2. ABA strategies cannot be flexible: While practitioners must practice within their scope of practice, using evidence-based interventions, most try to accommodate as many cultural, practical, and preferential requests as possible.

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3. ABA is only for a neurodiverse population: ABA strategies work for everybody. They are widely used when treating children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other neuro-developmental diagnoses. The same strategies are used by behaviorists to train animals (did you know that many professional animal trainers must have a degree in psychology, ABA, or a related field?) and by Industrial Organizational Psychologists in corporate settings to optimize employees' performance and job satisfaction.

 

4. ABA trains children to act and speak like robots: This does not need to be the case. In fact, there are procedures for generalization which were created in order to minimize rote responding. 

 

5. ABA is nothing but drilling: One strategy in ABA is discrete trial teaching (DTT), in which practitioners repeat one exercise several times in a session. There is neuro-science which supports this method. HOWEVER, repeated exposure to the same program does not have to be boring, nor do the same trials necessarily need to presented back-to-back.

 

6. ABA operates on a system of bribes: Bribes are preferred items or activities which are delivered on the promise of a behavior. Bribes often do not have specific terms associated with them and are subjectively evaluated (e.g. "being good" or "being nice" or "following the [undefined] rules"). They are delivered before the behavior occurs and hinge on trust in the person who is being bribed (typically a child) to uphold their end of an undefined bargain. An example of a bribe would be, "Okay, if I give you this lollipop, you have to promise to be good". ABA uses reinforcement, which is a preferred item or activity that motivates the learner to engage in a specific behavior. Reinforcement is delivered after specific and clearly defined criteria have been met. Examples of reinforcement are earning a lollipop for putting away all the laundry on the table or earning a paycheck at an agreed upon rate per hour for a specified number of hours, to be delivered after a specific job is finished. Reinforcement can be contrived in ABA, but in reality it is no different from the motivation adults derive from affection, friendship, autonomy, money, power, approval, or prestige. 

 

7. My child will learn never to do anything unless reinforcement is available: This one is tricky. On the one hand, your ABA team will always have a plan for fading contrived reinforcers such as edible treats or fun activities. On the other hand, all behaviors occur contingent upon a reinforcer of some kind. People work to earn money, prestige, or satisfaction. People exercise because it makes them feel good or because they want others to be impressed by their looks. People eat because it alleviates the feeling of hunger. Reinforcement is a natural part of the human condition.

 

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