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ABA Programs for Kids with Autism: A guide for parents and caregivers
This newly updated book contains 25 ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) programs, plus many more helpful tips for helping your child with Autism. These ABA programs are designed as guidelines for parents and caregivers of children with behavioral problems and developmental delays associated with neuropsychological disorders, such as autism. This edition also contains an updated list of recommended iOS apps to help your child. Great for homes, schools, clinics and daycares. The National Institute of Mental Health and the Surgeon General recommend Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) as an essential therapy for children with autism. So ABA should be the mainstream of your therapy.
96 pages, Paperback
First published March 5, 2014
38 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Gary Brown
4 booksDr. Brown received his undergraduate degree from Texas Christian University in 1966 and stayed on as a Research Fellow in Medical Psychology receiving his Ph. D. in 1970. He spent 38 years at The University of Tennessee at Martin, 24 as Chair of the Psychology Department where he published over 30 journal articles, and several books and eBooks. He has maintained a private practice since 1970. In 2007 he retired from the university because the "autism epidemic" had expanded his practice and required his full time.
Dr. Brown still maintains a research program exploring the etiology (causes) of autism and a website ABA4Autism.com. Dr. Brown is a member of the Tennessee Psychological Association, Psi Chi, Sigma Xi, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Brown has been married for 48 years to his wife Carolyn who is practice manager. They have 2 daughters and 4 grandchildren.
Dr. Brown still maintains a research program exploring the etiology (causes) of autism and a website ABA4Autism.com. Dr. Brown is a member of the Tennessee Psychological Association, Psi Chi, Sigma Xi, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Brown has been married for 48 years to his wife Carolyn who is practice manager. They have 2 daughters and 4 grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 15, 2019
Before I even start on the content, I estimate that about 30 - 40% of this book is the same few sections copied and pasted over and over again. There is a section in the book about what Time-Out is and how to do it, and it is repeated at least five times throughout the book.
I do not believe that the person who wrote this book should not be working with autistic children, and the fact that he has spent 30 years working in the field concerns me. The very first program he describes is how to get eye contact from children because, "Obviously, a child has to make eye contact with caregivers, as well as peers, in order to learn." Do you know what? My eye contact is, and always has been, at best infrequent and at worst non-existent, and I had no trouble learning. If I'm making eye contact, then I'm probably not listening or learning because I'm expending so much energy trying to make my eye contact look 'normal'. The whole eye contact obsession is incredibly frustrating, especially when it has little impact on actual learning or bonding. Anyway, near the end of the section on eye contact we get this gem:
"Some children start making eye contact, then go through periods of refusing to make eye contact on command even though eye contact has been established. When this happens, put the child in time out and sit beside the child. Tell the child that he/she cannot get out of time out until they make eye contact. When the child makes eye contact, they get out of time out but do not get a reinforcer."
Brown advocates putting a child in time-out for not making eye contact on command. Who is it hurting if an autistic child doesn't make eye contact? This is just one of many examples throughout the book of Brown stating that a child should be put in time-out for ridiculous reasons. He states that a child should be put in time-out (as in the punishment time-out, not the "let me take you somewhere safe for some time out of this stressful situation") for not following an instruction:
"Of course the child will not always comply and follow the direction. Whenever this happens, do not say anything, but immediately go get the child, tell the child that he or she is going to time out for not minding, and put the child in time out."
Other times Brown says parents should put an autistic child in time out include: if they tantrum (including if the 'tantrum' is actually a meltdown as a result of sensory problems), if a child exhibits self-injurious behaviour, if a child repeatedly vomits from distress (because Brown just assumes that any child that does this is doing it as avoidance or as a means of gaining control), if the child ever says "no" to any request, and if a child doesn't complete a direction quickly enough.
There is no reason to use time-out in these scenarios. To put a child in time-out for responding negatively to sensory overload is horrible. All these repetitions of time-out teach a child is that they get no say in their life and that their feelings do not matter because an adult is going to make them behave in a way the adult wants whether the child wants it or not. By putting a child on time out for 'non compliance' or saying "no", it teaches them that they have no power and no right to say no to anything.
Speaking of which, the whole book is filled with the idea of forcing compliance in all situations from your child. Here's part of the section on "Increasing Compliance in Children".
"Stand the child up with his/her back against the wall. Hold them by their shirt and say the child's name followed by "come here". Gently pull the child to you. When the child gets to you, praise them and then push them back against the wall and repeat."
He calls it error-less teaching. I would argue it's just another way of showing a child that an adult can always make them do what the adult wants — that and dragging a child around by their top.
Then comes the section on "Eliminating Self-Stimulatory Behavior". Brown advocates the use of overcorrection to eliminate stimming:
"In overcorrection, clap your hands together loudly and tell the child "no" in a firm tone whenever he or she self-stims. Then the child is told or made to practice a correct or incompatible behavior to the self-stim behavior."
