Christina Burk, Consulting Behavior Analyst
Christina Burk is by far my favorite behavior consultant. She is practical, down to earth, and offers advice for free! (At least on the Internet).
Christina Burk's Applied Verbal Behavior Message Board
Christina Burk and parents of children with autism offer advice on Applied Verbal Behavior, which is simply ABA applied to teaching language.
Fargo Moorhead Families for Effective Autism Treatment
An excellent step-by-step guide to implementing a home-based applied behavior analysis (ABA) program. Describes what ABA is, how many hours are recommended, how to get a consultand, how to get therapists, how much to pay them, and much more.
Clarifying Comments on the UCLA Young Autism Project
Dr. Ivar Lovaas answers the criticisms of his 1987 study, ABA-DTT methods, etc. A thorough article that you can use to counter the criticisms you may hear about ABA, Lovaas, and DTT. It will also help all of us to realize what a debt of gratitude we all owe to Dr. Lovaas for his life-long dedication to children with autism. (Many thanks to Connecticut Families for Early Autism Treatment - CTFEAT - for maintaining this link).
A very useful web site created by an ABA Mom & Dad. Lists ABA consultants, ABA therapists, psychologists, ABA organizations, and great info.
Lovaas Institute for Early Intervention Web Site
L.I.F.E.'s web site gives information on: ABA/DTT services at the clinic, upcoming workshops, other Lovaas-trained ABA services around the World, links, and more.
Wisconsin Early Autism Project
The clinical staff of the Wisconsin Early Autism Project have many years of experience specializing in the treatment of autistic children, and the effectiveness of our program is backed by solid research. We are directly affiliated with Dr. Lovaas, who pioneered this successful treatment of autism at UCLA. Our program is the first in the world to achieve his success rate of 47% of children treated reaching "normalcy".
TCLC is a Pennsylvania-based center (also in Missouri) providing consultation and training on Applied Behavior Analysis. Many useful articles and lots of information.
Many links, a good description of ABA, sample Discrete Trials sessions, and criteria to look for in an ABA consultant.
The extra "u" in behavior gave it away. Yes, it's a Canadian site, but it has many, many US and WWW links. A must-visit web site.
Pro-Ed publishes and sells The Me Book by Ivar Lovaas and many books and resources for ABA. Also available: Catherine Maurice's Let Me Hear Your Voice - a must-read!
Good, solid training in behavioral approaches to dealing with autism. Lovaas-lite?
Title: Case study: deterioration, autism, and recovery in two siblings.
Author: Perry R; Cohen I; DeCarlo R
Address: Department of Psychiatry, New York University Medical Center, NY 10016.
Source: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 1995 Feb, 34:2, 232-7.
Abstract: Two siblings whose functioning deteriorated in the second year of life met criteria for autism. They recovered after a form of behavior modification that was successful in a previous study. Follow-up of that study and of the siblings demonstrated that recovery was enduring. It is hypothesized that such therapy succeeds by modifying a still-plastic neural circuitry.
Note: This study involved Catherine Maurice's (pseudonym) two children who have recovered from autism.
Title: Intensive Behavioral Interventions for Autistic Spectrum Disorders (Summary from ICDL) - Ivar Lovaas, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles
Summary: Dr. Ivar Lovaas' work has been widely acclaimed and successfully implemented throughout the world. It is a comprehensive approach to basic life lessons that is based in behaviorism ('applied behavioral analysis'), but which has value for many areas of a child's life and general learning potential.
Applied behavioral analysis, or ABA, has undoubtedly had the greatest impact and influence within the field of autism, but arguably as well, within all of the fields, disciplines and methodologies for work with challenged children. Its general theories and practice have been applied to a variety of needs and situations in the home, care settings and classroom.
In the seventies Dr. Lovaas demonstrated the value of working intensively with challenged children who were previously thought to have very limited potential. He brought to the world's attention the capabilities of children with severe developmental learning disorders, particularly children with autism who were previously considered "untreatable". In his work at UCLA. Dr. Lovaas has spent many years designing programs to help these children develop language, improve their play and social interactions, and learn other necessary life-skills and self-help skills.
