ABA: Helping Autistic Kids Develop Social Skills - Essay Sample

Introduction

Applied Behavioral Analysis might be utilized to decrease upheavals and fits of rage or to show an individual to sit silently, use words to make requests, or sit tight for their chance in the play area. Arguably, autism can be found by one child out of 68 children. Many children (below three years) get an altered type of ABA, which is closer to play therapy rather than discrete preliminaries. Play therapy is applied since children cannot articulate problems or process their emotions to parents. Children who have autism can be given music therapy. Therapist prefers this strategy to cover a broader range of composures, genre, and frequencies. Research supports that music therapy is a useful tool recommended to be used to convey communication. Speech and Language therapy are practical approaches which vary on how the child is capable of processing speech. Typically, speech and language therapy are crucial in knowing how the child has improved in terms of verbal communication and imitation. Speech generating devices are a useful tool applied to increase children language development. Studies reveal that the use of speech-generating speech can be applied across different communication partners and classroom activities which may contribute to enhanced skills' generalization. Future studies, therefore, need to focus on how to bring proper and long-lasting treatment to autism conditions at an early stage of child development.

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Introduction

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) regularly gets depicted as the "best quality level" for autism treatment (Mohammadzaheri et al., 2014). ABA is an arrangement of mental imbalance treatment dependent on behaviourist theory, which expresses that ideal practice can get taught through a mechanism of rewards and results. While numerous individuals are reliable backers of ABA-based on its self-evident achievement in accomplishing specific outcomes, others trust it as the best-case scenario regardless of its pessimistic standpoint which harms the person (Mohammadzaheri et al.,, 2014). For instance, ABA might be utilized to decrease upheavals and fits of rage or to show an individual to sit silently, use words to make requests, or sit tight for their chance in the play area. ABA can be utilized to show straightforward and complex abilities of a child.

Literature Review

American Psychiatric Association (2013) defined Autism Spectrum Disorder as a deficit in social interaction and communication in a broader context. Arguably, autism can be found by one child out of 68 children. However, autism affects gender differently. In essence, the disorder is four times more likely to occur in males as compared to females with an unaffected normal lifespan. Autism severity differs, which makes a child diagnosed with the disorder to develop unique characteristics.

ABA includes as much as 40 hours every seven days of one-on-one treatment (Mohammadzaheri et. Al., 2014). Certified specialists direct the routine and sort out the needs of a child by creating social abilities. For example, a certified specialist helps the child to figure out how to compose a name or use the washroom. The methodology separates practices into steps and rewards the child for finishing each progression along the way. It is worth noting that the most fundamental strategy begins with trial therapy done to the child (Whalon et al., 2015). A discrete preliminary comprises of a therapist asking a child for a specific question on behaviors (for instance, "Johnny, it would be ideal if you get the spoon"). On the off chance that the child goes along, he is given a reward in the form of a delicious meal, a high five, or whatever other prizes that implies something to the child. On the off chance that the child does not bring the spoon, he does not get the prize, and the initial therapy gets repeated. Also, it goes a long way in equipping the child with social competence skills like communication, emotion, and social cognition skills (Whalon et al., 2015).

The other aspect of discrete preliminaries treatment depends on the assessment of an individual child, his needs, and his capacities (Grindle et al., 2009). A child who is as of now equipped for arranging shapes would not be approached to sort shapes inconclusively for remunerations; however, they would concentrate on various, all the more testing social as well as to conduct errands. Interventions that are advice for preschool children with mental problems is applied behavior approach. While numerous children make exceptional gains in social and relational abilities, others gain moderate or restricted ground.

Many children (below three years) get an altered type of ABA, which is closer to play therapy rather than discrete preliminaries. Play therapy is applied since children cannot articulate problems or process their emotions to parents. As the ace practices, the prepared therapists will begin to bring children into certifiable settings where they can sum up the methods they have learned and join them into ordinary social encounters. ABA can likewise be utilized, in one of its numerous structures, with more seasoned children, teenagers, or even grown-ups. Discrete preliminaries ABA is still being used in specific settings such as child's home and clinic setting and for particular children in children homes and clinic centers. Different types of ABA, be that as it may, are getting progressively mainstream (Virues-Ortega, 2010). What's more, instead of giving 1:1 treatment in a study hall or office, numerous therapists are currently managing ABA in standard settings, for example, play areas, cafeterias, and network areas.

