Understanding ABA Techniques: A Practical Guide
- Ashleigh
- Aug 4
- 8 min read
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a widely recognized therapeutic approach to teaching skills and modifying behavior. ABA clinicians use several different techniques during therapy sessions to promote the best possible outcomes.
This article will explore some of the core ABA strategies and concepts, how they work, and practical ways BCBAs and RBTs utilize these techniques. It's intended for anyone new to ABA therapy or those who want a refresher on some key terms.
What is ABA?
ABA, or Applied Behavior Analysis, is based on the science of behavior and learning. This approach focuses on understanding how the environment influences behavior. It’s often used to teach new skills and reduce behaviors that interfere with learning or daily life.
ABA is most commonly associated with working with autistic children. However, it's not exclusively applied to those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Behavior is everywhere, which means work settings for ABA clinicians can be anywhere. Well, anywhere the funding flows, at least. The majority of clinicians work in clients' homes, in clinics, and in schools.
ABA Is Growing Beyond Autism
Traditionally, ABA has been viewed by many as "autism therapy," but behavior analysis is far more than that. In recent years, an increasing number of researchers and clinicians are applying ABA principles in new and creative ways, in schools, mental health settings, organizations, and even fitness and wellness programs.
Here are just a few places ABA is making an impact beyond autism:
Education: Supporting students with behavior plans, classroom management, and skill-building in schools.
Organizational Behavior Management (OBM): Improving staff performance, safety, and morale in workplaces.
Rehab and Geriatrics: Helping patients stick to treatment plans or improve functional independence.
Parent Training & Family Support: Coaching families to use evidence-based strategies at home to support their child's challenging behaviors and skill development.
Types of ABA Professionals
ABA therapy is typically delivered by a team of trained professionals. These include:
Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs): BCBAs are master's-level clinicians who assess behavior, write treatment plans, create interventions, and oversee the implementation of ABA programs. The BCBA is a family's primary contact for questions and concerns about treatment.
(Board Certified assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBAs): BCaBAs are assistant behavior analysts who support the work of BCBAs. They assist with program implementation, training, supervision, and data analysis under the supervision of a BCBA. Not all companies employ BCaBAs or other mid-level providers.
Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs): RBTs work directly with clients, most often in a 1:1 capacity, to carry out treatment plan goals. They’re most often the ones providing day-to-day care for their learners, under the supervision of a BCBA.
Interested in getting into the ABA field, but not sure if becoming an RBT is right for you? Take a look at this article, Is Becoming an RBT Right for Me?
Skill Areas Addressed in ABA
ABA therapists can target a wide range of skills, including:
Social skills
Communication skills
Daily living skills
Play & Leisure
Academic readiness skills
Safety awareness
Emotional regulation
Understanding ABA Techniques
There are several different ABA therapy techniques and strategies that clinicians utilize. These techniques are based on the principles of behaviorism, which focus on how behaviors are learned and maintained through the environment.
The goal of ABA therapy sessions is to teach specific skills and increase positive behaviors while reducing "problem behaviors" that may be harmful or interfere with learning.
Let's break down some of the most common ABA techniques and how a behavior technician or other ABA clinician would use each of them. It's important to note that this is only a brief overview of the concepts. In practice, each of these can look vastly different, as treatment is individualized to each learner.
Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement entails adding something after a behavior, which increases the likelihood that the learner will engage in that behavior more in the future. In a therapy session, clinicians use positive reinforcement by giving the client something they're motivated by after they exhibit a desirable behavior or skill. It could be something tangible, like a toy, book, or another preferred item. It could also be attention (e.g., high 5s, verbal praise) or an activity (e.g., playing outside).
For example, imagine a client is working on mands (requests). They independently ask for tickles. The RBT then gives them tickles while praising them for asking. Because their request for tickles was reinforced, they'll be more likely to use that skill moving forward.
Prompting & Prompt Fading
To help an individual learn a skill, we prompt them. Prompting involves providing cues or assistance to support your learner in exhibiting the target skill. For example, if your client is learning to answer the question, "What's your name," the technician could provide a verbal prompt, vocally providing the answer. They might also use a textual (written) prompt.
There are many different types of prompts, including:
Verbal prompts
Gestural prompts
Physical prompts
Modeling
Time-delay prompts
Visual prompts
The key is to reduce prompts gradually to avoid dependence. This is called prompt fading. If certain behaviors are always prompted, the learner would likely fail to demonstrate them independently.
Shaping
Shaping entails systematically reinforcing closer approximations of a target behavior. For example, imagine you're working on communication skills with your client. The goal is for your client to request preferred items by saying, "I want (item)." Because they're not yet ready for that, they need that goal broken down into smaller more manageable steps. So, you shape this skill by first teaching and reinforcing when your client asks for something by just saying the name of it (e.g., "Juice?"). Once they master that, you move on to the successive approximation of the target behavior, which is, "Want (item)." When they can consistently ask for things using that request, you move on to the final, end goal, which is, "I want (item)."
Task Analysis & Chaining
A task analysis involves breaking a complex task into smaller steps. Let’s take tying shoes as an example. While it may seem like a single skill, it's actually a complex task that involves multiple steps. Here's a sample task analysis of tying shoes.
