When parents first hear about applied behavior analysis, they often have one basic question: What is ABA therapy, and what can it do for my child?
ABA therapy helps children learn skills that can make everyday life easier. Depending on the child, therapy may focus on communicating wants and needs, navigating challenging situations, participating in routines, interacting with others, practicing safety skills, or increasing independence.
ABA should not look the same for every autistic child. A Board Certified Behavior Analyst, or BCBA, assesses the child’s strengths and needs and works with the family to identify meaningful goals.
At Circle City ABA, we use individualized, play-based ABA therapy to help children practice skills through activities and routines that fit their age and development.
What Is ABA Therapy?
Applied behavior analysis, commonly called ABA, uses principles of learning and behavior to teach skills and understand behavior.
ABA therapists look at what a child can already do, where they need support, and what skills could improve their daily life. They then create opportunities for the child to practice those skills and measure progress over time.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes ABA as a behavioral treatment approach that can encourage desired behaviors and teach a variety of skills. ABA programs can address areas such as language, communication, social skills, and daily functioning. (cdc.gov)
Modern ABA can also happen during natural activities, not only through structured teaching. A child might practice communication while playing with bubbles, taking turns during a game, or requesting help during a daily routine.
What Is ABA Therapy Used for With Communication?
Communication is one area ABA therapy may address.
Children need ways to tell other people what they want, need, like, and do not like. They also need ways to ask for help, make choices, and communicate when they need a break.
Communication does not always mean spoken words. Some children communicate through gestures, pictures, signs, or augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).
For example, imagine a child wants a favorite toy but cannot easily communicate that request. Their therapist might create opportunities to practice asking for the toy in a way that works for that child.
As the child develops the skill, the team can practice it with different people and during different activities.
The goal is functional communication that helps the child express themselves more effectively in everyday life.
How Does ABA Therapy Address Behavior?
Parents may also consider ABA when certain behaviors make everyday activities difficult or create safety concerns.
ABA does more than focus on stopping a behavior.
A BCBA can look at what happens before and after the behavior and gather information about why it may be occurring. The team can then teach skills that give the child another way to communicate or navigate the situation.
For example, imagine a child becomes upset when it is time to leave the playground. The team might explore whether the child needs more support understanding the transition, communicating that they want more time, or knowing what comes next.
Therapy might then include practicing a visual schedule, requesting more time, asking for a break, or moving between preferred and less preferred activities.
The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development explains that behavioral approaches can help identify what happens before and after behaviors and use that information to teach new skills. (nichd.nih.gov)
How Can ABA Therapy Support School Readiness?
School readiness involves much more than knowing letters, numbers, or colors.
Children also use communication, independence, social, and routine-based skills throughout the school day.
Depending on the child’s needs, ABA therapy may help them practice skills such as:
- Following simple routines
- Moving between activities
- Asking for help
- Communicating needs
- Participating in group activities
- Cleaning up materials
- Waiting
- Taking turns
- Keeping track of belongings
- Completing simple tasks
For example, a child preparing for kindergarten might practice following a visual schedule. Another child may work on cleaning up after an activity before moving to the next one.
ABA is not a replacement for school or special education. Instead, therapy can address individualized skills that may help a child participate in classroom and everyday routines.
The American Academy of Pediatrics discusses the role of behavioral interventions in supporting communication, adaptive skills, social development, and learning for autistic children. (publications.aap.org)
What Is ABA Therapy Used for With Social Skills?
Social goals can look different for every child.
ABA therapy may provide opportunities to practice skills that help children communicate and participate with other people. Depending on the child, this could include taking turns, joining a game, sharing materials, asking someone to play, solving a problem, or communicating that they need space.
Play can create natural opportunities to practice these skills.
A board game might help a child practice waiting and taking turns. Building with LEGOs can create opportunities to share materials, make requests, and solve problems together.
Social skills therapy should not focus on making an autistic child act exactly like their peers. Goals should support meaningful communication, relationships, participation, and self-advocacy based on the individual child’s needs.
Can ABA Therapy Help With Daily Living Skills?
ABA therapy can also help children practice skills they use every day.
