We typically use direct instruction programs with some of our advanced learners, especially when working towards academic goals. Direct instruction programs are based on ABA principles and designed around reviewing previously mastered skills and moving in small increments to help our learners feel successful. Here, we cover some of our favorite direct instruction programs and provide tips on how to use them most effectively.

We walk through the history of direct instruction programs in American school districts and how the focus shifted towards adoption within the special needs area. We share all our go-to direct instruction programs to help learners with reading, language and comprehension, spelling, math, and writing. We also talk about targeting concepts individually and data collection. 

What’s Inside:

• The history of direct instruction programs
• Our favorite direct instruction programs by learning topic
• How to use direct instruction programs most effectively

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National Institute for Direct Instruction: NIFDI

Toilet training is one of the most important skills we can teach our learners. When it comes to our learners with special needs or autism, it means we can promote their dignity. We feel strongly that toilet training should be introduced as soon as a child is ready. Here, we talk about prerequisite skills, intrinsic motivation, and how to build momentum before starting the training.

Priming is essential as well and we discuss how to make the toilet a familiar, positive place. We talk about using a time interval approach to toilet training, choosing a powerful reinforcer and getting parent buy-in, and how to use visuals. We also discuss how to handle when a child has an accident and some common toilet training mistakes.

What’s Inside:

• How to know when a child is ready for toilet training
• How to use a time interval approach 
• Common toilet training mistakes

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Toilet Training Tip Sheet

Our approach to Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT) today might look a lot different to what we did in the past, or how we were taught in school. In the past, DTT was heavy on memorization, and it often lacked a natural environment component. Here, we discuss the evolution of DTT, what’s changed, and how we can apply it in our current work. 

We talk about the three-term contingency model of DTT and discuss some of the common misconceptions of the technique. We also discuss what a true child-led approach looks like and how to individualize DTT for both client and therapist.

What’s Inside:

• The evolution of DTT and how we use it today
• Common misconceptions about DTT
• How to individualize DTT for clients and therapists

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Three Term Contingency Download

Through our ABA education, we learned a lot about rules and procedures around behavior management. However, sometimes rigid traditional methods fail to work, and we need to turn to an empathetic, person-centered approach instead. Acknowledging how our learners are feeling in the moment can sometimes be far more effective than trying to push ahead. Here, we discuss how the person-centered approach works.

The beauty of a person-centered approach is that it holds space for our learners while still allowing us to hold firm boundaries. The goal is to come across as a cheerleader, not a controller. We discuss Hanley’s Universal Protocol and related concepts, tips for creating a more positive environment, and how to identify precursors to problem behaviors.

On Thursday, May 17th, we’re hosting a live CEU event on a child-centered approach to behavior management. Click the link below to sign up!

What’s Inside:

• How to use a person-centered approach to behavior management
• Details on Hanley’s Universal Protocol
• How to identify precursors to problem behaviors

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Join our upcoming CEU event!

Here at How to ABA, we get a lot of questions regarding Hanley’s approach to tolerance and delay. We’ve created our own user-friendly data sheet based on Hanley’s course that you can download and reuse. Here, we walk through our data sheet and show you how to use it in your practice. We also provide tips to help you and your learners have a successful treatment experience.

Our membership space contains this form as well as many others. Head to the website below to check it out!

What’s Inside:

• A walkthrough of our SBT data sheet
• Tips on how to best complete the data sheet
• How to get your own copy to download and reuse

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David Celiberti, Ph.D., BCBA, is the part time Executive Director of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT) and Past-President of its Board of Directors, a role he served from 2006 to 2012. He is the Co-Editor of ASAT’s newsletter, Science in Autism Treatment. Dr. Celiberti has served on a number of advisory boards and special interest groups in the fields of autism, applied behavior analysis, and early childhood education. Dr. Celiberti has also taught courses related to applied behavior analysis (ABA) at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, supervised individuals pursuing BCBA certifications, and conducted research in the areas of ABA, family intervention, and autism.

Dr. Celiberti joins us to talk about ASAT, their mission, and the positive impact they have on the autism community. He shares his insights into what’s changed on the science front over the years and how ASAT combats misinformation. We discuss some of the challenges Dr. Celiberti is facing as well as what we can do as a community to bring things back to evidence-based practices and science. We also talk about how ASAT is spreading their message and how behavior analysts can tap into ASAT’s resources.

What’s Inside:

• ASAT’s mission and their impact on the autism community
• How we can bring attention back towards science-based practices
• How to access ASAT’s resources for behavior analysts

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ASAT Quick Links Sheet

Extinction is a buzzword we hear frequently in the world of ABA; however, what does it truly mean? Many people may think extinction is the same thing as ignoring, which is a misuse and misunderstanding. Extinction really means to stop providing reinforcement where it once was. It does not mean ignoring or following through on demands in spite of what else may be going on with our learners.

Here, we discuss different ways to extinguish behaviors and use examples like sleep and potty training. We also talk about how the concept of extinction has changed over the years, how to use extinction more appropriately in behavior management, using a trauma-informed approach when working with learners, and more.

What’s Inside:

• What extinction is and isn’t
• How to use extinction appropriately in behavior management
• The importance of a trauma-informed approach

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For learners who can understand delayed reinforcement, we often use behavior contracts. These tools can be a great way to help learners understand and integrate those unwritten rules we see in places like school and the workplace. Behavior contracts are also a form of agreement between practitioners and learners, or even parents and children.

Here, we define behavior contracts and talk about when they’re typically put into place. We discuss the positives of behavior contracts, including how they encourage reflection and self-monitoring. We share some of the downsides of behavior contracts, like using “good” and “bad” terminology and using them in a threatening manner. We also discuss some best practices for using behavior contracts with our learners.

What’s Inside:

• How behavior contracts help learners understand unwritten rules
• The pros and cons of using behavior contracts
• Best practices for using behavior contracts with our learners

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Behavior Contract Sample

Life skills are critical to a learner becoming independent. Here, we cover why teaching life skills is important and how we can do it effectively. Life skills include executive functioning skills, personal care, daily living skills, occupational skills, and so much more. The ability of an individual to enhance their life skills has a direct impact on their quality of life as they grow into adulthood.

We discuss the importance of making sure learners can achieve life skills without the presence of a teacher or guide. Taking ourselves out of the equation is key. We also talk about working with adult learners, how to break skills down into smaller steps, and more.

On Wednesday, April 17th, at 12pm EST, we’re hosting a CEU all about how to teach life skills to adult learners. For more information and to register, head to our website!

What’s Inside:

• The impact life skills have on a learner’s quality of life
• How to teach life skills to adult learners
• Information on our upcoming CEU webinar

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CEU Event - Programming Essential Life Skills for Adolescents and Adults

As ABA practitioners, we use a lot of datasheets. It can be tough to know which ones to use in specific situations, and here, we break things down. Data is only as helpful as how we use it, and datasheets can be as basic as simply writing things down. Datasheets should reflect the environment they’re used in, for example, a classroom datasheet will look much different than one used in a one-on-one. It’s important to look at who the end user is to ensure the datasheets are the most useful.

Teaching, play, and engagement always matter more than the data, and we don’t want data collection to take over to the point where it’s taking away from what’s important. Creating a system that maintains this balance is key. We discuss how to start with an end goal in mind when collecting data, the pros and cons of some of the traditional datasheets, and how to use them. 


What’s Inside:

• Why datasheets should reflect the environment they’re used in
• Why it’s important to create a balance between work with our clients and data collection
• Pros and cons of traditional datasheets and how to use them

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Blog & Video – How To Choose the Right Data Collection Method