Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a science-based approach to understanding behavior and teaching new skills. ABA therapy helps children and young adults with autism build communication, social, and daily living skills while reducing behaviors that interfere with learning. It is considered an evidence-based best practice by the U.S. Surgeon General and the American Psychological Association.

ABA, speech therapy, and occupational therapy can all be part of a child’s treatment plan, but they focus on different things. ABA is a broad, data-driven approach that addresses behavior and skill building across many areas of life. Speech therapy focuses specifically on communication and language. Occupational therapy focuses on fine motor skills, sensory processing, and self-care. These therapies often complement each other.

Precision Teaching is the method The Fluency Connection uses as the foundation of our ABA programming. It is a system for precisely defining, continuously measuring, and analyzing data about a learner’s progress. The focus is on teaching skills to fluency, meaning the learner can perform the skill not just correctly, but quickly and easily. Research shows that skills taught to fluency are more durable, more likely to generalize to new settings, and more resistant to forgetting.

At The Fluency Connection, ABA sessions are one-on-one between your child and a trained behavior technician. Sessions take place in our clinic and may include structured teaching, play-based activities, communication practice, daily living skill routines, and community outings. Every session produces data that our team reviews to guide programming decisions.