While ABA therapy should always be designed and guided by a qualified BCBA, many techniques are simple, practical, and highly effective for parents to use at home. Your therapy team can show you how to carry over strategies into your child’s daily routine in a way that feels natural and rewarding.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy is one of the most trusted and effective treatments for children with autism. It helps build essential life skills, encourages positive behaviors, and supports developmental growth using proven, data-driven techniques. At Achieve Behavior Centers, ABA therapy is delivered by trained professionals and Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs)—but parents play a powerful role, too. By reinforcing ABA techniques at home, you can strengthen your child’s learning and support their progress between therapy sessions.
Yes—while ABA therapy should always be designed and guided by a qualified BCBA, many techniques are simple, practical, and highly effective for parents to use at home. Your therapy team can show you how to carry over strategies into your child’s daily routine in a way that feels natural and rewarding.
Practicing ABA at home not only promotes consistency between environments but also deepens your relationship with your child as you support their growth together.
Here are four evidence-based ABA strategies you can use to support your child outside of therapy:
Positive reinforcement means rewarding the behaviors you want to see more of. Instead of focusing on what went wrong, this approach emphasizes celebrating what went right—whether it's following directions, staying calm during transitions, or cleaning up toys.
The reward should be something meaningful to your child: verbal praise, a favorite toy, extra screen time, or a special treat. Over time, this helps your child connect positive behavior with positive outcomes, making those behaviors more likely to continue on their own.
Discrete Trial Training breaks larger skills into smaller, teachable steps. A trial consists of three parts: an instruction (e.g., “Point to the apple”), a prompt or cue, and a reward for the correct response.
At home, you can use DTT to teach basic concepts like colors, numbers, or body parts—or more complex tasks like brushing teeth or tying shoes. Breaking things down into bite-sized pieces makes learning less overwhelming and more achievable.
Modeling means demonstrating a skill or behavior so your child can learn by watching. This is especially useful for teaching communication, self-help skills, and social interactions.
For example, you might model how to say “help, please” when your child is frustrated, or how to greet someone at the door. Repetition is key—seeing these behaviors over and over helps your child understand and eventually imitate them.
Natural Environment Teaching uses your child’s everyday surroundings as a classroom. This approach allows your child to learn new skills through real-life routines and interactions.
During meals, ask your child to request what they want using full sentences. During playtime, encourage turn-taking or labeling toys. Because these learning moments happen in familiar contexts, they feel more engaging and less like “work.”
While home support is incredibly valuable, in-center ABA therapy provides structure, consistency, and social opportunities that can’t always be replicated at home.
At Achieve, children benefit from:
Our centers are designed specifically for ABA, with dedicated learning rooms, sensory spaces, and play areas that support every aspect of your child’s development.
Whether you’re just starting your autism journey or looking to supplement your child’s current therapy, Achieve is here to help. Our programs are family-centered, play-based, and grounded in clinical excellence.
We work hand-in-hand with parents to create progress that lasts—both in the clinic and at home.
Contact us today to learn more about our center-based ABA programs and how we can support your child’s unique needs.
