Ole Ivar Lovaas

O. Ivar Løvaas, Ph.D.
Born Ole Ivar Løvaas
8 May 1927
Lier, Norway
Died 2 August 2010
Nationality Norwegian
Occupation Clinical Psychology Professor
Employer University of California, Los Angeles - UCLA
Known for Lovaas technique, father of applied behavior analysis
Website
http://www.lovaas.com/

Ole Ivar Løvaas, Ph.D. (8 May 1927 – 2 August 2010)[1][2] was a clinical psychologist at UCLA. He is considered to be one of the fathers of applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy for autism through his development of the Lovaas technique and the first to provide evidence that the behavior of autistic children can be modified through teaching.[3][4] His method is the only modality approved by the Surgeon General's Office and has over thirty years of scientific research. In recent times, people refer to his method as ABA.

Contents

Lovaas method

Findings of independent peer reviewed studies show benefits associated with the Lovaas method.[5] Systematic reviews have also not found definitive evidence to support claims that the Lovaas method is superior to other active interventions.[6] (Please note that the article referenced merely accuses the Lovaas study of being inferior and does not support its claims) In his original studies in the late 1950s aversives such as electric shock successfully treated approximately 50% of individuals engaging in instances of extreme self-injury whose life expectancy was reduced by secondary infection. Subsequent studies relied on extinction, in these cases, giving attention when not engaging in self-injury.

Work with George Rekers on gender-variant children

In addition to his extensive work with autistic children, in the 1970s Lovaas co-authored four papers with George Rekers on children with atypical gender behaviors.[7][8][9][10] The subject of the first of these studies, a child of 4 years 11 months at the inception of treatment, committed suicide as an adult; his family attribute the suicide to this treatment.[7][11][12][13]

Bibliography

References

  1. ^ Autism Support Network
  2. ^ Campbell, Victoria. Pioneer in autism treatment dies,
  3. ^ Satcher, David. "Mental Health: A report of the Surgeon General". Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/chapter3/sec6.html#autism. Retrieved 2 April 2008. 
  4. ^ "Lovaas Revisited: Should we ever have left?", by Steve Buchman, bbbautism.com, Retrieved on 28 January 2009.
  5. ^ Sallows GO, Graupner TD (2005). "Intensive behavioral treatment for children with autism: four-year outcome and predictors". Am J Ment Retard 110 (6): 417–38. doi:10.1352/0895-8017(2005)110[417:IBTFCW]2.0.CO;2. PMID 16212446. 
  6. ^ Ospina, MB; Krebs Seida, J; Clark, B; Karkhaneh, M; Hartling, L et al. (2008). "Behavioural and Developmental Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Clinical Systematic Review". PLoS ONE 3 (11): e3755. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0003755. PMC 2582449. PMID 19015734. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=2582449. 
  7. ^ a b Rekers, George A.; Lovaas, O. Ivar (1974). "Behavioral Treatment of Deviant Sex-Role Behaviors in a Male Child". Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis 7 (2): 173–190. doi:10.1901/jaba.1974.7-173. PMC 1311956. PMID 4436165. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=1311956. Retrieved 9 June 2011. 
  8. ^ Rekers, George A.; Lovaas, O. Ivar; Low, Benson (June 1974). "The behavioral treatment of a "transsexual" preadolescent boy". Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 2 (2): 99–116. doi:10.1007/BF00919093. http://www.springerlink.com/content/rx7582l8r104r1l6/. Retrieved June 9, 2011. 
  9. ^ Rekers, George A.; Bentler, Peter M.; Rosen, Alexander C.; Lovaas, O. Ivar (Spring 1977). "Child gender disturbances: A clinical rationale for intervention". Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice 14 (1): 2–11. doi:10.1037/h0087487. http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/pst/14/1/2/. Retrieved June 9, 2011. 
  10. ^ Rekers, George A.; Rosen, Alexander C.; Lovaas, O. Ivar; Bentler, Peter M. (February 1978). "Sex-role stereotypy and professional intervention for childhood gender disturbance". Professional Psychology 9 (1): 127–136. doi:10.1037/0735-7028.9.1.127. http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/pro/9/1/127/. Retrieved 9 June 2011. 
  11. ^ Bronstein, Scott; Joseph, Jessi (7 June 2011). "Therapy to change 'feminine' boy created a troubled man, family says". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/07/sissy.boy.experiment/index.html. Retrieved 9 June 2011. 
  12. ^ Szalavitz, Maia (8 June 2011). "The 'Sissy Boy' Experiment: Why Gender-Related Cases Call for Scientists' Humility". Time. http://healthland.time.com/2011/06/08/the-sissy-boy-experiment-why-gender-related-cases-call-for-scientists-humility/. Retrieved 9 June 2011. 
  13. ^ Warren Throckmorton (9 June 2011). "Experts and Homosexuality: Don't Try This at Home". Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/warren-throckmorton-phd/experts-and-homosexuality_b_873017.html. Retrieved 9 June 2011. 

Further reading

External links