Two buzzwords that have been in the forefront of the behavioral management conversation for quite some time now: ABA and DIR/Floortime. What's the difference? What does the research say? Do they work? Great questions! Glad you're here.
ABA
DEFINED-
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is described as the practice of applying the psychological principles of learning theory in a systematic way to alter behavior in humans or animals. This requires the analysis of the antecedent (the prompt), the behavior (the action that occurs in response to the prompt), and the consequence (the outcome that occurs in response to the action).
THE RESEARCH-
ABA has been used in the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder and intellectual disabilities for many decades. Due to it's long-term use, there is extensive research indicating efficacy of reducing unwanted behaviors and increasing desired behaviors. These results have implications in the areas of communication, academic performance, motor skills and cognition as well within human and animal subjects.
IN PRACTICE-
American parents are working more hours, public school teachers have more children in their classrooms, and the occurrence of children with special needs continues to increase. The desire of adults to address disruptive behaviors with evidence-based treatment strategies to provide an immediate solution is high. Formal treatment ranges in intensity, however, it is typically funded at a higher frequency than most interventions at home, school, and within the community due to research support.
DIR/FLOORTIME
DEFINED-
The Developmental (D), Individual Difference (I), Relationship-based (R) /Floortime framework incorporates the unique strengths and challenges of a child to assist healthy emotional, social, and intellectual development. The child's development is addressed as a whole and does not single out particular areas such as behavior management, communication, and cognition in it's practice; however, these developmental areas are directly impacted as a result of targeting reciprocity, self-regulation, engagement in human relations, and emotional thinking.
THE RESEARCH-
The most recent research has been conducted primarily to study the effects on children identified as having Autism Spectrum Disorder. There is not yet as much research on this therapeutic approach when compared to ABA; however, study conclusions continue to indicate positive results. In an effort to account for all of the emotional and social complexities that are integrated into these developmental areas, this research has only been conducted with human subjects.
IN PRACTICE-
While the world continues to move faster and productivity is used as a key indicator for success in primary evaluative settings (school and work), our emotional wellbeing loses priority. Self-regulation and the development of relationships can be difficult to quantify due to the many context-specific components. DIR/Floortime strategies assist parents/service providers to gain a deeper understanding of your child's behavior. This is in contrast to only focusing on quickly modifying or extinguishing the behavior. Treatment is most effective when provided in a calm environment and ranges in intensity from 2-5 hours per day.
IN SUMMARY...
These approaches are not to be placed in competition with one another. Each system brings valuable theory and strategy to the field of behavior management; directly and indirectly. It is important to consider the holistic development of a child as well as the reasonings behind different reactions to the environment. It is also valuable to know how to quickly address/modify a behavior that can be causing harm to your child and/or others.
Pieces of each treatment approach may also be integrated into a single treatment program to best address the specific strengths and challenges of a child. When adopting different theory strategies to form a unique treatment program, it is important to understand the underlying theory of each and to ensure their implementation is not ultimately confusing to your child.
Forbes, Stacey. To What End? ABA Versus DIR/Floortime. April 2017.
Greenspan, S. & Wieder, S. What Is The DIR/Floortime Model? The Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders.
www.appliedbehavioranalysisedu.org. What Is Applied Behavioral Analysis? 2018.
www.kennedykrieger.org. Scientific Support for Applied Behavioral Analysis. 2017