Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is the application of the past hundred years of research into how learning works. It has universal application; it can be applied to any situation in which learning is involved. Recently, ABA has gained prominence in the teaching of children with autism—it is currently estimated to affect 1 in every 42 boys and 1 in every 189 girls—since, while there are many different approaches to treating autism, if learning occurs as a result of any of these different approaches, it will occur in keeping with “the laws of learning” on which ABA is based (you may productively think of it as remedial education for the social communications deficits that define autism). In addition, of the myriad of approaches to the treatment of autism spectrum disorders, applied behavior analysis (ABA) has the most research support and some of the best-trained therapists.

A ten-year research project to understand and treat criminality has led to the development of a new test of criminal thinking, Survey of Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviors (STFB) and a new understanding of criminality as six sets of angry distress-rejecting attitudes and behaviors on the part of offenders—behaviors that put them into conflict with society and get them in trouble with the law. This new understanding of criminality suggested the development of six different treatment programs, one for each of these six separate components of criminality, and these treatment programs were delivered in six day-long (i.e., four-and-a-half hour) large-group treatment workshops. None of those inmates who were assigned to and received three or more of these treatment workshops recidivated (i.e., relapsed into crime) within the two years following release from prison; in contrast to a control group of inmates who received none of these criminality workshops, half of whom were back in prison within two years of being released. It was concluded that this particular approach to understanding and treating criminality would seem to warrant further investigation and application.

Albert J. Kearney explains the kinds of learning and reinforcement processes that form the basis of ABA programs. He then describes how the science of behavior analysis can be applied to real life problems. He looks at how behavior is assessed and various intervention techniques that are often employed with children who have special needs.

Freedom from Addictions is a psychological detective story. It details a multi-year search for the causes of underlying addictions, and it describes the successful results of a successful treatment program based on the resultant understanding of what drives addictions.

This book presents proceedings from the joint conference, Evidence and Rationales for Comprehensive Models of Autism Spectrum Disorder Treatment: Divergence and Convergence, sponsored by the Council on Autism Services and the Autism Partnership. It addresses the growing need for, and current lack of, effective services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and compares several key evidence-based interventions. Chapters examine various approaches to ASD treatment, including key concepts, goal development, procedures, and staffing. This unique volume explores fundamental similarities and differences among leading treatment models; discusses the challenges of implementing programs, educating parents, training staff, and funding issues; and speaks to the need for more meaningful collaboration in this multidisciplinary field. Using an integrative perspective, new tools are presented to help readers make informed choices about how to select and advocate for specific treatments and develop individualized interventions for improved outcomes for children with ASD.Featured topics include: The Lovaas Model. The Early Start Denver Model. The New England Center for Children’s Autism Curriculum Encyclopedia (ACE®). The value of applied behavior analysis (ABA) as a treatment for autism. Implementation parameters for ASD treatments. Comprehensive Models of Autism Spectrum Disorder Treatment is an essential resource for clinicians, practitioners, applied behavior analysts, therapists, educators, and administrators as well as researchers and graduate students in school, clinical child, and developmental psychology, behavior therapy, special education, social work, child and adolescent psychiatry, rehabilitation medicine/therapy, and pediatrics.

Of the myriad of approaches to the treatment of autism spectrum disorders, Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) has the most research support. It is not perfect, and its imperfection is highlighted by the inadequate training of many if not most of its practitioners. Autism is a burgeoning condition - in some locations it is estimated to effect one in every seventy-five children - and the numbers of instructor-therapists required to meet their need for treatment is ensuring that many enter the field with inadequate training. Of course, lack of training is not unique to practitioners of ABA; the entire field is struggling to keep up to the demand for services. A related, and perhaps as serious a problem, is the narrowness of vision that most practitioners bring to the enterprise. ABA has been defined as "the process of systematically applying interventions based upon the principles of learning theory to improve socially significant behaviors to a meaningful degree, and to demonstrate that the interventions employed are responsible for the improvement in behavior." (Baer, Wolf, & Risley. 1968) Being based on the past hundred years of research into how learning works, ABA has universal application - it can be applied to any developmental issue. Unfortunately, while any concept can be defined in behavioural terms - you only have to ask yourself, "What will I use as an indicator of _______?" - it tends to get applied primarily to those developmental issues that are easiest to define in behavioural terms. On the other hand, most non-ABA approaches have relatively little scientific support. This brief introduction to teaching children with autism is intended to serve as a primer for both instructor-therapists and parents alike. Hopefully, it will also move the field beyond the narrow focus that it has enjoyed for the past few decades.

Quickly master a proven-effective behavior therapy that will allow you to expand the effectiveness of your practice. As a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA), you work with a wide range of clients, particularly those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Some of these clients may not be verbal at all on one end of the spectrum, while some may have very advanced language skills on the other. For these clients and their families, you need a flexible and adaptable therapeutic framework to ensure the best behavior outcomes. Drawn from relational frame theory (RFT)—the psychological theory of human language—acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) can help. With this definitive professional manual, you’ll learn to conceptualize your cases using ACT, create your own exercises, generate metaphors, be present with the unique individual learner in front of you, and practice the core ACT skills flexibly to ensure better behavior outcomes for clients and their families. You’ll find an overview of the theoretical connections between behavior analysis, RFT, and ACT, as well as the core act skills, including present-moment awareness, flexible perspective taking, committed action, and values work. Finally, you’ll find information on cultural competency and diversity to help you service a wide range of clients. If you’re like many BCBAs, you need specialized resources when working with linguistically sophisticated clients, as well as their parents and caregivers. Let this book be your comprehensive guide to incorporating ACT into your work.

Perfect for students preparing for a career in school psychology and for current practitioners, teachers, and consultants, this book translates behavior analysis theory into practice. In concise chapters illustrated with school-based examples, Behavior Analysis for School Psychologists guides readers through the basics of behavior analysis, including observation and measurement, experimental analysis, and intervention design and implementation, while providing academic, behavioral, and mental health interventions from research-based principles of learning and behavior.

Explores ten important characteristics that provide a window into the hearts and minds of children with autism.

This handbook examines the medical and therapeutic needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the effectiveness of treatments that are delivered through interdisciplinary teams. It analyzes the impact of interdisciplinary teams on assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and implementation and explores how evidence-based treatments can be developed and implemented. Chapters describe the wide-ranging effects of ASD and the challenges individuals and their family members face when seeking treatment. In addition, chapters provide an overview of the comorbidities and related disorders that often accompany ASD, including neurodevelopmental disorders, medical and behavioral problems, and psychopathology. The handbook also discusses the critical importance of caregivers in the treatment team as experts in their child’s strengths, problem areas, and functioning. Topics featured in this handbook include: Legal considerations in interdisciplinary treatments. Ethical considerations in the development and implementation of interdisciplinary teams. Evidence-based interdisciplinary treatment and evaluation considerations. The role of primary care physicians and subspecialty pediatricians within interdisciplinary teams. The impact of school psychologists related to assessment and intervention development. Vocational interventions that promote independence in individuals with ASD. The Handbook of Interdisciplinary Treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorder is a must-have resource for researchers, clinicians and professionals, and graduate students across such interrelated disciplines as clinical child, school, and developmental psychology, child and adolescent psychiatry, social work, rehabilitation medicine/therapy, pediatrics, and special education.