
Applied Behavior Analysis is the study of human
behavior. Over 70 years ago, B.F. Skinner studied behavior and its origins.
He believed that human behavior does not originate inside of us, but rather
through daily social and environmental interactions. Today we take Skinner’s
scientific studies of human behavior (behavior analysis) and apply them to
our teaching strategies. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) simply means that
we have taken the pure science of behavior analysis and applied it to situations
such as teaching. In 1957, B.F. Skinner published the book Verbal
Behavior. Skinner’s book coined terms for the many verbal operants or functional
units of language that are used to communicate. Skinner explained the function
of each verbal operant as it relates to human behavior and the environment.
Through the use of Verbal Behavior and Skinner’s research in Behavior Analysis,
we can effectively teach children with autism and related disorders how to communicate
and interact with their environment.