Jewish Grandma explains Dimensions of ABA

Jewish Grandma Explains ABATECG: A Humorous Take on ABA in Ukrainian and Jewish Cultures


Hello, my dear blogger friend Stas! As a Jewish grandma with a Ukrainian twist, I'd love to explain the six elements of Applied Behavior Analysis, which are listed in the ABATECG acronym. You know, it's like borscht - it has many ingredients that come together to create something delicious and meaningful!

The first element is Applied, which means that we're focused on socially significant goals or behaviors that are important to the client. This includes taking into consideration the client's cultural background and environment. For example, if a client is having difficulty tolerating certain foods that are served in their culture or region, we want to help them learn to tolerate those foods. This could include teaching them how to use chopsticks instead of a fork and spoon, or how to eat matzo balls instead of dumplings. We also want to make sure that our interventions are developmentally appropriate for the client's age.

The second element is Behavioral, which means that we focus on observable and measurable behavior. This includes anything that you do or say, from walking and talking to reading and taking a deep breath. We don't discount or ignore the existence of thoughts and emotions, but they're just not the subject matter of what we do.

The third element is Analytic, which means that we use a scientific approach and can demonstrate experimental control over behavior. This includes using an experimental design for assessment, treatment, and data analysis. Functional analysis is the gold standard of assessment, as described by Iwata and Dozier in 2008.

The fourth element is Technological, which means that our techniques and methods can be replicated exactly by another BCBA. This includes writing detailed treatment plans and programs in the level of detail of a research paper so that someone with similar training can easily replicate the program if you're not there. This is like writing a recipe for borscht that anyone can follow to create the same delicious dish.

The fifth element is Effective, which means that our interventions produce socially or clinically significant change, not just statistically significant change. This includes distinguishing ourselves from other branches of psychology that use big randomized control trials. We care about clinically significant change, which means that the behavior change is meaningful and important to the client. For example, if a child goes from a 0 to a 50 in math, statistically the treatment might seem effective, but clinically the child is still failing math.

Finally, the sixth element is Generality, which means that we want the behavior change to generalize to other situations and environments. This is like teaching a child to use chopsticks not just at home, but at a restaurant or friend's house.

In summary, the ABATECG elements provide a framework for understanding and applying ABA to improve behavior and achieve socially or clinically significant goals. And with a little Ukrainian and Jewish humor, we can make the learning process fun and delicious. So if you ever need a recipe for matzo ball soup with a Ukrainian twist, or just want to chat about ABA, you know where to find me!