Applied Behavior Analysis for Children with Neurogenetic Disorders

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a behaviorally based intervention approach that has significant implications for improving outcomes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Despite its broad utility as an effective instructional tool, it has been implemented mostly with behaviorally diagnosed conditions, such as autism and emotionalebehavioral disorders. Individuals with neurogenetic syndromes, such as Down syndrome, have behavioral profiles that are probabilistically unique to that syndrome, but that also share considerable overlap in cognitive, language, and adaptive abilities with developmental disorders that ABA has proven efficacy for, such as autism. Application of ABA for individuals with neurogenetic conditions thus far, has been limited primarily to addressing challenging behavior. The utility of ABA as a comprehensive, developmentally appropriate, early and intensive behavioral intervention for individuals with neurogenetic syndromes is discussed. Further research on the efficacy and utility of ABA as an early intensive behavioral intervention for children with neurogenetic disorders is critical and necessary to move toward innovative early interventions for this population.