Ole Ivar Lovaas

Ole Ivar Løvaas PhD (8 May 1927 – 2 August 2010) was a Norwegian-American clinical psychologist and professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He is considered to be pioneer within the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA) through his development of Discrete trial teaching (DTT), and was the first to provide evidence that the behavior of children with autism can be modified through teaching. In 1999, the U.S. Office of the Surgeon General described Lovaas's techniques as having been shown to be efficacious at "reducing inappropriate behavior and in increasing communication, learning, and appropriate social behavior" which is based on thirty years of data.

Lovaas method

Dr. Ole Ivar Lovaas received his undergraduate degree in psychology in 1951 from Luther College and doctoral degree in clinical psychology in 1958 from the University of Washington where his work was influenced by prominent psychologists such as Sidney Bijou, Donald Baer, Montrose Wolf, Todd Risley and James Sherman. The decades of contributions Dr. Lovaas made to the field of applied research lead to him being known as “The Father of ABA.” Findings of independent peer reviewed and replicated research studies associated with the Lovaas method, have shown that 47% of children can achieve normal functioning and subsequently succeed in regular education without assistance, 43% will make significant progress but continue to demonstrate language delays, 10% will make little progress, though some have disputed these findings. In his original studies in the late 1950s aversives such as electric shock successfully treated many individuals engaging in extreme self-injury (eye gouging, head banging) whose life expectancy was reduced by secondary infection. Subsequent studies were on extinction methods, in which attention is given only when persons are not engaging in self-injury.

Lovaas model

The Lovaas model was developed by psychology professor Ole Ivar Lovaas at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and is a type of Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI). Using the science of Applied behavior analysis (ABA), the technique is carried out early in the development of children with autism and children with developmental-delays. It is the only therapy to have gone under approval by the United States Surgeon General's office in 1999. It involves discrete trial teaching, breaking skills down into their most basic components, rewarding positive performance with praise and reinforcers, and then "generalizing" skills in a naturalistic setting. By implementing the intervention for 30–40 hours a week, children under age five can gain language, academic, and basic living skills while some may fully recover. The technique is also noted for its previous use of aversives to punish unwanted behaviors.

"ABA," as it is referred to by the general public, evolved from an earlier practice called behavior modification. ABA is the application of behavior analysis based on the findings from the experimental analysis of behavior pioneered by B.F. Skinner in the 1930s. The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, which has been published since 1968, exclusively published research based on applied behavior analysis. Applied behavior analysis is the process of applying antecedents and consequences, as well as data collection and replacement behavior strategies to understand and change behavior.