Applied behavior analysis interventions for autism spectrum disorders

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) has been considered the gold standard intervention for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for over 60 years. ABA, as a therapeutic intervention, dates to the 1960s and first appeared in studies conducted by Ole Ivar Lovaas. ABA gained the attention of many practitioners in 1987 when Lovaas reported children who received 40 hours or more of ABA treatment per week had significantly better outcomes than children who received 10 hours or less of ABA treatment per week after 2 or more years of intervention (Lovaas, 1987). Lovaas and his team of trained student therapists used interventions informed by behaviorism to target self‐stimulatory behaviors, play skills, and expressive language skills among other targeted goals and found that 47% of children in the experimental group achieved a normal score for intellectual and educational functions compared to 2% of children in the control group (Lovaas, 1987).