When typing “Applied Behavior Analysis” or  “ABA” into a search engine, the majority of links that appear will direct you to websites explaining the treatment for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Although ABA is most well known for its effectiveness as a treatment for autism, its benefits on human behavior extend well beyond just those with an autism diagnosis.

The topic of behavioral change leads people to assume that there first must be behavioral challenges. Although that is true, the ‘challenges’ are not always the child throwing a temper tantrum or the teenager knocking items off of a shelf in the store.

Instead, professionals in the field, or those who are more familiar with the techniques used in ABA, might think of a child with Down syndrome, who struggles completing daily living activities, such as putting on their socks and shoes or drinking out of an open face cup. We may think of a neurotypical teenager, who just began getting into fights at school when previously he had a clean record. We may think of a child with ADD, who is failing their classes during virtual learning due to their lack of attending to work tasks.

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