Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the research based and primary treatment to remediate symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. While ABA can be used in a therapy format to teach skills and reduce barriers for those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, its key principles and protocols can be applied to a variety of settings, such as the classroom.

Now that the school year is underway, students and teachers are falling into their routines and beginning to get more comfortable in the classroom. Sometimes, when children get comfortable in their environment, classroom structure and management can become more of a challenge to implement. This is where ABA can help support classroom organization and management this school year!

Here are some ABA strategies that can be used in the classroom this year:

Setting Clear Expectations

From the beginning of the year, understandable and achievable expectations need to be set. This can include, and is not limited to: the location for finished assignments or where they are turned in, during lesson times how students should engage or participate in the learning, if they need to go to the bathroom what is the appropriate way to request that, etc. Once the expectations are established, it is crucial to model this and provide multiple opportunities to redirect or acknowledge when expectations are being met frequently. If expectations are set and followed throughout the day/school year, the classroom will be more organized, and students will be more engaged in learning. 

Creating and Sticking to a Routine

Every classroom and/or school has specific subjects or activities that need to be completed each day. Create a visual schedule that can be viewed in the classroom of what the day will look like. Students will be able to see what task is coming next which can support transitions between activities and reduce off task behaviors that can delay learning throughout the day. 

Reinforcement

As discussed in other blog posts here, reinforcement is a main principle in ABA and our lives. In the classroom, ensure that there is reinforcement provided when students are engaging in the behaviors you want them too. Such as: transitioning appropriately from one task to another, raising their hand to ask a question, working quietly when instructed, etc. Remember reinforcement can be anything that is valued by an individual, and when it is provided following a desired behavior, it will increase the likelihood of that behavior continuing in the future.

Group Contingencies

One reinforcement strategy that is often used in the classroom is Group Contingencies. There are three types of group contingencies, dependent, independent, and interdependent.