ABA Misconceptions

Introduction
Understanding the background of, and knowing how to implement ABA strategies based on ABA practices is essential for those that work with students who present with autism. Though the implementation of ABA can present a number of challenges in the public school setting, educators and service providers need to be aware of the misconceptions surrounding ABA as well as have awareness of what ABA is and is not (Boutot & Hume, 2010).
Educators need to be aware of their own misconceptions surrounding the practices of and implementation of ABA. If people could get past the negative and possibly incorrect connotations ABA carries, practitioners could successfully implement ABA based strategies; practices which could possibly result in
As a result of misunderstanding of what ABA is and what the treatment of ABA entails, many still view ABA as just one of the many options and treatments for children with autism. Moreover, a general lack of understanding, or misunderstanding of ABA procedures, has contributed and often results in limited implementation in many school settings (Boutot & Hume, 2010). Much of the criticism surrounding ABA methods, is based on the misconceptions about what ABA is and means. “ABA is much more than “Table Time” or discrete trial training, and “time out” or punishment” (Boutot & Hume, 2010, p.4). Differing from methods other than ABA, ABA offers a holistic approach to the view of the child; in which principles are grounded in evidence based intervention procedures (Dillenburger & Keenan,
The science of ABA has been in use for decades, beginning with the work of Dr. Ivar Lovaas, who was among the first researchers to use the principles of behavior to educate students with autism (1987). Lovaas and his colleagues found through their research, that children who received more intensive ABA therapy (40 or more hours per week) led to greater gains than those children who received less intensive ABA services