Victor Carrascal
Program: MSc. in Health Services Management. Universidad de Santander, Colombia
Thesis title: Effectiveness of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) therapy in children from 5 to 16 years diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during 6-month in a health institution of Cucuta, 2015.
Graduation year: 2015
Abstract
Objective: To establish the effectiveness of Applied Behaviour Analysis ABA therapy among a population of 5 to 16 years diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), applied for 6 months in the city of Cucuta IPS, 2015.
Methodology: A quasi-experimental design was used to compare the before and after of the ABA therapy. The Barthel scale was used to evaluate functionality. We included 9 boys and 3 girls diagnosed with ASD aged between 5 and 16 years attending a psychology and therapy Center.
Results: Although the sample was small, the median of the Barthel index increased after the intervention. Moreover, after the intervention, 100% of the participants had bowel control and 83.3% had urinary control. No participant was found with severe dependence, 25% had mild dependence, and 75% had a moderate dependency.
Conclusion: ABA therapy can be applied in patients with disruptive behavior, where the prevalence of age and the severity of the diagnosis does not play a major role.
Co-supervisors: Juan Carlos Uribe, Adriana Angarita-Fonsecca