Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) is a highly-structured and intensive form of one-to-one tuition which, advocates say, can bring about dramatic changes among children with autism, who are deprived of the building blocks of learning, such as imitation or the ability to make eye contact.
ABA helps to develop spoken language, reduce stereotypical behaviours associated with autism, and most importantly, to teach children how to learn.
Successive studies over the past 40 years show that the method can be substantially effective in children with autism, with almost half progressing to the point where they become indistinguishable from their peers.
However, there is not yet professional consensus on the benefits of ABA. Some critics point out that it offers little benefit to higher-functioning autistic children who do not need such a structured education.