What's ABA

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Q: What is ABA Therapy?
A: Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is a practical approach derived from the social learning theory. It is the application of the principles of behavioral analysis to everyday situations, to make a patient more easily likely to adapt to social interactions over time. It has seen effective use in people with learning disorders and developmental disabilities. In ABA therapy, socially significant behavior is taught and reinforced using the principles of reward and punishment. This is why, in many ways more than one, ABA is perfect for dealing with children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
Q: What does an ABA Therapist do?
A: An ABA therapist can work in a lot of different settings, including patients’ homes, schools, hospitals and even offices. A therapist follows a professionally-devised treatment program that will specifically target a socially significant behavior that a patient is having a hard time with. A patient’s development will be based on this specialized program, and a therapist will have to consult with the professional who has developed the program.
There is a wide range of socially significant behaviors, from the most simple to the more complex, that an ABA therapy may help cultivate. Reading, communication, intellectual and adaptive living skills make up these socially significant behaviors. By learning and mastering these, children with ASD will be more independent and capable of dealing with the challenges presented by daily life.
An ABA therapist helps a patient by reinforcing a positive social behavior and discouraging a negative one such as whining and throwing a tantrum. This means that a therapist should work with a patient one-on-one, as both the child and the treatment program w...

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...herapists in the country earn AU$29 per hour amounting to up to AU$57,500 per year, still higher than the highest-paying salary in the US. Probably the best thing about this is that most of the therapists in Australia have just spent 1-9 years in job, compared to 1-20+ years in the US.
Conclusion
The number of children diagnosed with ASD is on the rise. Recent news said that, from 1 out of 88 children, autism is now diagnosed in 1 out of 62 children and 1 out of 42 boys. There is great and urgent need for ABA therapists right now more than ever. While nothing can be done to change the current statistics, there is something that can be done to help the children grow as independent and as socially capable as they can. Now you are not only deciding for yourself. Your decision to be an ABA therapist will not only change your life, but also those of your future patients.

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