Dissemination of Applied Behavior Analysis Based Treatments for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Korean Parents Using Webinars

By SangWeon Aum, 2021 International Development Grant

SangWeon Aum, Ph.D., BCBA-D, the behavior services supervisor at Eden II Programs, in Staten Island, New York, was exposed to the discipline of behavior analysis in his first semester at Eastern Michigan University when taking the course of Experimental Analysis of Behavior. He has been working in the field of autism treatment since September 1996.

In Korea (the Republic of Korea), Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) based treatments for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have not been widely recognized as evidence-based treatments by their parents. The International Development Grant will be used to disseminate information about ABA-based treatment procedures to parents of children with ASD in Korea via webinars and electronically transmitted handouts. Specifically, the webinars will focus on teaching three crucial components of behavioral interventions: 1) reduction of problem behaviors; 2) improvements in social interaction and play skills; and 3) improvements in communication skills (e.g., mand, intraverbal skills). In addition to learning about these evidence-based interventions, parents will also be introduced to behavioral assessments (e.g., verbal behavior-based assessments) that will help them assess their children for skill deficits that would benefit from intervention. The webinars will be presented in the Korean language, and summary handouts will be provided to the parents electronically after each webinar. At the conclusion of each webinar, a social validity questionnaire will also be given to the parents in order to measure the acceptability of each presented ABA-based treatment.

The webinars are intended to increase parents’ awareness and understanding about ABA as an evidence-based treatment for ASD. In other words, parents participating in the webinars are expected to develop increased knowledge about effective methods of teaching their children at home and in the community.