1

Lahela Black

Professor Barnes

English Composition ll

19 January 2019

Research Proposal

This year, my junior year of high school, I am taking a class that most schools don’t have

called communication class. It is a class that helps kid who may need help with

social/communication skills, such as kids with autism. In the class I am what is called a peer

helper, I help the “targeted” kids in and out of the class to help them practice good social skills.

Out of all my classes in high school this is definitely my all time favorite. I love being able to

talk to and just become good friend with everyone in the class, and just being able to see the

progress they have all made with their communication skills. I also love how I am supposed to be

in there to help the kids who need it but I even learn so much in the class.

Since I am a junior this year, I have to start thinking about what college I want to go to, and

what I want my career path to be. I have been thinking and at first I wanted to become a pediatric

nurse, but then got to thinking and I really can’t stand blood so that is probably not a good career

for me. I also was thinking about being a counselor, which I would love to do, but I started to

think about being a ABA, Applied Behavior Analysis Therapist, which is what I do in the

communication class to help the students but I would do it everyday to help different kids. I

started to think how exactly does this help the brain and kids who need it, which lead me to my

research question. How does Applied Behavior Analysis therapy, help the brain and

communication skills that may not be known to some people, and more importantly help kids

with autism?
 2

I love being able to work with these kids each and every day. I can’t wait to be able to

research this topic so I can know more about what I would like my career to be. I think that this

therapy really helps kids and adults who need it, I can see the difference in many of the kids I

work with already. I think that having a therapy to help kid who need it is a wonderful thing to

have. I believe if a kid does this therapy for a long time it could really help. I believe that this

therapy will help kids find jobs and be able communicate better to help them do anything they

want. I know that it helps kids in some way. I also know that it is a very beneficial therapy to

everyone.

I know that this therapy helps in some way, I would really like to know how it help the brain

and what it does do to the brain, to change the communication behavior. How does this therapy

affect the brain? And what does it change to help the kids communication skills?