Beyond Autism Treatment Application of ABA in Treatment of Emotional and Psychological Disorders Article Review

Beyond Autism Treatment: The Application of Applied Behavior Analysis in the Treatment of Emotional and Psychological Disorders by Robert K. Ross



In the article written in the International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy, called Beyond Autism Treatment: The Application of Applied Behavior Analysis in the Treatment of Emotional and Psychological Disorders, Robert K. Ross talks about why Applied behavior analysis (ABA) based approaches are widely applied in autism treatment but are less accepted in the treatment of psychological and emotional issues. This is due to the differences in psychologists approach and the behavior analyst approach. The article goes on to define how ABA treatment can be empirically effective for psychological and emotional disorders.

The starting point for the treatment is to identify specific and measureable evidence for the disorder/diagnosis, and then apply treatment. Subsequent evaluation of levels of the symptoms then determines empirically if treatment is to be reduced, increased or had no effect on these symptoms.

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a science that involves using modern behavioral learning theory to modify behaviors. Behavior analysts reject the use of hypothetical constructs and focus on the observable relationship of behavior to the environment. By functionally assessing the relationship between a targeted behavior and the environment, the methods of ABA can be used to change that behavior. Research in applied behavior analysis ranges from behavioral intervention methods to basic research which investigates the rules by which humans adapt and maintain behavior.

The article then goes on to highlight how behavior analytic and non-behavior analytic approaches fundamentally differs in terms of how professionals describe and treat these issues. Non-behavior analytic framework involves the use of descriptions of hypothesized mental processes while treatment consistent with the principles of ABA require analyst to define in objective and reliably measurable terms, what is meant by those concepts or terms that are used to make diagnoses or describe emotional or psychological disorders.

Psychologists define terms such as "mind," "mood," and "emotions" to have clear meaning while behavior analysts state that they represent imaginary concepts, euphemisms for observable measurable behavior, and hypotheses of causes of behavior. In order to apply ABA to emotional or psychological disorders a common and mutually acceptable framework needs to be developed whereby behavior analysts need to develop measurable definitions in conjunction with non-behavior analysts and to get agreement from them that this is what they mean by these terms (Lovaas, 1987).

The next step is to correctly describe the baseline status of the condition and to specify the treatment goal or expected outcome. The symptom logy that comprise the condition should be distinguished into two categories: Motor-physical (non-verbal) behavior and verbal behavior. Finally it needs to be determined if the condition being treated occurs because the individual lacks knowledge. We then need to analyze what their verbal behavior indicates and whether provision of information would eliminate the problem. If the answer is no then it is a motor performance problem.

Precise descriptions of the desired short- and long-term outcomes is then the next critical step in defining the treatment strategies themselves. An instructional program or skill practice activity is developed rather than a traditional therapy approach to the problem of moral development or…