Pick up one lace in each hand
Cross the laces to form an “X”
Tuck one lace under the other and pull tight
Make a loop with one lace
Wrap the other lace around the loop
Pull it through the hole
Tighten both loops
Once a task is broken down, the ABA clinician uses a chaining procedure to teach the steps in the correct order.
There are three main types of chaining:
Forward chaining: Start with the first step. The learner demonstrates the first step, while the technician prompts them through the remaining steps. Once they master the first step without prompts, they move on to doing the first and second steps independently.
Backward chaining: The technician prompts them through all steps except the last, which the learner practices demonstrating on their own. As the last step is mastered, the technician fades help from the step before, and so on.
Total task chaining: The learner attempts all steps in sequence, receiving help only as needed.
Chaining promotes independence and gives learners a clear path to mastering many complex, everyday skills.
Discrete Trial Training (DTT)
Discrete trial training (DTT) is a structured method of teaching skills within ABA. DTT utilizes repetition and breaks learning down into clear, concise steps.
Each discrete trial follows a three-part format:
SD/Instruction + Prompt, if needed: The technician gives a clear direction or question (e.g., “Point to the ball”). If a prompt is needed for the learner to evoke the correct response, the tech would also deliver a prompt at this step.
Response: The learner responds to the instruction, either correctly or incorrectly. If they don't respond at all, that's considered an incorrect response.
Consequence: The technician provides immediate feedback, either by reinforcing success (e.g., verbal praise, sticker, preferred activity) or going through the error correction procedure.
Example:
If you're teaching a child to identify colors, a DTT trial would look like this:
Instruction: “Point to red.”
Response: The child points to the red card.
Consequence: "Woohoo, that IS red. High-five!"
Natural Environment Teaching (NET)
Natural Environment Teaching is another teaching modality, though much less structured. During NET sessions, the technician uses a learner's natural motivation and implements learning targets embedded within their natural environment. There are countless skills that can be taught through naturalistic teaching methods. Teaching in this way can increase generalization, promoting more positive outcomes.
Whether a clinician uses DTT, NET, or another teaching modality will depend on the learner's unique needs and the clinician's expertise. Many clinicians use a combination of approaches depending on the specific skills they're targeting.
Functional communication training
Functional Communication Training (FCT) is an ABA technique focused on replacing "negative behaviors" with more appropriate communication skills. By identifying the function of a behavior, clinicians can teach their learners alternative ways to express their needs. For example, if a client throws things to get out of a non-preferred task, FCT might consist of teaching them to request a break when they're feeling overwhelmed. This helps them replace the "inappropriate" behavior with a more acceptable way to meet the same need.
Extinction and Differential Reinforcement
Extinction involves withholding the reinforcement that previously maintained a challenging behavior to reduce or eliminate that behavior. In other words, if a behavior used to “work” to get something, like attention or a preferred item, and that outcome is no longer provided, the behavior is placed on extinction and will decrease over time.
While extinction can be effective at reducing a behavior, it doesn't teach the learner what they should do instead. Because of this, it should be paired with differential reinforcement. Differential reinforcement involves increasing desirable behaviors through reinforcement while simultaneously reducing undesirable ones, typically through extinction.
Token Economy
A token economy is a type of reinforcement system, where the individual earns tokens, which they can "cash in" for back-up reinforcers. For example, a child earns stars for keeping his hands and feet to himself (i.e., no aggression). Once he earns 15 tokens, he can redeem them for a trip to the park.
Applications of ABA Techniques in Everyday Life
Implementing ABA techniques is not limited to therapy sessions. Behavior is everywhere around us. These techniques can be integrated into daily routines to support learning and behavior change across settings. Here are a few examples of the application of ABA techniques in everyday life.
At Home: Parents use positive reinforcement to encourage chore completion, resulting in their child completing chores independently.
At School: Teachers implement token economies to motivate students to participate in class activities and complete assignments. Many teachers use apps like Class Dojo for their token systems.
In the Community: A caregiver may prepare their child for transitions in the community with visual supports, like a visual schedule.
In the Workplace: In places of employment, organizations use many ABA techniques to motivate staff and improve morale. There is a whole subspecialty of ABA focused on organizational behavior management (OBM).
Tips for Success with ABA Therapy
Whether you're a parent whose child is attending ABA therapy or a clinician working in the field, here are a few tips to maximize success.
Consistency is key: Use the same techniques across settings and people. Ensure parents, caregivers, therapists, and educators are aligned in their implementation of strategies.
Individualize your approach: While we have many research-backed strategies, no single approach should be a one-size-fits-all. Tailor techniques to the learner's and family's preferences and needs.
Follow the data: The data should lead the way. Monitor progress closely to ensure ongoing progress and modify programs as needed.
Collaborate: Many people can offer valuable insights into a learner's needs. Collaborate as a team with ABA therapists, parents, educators, and other providers (e.g., SLPs, OTs, etc.).
Be patient: Behavior change takes time and persistence. It may not happen overnight.
Putting It All Together
Utilizing ABA techniques empowers clinicians and families to make meaningful progress toward behavior change and skill development. ABA is not just a therapy. It’s a framework for teaching, understanding, and improving human behavior. And when it's implemented with care, collaboration, and creativity, it can open the door to lasting change.
Searching for a position in the ABA field? Check out the ABA Job Board, your bridge to a fulfilling career in behavior analysis.
References
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2019). Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd Edition). Hoboken, NJ: Pearson Education.
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