Devin Silkovsky
3/1/2021
ABS 200
Applied behavioral science supports individuals with long-term disabilities in profoundly
impactful ways. It uses data-driven strategies to bring about behavior change in ways that
enable individuals to better achieve the kinds of independence they desire in their lives. It helps
those same individuals learn new skills and makes recommendations for environmental
modifications that enhance the kinds of presences they make in their communities. Applied
behavioral science helps individuals with long-term disabilities improve their quality of life,
achieve greater levels of independence, and move towards enhanced social inclusion. It does
this with a truly multitasking set of strategies that cover a range of areas difficult for many
individuals to negotiate.
Skill Development via Individualized Programs
Behavioral science plays a primary role in an application aimed at helping people with
disabilities. It uses individualized support programs to enable the acquisition and maintenance
of critical life skills. One big method used to ascertain individual behaviors is Applied Behavior
Analysis (ABA), which practitioners apply in a fairly systematic manner when teaching various
kinds of people to communicate, care for themselves, and hold down certain kinds of jobs.
ABA is not a one-size-fits-all program. It is carried out in a way that is somewhat like using a
tailored suit; one must first ascertain the correct measurements to ensure a good fit. In the case
of ABA, the first step is to obtain a baseline measurement of the behavior being taught, which
serves as a good indicator of the kind of progress either the teacher or student might expect.
Measures taken during the teaching sequence also guide certain kinds of economy (use of time,
effort, materials, etc.) and adjust the sequence as needed to meet the individual student apart
from another who might also be using ABA.
Promoting Mental and Emotional Health
For people living long-term with a disability, society can be unsympathetic, leaving individuals
feeling isolated and hopeless. Behavioral science can help by understanding the emotional
roots of these states and devising ways to make them better. At least since World War II, when it
was discovered that training skills in the use of tools and equipment could effectuate positive
behavior changes in veterans returning home, the behaviorists have had a handle on
interventions that really work.
Sketching out the basics of why these interventions are effective, we can say that (1) many of
them arise from or are underwritten by sound behavioral principles, (2) they target (and change)
the wrong social interactions that keep people stuck in the harmful emotional states that have
arisen, (3) they help restore positive social interactions that emotionally charge both the people
with disabilities and their helpers.
Ethical Considerations and Person-Centered Approaches
Behavioral interventions can be powerful, and, to fulfill their potential, must be implemented
ethically and respectfully. Applied behavioral scientists emphasize informed consent, individual
dignity, and collaborative goal setting. Barbuto et al. (2006) point out that the American
Psychological Association's Guide to Ethical Conduct (APA, 2002) serves as a model for the
applied behavioral analysis (ABA) field. Ensuring that the increase or decrease of a particular
behavior does not lead to another behavior that is punishing or rewarding; ensuring that the
goals being set are goals that the individual really wants to achieve, as opposed to goals that a
society in a particular time or place might see as desirable; and protecting the individual from
harm are major ethical and person-centered baselines in the field.
Conclusion
Applied behavioral science holds immense potential for enhancing the lives of individuals with
long-term disabilities.
