Main Techniques Used in ABA Therapy

Q:
What are the main techniques used in ABA therapy?
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A:
The most effective ABA therapy programs use four core techniques, and I use them every single day with my clients. These are the strategies that take a non-verbal child from frustration to functional communication, or a teenager from daily meltdowns to independent living skills.

‍Positive Reinforcement
I’ve seen a child light up when they earned one marble for every time they used a new word. That jar became their progress tracker. Positive reinforcement means rewarding the exact behavior you want to see more often. It could be a toy, a snack, or time with a favorite activity. If it's meaningful to the child, it works.

‍Prompting
I once taught a child to use a fork starting with full physical assistance, then slowly reducing support until they did it on their own. That’s prompting. We guide the child through the action and fade support as they gain independence.

‍Shaping
One of my clients wanted full control of his reward board. We started small, reinforcing him for placing a single sticker. Then two. Eventually, he managed the entire token system by himself. That’s shaping: reinforcing small steps toward a bigger skill.

‍Task Analysis
Teaching a child to clean their room starts with picking up one toy. Then putting it in the right place. Then wiping down surfaces. That’s task analysis. We break the routine into small, teachable chunks and build from there.These tools work, and when they’re delivered consistently by a trained team and an involved parent, they change lives.
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More resources:
What is autism?
‍What is ABA?
How can ABA help?