You must respect the child's unique developmental characteristics and timetable.

This remark made by Professor Kim Bung-nyeon of Seoul National University on a famous TV program is something I always keep in mind when planning lessons for children. I first encountered the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) while studying early childhood education in Seattle, USA, and working as a childcare teacher at a daycare center. Come to think of it, that was already over 10 years ago. It was during a consultation with my professor regarding certification that I mentioned I was also interested in special education, which led him to introduce me to Applied Behavior Analysis.

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Applied Behavior Analysis? While researching ABA, which was unfamiliar to me at the time, I was moved by the term "normalization" as defined within it. In ABA, normalization refers to an individual demonstrating the ability to set valuable goals in their life and proactively carry out actions to achieve them. For example, in the case of an individual with autism spectrum disorder, normalization means improving social interaction and communication skills to express their desires in daily life and developing the ability to achieve goals within the broader framework of society.

For so-called "typical" children exhibiting neurotypical development, normalization can be a natural outcome of development. However, for children in the autism spectrum or neurovariability categories, normalization requires treatment and substantial support tailored to their individual abilities and tendencies. To this end, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) sets personalized goals, plans behaviors to achieve them together, and provides consistent guidance and feedback to facilitate execution. Through this process, we help individuals develop the ability to solve problems independently and proactively manage their own lives. Since this ability is a process that repeats naturally and routinely in the lives of many people, it is easy to overlook its importance. However, for some, this path is not natural or comfortable; nevertheless, it is a task that requires continuous learning and effort to live in the world as a member of society. As this realization resonated deeply with me, I developed a desire to walk this path alongside children and be of help to them. Thus, I am striving to contribute to the education of children with developmental delays and disabilities by continuously learning to become an ABA specialist and acquiring additional professional qualifications to become a better therapist.

Having worked as an ABA therapist, it pains me to see stories or writings from people who mistakenly believe that Individual Trial Teaching (DTT), just one of many teaching methods, represents the entirety of ABA. This is because I, too, experienced conducting classes in a rigid tone within a strictly structured environment when I first began teaching ABA. There was even a time when I could not understand feedback from parents stating that a child who excelled in one-on-one sessions with me at the center would do nothing when told to do so at home. I reflect on whether this was due to my own shortcomings; as a novice teacher, my enthusiasm got the better of me, and I failed to incorporate child-centered generalizations into my lessons. I believe that the ability to help a child naturally utilize the skills learned through one-on-one instruction in their daily lives ultimately depends on the competence of the ABA therapist as a behavioral analyst. Now that I have entered my tenth year of special education and am studying for a doctoral degree, watching the children I met when they were just learning to walk now enter their teens, I believe that an educational approach that utilizes experiential learning methods and child-centered, naturalistic teaching methods in the right places within Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy is essential.

Reflecting these voices, Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention (NDBI), also known as the Early Start Denver Model or Early Denver Model ESDM, is currently gaining attention in developmental education settings both domestically and internationally. NDBI is a behavioral intervention methodology developed to promote children's natural development and learning; it is applied to children with developmental delays or disabilities and helps them effectively learn the skills and abilities required in everyday situations. As we lead the ABA team at AESOL Academy and discuss our shared goals, we all agreed that, above all, our education must be designed to enable children to discover their inherent qualities and strengths through their encounter with AESOL, allowing them to feel their daily lives and surroundings on their own and live connected lives. I hope that more children will meet me and the teachers at AESOL and form strong bonds with us.