitz: Yes, it is. Host: Because there is a very famous child psychologist that worked with -- was based on it, almost strong aptitude in there. It sounds like an extension, they are more intense wide, would you say? Terri Graunitz: Yes. Host: What would you say the success rate of getting a kid that wasn't doing well, a way they could function a lot better, what do you see the success rate of working with ABA? Terri Graunitz: It's hard to give a percentage and it's hard -- Host: We are not taking the exact -- Terri Graunitz: The more of what I look at is, I am not saying that what I am going to do is turn my students into a rocket scientist, but I look at where they are and the things that I have taught them. So it might be something very small and it might be something very large, and it just depends on improving the quality of their life, and basically that's how I judge what I do here is, all the improvements across all areas, and not just learning. Host: You said three; it can't be used under three? Terri Graunitz: No, it can. Usually under three, it would involve early intervention which Eden does not supply through our agency. Host: So here is the key question, if a doctor noticed the kid or parent, it was some potential for the kid. How early could you start something like this that maybe, we hope the kid will do better on it, what would be the earliest you think it could be done? Terri Graunitz: Early intervention starts at zero, as soon as you have any type of concerns. Host: Like a premature baby, we all know is going to have that, or the kid had a overwhelming infection, was in a intensive care unit, we have great concern. Terri Graunitz: Exactly. Host: So interaction and working with the baby, it's day one. Terri Graunitz: Day one. Host: Okay. So essentially, you are just taking that group, but we shouldn't say, oh, we should wake up and be worried about the kid at age three, it starts early. Terri Graunitz: Very early. Host: You are not a pediatrician or a child neurologist, but the characteristic issues you take here are pretty commonplace in all these years. Some of the things that you notice in the history would be like maybe the kids weren't smiling or eye contact; is that a characteristics you see in them? Terri Graunitz: Yes. Not responding when their name is called. Not eye gazing, not tracking their mother. Host: Of course, they have been ruled out to have any hearing or any visual problem. Terri Graunitz: Yes.