What happens after an ABA program?
Most children with autism require some support services throughout childhood, and often into adulthood as well. The best behavioral intervention program has at most an even chance of getting a child far enough along to participate fully in regular education. And, for too many reasons to list, few children get “the best,” leaving most needing some extra services for many years. While the most severely disabled may benefit from a continued one-on-one behavioral intervention program, more will participate to some degree in a regular classroom with a mix of special education services. What should those services look like? How do you transition from a ‘pure’ ABA program to a special education setting? The complete answers could fill several books. There is a short answer, however. Behavior analysis can continue to play an important role even if none of the teaching follows the discrete trial format.
Most children with autism require some support services throughout childhood, and often into adulthood as well. The best behavioral intervention program has at most an even chance of getting a child far enough along to participate fully in regular education. And, for too many reasons to list, few children get “the best,” leaving most needing some extra services for many years. While the most severely disabled may benefit from a continued one-on-one behavioral intervention program, more will participate to some degree in a regular classroom with a mix of special education services. What should those services look like? How do you transition from a ‘pure’ ABA program to a special education setting? The complete answers could fill several books. There is a short answer, however. Behavior analysis can continue to play an important role even if none of the teaching follows the discrete trial format. (A not-so-secret secret: successful teachers of typical kids use behavioral principles all t
