Your child just got diagnosed, and now everyone is telling you about ABA therapy. But when you search for what it actually involves, you get vague descriptions and clinical jargon that doesn't help you picture what happens in a session.

What you really want to know is simple: what will my child's therapist actually do , and why does it work?

This guide breaks down 10 ABA therapy techniques that Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) use every day. For each one, you'll learn what it looks like in practice, why it works, and how it helps children with autism build skills they can use at home, at school, and in the community.

ABA therapy is not a single method — it's a collection of evidence-based techniques selected and combined based on each child's individual needs. The U.S. Surgeon General and the American Psychological Association both recognize ABA as a best-practice treatment for autism. The 10 techniques in this guide range from structured teaching methods like Discrete Trial Training to play-based approaches like Natural Environment Teaching and Pivotal Response Training. Modern ABA looks nothing like the rigid table drills of the 1960s. Today's programs are individualized, play-based, and focused on building skills your child will actually use in everyday life.

Applied Behavior Analysis is built on one core idea: behavior is shaped by what happens before it (the antecedent) and what happens after it (the consequence). Therapists call this the ABC model — Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence.

That sounds clinical, but in practice it means something very specific. If a child screams to get a snack, a BCBA asks three questions: What triggered the screaming? What did the child get out of it? And how can we teach a better way to get the same result? That's the ABC model at work.

Before any therapy begins, a BCBA conducts a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) to understand your child's specific strengths, challenges, and motivators. From that assessment, they build a personalized Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) that selects the right combination of techniques — not a one-size-fits-all program.

The evidence behind this approach is substantial. According to Autism Speaks, more than 20 studies have established that intensive ABA therapy — typically 25 to 40 hours per week over one to three years — leads to measurable gains in intellectual functioning, language development, daily living skills, and social functioning. The U.S. Surgeon General and the American Psychological Association have both recognized ABA as an evidence-based best practice treatment for autism.

A 2025 white paper from the Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP) added further detail: outcomes are consistently linked to treatment intensity, with measurable improvements in adaptive behavior, IQ, and autism severity scores across multiple intensity levels ranging from 5–12 hours per week up to 26–40 hours per week.

Before we get into specific techniques, let's clear up three misconceptions that cause the most confusion for parents researching ABA.

ABA is not table drills all day. The earliest version of ABA, developed in the 1960s by Dr. O. Ivar Lovaas, relied heavily on structured table work. Modern ABA looks nothing like this. According to the Child Mind Institute, most ABA programs today are play-based, and therapists are trained to be animated and engaging. Discrete Trial Training (covered below) is still one tool in the toolbox, but it's typically used in short bursts interspersed with play — not as an all-day format.

ABA does not use punishment. The earliest ABA methods did include aversive techniques. That practice has been eliminated. Cleveland Clinic notes that while ABA has received criticism for its early methods, modern programs focus entirely on positive reinforcement and skill-building.

ABA does not try to make your child "normal." A common concern among parents and autism advocates is whether ABA attempts to suppress who a child is. In practice, ABA targets what clinicians call "socially significant behaviors" — skills that affect your child's safety, independence, and ability to communicate their needs. The goal is to give your child more tools to navigate the world on their terms, not to eliminate the traits that make them who they are.

Positive reinforcement is the foundation of every ABA program. The principle: when a child does something you want to see more of and receives something they value — praise, a favorite toy, a preferred activity — they're more likely to do it again.

What makes this effective in ABA specifically is the individualization. A BCBA identifies what motivates your child, not children in general. One child might light up for bubbles. Another for a specific song on a tablet. The therapist finds that motivator and uses it strategically. Over time, reinforcement is gradually faded so the child maintains the behavior on their own.

Autism Speaks identifies positive reinforcement as one of the main strategies used in ABA, noting that rewards are always tied to a specific target behavior identified by the BCBA.

DTT is the most structured technique on this list. It breaks complex skills into small, individual steps and teaches each one through repeated practice. Each "trial" follows a clear pattern: the therapist gives an instruction, the child responds, the therapist provides immediate feedback.

