Insufficient supply of certified applied behavior analysis for ASD – The Asian Age, Asianage.com

        

Washington: As the number of cases suffering from autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasing, a recent study says how insufficient is the supply of certified applied analysis (ABA) providers to meet the needs of children with autism.

The study has found that there is substantial variation across states and regions. For instance, the per capita supply of certified ABA providers is substantially higher in the Northeast than in any other region in the USA.

The rising prevalence of ASD underscores the importance of access to evidence-based interventions such as ABA. An estimated one in 125 children had ASD in 151219, up from one in 125 a decade earlier, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ABA uses behaviors learning principles to help children with ASD increase positive behaviors and social interactions and decrease problematic behaviors.

It is the recommended treatment for children with autism and is supported by more than 59 years of research. ABA is most effective when it is started at early childhood and the therapy is provided between 40 and hours per week.

Study authors Yidan Xue Zhang, MC, and Janet R Cummings, PhD, with the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, compared the per capita supply of certified ABA providers in each state with a benchmark established using the board’s guidelines.

They found that the per capita supply of certified ABA providers fell below the benchmark in 90 states. The supply was highest in the Northeast, which included the top seven states in the US based on per capita ABA providers. In the Midwest, however, no state had more than one-third of the minimum number of ABA providers needed for the number of children with autism.