Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center: An ABA program for children and adults with autism spectrum disorders.

Abstract

Abstract There is increasing evidence that Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is an effective, and often superior, method to teach children with Autism Spectrum Disorders ASD), than other methods. The Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center of Rutgers University (DDDC) has been using ABA for more than thirty years to teach toddlers, young children, adolescents and adults with ASD. The DDDC is a multi-division center that blends research and clinical applications in ABA, and provides teaching and training opportunities for the University and general public. Preliminary outcome data support the effectiveness of ABA in changing the lives of the students that the DDDC serves in a very positive way. Keywords: Applied Behavior Analysis, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Education. ********** The Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center (DDDC) was authorized by the Board of Governors of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, in 1972. The DDDC is approved by the New Jersey State Department of Education, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, and the New Jersey Department of Human Services to provide services to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), their families and the professionals who serve them. From the start we operated from the assumption that disorders on the autism spectrum are caused by a biochemical, genetic, or neurological deficit and that the focus of treatment must be on teaching individuals to compensate for the effects of the disorder. As presented in this paper, the DDDC is an ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) program, that uses the science-based principles of ABA to organize the delivery of comprehensive services that are designed to meet the needs of individuals throughout their lives. Together with a highly trained and credentialed staff, the DDDC works collaboratively with the families of the children and adults who are served, and with the agencies that fund their education and training. As a university-based program, there is also a strong commitment to educating undergraduate and graduate students; disseminating knowledge through research; training and consultative services; and furthering the understanding of the nature and treatment of ASD by the professional community and the general public. The Nature and Needs of Students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder A variety of terms including autism, autistic, and autism spectrum disorder are used to refer to people whom the American Psychiatric Association (2000) describes as having Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). For purposes of consistency we will use Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to encompass this group of individuals except when writing specifically of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders--Text Revision (DSM-IV TR; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) in which case will we refer to PDD. According to the DSM-IVTR (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) PDD includes Autistic Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), Asperger's Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and the related disorder of Rett's Syndrome. Each condition differs with respect to the presence of specific characteristics in the areas of communication, social development, behavior and activity. Consideration of this perspective is important, in order to understand the organizational structure of the DDDC and the various services that are provided. The Pervasive Developmental Disorders are neurobiological syndromes, which are present at a very young age and effect fundamental behaviors such as the ability to communicate, social responsiveness, and the establishment of relationships with others. Neurobiological factors appear to contribute to the etiology of these conditions although specific markers have not yet been identified (Dykens & Volkmar, 1997). Experienced professionals can reliably make the diagnosis of Autistic Disorder in two-year-olds; however, screening instruments for children younger than two have not yet been fully validated (Handleman & Delmolino, 2005). …