The history of ABA in Italy: Between myths and false beliefs
Carlo Ricci, Eleonora Mattei
This paper proposes disproving two false beliefs about the diffusion in Italy of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) with particular reference to interventions on the Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The first one considers the ABA an innovative intervention which has only recently been included in the rehabilitation field; the second one believes that our country does not have a tradition of this type of intervention. We will show that ABA has a history of over half a century of clinical/rehabilitation practice supported by extensive evidence-based scientific research documentation despite being less widespread and often opposed in our country. Furthermore, the thesis that the history of ABA has evolved symmetrically both in Italy and the US is supported.
Keywords
Applied Behaviour Analysis, ABA, ASD, Behavioural Science.