Daily living goals may include:
- Getting dressed
- Brushing teeth
- Washing hands
- Using utensils
- Following a morning routine
- Cleaning up
- Organizing belongings
- Preparing a simple snack
- Practicing bathroom routines
- Completing basic household responsibilities
Therapists can break larger routines into smaller, more manageable steps.
Consider handwashing. A child may need to turn on the water, wet their hands, use soap, scrub, rinse, turn off the water, and dry their hands.
The therapist can identify which parts the child already completes and where they need help. As the child develops the skill, the therapist can gradually adjust the level of support.
How Does ABA Therapy Build Greater Independence?
Independence looks different at every age.
A toddler might work on choosing between two activities. A school-age child may practice gathering their belongings before leaving. A teenager might work on personal care, preparing food, following a schedule, or completing household routines.
The goal is not to make every child independent in the same way.
Instead, the clinical team identifies useful skills based on the child’s abilities, needs, age, preferences, and family priorities.
As children develop new skills, their ABA goals should change.
How Are ABA Therapy Goals Chosen?
ABA therapy begins with understanding the individual child.
A BCBA completes an assessment and talks with the family about their child’s strengths, needs, routines, preferences, and priorities. The BCBA can use this information to develop an individualized treatment plan.
For one family, communication may be the biggest priority. Another family may need support with safety or daily routines.
Goals should also change over time. If a child learns a skill or the family’s priorities change, the BCBA can review the treatment plan and decide what comes next.
Parents should feel comfortable asking why a goal was selected and how it connects to their child’s everyday life.
FAQ About What ABA Therapy Is Used For
Is ABA therapy only for behavior problems?
No. ABA can address communication, social skills, safety, daily living routines, school readiness, independence, and other individualized skills in addition to behaviors that affect everyday life.
Can ABA therapy help a child communicate?
ABA may help children practice functional communication skills. Communication can include spoken language, gestures, pictures, signs, or AAC depending on the child’s needs.
Does ABA help prepare children for school?
ABA can address skills that children may use during school, such as communicating needs, following routines, transitioning between activities, participating in groups, and completing everyday tasks. ABA does not replace educational services.
Is ABA therapy the same for every autistic child?
No. ABA therapy should be individualized. Treatment goals, strategies, schedules, and progress can vary significantly from one child to another.
Is ABA only for young children?
No. ABA principles can support meaningful skills throughout childhood. Goals should change based on the child’s age, development, needs, and priorities.
Learn What ABA Therapy Could Look Like for Your Child
So, what is ABA therapy used for? The answer depends on your child.
ABA may support communication, social skills, behavior, safety, school readiness, daily living skills, and greater independence. The specific goals should reflect what is useful and meaningful for the individual child and family.
Circle City ABA provides individualized, play-based ABA therapy for children ages 18 months through 17 years. Our BCBAs work with families to create treatment plans based on each child’s strengths, needs, preferences, and goals.
If you are considering ABA therapy, contact Circle City ABA at 317-641-0204 or visit circlecityaba.com. Our admissions team can answer questions, help verify insurance benefits, explain the assessment process, and help you find a Circle City ABA location near you.
Circle City ABA serves families in Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, and Nebraska.
Please note: ABA therapy is individualized. Goals, treatment recommendations, schedules, and progress vary based on each child’s strengths, needs, preferences, and family priorities. ABA is not automatically the right service for every autistic child.
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Treatment and Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Provides an overview of behavioral approaches, including ABA, and the skills autism interventions may address. https://www.cdc.gov/autism/treatment/
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: Behavioral Management Therapy for Autism. Explains behavioral approaches, including examining what happens before and after behavior and teaching new skills. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/autism/conditioninfo/treatments/behavioral-management
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Identification, Evaluation, and Management of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Discusses individualized intervention, communication, social skills, adaptive skills, family involvement, and progress monitoring. https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/145/1/e20193447/36917/Identification-Evaluation-and-Management-of
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: Autism Spectrum Disorder Treatments. Provides information about behavioral, educational, and other interventions used to support autistic children. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/autism/conditioninfo/treatments
