ABA Therapy Glossary

A scientific approach to understanding and changing behavior. ABA uses data-driven methods and positive reinforcement to help individuals develop skills and reduce challenging behaviors. It is the most widely researched and effective treatment for autism spectrum disorder.

A data collection method that records the Antecedent (what happened before), Behavior (what the person did), and Consequence (what happened after). ABC data helps behavior analysts understand why behaviors occur and how to address them.

An event or stimulus that occurs immediately before a behavior. Understanding antecedents helps identify what triggers specific behaviors and how to prevent or modify them.

A developmental condition that affects communication, social interaction, and behavior. ASD exists on a spectrum, meaning symptoms and severity vary widely between individuals. ABA therapy is the most evidence-based treatment for ASD.

A master's-level professional who has completed specific coursework, supervised experience, and passed a certification exam. BCBAs design, implement, and oversee ABA treatment programs. They are qualified to conduct assessments and develop individualized treatment plans.

A bachelor's-level professional who works under the supervision of a BCBA. BCaBAs can implement behavior assessment and treatment plans but require ongoing supervision for their work.

A written plan that outlines strategies to address challenging behaviors. A BIP is based on a Functional Behavior Assessment and includes proactive strategies, replacement behaviors, and response procedures.

The initial measurement of a behavior before intervention begins. Baseline data provides a starting point to compare progress once treatment starts.

A teaching technique that breaks complex skills into smaller steps and teaches them in sequence. Forward chaining teaches steps from the beginning, while backward chaining starts with the last step.

What happens immediately after a behavior occurs. Consequences influence whether a behavior is likely to happen again. They can be reinforcing (increasing behavior) or punishing (decreasing behavior).

A structured teaching method that breaks skills into small, distinct parts. Each trial has a clear beginning, middle, and end with immediate feedback. DTT is effective for teaching new skills in a controlled setting.

The systematic recording of behavior observations during ABA therapy. Data is used to track progress, make treatment decisions, and demonstrate outcomes to families and insurance companies.

A verbal operant where a person repeats what they hear. Teaching echoics helps children learn to imitate sounds and words, which is foundational for language development.

A procedure where reinforcement that was previously maintaining a behavior is no longer provided. This can lead to a temporary increase in the behavior (extinction burst) before it decreases.

A systematic process to identify the function (purpose) of challenging behaviors. FBAs gather information through observation, interviews, and data analysis to understand why a behavior occurs and how to address it effectively.

The purpose a behavior serves for an individual. The four main functions are: attention (social interaction), escape (avoidance), access to tangibles (items/activities), and automatic (sensory stimulation).

The ability to use learned skills across different settings, people, and situations. Effective ABA therapy programs specifically target generalization so skills learned in therapy transfer to real-world situations.

A visual representation of behavior data over time. Graphs help behavior analysts identify trends, make treatment decisions, and communicate progress to families and other team members.

A naturalistic teaching strategy that uses the child's interests and motivation to create learning opportunities throughout the day. Similar to Natural Environment Training (NET).

A verbal operant involving conversational exchanges where the response is not a direct repetition of what was said. For example, answering 'What's your name?' or completing 'Twinkle twinkle little...'

A verbal operant for requesting. Mands are motivated by a want or need (like asking for water when thirsty). Teaching manding is often a priority in ABA therapy because it gives children a way to communicate their needs.

The continuation of learned skills over time after active teaching has stopped. ABA programs include maintenance procedures to ensure skills remain in the child's repertoire.

A teaching technique where the therapist demonstrates the desired behavior for the child to imitate. Modeling is used to teach various skills including social, communication, and play skills.

A teaching approach that uses the natural environment and child's interests to create learning opportunities. NET makes learning functional and promotes generalization by teaching skills where they naturally occur.

The removal of an unpleasant stimulus following a behavior, which increases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again. Often confused with punishment, but negative reinforcement actually strengthens behavior.

The process of associating the therapist with positive experiences and reinforcement. Pairing builds rapport and makes the therapist a preferred person, which improves the child's motivation to engage in therapy.

Adding something pleasant following a behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior happening again. This is the primary tool used in ABA therapy to teach new skills and strengthen desired behaviors.

Assistance given to help a child perform a target behavior. Types include verbal prompts (telling them what to do), gestural prompts (pointing), model prompts (showing them), and physical prompts (hand-over-hand assistance).

Systematically reducing prompts over time so the child can perform skills independently. Proper prompt fading prevents prompt dependency and ensures true skill acquisition.

A naturalistic intervention that targets 'pivotal' areas of development like motivation, response to multiple cues, self-management, and initiation. Improvements in pivotal areas lead to improvements in other related areas.

A paraprofessional who has completed RBT training requirements and passed a certification exam. RBTs work directly with clients under the supervision of a BCBA to implement behavior intervention plans.

A consequence that increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again. Reinforcement is the foundation of ABA therapy and can be positive (adding something pleasant) or negative (removing something unpleasant).

Any stimulus that, when delivered following a behavior, increases the future likelihood of that behavior. Reinforcers are individualized to each child and can include praise, toys, activities, or treats.

An appropriate behavior that serves the same function as a challenging behavior. Teaching replacement behaviors is a key component of behavior intervention plans.

A cue that signals when reinforcement is available for a specific behavior. For example, a teacher saying 'Sit down' is an SD that signals sitting will be reinforced.

A teaching procedure that reinforces successive approximations toward a target behavior. Shaping is useful for teaching complex behaviors by starting with what the child can do and gradually increasing requirements.

Structured teaching to help individuals develop appropriate social behaviors and interactions. This may include turn-taking, conversation skills, reading social cues, and developing friendships.

A verbal operant for labeling or naming things in the environment. Tacting involves seeing, hearing, or sensing something and saying what it is (like saying 'dog' when seeing a dog).

Breaking a complex skill into smaller, teachable steps. Task analysis makes it easier to teach and track progress on multi-step skills like getting dressed or brushing teeth.

A reinforcement system where tokens are earned for desired behaviors and can be exchanged for preferred items or activities. Token economies help children learn delayed gratification and are commonly used in ABA therapy.

A criterion-referenced assessment tool used to evaluate language and social skills in children with autism. VB-MAPP guides treatment planning by identifying skills to target and current ability levels.

B.F. Skinner's analysis of language based on its function rather than its form. Verbal behavior includes mands (requests), tacts (labels), echoics (repeating), and intraverbals (conversational responses).