Music Therapy

Children who have autism can be given music therapy. Therapist prefers this strategy to cover a wider range of composures, genre, and frequencies. Research supports that music therapy is an effective tool recommended to be used to convey communication. In essence, the music itself is a medium in which complex information is conveyed with expressive qualities. As another form of dynamic dialogue, music can be used to establish relationships, interactions, and engagement (Hassiotis et al., 2012). In reality, music should not be portrayed as a tool of entertainment, but as a media, that can serve many functions. Ideally, music formed creatively and spontaneously via a flexible and structured improvisation provokes engagement and attracts in children with autism and enhances interactive play and communication. By listening to these creative children, they become safer and feel accepted by people around them that allows them to communicate freely.

The music genre differs in terms of how the child is able to learn. Children tend to make use of live music as compared to other forms of music. In most instances, children listen to live music more based on the frequency of the song. Research also reveals melodic based communication therapy to be derived from music therapy. MBCT refers to a novel created by the first author in terms of the vast experiences within the field. Also, MBCT is a review where one proposes to ensure that the presumed strength of children with ASD to improve verbal output. MBCT is one of the useful therapy types that increases the amount of verbal attempt performed by the child. In this context, MBCT entails a therapy pre-recording the melodies to acquire the same sound to comply with the word the child wanted to know. Once the child gets used to the melody, the therapist begins to plateau, which forces them to seek other means of making the child learn more verbal attempts.

Speech and Language Therapy

In this kind of therapy, family presence is highly needed. When the close family of the children with ASD are present, therapists may observe how they interact with the child where vital instructions and guidance may be provided. Over the years, the use of speech and language therapy has been fruitful in promoting a greater revolution pattern of children who have ASD. Therapists involved during the therapist's session helps the child and indirectly intervene and sets plans that the family can use at home (Whalon et al., 2015). Besides, therapists help other siblings of the patients to understand every possible means that can be used by the child to exercise treatment more frequently.

Speech and Language therapy are practical approaches that vary on how the child is capable of processing speech. Typically, speech and language therapy are crucial in knowing how the child has improved in terms of verbal communication and imitation. In other words, speech and language therapy can be used to improve non-verbal, verbal, vocabulary, and speech of children to facilitate creating sentences (Banda et al., 2006). Speech and language therapy is a proven approach to developing speech and vocabulary. The therapy is effective in every exercise done both outsides and inside therapy sessions with the family.

Visual Support

Visual supports are applied to help children who have ASD to organize their environment, understand spoken language, and maintain attention. In essence, visual supports can be applied in schools since apart from home, learning institution is the only place where a child spends most of his time (Banda et al., 2006). By using visual supports, children with ASFD to communicate with their classmates and teachers. Parents become frustrated when a child is unable to communicate. With the introduction of visual supports, the aggressive behaviors of the therapist almost stopped and assisted the pupil in conveying messages concerning their needs.

The picture exchange communication system is a form of visual support. In this context, it entails a pictorial system created to help children having deficits in social communication. PECS is a resourceful tool applied to children with a small vocabulary and faces various difficulties in speaking to others (Hassiotis et al., 2012). Also, PECS are used to train the child to know the meaning of every picture and gift those snacks if they ask for it. As children grow, they develop an in-depth understanding of images where they begin to practice speaking and formulate sentences. PECs is a resourceful tool applied for children with the non-verbal problem and with autism. However, iPads are provided as an alternative approach for these children. Typically, PECS comprises of six phases that were established to assist children who are yet to have a functional speech to request or comment over something.

Speech Generating Devices

Speech generating devices are a useful tool applied to increase children's language development. Research supports that the use of speech-generating speech can be applied across different communication partners and classroom activities, which may contribute to enhanced skills' generalization. If children with autism have friends' familiar with the disorder, they shall gain more benefits as they shall improve their social benefits.

Autism Diagnosis

The diagnosis is challenging at the two parts of the spectrums, namely, behavior and communication. Children with extreme autistic symptoms might be difficult to separate from those with isolated severe intellectual capabilities based on cognitive ability. At the same time, those with fewer signs might get misdiagnosed as having a language issue or a social uneasiness. A few instruments have been utilized for screening for ASDs in children with severe conditions, for example, families with children who have a mental disorder, children with a formative deferral, or hereditary disorders. Some of the instruments used among children with severe signs include the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Burden Scale, and Randomized Clinical Design (Carbone et al.,...