The CDC specifically identifies DTT as a core ABA teaching style, describing it as a method that uses step-by-step instructions to teach desired behaviors, with lessons broken into their simplest parts and correct responses rewarded.

DTT is especially effective for foundational skills — identifying colors, shapes, letters, and numbers, or building receptive and expressive language. Because each trial is brief and focused, a child can practice a skill dozens of times in a single session, which accelerates learning.

The misconception worth addressing: DTT doesn't mean your child sits at a table doing drills for hours. Modern DTT sessions are short, mixed with play-based activities, and adjusted based on the child's engagement level throughout the day.

Where DTT is structured, Natural Environment Teaching is the opposite. NET embeds learning opportunities into everyday activities and play. If a child reaches for a toy, the therapist uses that moment to practice requesting, labeling, or turn-taking.

The practical advantage is generalization. A child who learns to say "more" during a structured drill at a therapy table might not use that word at home. A child who learns "more" while playing with their favorite toy often will — because the skill was learned in a context that mirrors real life.

Most modern ABA programs rely on NET extensively. According to the Child Mind Institute, the majority of ABA programs today are play-based rather than table-based, with therapists following the child's interests to create learning moments throughout the session.

PRT targets a handful of "pivotal" developmental areas — motivation, self-management, response to multiple cues, and initiation of social interactions. The idea is that improving these foundational skills creates a cascade effect across communication, behavior, and academic performance.

PRT is child-directed and play-based. The therapist follows the child's lead and uses their interests to create learning opportunities. The CDC notes that PRT takes place in natural settings rather than clinical environments, with the goal of improving a few key skills that unlock broader developmental progress.

The difference between NET and PRT is subtle but meaningful. NET uses natural moments to teach any skill. PRT specifically targets skills that research has identified as "pivotal" — skills that, when improved, tend to produce gains across multiple developmental areas simultaneously.

An FBA is not a treatment technique — it's the diagnostic process that makes everything else work. During an FBA, a BCBA observes your child across different settings to understand what triggers challenging behaviors and what consequences maintain them.

The FBA answers one critical question: why is this behavior happening?

Every challenging behavior serves a function. In ABA, those functions typically fall into four categories: gaining attention, escaping a demand, accessing a preferred item, or meeting a sensory need. Once the BCBA identifies the function, they design interventions that address the root cause rather than just suppressing the surface behavior.

This is what separates ABA from generic behavior management. A parent who says "stop screaming" is addressing the behavior. A BCBA who discovers the screaming is caused by an inability to request a break — and then teaches the child to request a break — is addressing the function.

Research consistently shows that parent involvement is one of the strongest predictors of success in ABA therapy. Parent-Implemented Intervention trains parents and caregivers to use ABA strategies at home, during daily routines, and in the community.

Your child's BCBA teaches you specific techniques: how to reinforce communication attempts, manage transitions, and respond to challenging behaviors consistently. This matters because even a child receiving 30 hours of therapy per week still spends the other 138 waking hours at home and in the community. PII ensures those hours support what's happening in therapy rather than working against it.

Autism Speaks notes that parents and family members receive training so they can support learning and skill practice throughout the day, giving the child opportunities to practice in both planned and naturally occurring situations.

Video modeling uses recorded demonstrations to teach new skills. A child watches someone — a peer, a therapist, or even themselves in a previous session — performing a target behavior like greeting someone, washing hands, or following a classroom routine. Then they practice what they saw.

This technique is particularly effective for children who are strong visual learners. It can be used to teach social skills, daily living skills, play skills, and vocational skills. Unlike live demonstration, video allows repeated viewing at the child's own pace — they can watch the same sequence ten times until they feel ready to try it themselves.

Extinction means withholding the reinforcement that was previously maintaining a challenging behavior. For example, if a child has learned that screaming gets them a preferred toy, the therapist stops providing the toy when screaming occurs — while simultaneously teaching and reinforcing an appropriate replacement behavior, like using words or a picture card to ask.

