What the heck is ABA? By Ty Krueger

When I started college, I wanted to become a pharmacist. I always had a fascination with the sciences and loved exploring the cause and effect nature of the world. I also had a strong motivation to have the nicest car in the parking lot and it seemed every time I would pull into our local Walgreens, that car would belong to the pharmacist. What I quickly came to realize as I entered my second semester in college is that my love for science did not over ride my strong dislike for math and I began to question my chosen field of study. During this same semester I was enrolled in your classic Psych 101 course and got introduced to the basics of behaviorism. What I learned in that class forever changed the trajectory of my life.

Although behaviorism is nestled in with the rest of psychology, it is actually a science that looks at variables and draws conclusions based on data. In short it can be summarized as the science of learning.  Since the early 20th century, behavior analytic scientists have conducted thousands of studies to pin down patterns in learning and behavior. These initial learning principles found that behavior is a result of what is happening in the environment and it is these environmental factors should be the focus if you are looking to improve behavior.

ABA (short for Applied Behavior Analysis) then focuses on applying the principles of behaviorism to make meaningful improvements in the lives of individuals by looking at and supporting those factors with the aim to teach more effective and socially acceptable ways of behaving.

The most common application of ABA is in the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder due to the complexity of behaviors that are associated; however, this is only one area where this science has been applied. After spending a decade in the field  The techniques of ABA can help improve the behavior of anyone who is in need of some support.

This is what we use to help many families and kids on so many different levels, including our own 3 kids! 

I'd also like to report that I now drive a Prius and a Mini Van, they are not the nicest cars in the parking lot but I have found great happiness in driving them.