ABSTRACT
Michelle, mother of a five-year-old son with autismIn their formal practice guidelines for the treatment of childhood autism, the Surgeon General's Office of the United States currently calls for 3040 hours per week of one-on-one, behaviorally based treatment. The specific form of recommended therapy is known as Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). Ivar Lovaas is considered the founder of ABA-type interventions, and his specific treatment approach is commonly referred to as Lovaas training or simply Lovaas. He conducted the bulk of his work at UCLA. Additional, functional analyses are critical assessments conducted by a clinician to determine what function or purpose any specific behavior serves. Although some families choose to follow a strict Lovaas approach, including the almost exclusive use of the therapy room with a table and chair, this traditional, intensive behavioral program also has been modified by various researchers and clinicians.
