Why Precision Teaching?

Precision Teaching is a system for collecting and analyzing data in order to evaluate the effectiveness of a curriculum. Frequency data is collected for all target behaviours (frequency is defined as the average number of responses per minute) and is recorded on a Standard Celeration Chart (SCC). Measuring frequencies, and recording data on the SCC, allows us to make the best possible data-based decisions for your child. Recording frequency data on the SCC has many advantages, it allows us to analyze data to determine if:

If your child is able to complete tasks as fast as typically developing individuals
If your child’s curriculum is designed effectively, or if program changes need to be made
If your child is learning how to learn
If your child is retaining the skills being learned
If your child can endure when more time needs to be spent on a skill
If your child can apply the skills he/she is learning to new situations/materials
If your child can work in the face of distracting environments such as a busy classroom

Analysis of a child's fluency is done with the use of the Standard Celeration Chart.

If you have any questions about how Precision Teaching is applied in an ABA program, please feel free to contact us.

Why Fluency?

Why Precision Teaching

Why Verbal Behaviour?

How it works together

Click to learn more about ABA

The principles of ABA allow us to select target behaviors to increase (i.e. adaptive behaviors), or decrease (i.e. maladaptive behaviors), to maintain current levels of adaptive skills, to teach new skills, and to program for maintenance and generalization of skills that have been taught. These principles are grounded in years of scientific research, and replicated studies. The application of these principles to the teaching of individuals with ASD has been scientifically validated through applied research.

Early research by D. Baer, M. Wolf, T. Risley, and I. Lovaas, demonstrated that with early and intensive intervention, children with ASD can learn new skills and concepts, and generalize what they have learned across people, and environments (eg: new places and situations), and maintain skills over time.

ABA is a science that allows us to systematically implement basic principles of behavior (e.g: reinforcement, shaping, and chaining etc...) to help individuals learn how to learn. It is important to note that it is not a single specific instructional methodology. Sometimes "ABA" becomes confused with different types of instructional methods, such as "Lovaas-type ABA" or "Verbal Behavior ABA". There are many different instructional methodologies that are all based in the science of ABA. Some examples include: Discrete Trial Teaching, Verbal Behavior, Fluency Based Instruction, Natural Environment Teaching, and Video Modeling. Each of these instructional methods incorporates the basic principles of ABA into their instructional designs, however, each may place an emphasis on different aspects of learning.

References:
Baer, D., Wolf, M., & Risley, R. (1968). Some current dimensions of applied behavior analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1, 91-97.
Baer, D., Wolf, M., & Risley, R. (1987). Some still-current dimensions of applied behavior analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 20, 313-327.
Cooper, J., Heron, T., & Heward, W. (2007). Applied Behavior Analysis: Second Ed. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
Lovaas, I., (1987). Behavioral treatment and normal educational and intellectual functioning in young autistic children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 3-9.
Sallows, G.O., Graupner, T.D. (2005). Intensive behavioral treatment for children with autism: four-year outcome and predictors. American Journal of Mental Retardation, 110, 417-438 Weiss, M.J. (2001). Expanding ABA intervention in intensive programs for children with autism: The inclusion of natural environment training and fluency based instruction. The Behavior Analyst Today, 2, 182-186.