Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) is a field of science that is dedicated to the understanding and intervention of socially significant behaviour. Developmental disorders which just means that the behaviour under consideration is important for the individual and their families. With over sixty years of research and effective practice to back it up, ABA uses scientific methods to study relationships between environmental occurrences and behaviour. So, something happens in the environment, and an individual reacts, or behaves, in a certain way.

Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) is what we do best, focusing on improving communication skills, daily living skills (like toileting, hand washing, dressing, and food acceptance), pre-academic skills, motor skills, social skills, and cognitive skills, including tasks such as crossing the road. 
There are thousands of research projects that attest to the effectiveness of ABA, and more studies are being conducted every year. In 2011, at the request of the Australian government, a review of the research to identify the most effective treatment in early intervention for children with ASD was undertaken, and a publication was compiled, by Prior, Roberts, Rodger, Williams, & Sutherland. In this paper ABA is the only intervention that is defined as Established/ Eligible based on evidence. In 2009, the National Autism Center in the United States of America compiled a similar report in which they found 11 forms of treatment to be effective in helping individuals with autism. 10 of these 11 treatments are based on behavioural principles and are used regularly by behaviour analysts.

The importance of intensive early intervention cannot be stressed enough. Waiting to see if your child will ‘outgrow’ the symptoms is not recommended. ASD is not something that can be outgrown, and research has shown that the earlier the intervention is started, the better the outcomes will be. (Eikeseth, Smith, Jahr, & Eldevik, 2002; Fenske, Zalenski, Krantz, & McClannahan, 1985; Sallows, & Graupner, 2005).

This is not to say that your child needs to be ‘fixed’ or the autism needs to be ‘taken away’, but your child will require a different method of teaching and teaching environment to what they may expect in a mainstream setting. Or they may need extra assistance in that setting. The progress made by children with ASD is individually different. Some children will make enough progress that they can attend mainstream school without extra assistance. Some children may make less progress and may require support for the long-term, but all children can make some progress, and ABA programs are the most effective for achieving the optimal outcome. Every child has the right to an education and every child deserves to learn in a way that suits their learning style and ability.