In their definitive textbook “Applied Behavior Analysis,” Cooper, Heron, and Heward define ABA as “a science devoted to the understanding and improvement of human behavior.” ABA researchers have spent decades studying how people’s behavior can be shaped by the behavior of others, as well as the rules and routines they encounter. ABA service providers use techniques based on the principles established by these researchers. These techniques span a wide variety of skill areas, and can address issues of socialization, communication, self-care, and problem behavior, to name a few.
