ABA: Facts and Statistics
- In a 1987 study, Ivar O. Lovaas compared the results of a control group to that of young children with autism who received ABA therapy. Results indicated that with 40 hours of ABA therapy a week for several years 90% of participants substantially improved, some even to normal intellectual functioning compared to the control group.
- An article by Hagopian and Boelter (2012) investigated the scientific support for ABA. The following organizations have classified ABA therapy to be a highly effective treatment for individuals with autism and mental retardation:
- American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
- National Institute of Mental Health
- Association for Science in Autism Treatment
- Autism Speaks
- Organization for Autism Research
- ABA therapy accounts for 45% of therapies that develop long-lasting and observable results according to the Surgeon General's autism treatment report (http://www.special-learning.com/about/aba)
- ABA therapy can be expensive: hourly rates for consulting services can be as high as $120/hour, yearly costs can reach $50,000 (http://www.special-learning.com/about/aba)
- Studies have indicated that approximately 50% of individuals with autism who receive ABA services before the age of four show a significant increase in IQ, verbal skills, and social functioning (http://www.special-learning.com/about/aba)
- After 4 years of intensive behavioral treatment for children averaging 34 months old, Sallows and Graupner (2005) found that 48% of participants showed rapid learning, achieved average post-treatment scores, and were succeeding in regular education classrooms
