- ABA uses learning science to teach skills and understand behavior. - It should be designed and supervised by a BCBA, with goals you agree on. - It's well researched and also debated. Style and provider matter a lot. - Look for play-based, child-led sessions that respect your child's signals.
What is ABA therapy?
Applied behavior analysis studies how people learn: what happens before a behavior, the behavior itself, and what happens after.1 In autism support, ABA is used to:
- Teach skills, like asking for help, taking turns, dressing or using the toilet
- Understand hard behaviors, like hitting or running off, by figuring out what they communicate
- Replace unsafe behaviors with other ways to get the same need met
The NIH lists behavioral approaches, including ABA, among the main types of autism support.2
What does an ABA session look like?
It depends a lot on the provider and your child's age. Common features:
- A BCBA assesses your child, sets goals with you, and supervises.
- A behavior technician (often an RBT) works directly with your child, at home, in a clinic or at school.
- Sessions often use play and your child's interests to practice skills, with lots of encouragement.
- Progress is tracked with data, and goals are updated.
- Parent training teaches you strategies to use in daily routines.
Why is ABA debated?
Some autistic adults and advocates are critical of ABA. Common concerns are that older, rigid styles focused on making children look less autistic, pushed kids to sit still or make eye contact, ignored distress, or ran too many hours.
Many BCBAs agree some past practices were harmful, and practice has changed. The field's ethics code requires providers to put the client's welfare first and involve families.3 Still, quality varies a lot between providers, so it's worth asking questions.
What should I ask an ABA provider?
- "What goals would you set, and why?"
- "How do you respect my child's signals and choices?"
- "How much is play-based or naturalistic?"
- "How often does the BCBA see my child, and can I watch?"
- Goals that stop harmless stimming or force eye contact
- Ignoring crying or distress to finish a task
- Not allowing parents to observe
- Hours recommended without explaining why
Is ABA right for my child?
It may be a good fit if your child has specific skills to build or behaviors that aren't safe, and you find a provider whose approach feels respectful. It's not the only option: speech therapy, occupational therapy and developmental approaches help many children too. See What therapies and supports help autistic kids?
Trust what you see. If your child seems stressed, dreads sessions or is losing their spark, raise it with the BCBA, and it's OK to change course.
What can I do this week?
0 of 4 done
New to all of this? Start with What is autism?