Overview
FULL AND COMPLETE ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
(Everything the writer needs in one place)
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📌 TITLE OF PAPER:
Developments and the Future of Applied Behavior Analysis
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📌 LENGTH & FORMAT REQUIREMENTS
1. Length:
• 8–10 full pages of writing (not including title page or references)
2. Formatting:
• APA 7th edition
• 12-point Times New Roman or Arial
• Double-spaced
• 1-inch margins on all sides
• Left-aligned text
• Use APA-style headings for each section
• Include in-text citations
• Include a reference page
3. Sources:
• Minimum of 5 peer-reviewed scholarly sources
• Must include:
• Leaf et al. (2022) (Concerns About ABA-Based Intervention)
• Baer, Wolf & Risley (1968) (Seven Dimensions of ABA)
• Van Houten et al. (1988) (Right to Effective Behavioral Treatment)
• • at least 2 more peer-reviewed ABA sources
4. Writing expectations:
• Graduate-level writing
• Introductory paragraph and concluding paragraph required
• Clear, organized, professional tone
• Strong grammar, mechanics, and logical flow
• Uses ABA terminology correctly
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📌 STRUCTURE OF THE PAPER (WITH APA HEADINGS)
The paper must include the following sections in this order:
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1. Introduction
Write one paragraph that introduces:
• What the paper will cover
• Development of ABA
• Criticisms and benefits
• Recent advances
• The future of ABA
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2. Usefulness, Benefits, and Social Validity of ABA
(Argument #1)
In this section, the writer must:
• Explain why ABA is useful and effective
• Discuss benefits of ABA for individuals with autism and other disabilities
• Explain the importance of evidence-based, data-driven treatment
• Discuss ABA’s social validity
• Integrate and cite:
• Van Houten et al., 1988 (“Right to Effective Behavioral Treatment”)
• Describe how ABA improves quality of life
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3. Responding to Concerns About ABA
(Argument #2)
Using Leaf et al. (2022), the writer must:
• Identify common concerns/misconceptions about ABA
• Explain historical unwanted effects from early ABA (e.g., rigidity, too much compliance training, past use of punishment, lack of autonomy)
• Explain how modern ABA addresses these concerns, including:
• Assent-based practices
• Trauma-assumed approaches
• Emphasis on reinforcement
• Individualized treatment
• Client dignity and choice
• Use citations from the article
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4. Conclusion on ABA as a Socially Valid Treatment
The writer must:
• Combine arguments #1 and #2
• Provide a final conclusion on whether ABA is appropriate, ethical, effective, and socially valid today
• Support the conclusion with readings and citations
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5. Five Recent Developments in ABA
The writer must:
• Identify five recent developments reviewed in the course
Examples include (choose any five your course covered):
• Assent-based, compassionate ABA
• Trauma-informed ABA
• Telehealth ABA services
• ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Training)
• Modern functional assessment (IISCA)
• Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBI)
• Technology integration (apps, digital data collection)
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion in ABA
• For each development:
• Name it
• Briefly describe what it is
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6. How ABA Has Evolved Through These Developments
For each of the five developments, the writer must:
• Explain how it changed or evolved ABA practice
• Provide a specific example of ABA practice before and after that development
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7. Seven Dimensions of ABA (Baer et al., 1968)
Briefly describe each dimension (1–2 sentences each):
1. Applied
2. Behavioral
3. Analytic
4. Technological
5. Conceptually Systematic
6. Effective
7. Generality (Generalization)
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8. Apply the Seven Dimensions to One Recent Development
The writer must:
• Choose ONE of the five developments
• Explain HOW it meets EACH of the seven dimensions
(All seven must be individually addressed.)
• Explain if there are any limitations or ways the development does not perfectly support a dimension
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9. Future of ABA: Growth and Change
The writer must:
• Identify important areas where ABA needs to grow
• Discuss improvements needed in:
• Practice
• Ethics
• Methods
• Outcomes
• Compassion
• Accessibility
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10. Multiculturalism and Diversity in ABA
The writer must:
• Explain how growth in diversity and multicultural competence will:
• Improve treatment
• Strengthen client–practitioner relationships
• Increase social validity
• Lead to better outcomes
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11. Philosophical Foundations and Continuing Expansion
The writer must:
• Analyze how ABA’s core philosophy (behaviorism, environmental relations, data-based decisions)
will allow ABA to continue evolving without losing its scientific foundation
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12. Areas Where ABA Should Not Change
The writer must:
• Give a supported opinion on aspects of ABA that must remain constant, such as:
• Data-driven decision making
• Ethical guidelines
• Emphasis on effectiveness
• Scientific foundations
• Functional analysis of behavior
Use citations to support this section.
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13. Conclusion Paragraph
The writer must:
• Summarize the full paper
• Reinforce ABA’s strengths, evolution, future, and scientific foundation
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📌 Final Requirement: Reference Page
• Must include at least 5 peer-reviewed sources
• Must be in correct APA 7 format
• Should include all sources cited in the paper