What is ABA?

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is a framework for evidence-based practices that guides how we change our behaviours based on events that happen in our environment, and it has seven core elements. While some people associate ABA with a specific type of program, such as Discrete Trial Training (DTT), it ranges from child-directed, play-based interventions to structured adult-driven table tasks, all to address the deficits and difficulties in learning that children with autism may face. When an ABA program is selected, its components address specific skills for the child. There are four stages of learning that everyone goes through when learning a new skill: acquisition, fluency, maintenance, and generalization. ABA provides specific teaching strategies to target skills that bridge the gap between individuals' desired competence and current level.