What is ABA?

Applied behavior analysis, or “ABA” for short, is the study of behavior applied to increase the quality of life for people. Applied behavior analysis is evidence based, which means it has been thoroughly researched and validated as an effective therapy. Applied behavior analysis has typically been associated with autism treatment, but it can be helpful for all people in all areas of life. ABA believes there’s a reason behind every behavior a person engages in and uses that to come up effective treatment goals/plans. ABA therapy is the practice of using ABA principles of behavior in applicable strategies and interventions.

My belief is that ABA therapy should be used to help teach skills that will increase a person’s quality of life - whatever that may mean for that individual person. It isn’t about “forcing” someone to do something against his/her will. It’s about figuring out a more appropriate, effective, and less stigmatizing way of getting needs met. For example, if your teenager wants friends but his current social skill set comes off as abrasive, ABA strategies can be used to help teach him more effective ways to socialize, and in turn, increasing his chances of making friends and increasing his overall quality of life.

I discovered the field of ABA by accident, but quickly realized it was something I wanted to make into a career. My background in ABA alongside my graduate study in marriage family therapy gives me a unique angle in my work. I believe in using effective teaching strategies when working with teenagers on skill development and I also believe that teenagers should have a say in how they want to mold their futures. What I enjoy most is discovering a teens’ personality and figuring out how to integrate it into his/her learning and outcomes.