Have you seen a child notice an airplane and say, sign, or select “airplane” without asking for it? This may be a tact. A tact is a verbal operant that is made when someone describes or names something they see or hear, feels or tastes or smells or experiences internally. The response is usually followed by social acknowledgment, such as
Who spends the most time helping a child practice communication, daily living, and coping skills during ABA therapy? In many programs, that person is a Registered Behavior Technician, commonly called an RBT. The BACB reported 246,109 RBT certificants at the end of 2025, about 25% more than the 196,579 reported one year earlier. In this guide, you will learn what
What happened immediately before your child cried, left the room, covered their ears, or asked for help? An antecedent in ABA Therapy is the question of what happens before the behavior. In a sample of children in 16 US communities in 2022, CDC monitoring identified autism in one in 31 children when they were 8 years old, underscoring the need
Introduction Who spends the most direct time helping a child practice communication, daily living, social, and learning skills during ABA therapy? In many programs, that professional is a behavior technician. According to BACB data, there were 246,109 Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) at the end of 2025, of which 82,681 were newly certified in 2025. This guide covers the role, supervision,
Introduction: Why Should Autism Care Support the Whole Child? Autism care should never focus on a diagnosis alone, because every child has their own way of learning, communicating, feeling, playing, and responding to the world around them. A whole-child autism care model considers the entire child’s development such as behavior, communication, sensory needs, emotional regulation, daily living, family routines and
What if therapy could help your child ask for a break, get ready for school, or handle a change in plans with greater confidence? CDC estimates have recently concluded that approximately one child in 36 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism, and there is a need for effective, individualized supports. Modern ABA emphasizes the acquisition of skills in
A child’s day is full of small skills that can feel big: getting dressed, holding a pencil, brushing teeth, sitting through class, eating different foods, or calming the body after a hard moment. Occupational therapy supports children in developing everyday life skills in a real-life context. In California, occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants help people develop, improve, or restore
Could your child’s repeated words be more than “copying”? Many families are first introduced to echolalia when a child echoes questions, cartoon lines, songs or phrases from activities in everyday life. Echolalia can feel confusing at first. A parent may ask, “Do you want juice?” and the child may repeat, “Do you want juice?” instead of answering yes or no.
Often parents will wonder why their Child’s ABA therapy session isn’t just table work and not toys, snack, playground, or routines. This method is known as Natural Environment Teaching or NET. Natural Environment Teaching is an ABA method that builds skills during real-life moments. Communication skills could include asking for bubbles, turn taking on a swing or dressing themselves. The