So per Brown's examples: if a child licks an object or puts it in their mouth you should make the child brush their teeth, tongue and clean their face; for hand flapping you should hold their hands stationary; for head weaving, you should hold their head stationary. Failing all that he suggests parents look into drugs.
I could carry on, but I've probably made my point. This is, to date, the worst book on autism I have read. There is very little positive to be found in the book - what little is there certainly does not justify going through the rest of the book to find. In my opinion, the information in this book is encouraging behaviour which is downright abusive.
I do not believe that the person who wrote this book should not be working with autistic children, and the fact that he has spent 30 years working in the field concerns me. The very first program he describes is how to get eye contact from children because, "Obviously, a child has to make eye contact with caregivers, as well as peers, in order to learn." Do you know what? My eye contact is, and always has been, at best infrequent and at worst non-existent, and I had no trouble learning. If I'm making eye contact, then I'm probably not listening or learning because I'm expending so much energy trying to make my eye contact look 'normal'. The whole eye contact obsession is incredibly frustrating, especially when it has little impact on actual learning or bonding. Anyway, near the end of the section on eye contact we get this gem:
"Some children start making eye contact, then go through periods of refusing to make eye contact on command even though eye contact has been established. When this happens, put the child in time out and sit beside the child. Tell the child that he/she cannot get out of time out until they make eye contact. When the child makes eye contact, they get out of time out but do not get a reinforcer."
Brown advocates putting a child in time-out for not making eye contact on command. Who is it hurting if an autistic child doesn't make eye contact? This is just one of many examples throughout the book of Brown stating that a child should be put in time-out for ridiculous reasons. He states that a child should be put in time-out (as in the punishment time-out, not the "let me take you somewhere safe for some time out of this stressful situation") for not following an instruction:
"Of course the child will not always comply and follow the direction. Whenever this happens, do not say anything, but immediately go get the child, tell the child that he or she is going to time out for not minding, and put the child in time out."
Other times Brown says parents should put an autistic child in time out include: if they tantrum (including if the 'tantrum' is actually a meltdown as a result of sensory problems), if a child exhibits self-injurious behaviour, if a child repeatedly vomits from distress (because Brown just assumes that any child that does this is doing it as avoidance or as a means of gaining control), if the child ever says "no" to any request, and if a child doesn't complete a direction quickly enough.
There is no reason to use time-out in these scenarios. To put a child in time-out for responding negatively to sensory overload is horrible. All these repetitions of time-out teach a child is that they get no say in their life and that their feelings do not matter because an adult is going to make them behave in a way the adult wants whether the child wants it or not. By putting a child on time out for 'non compliance' or saying "no", it teaches them that they have no power and no right to say no to anything.
Speaking of which, the whole book is filled with the idea of forcing compliance in all situations from your child. Here's part of the section on "Increasing Compliance in Children".
"Stand the child up with his/her back against the wall. Hold them by their shirt and say the child's name followed by "come here". Gently pull the child to you. When the child gets to you, praise them and then push them back against the wall and repeat."
He calls it error-less teaching. I would argue it's just another way of showing a child that an adult can always make them do what the adult wants — that and dragging a child around by their top.
Then comes the section on "Eliminating Self-Stimulatory Behavior". Brown advocates the use of overcorrection to eliminate stimming:
"In overcorrection, clap your hands together loudly and tell the child "no" in a firm tone whenever he or she self-stims. Then the child is told or made to practice a correct or incompatible behavior to the self-stim behavior."
So per Brown's examples: if a child licks an object or puts it in their mouth you should make the child brush their teeth, tongue and clean their face; for hand flapping you should hold their hands stationary; for head weaving, you should hold their head stationary. Failing all that he suggests parents look into drugs.
I could carry on, but I've probably made my point. This is, to date, the worst book on autism I have read. There is very little positive to be found in the book - what little is there certainly does not justify going through the rest of the book to find. In my opinion, the information in this book is encouraging behaviour which is downright abusive.
July 12, 2016
This book was a quick read. The language was easy to understand. The tone was matter-of-fact, which parents may not like. It is, however, a good reference for parents and caregivers. They can easily look up a program to use, depending on the needs of their child. The book isn't thorough or detailed. There are no explanations of the principles of behavior or exhaustive lists of reinforcers. The book isn't meant to be pedantic. It's purely a reference for parents; it gives them a strategies to try. That's what so many parents are searching for: a place to start. The book's programs are simplistic, do not take function of behavior into account, and won't work for everyone, but they are understandable, simple enough to follow, and have the potential to work with most children. I'm not sure about the use of time out or response cost for all problem behaviors - I tend to use punishment as a last resort. Also, time it is not likely to work when the function is escape. The book stresses from the beginning that it doesn't replace consultation from a professional. I'd recommend this book to parents, with the caveat that some of these techniques may not be appropriate for everyone. It is a good idea for parents to consult with a behavior analyst before implementing a program, so the program can be modified to fit their child. I love that the book insists upon data collection to assess the program's effectiveness.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews