Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): is a developmental condition that affects how individuals communicate, interact, and process the world around them.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA): is a scientifically validated approach to understanding and improving behavior. In therapy, it involves systematically teaching and reinforcing new behaviors while reducing harmful or disruptive ones. It is highly individualized and used primarily for children with autism to teach skills in communication, social interaction, daily living, and academics.

Antecedent: The event or condition that happens before a behavior occurs, often used in the context of behavior analysis to identify triggers for the behavior.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC): Any communication method or tool that helps individuals with limited verbal communication express themselves. Examples include communication boards, speech-generating devices, or sign language.

Behavior: Any observable action or response made by a child. In ABA, behavior can be something positive (e.g., following instructions) or negative (e.g., tantrums or aggression).

Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP): A detailed strategy to address and modify problematic behavior. It’s based on the information gathered from a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and outlines specific goals, interventions, and strategies for teaching alternative, positive behaviors.

Chaining: A technique used to teach complex behaviors by breaking them down into smaller, manageable steps. Each step is reinforced until the entire sequence of actions is learned.

Conditioned Reinforcer: A stimulus that has acquired reinforcing properties through pairing with an unconditioned reinforcer, such as praise or tokens, which are often used in ABA to reinforce desired behaviors.

Compliance: A term used to describe the act of a child following a request or command. It’s a key target in ABA, as increasing compliance is often a foundational skill.

Discrete Trial Training (DTT): A highly structured method of teaching that breaks down tasks into small, manageable parts (trials), providing clear instructions and reinforcement for each correct response.

Data Collection: The process of recording and tracking behaviors and responses to interventions. This data is essential for assessing progress and adjusting treatment plans accordingly.

Extinction: The process of reducing or eliminating a behavior by discontinuing the reinforcement that maintains it. For example, if a child engages in a behavior (like whining) to get a reward (like a cookie), removing the reward may reduce the whining over time.

Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI): A form of ABA that is often applied in early childhood (before age 5) with the goal of teaching children a wide range of skills at a high intensity. It’s based on principles of ABA and often involves 20-40 hours of therapy per week.

Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA): A method for identifying the causes and functions of challenging behavior by observing the antecedents (triggers), the behavior itself, and its consequences. The goal is to understand why the behavior is happening and use this knowledge to create effective interventions.

Functional Communication Training (FCT): A therapeutic strategy to teach individuals to replace problem behaviors (e.g., aggression or tantrums) with appropriate communication methods. These may include using words, pictures, or devices.

Generalization: The ability for a behavior or skill learned in one setting to occur in other settings, with different people, and under various conditions. Generalization is a major goal of ABA to ensure that skills are not only learned but applied in real-life situations.

Goal: A specific, measurable objective that a child is working toward as part of their therapy plan. These goals are based on areas like communication, social skills, and adaptive behavior.

High-Probability Request Sequence (High-P): A technique in which a therapist first asks the child to complete a series of easy tasks (high-probability requests) before asking for a more challenging task. This strategy increases the likelihood that the child will comply with more difficult requests.

Habilitation: The process of teaching or helping individuals gain or restore functional skills to improve their quality of life, including social, daily living, and academic skills.

Individualized Education Plan (IEP): A formal document that outlines specific educational goals, services, and supports for a child with disabilities, including autism. The IEP is created collaboratively by educators, parents, and therapists.

Incidental Teaching: A naturalistic teaching method where opportunities for learning are created within everyday interactions. For example, a therapist might prompt a child to say a word when they are playing with a toy.

Intensive Behavioral Intervention (IBI): A highly structured and individualized approach to ABA therapy, typically involving many hours of therapy per week to target a broad range of behaviors.

Joint Attention: The ability to share focus on an object, event, or activity with another person. Joint attention is a critical social communication skill, and difficulties with it are common in children with autism.

Knowledge of Results: Feedback provided to an individual about their performance after completing a task. In ABA, this feedback is often used to reinforce correct responses and guide learning.

Latency: The amount of time between the presentation of a prompt or instruction and the child’s response. Shortening latency is often a target goal in ABA to improve response time.

Mand: A type of verbal behavior where the child requests something they need or want, such as “water” when thirsty. Mands are an essential part of teaching communication skills.

Modeling: A teaching technique in which the therapist demonstrates a desired behavior, and the child is encouraged to imitate or replicate it.

Natural Environment Teaching (NET): A teaching strategy where learning takes place in the child’s natural environment (e.g., at home or in the community) and uses natural reinforcers (like praise or access to toys) to teach skills.

Negative Reinforcement: The removal of an aversive stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior occurring again. For example, allowing a child to escape a difficult task after completing part of it could be a form of negative reinforcement.

Operant Conditioning: A method of learning that is based on the idea that behavior is influenced by its consequences. It involves reinforcing desired behaviors and discouraging undesired ones.

Overcorrection: A behavioral intervention where a child is required to engage in a corrective behavior that goes beyond the original behavior. It is often used to reduce undesirable behaviors.

Prompt: A cue or hint that helps a child engage in the correct response or behavior. Prompts can be physical, verbal, or visual.

Positive Reinforcement: The addition of a desirable stimulus (e.g., a favorite toy or praise) after a desired behavior to increase the likelihood of the behavior occurring again.

Prompt Fading: The gradual removal of prompts to encourage independence. The goal is for the child to perform a behavior without needing any assistance.

Quality of Life: An individual’s overall well-being, including their social, emotional, and functional experiences. In the context of ABA, interventions aim to improve a child’s quality of life by teaching skills that enhance independence and social participation.

Reinforcement: Any event that increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. Reinforcers can be tangible (like a toy) or intangible (like praise or attention).

Reinforcer: An object, activity, or social event used to reinforce a behavior. Reinforcers are carefully selected to ensure they are meaningful to the child.

Shaping: A technique in ABA where successive approximations of a desired behavior are reinforced until the child exhibits the full behavior.

Social Skills Training: ABA interventions that focus on teaching children appropriate ways to interact with others, such as sharing, making eye contact, and taking turns.

Task Analysis: Breaking down complex tasks into smaller, sequential steps. This is often used to teach skills that are too complex to learn in one sitting.

Time Delay: A technique in which a therapist initially prompts a child to respond and then gradually delays the prompt over time to encourage independent responses.

Undesirable Behavior: Behaviors that are socially inappropriate, disruptive, or dangerous. ABA aims to reduce these behaviors through various interventions, often replacing them with more appropriate alternatives.

Verbal Behavior: A type of communication therapy within ABA that focuses on teaching communication through vocal speech, gestures, or using communication devices.

Withdrawal of Reinforcement: A strategy where reinforcement is withheld to reduce or eliminate undesirable behavior.

Xenopsychology: While not a common term in ABA, this refers to the study of behavior in other species and can provide insights into behavior analysis by observing how different organisms learn.

Yoked Contingency: A reinforcement strategy in which two individuals’ behavior and reinforcement are linked, meaning one individual’s behavior can affect the reinforcement of another.

Zero Rate of Behavior: The target goal of having a specific behavior completely cease, particularly for harmful or problematic behaviors.