What is Best Outcome? was Is ABA Scientifically Proven?

[Guest guest]

e and group,

I agree completely. When my son with the dual dx/autism and CP was 3YO,he

had no expressive or receptive language whatsoever. I read somewhere that that

condition is called " verbal auditory agnosia " but he was not given that dx.(How

many dx does one kid need anyway?!)

After 18 months of intensive(45-50 hours per week) ABA using the Lovaas

protocol and emphasizing receptive language skills,he was able to tune into the

receptive language in his environment and figure out some of what was being

said.

At age 3.9,we introduced the use of a voice output device and had him use it

to choose his reinforcers during sessions.

At age five,I sent him to an early childhood class with an excellent

teacher. That summer,he got his first computer dedicated to speech synthesis.

He is now a 15YO high school freshman in regular ed classes. He is

completely nonverbal and has been described as having " profound apraxia of

speech. "

Is this " best outcome? " I think,for him,it is. Is he done learning and

developing new and better skills? No,of course not.

,Colin P's mom

[ ] Is ABA " Scientifically Proven? "

To the professionals on these lists,

We use a lot of terms to describe ABA

Scientifically demonstrated effective,

Evidence based teaching methods

supported by research

Experimentally shown

Scientifically proven

etc.

I know that ABA is one of the only teaching or therapy methods for autism

that has any support for it. I also have heard that the number of individual

research studies supporting ABA procedures and techniques now tops 800.

But, I recently received a link to a study that tries to say that using the

terms " Scientifically Proven " for ABA is less than truthful. I was hoping

some of the other professionals on this group might read this article and

offer their opinions on it.

Specifically, Can ABA be considered Scientifically proven?

If not, what can be said about ABA research that is an appropriate

description?

Journal of Developmental and Learning Disorders, 7, 19-25 (2003)

Is one style of early behavioural treatment for autism 'scientifically

proven?'

Morton Ann Gernsbacher, Ph.D.

http://psych.

<http://psych.wisc.edu/lang/pdf/Gernsbacher_Scientifically_Proven_.pdf>

wisc.edu/lang/pdf/Gernsbacher_Scientifically_Proven_.pdf

________________________

Schramm, MA, BCBA

www.lulu.com/knospe-aba

www.knospe-aba.com

________________________

Need a quick answer? Get one in minutes from people who know. Ask your

question on Answers.

__________________________________________________