class - Regis College

words
in my own
New Field, New Program
LAUREN BEAULIEU, PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Director, Applied Behavior Analysis Program (ABA)
6
REGIS TODAY
As adults we can vocalize “I want something to eat,”
but some kids, particularly those with disabilities,
can’t communicate so they act out as a form of com-
out what they are communicating with their problem
behavior and teach a more appropriate behavior.
ABA focuses on the environment and how we can
change it to improve behavior through reinforcement
and learning. Behavior analysts observe and assess
such as aggression and self-injury, and conduct
Techniques include reinforcement, such as attention,
edibles, activities, or toys to reward a new behavior.
Sometimes this involves using communication boards
or sign language. ABA helps in everyday situations at
home and in structured classroom settings.
a week while working as a behavior specialist in
Tallahassee. He could only say one word: “san” and
he’d repeat it over and over when he saw a ceiling fan
excitement as he began to interact with them was
called “bye” and waved to him. It was impactful for
me. I realized that this type of work didn’t just change
an individual’s life but the lives of the people who are
with them as well.
There is no magic pill. There are so many unconventional
treatments out there. I once worked with a
family who had a hyperbaric oxygen chamber in their
house—a controversial and unproven treatment for
autism. As a behavior analyst, I can only support
treatment that is based in science. ABA is. It is slow
and methodical, takes time and energy and it works.
There is no magic pill.
ABA can help children diagnosed with autism catch
up to their peers. A powerful study published by
Dr. O. Ivar Lovaas in 1987 showed that with early
intervention, children can recover from autism. His
experiment had three groups: one received 40 hours of
intensive ABA, one received 15 hours, and one didn’t
receive any. The individuals who had rigorous ABA
teaching showed marked improvement and many
recovered from autism.
I remember my first client diagnosed with autism—a
There is so much potential
here. I was hired to direct a new master’s program in
ABA and we’re off to a good start after one semester.
It’s a 45-credit program that requires students to do a
practicum and complete a thesis.
Research and practice are directly linked. Because
oping
a research lab at Regis where I hope to train
graduate students to conduct studies to evaluate effective
teaching tactics with children in Regis’s on-site
children’s center and at schools in the community.
photo: Kathleen Dooher