Dr. Lovaas has a strong, passionate belief in the potential of the individual to grow, learn and heal, with a proportional belief in the rigors and the intensity of the commitment involved in bringing about that change. Dr. Lovaas advanced the notion of intensive individualized work, and stresses the overarching importance of a forty hour a week teaching regimen. There is a an intense amount of work, planning and energy required for this intervention, but the methodology has been shown to be significantly helpful for roughly 50% of the children who have received a minimum of 40 hours per week of ABA.
Central to applied behavioral analysis is the practice of positive reinforcement. When a child does something correct he is rewarded (positive reinforcement). Negative reinforcement is not applied, except in terms of being firm and direct about the task at hand. A reinforcer serves to increase desired behaviors. It is very important to reinforce immediately following the correct response. The reinforcer should be selected on an individualized basis, and must be something the child really appreciates. It can be food, praise, hugs, etc. and should be offered in a genuine and animated fashion. The object is to select a goal (i..e. target behavior), and break it down into small steps, or learning components. The process starts with simple tasks, such as getting the child to remain at the table, or respond to his name. The cognitive and social goals become more challenging as the child begins to accept and respond to the routines and structure of ABA. Instructions have to clear, concise and uncomplicated. Prompts are used to direct the process towards success. Every drill should end successfully, and if a child is having trouble achieving a particular goal the therapist will pose an attainable goal in order to end successfully.
For information, contact:
Clinic for the Behavioral Treatment of Children
UCLA, Dept. of Psychology
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Tel. 310-825-2319
Fax 310-206-6380
Title: Long-Term Outcome for Children With Autism Who Received Early Intensive Behavioral Treatment
Abstract by: John J. McEachin, Tristam Smith, and O. Ivar Lovaas University of California, Los Angeles
Summary: After a very intensive behavioral intervention, an experimental group of 19 preschool-age children with autism achieved less restrictive school placements and higher IQs than did a control group of 19 similar children by age 7 (Lovaas, 1987). The present study followed-up this finding by assessing subjects at a mean age of 11.5 years. Results showed that the experimental group preserved its gains over the control group. The 9 experimental subjects who had achieved the best outcomes at age 7 received particularly extensive evaluations indicating that 8 of them were indistinguishable from average children on tests of intelligence and adaptive behavior. Thus, behavioral treatment may produce long-lasting and significant gains for many young children with autism.
Source: American Journal on Mental Retardation 1993, Vol. 97, No. 4, 359-372.
Title: Behavioral Treatment and Normal Educational and Intellectual Functioning in Young Autistic Children
Abstract by: O. Ivar Lovaas - University of California, Los Angeles
Summary: Autism is a serious psychological disorder with onset in early childhood. Autistic children show minimal emotional attachment, absent or abnormal speech, retarded IQ, ritualistic behaviors, aggression, and self-injury. The prognosis is very poor, and medical therapies have not proven effective. This article reports the results of behavior modification treatment of two groups of similarly constituted, young autistic children. Follow-up data from an intensive, long-term experimental treatment group (n=19) showed that 47% achieved normal intellectual and educational functioning, with normal-range IQ scores and successful first grade performance in public schools. Another 40% were mildly retarded and assigned to classes for the autistic/retarded. In contract, only 2% of the control-group children (n=40) achieved normal educational and intellectual functioning; 45% were mildly retarded and placed in language-delayed classes, and 53% were severely retarded and placed in autistic/retarded classes.
Source: Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 1987, Vol. 55, No. 1, 3-9.
DISCLAIMER: This site is intended to provide basic information resources on Autistic Disorder. It is not intended to, nor does it, constitute medical or other advice. The author of the web site is not a medical doctor. Readers are warned not to take any action with regard to medical treatment or otherwise based on the information on this web site or links without first consulting a physician. This web site does not necessarily endorse any of the information obtained from any of the links on this page or links that other pages may lead you to. Neither does this web site promote or recommend any treatment, therapy, institution or health care plan. The information contained in this site is intended to be for your general education and information only and not for use in pursuing any treatment or course of action. Ultimately, the course of action in treating a given patient must be individualized after a thorough discussion with the patient's physician(s) and family.