Efficacy of ABA Programme for Children with Autism to Improve General Development, Language and Adaptive Behaviour

Abstract

The psychopharmacological treatments of autism was started since 1950s (Aman et al., 2000). There-after behavioural theory was used for autism (Lovaas & Smith, 1989). Applied behaviour analysis (ABA) derived from the theories of behaviour developed by Watson (1913), Thorndike (1921) and Skinner (1938). The process of applying treatment that are based on the principles of learning derived from experimental psychology research to systematically change behaviuor and to demonstrate that the treatments used are responsible for the observable improvement in behaviour. ABA methods of Discrete Trial Training (DTT), Pivotal Response Training (PRT) and Functional Routine are used to increase and maintain desirable adaptive behaviours, reduce interfering maladaptive behaviours, teach new behaviours and generalize behaviours to new environments (Koegel et al., 1989; Arick & Falco, 1989; Krantz et al., 1993).ABA focuses on the reliable behaviour within relevant setting including the home, school and community. The effectiveness of ABA based treatment in autism has been well documented through 5 decades of research by using single-subject methodology and in controlled studies of comprehensive early intensive behavioural treatment programs in university and community setting (Myers & Johnson, 2007). Children who receive home based early intensive behavioural treatment (ABA) have been shown to make substantial, sustained gains in IQ/DQ, language, academic performance, and adaptive behavior, and their outcomes have been significantly better (Sambandam & Rangaswami, 2012). The ABA strategies provide a powerful tool for enabling children with autism to meet important educational goals and special education.Behavioural theory consists of three basic tenets. The first tenet is the principles of reinforcement and punishment that are at the core of learning theory, they have been used with great success in the management of children with autism. The second tenet is the behaviours characteristic of autism; they are developmental delays result in overall improvement with ABA training. The third tenet is that children with autism could learn in constructed environments. It could address the function of specific behaviours. When modifications are made to the normal environment, children with autism have the ability to learn and be successful. The behaviour therapy is specifically concentrated on the child's environment in order to identify deficit behaviours and manages them with interventions.Recently most of the researches have concentrated on training the children's parents to serve as co-therapists in behavior modification procedures based on ABA has which shown to produce positive changes in many aspects of children with autism (Sambandam & Rangaswami, 2011). This procedures has been increasingly well documented in the behavioural literature (Koegel et al., 1978; Koegel et al., 1982; Kozloff, 1984).Aim of the study was to conduct ABA programe on 15 children with autism and to evaluate the efficacy of AB A programs for improving general development, language and adaptive behaviour. Further to compare with a matched control group of 15 children receiving treatment as usual.MethodParticipants30 children with the age range of 3 to 8 years and diagnosed based on DSM-V as autism were taken from the SRI-MD Autism Research Foundation, Puducherry. They were assigned randomly to either for intervention group (No: 15) or to the control group (No: 15). For the intervention group, the first case who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria was allotted. The next case who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria was allotted to control group. Similar process was carried out for the intervention and the control groups so as to have 15 children in each group. While intervention group underwent the total procedure of the ABA based comprehensive treatment, the control group had only routine treatment as used without any additional input. …