Two important things to understand about extinction. First, it is always paired with positive reinforcement for the replacement behavior. A BCBA never uses extinction in isolation — they always teach a better alternative at the same time. Second, behaviors often temporarily increase before they decrease. This is called an "extinction burst," and it's a normal, expected part of the process that requires careful management by trained professionals.

Teaching a skill is not enough if the child only uses it in one setting. Generalization is the deliberate process of ensuring skills transfer across environments, people, and situations.

A BCBA promotes generalization by practicing the same skill in multiple settings, with different people, and using varied materials. If a child learns to request a snack during therapy, the team practices that same skill at home, at school, at the grocery store — until the child does it consistently anywhere, not just in the therapy room.

Without deliberate generalization training, many skills stay confined to the setting where they were learned. This is one of the reasons parent training (PII) is so important — parents become the bridge that carries skills from therapy into everyday life.

Redirection guides a child away from a challenging behavior and toward an appropriate alternative. Instead of saying "no" or "stop," the therapist offers an acceptable option that meets the same underlying need.

If a child starts throwing blocks, the therapist might redirect them to stacking the blocks or choosing a different activity. If a child is running in a hallway, the redirect might be "let's walk fast like a robot" rather than just "stop running."

Redirection is proactive, respectful, and teaches children what they can do rather than only telling them what they can't. It works best when the alternative meets the same function as the original behavior — which is why a thorough FBA is so important for making redirection effective.

The techniques above only work as well as the team delivering them. When evaluating ABA providers, these are the questions that help you distinguish quality programs from mediocre ones.

Is the program supervised by a BCBA who personally conducts your child's assessment and writes their treatment plan? What is the BCBA-to-client supervision ratio? How often does the BCBA observe sessions directly? How do they measure progress, and how do they share that data with you? What does parent training look like in their program — is it built in, or optional? Do they select techniques based on your child's individual FBA, or do they use the same approach with every child?

A quality provider will welcome these questions. If a program can't explain their approach in plain language, or if they push back when you ask about their methods, consider that a red flag worth paying attention to.

Positive reinforcement. It's the foundation of virtually every ABA program and the principle that most other techniques build on — rewarding desired behaviors to increase the likelihood they'll happen again.

Most families notice early changes within the first few months. Significant developmental progress — the kind measured in standardized assessments — typically requires consistent therapy over one to three years. The CASP 2025 white paper found that outcomes are directly linked to treatment intensity, with higher weekly hours producing greater measurable gains across adaptive behavior, IQ, and autism severity measures.

ABA is most effective when started early, ideally before age six, but it can benefit older children, teens, and adults with autism. The techniques are adapted based on the individual's age, developmental level, and goals.

Many private insurers are required by law to cover ABA therapy for children with autism, though coverage varies by state and plan. All Medicaid plans must cover ABA when it is deemed medically necessary for children under 21. Contact your insurer directly to understand your specific benefits.

Modern ABA is not the same therapy developed in the 1960s. The use of aversive methods has been eliminated. Today's programs are play-based, individualized, and focused on building functional skills. The key variable is provider quality — a well-run, contemporary ABA program looks very different from the outdated approaches that generated legitimate criticism decades ago.

At The Treetop, our BCBAs and RBTs use the techniques described in this guide — selected and combined based on each child's individual Functional Behavior Assessment, not a one-size-fits-all template. Every treatment plan is built around your child's specific strengths, interests, and goals.

If you're exploring ABA therapy for your child in the Mesa, Arizona area, we'd welcome the chance to answer your questions and walk you through what therapy would look like for your family. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.

1. Autism Speaks — Applied Behavior Analysis
2. CDC — Treatment and Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder
3. Cleveland Clinic — Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
4. CASP 2025 — Evidence About ABA Treatment for Young Children with Autism
5. Child Mind Institute — ABA Therapy Explained: Benefits and Concerns
6. Regis College — ABA Therapy Examples
7. Hidden Talents ABA — ABA Therapy Techniques
8. Applied Behavior Analysis Programs — 5 Techniques Used in Applied Behavior Analysis
9. ABA Centers — Common ABA Therapy Techniques