| When discussing the integration of Applied Behavior | | | | classroom environment. |
| Analysis into school districts, the most commonly heard | | | | It is important for educators to understand that Applied |
| argument is that the therapy works through rote | | | | Behavior Analysis is about much more than simple |
| memorization, or that students aren't actually learning, | | | | memorization. Through these exercises and lessons, |
| but instead are simply mimicking behaviors and | | | | children are able to pick up the very fundamental |
| answers. It is important for school administrators to | | | | concepts of learning and behavior, which opens the |
| understand that this is not how ABA therapy works. | | | | door to a lifetime of learning. So often these children |
| While repetition and mimicking are certainly a part of | | | | are improperly taught or even disregarded as bad |
| initial treatment, they are not the end result. ABA is | | | | children or as children who are incapable of learning. |
| about forming new neural pathways in the human brain | | | | The simple truth is that these children have excellent |
| that can help children learn how to understand | | | | potential, but that it is the job of the schools to |
| concepts and behaviors. | | | | understand how to teach them. |
| The reason that mimicking and repetition are integral to | | | | While most ABA training courses are costly, making |
| ABA therapy is that it is through these behaviors that | | | | them unaffordable for school districts, DVD training |
| new neural pathways are formed. Just like children | | | | courses are designed to fill this gap. A well designed |
| often have to memorize spelling words when they are | | | | course will offer a large number of training lessons as |
| young until they eventually learn how to spell by using | | | | well as supplemental materials, teaching tools, |
| words they already know and applying the same | | | | comprehension tests, and even the option to receive |
| principle, ABA requires certain behaviors to be | | | | help if a lesson is not fully understood. Providing |
| repeated and mimicked until the brain develops the | | | | educators with access to these courses is very cost |
| ability to learn new behaviors on its own. ABA is | | | | effective and can give your teachers the ability to |
| exceptionally effective and is an important tool for | | | | better teach students with autism. ABA therapy uses |
| children with autism spectrum disorder. Offering such a | | | | memorization to teach very important life skills and to |
| program within school systems can help these children | | | | help build neural pathways that leave children open to |
| learn to perform in the same manner as their peers | | | | a full lifetime of learning and enjoyment. |
| and allows many to integrate into a standard | | | | |