Análise do comportamento aplicada ao tratamento de crianças diagnosticadas com autismo : um estudo de sua afetividade

Abstract

Behavior Analysis is a science whose philosophy is Radical Behaviorism, both introduced by B. F. Skinner, and it has as its field of study the human behavior. It is known that Applied Behavior Analysis can found intervention in many areas, being the work with special needs children one of them, acknowledged by scientific community and with remarkable effectiveness. This is not different from the work with children diagnosed with Autism. Autism is a syndrome without confirmed origin that compromises mainly language, communication and social interaction with other people, including family. The basic principles of Behavior Analysis lay the groundwork for both the intervention and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) that, through a specific work for each child, teach new skills by reinforcement, increasing the repertoire of the child diagnosed with autism, and extinguishing inadequate behavior by extinction. This study aimed at investigating, through a theoretical and descriptive bibliographical research, what makes the intervention in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) effective for changing and introducing new behaviors in the behavioral repertoire of individuals diagnosed with autism and for promoting the quality of life for children and their families. Regarding the aspects that make an intervention in ABA effective in treating children with autism diagnosis and what are the implications to the practice of education, the use of intervention based on Applied Behavior Analysis promotes more independence and welfare for the child and family, what will change the way both of them will relate to the world.