therapeutic strategies: FAQ page 1

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This FAQ was written from a parent’s perspective and not meant to serve as clinically precise explanations. For clinical definitions, please visit the foundations and organizations that developed the specific intervention models listed below.

Since intervention models are most closely associated with children on the autism spectrum, we encourage you to read the pros and cons of 10 comprehensive intervention models, from the more popular floortime and ABA models to lesser-known programs, such as the Denver model, published in the book Educating Children With Autism.

We list and link to them here:

1. Children’s Unit at the State University of New York Binghamton

2. Denver Model at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center

3. Developmental Intervention Model at the George Washington University School of Medicine

4. Douglass Developmental Center at Rutgers University

5. Individualized Support Program at the University of South Florida at Tampa

6. Learning Experiences, an Alternative Program for Preschoolers and their Parents (LEAP) Preschool at the University of Colorado School of Education

7. Pivotal Response Model at the University of California at Santa Barbara

8. Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH) at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine at Chapel Hill

9. The University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Young Autism Project

10. Walden Early Childhood Programs at the Emory University School of Medicine

What is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)?

ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis and is a methodology grounded in theory of behavioral psychology. The principles of ABA — positive reinforcement, prompting, repetition — have been adapted and applied to teaching tasks and life skills to children with developmental delays, particularly autism.

Each skill, from learning how to pronounce a word to tying a shoe, is broken down into very small, discrete steps. Traditional ABA, associated with UCLA Psychology Professor Dr. O Ivar Lovaas , relies on intensive repetition to teach each step in the hope that a child will build upon each step until a skill is mastered, leading to the next skill.

Traditional ABA programs are adult directed (adult leads, child responds) and primarily involve a child sitting at a small table while a teacher prompts the child to respond. These programs are often done in the home, using students as teachers, with children participating for 30 to 40 hours per week. Some schools, however, incorporate ABA into their curriculum. Examples: The Promise school in Utica, NY, and The Ivymount School in Rockville, MD.

Home-based programs are grueling to step up and draining, both financially and emotionally. Finding students to commit to an ABA program is difficult, especially if there is no nearby university or community college. Strong family involvement is paramount.

What is Applied Verbal Behavior?

Applied Verbal Behavior (AVB) is a teaching technique that takes advantage of a child’s interests and activities to motivate language and cooperation skills. It is viewed as an updated and more naturalistic form of ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis). Some parents have referred to AVB as “Greenspan-esq,” referring to the floortime model developed by Dr. Stanley Greenspan. [We are certain Dr.

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