Advances in Our Understanding of Behavioral Intervention: 1980 to 2020 for Individuals Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Leaf, Justin B.; Cihon, Joseph H.; Ferguson, Julia L.; Milne, Christine M.; Leaf, Ronald; McEachin, John

doi:10.1007/s10803-020-04481-9

S:I Autism in Review: 1980-2020: 40 years after DSM-III
Published: 02 April 2020

Advances in Our Understanding of Behavioral Intervention: 1980 to 2020 for Individuals Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Justin B. Leaf^1,2,
Joseph H. Cihon^1,2,
Julia L. Ferguson¹,
Christine M. Milne^1,2,
Ronald Leaf¹ &
John McEachin¹

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders volume 51, pages 4395–4410 (2021)Cite this article

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Abstract

There are three branches of science of behavior analysis [i.e., experimental analysis of behavior, behavior analysis, and applied behavior analysis (ABA)]. ABA can be defined as a systematic approach to understanding behavior of social interest. For the past 40 plus years, researchers have evaluated ABA and ABA based procedures (e.g., behavioral intervention) as they relate to individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and have implemented behavioral intervention in clinical settings for individuals diagnosed with ASD. In this paper, we discuss some of the pivotal contributions in the field of ABA in research and clinical practice. Additionally, we provide recommendations for the science and clinical practice of behavioral intervention in the next 40 years.

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Autism Partnership Foundation, 200 Marina Drive, Seal Beach, CA, 90740, USA
Justin B. Leaf, Joseph H. Cihon, Julia L. Ferguson, Christine M. Milne, Ronald Leaf & John McEachin
Endicott College, Beverly, MA, USA
Justin B. Leaf, Joseph H. Cihon & Christine M. Milne

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Justin B. Leaf
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Joseph H. Cihon
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Julia L. Ferguson
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Christine M. Milne
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Ronald Leaf
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John McEachin
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Leaf, J.B., Cihon, J.H., Ferguson, J.L. et al. Advances in Our Understanding of Behavioral Intervention: 1980 to 2020 for Individuals Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 51, 4395–4410 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04481-9

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Published: 02 April 2020
Issue Date: December 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04481-9

Keywords

Applied behavior analysis
Behavior analysis
Behavioral intervention
Certification
Intensive behavioral intervention