What does an ABA therapy session actually look like?

ABA therapy sessions are personalized to meet the unique needs of the individual. Because of this, ABA therapy will look different from one person to another. Even though ABA therapy is individualized for each learner, therapy sessions will always include these 5 things.

Building a Positive Relationship

An ABA therapist’s first goal is to build a positive relationship with their client. This is often done by “pairing” the therapist with things and activities that their client enjoys. ABA therapists continuously pair and build rapport with their clients to make future therapy sessions more successful.

For example, if a therapist is new to working with a child who loves playing dress-up, the therapist might bring some new and exciting dress-up clothes and imaginative play toys during their first therapy session to help that child relax and open up to their new therapist. That first therapy session might consist entirely of play! The next time that same therapist walks through the door, that child might remember how fun the therapist was, opening the door for more in-depth learning opportunities.

Ideally, relationship building occurs every therapy session. That same therapist might dedicate the first 5 minutes of every session to dress-up and pretend play with their client to help get their client warmed up and open to learning with their therapist.

Children do their best work when they feel safe, happy, and they’re with people who they trust and enjoy being around.

Teaching New Skills

A large part of ABA therapy is learning new skills. These can include skills that a client does not yet know and skills that they used to know but have recently forgotten.

Therapy sessions often target a wide range of individualized treatment goals, which may include communication, social skills, self-help skills, following directions, or other skills needed to be successful in life. New skills are often taught naturally within day-to-day activities, not just through formal instruction at a desk or table.

New skills are also taught to replace challenging behaviors. For example, a behavior therapist may work with a child on asking for a turn instead of pushing someone out of the way. During in-home therapy sessions, the therapist plays with things the child wants and helps the child practice saying, “can I have a turn?”. Out in the community or at an ABA clinic, the therapist may lead the child near a swing set where other children are playing and remind the child they can ask for a turn.

Play & Leisure Activities

ABA therapy sessions should also include regular “breaks” to give both children and adults a chance to breathe and relax before jumping back into “work”. However, a skilled ABA therapist can incorporate work tasks into break time through play and leisure activities to maximize learning opportunities and make work tasks fun!

For example, a child who is learning school readiness skills might do their “work time” at a table and their “break time” anywhere else where they enjoy playing (such as outside on a playground). Some of the skills a child is learning at the table, such as naming colors on flash cards, can also be practiced during play (e.g. naming the different colors of flowers they find outside as they go on a walk).

For a teenager, “work” during an ABA therapy session may include chores around the house and completing their homework. During a teenager’s down time, they may choose to play video games with their therapist and work on social skills such as communication, teamwork, and tolerating losing.

Behavioral Support

Many children and young adults who are recommended ABA therapy struggle with challenging behaviors that make it difficult for them to succeed in life. ABA therapy is founded in behavioral science, which explores why we behave the way we do and how we can shape the behavior of others. When we take time to understand why someone behaves the way they do, we can help them learn better ways to get what they need.

ABA therapists should have a plan in place when challenging behaviors occur to best support the learner. This plan, often called a Behavior Support Plan (BSP) or Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) outlines what to do when a client is struggling with difficult behaviors. The behavior plan should also include strategies to prevent or reduce how often challenging behaviors occur.

The specific strategies used with each client varies and depends on what the behavior is, when the behavior happens, and where the behavior usually occurs. When challenging behaviors occur during a therapy session, time is dedicated to address the behavior and help the learner de-escalate and regulate before moving on.

The goal with behavior management in ABA therapy is to teach meaningful behaviors that support the individual’s specific needs , not simply to stop all behaviors.

Data Collection

Data is collected every therapy session by the therapist either with pen and paper or with a data collection software (usually accessed through a laptop, tablet, or a phone app). Data is collected for both skill goals and behavior goals and is reviewed on a regular basis by the clinical team to monitor progress, identify patterns, and make informed decisions about treatment. Data collection ensures therapy goals and treatment plans remain individualized and adjusted when needed.

What happens during an ABA therapy session can vary wildly depending on the client’s age, goals, interests, environment, energy level, and current needs. ABA therapy may look different from what you initially expect when you hear the word “therapy”, but each activity in a therapy session has a meaningful purpose connected with that individual’s treatment goals.