ABA Training Uses Reinforcement to Teach Social Skills

ABA Training is a rather unique method of teaching children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. This training focuses on repetition and reinforcement as part of a specially designed curriculum that offers many children the chance to enter school at the appropriate age and to learn on par with their peers. While it has been proven to be highly effective for decades and is the only approved treatment covered by most insurers, however, there are still many people who do not fully understand ABA Therapy.

ABA Training is a method of bribing children to get them to behave, although some critics have billed it as such. Reinforcement is a very important part of teaching children with ASD new patterns of behavior and thinking. By reinforcing positive behavior and ignoring negative behavior, children learn that the only way to gain attention or to garner a response is by acting appropriately.

What many people outside of this situation do not understand is that children with ASD, while exceptionally bright and filled with potential, learn differently than other children. Other children pick up behaviors and social expectations not just by being told, but through what they observe on an every day basis. Children with an ASD must be specifically taught things that most children pick up naturally. This is the reason for behavior therapy and ABA Training.

ABA Therapy uses reinforcement and other methods to literally rewire the parts of the brain responsible for behavior and critical thinking, effectively teaching kids how to learn. It is through the use of this remarkable method that these children are able to experience near full recovery and are able in many cases to attend school virtually indistinguishable from their peers. Successful ABA Training helps children learn to not only give answers but to express themselves and to enjoy thinking critically and creatively like their peers.

There is more research done in regards to Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders every day. While there is still no cure, research shows time and again that ABA Training is the most successful way to treat ASD and has the best chance to help kids show their maximum potential. ABA Therapy offers all children a chance to improve their social skills and abilities significantly and offers many children a chance at recovery. While early intervention is considered the most successful means of treatment, studies do show that ABA is effective for people of all ages, further showing that even still it is a revolutionary tool in the treatment of ASD.

Garrett Butch is the father of a 6 year old with autism and the founder of Maximum Potential. MP’s courses developed by 2 PhD BCBA’s were created to empower parents and school systems to provide effective and affordable training to school systems. To see more visit www.maximumpotentialkids.com

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