When parents begin learning about Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, they often hear terms such as “goals,” “behaviors,” and “skill development.” But what does that actually look like during a child’s everyday life?

ABA therapy can target a wide range of skills depending on the individual child. One child may need more support with communication, while another may be working on independence, social interaction, daily routines, or managing difficult situations.

The purpose isn’t to make every child learn the same skills in the same way. Effective ABA programs are individualized and focus on skills that can help a child communicate, participate, learn, connect with others, and become more independent.

Here are some of the most common skills targeted in ABA therapy.

1. Communication Skills

Communication is one of the most common areas addressed in ABA therapy.

For some children, the focus may be developing spoken language. For others, communication may involve gestures, signs, pictures, communication boards, or an AAC system.

A child may practice asking for a favorite toy, requesting help, choosing between two activities, answering questions, or telling someone they are finished.

For example, if a child wants a snack but doesn’t yet know how to ask for it, therapy may provide opportunities to practice an appropriate request.

The goal is functional communication—the ability to communicate something meaningful in everyday situations.

Communication goals can also become more advanced over time. A child who initially works on simple requests may later practice commenting, answering questions, initiating interactions, or having back-and-forth conversations.

2. Requesting and Making Choices

Learning to express preferences is an important part of communication and independence.

Children may practice requesting food, toys, attention, help, breaks, or activities. They may also learn to make choices when presented with different options.

A parent might ask:

“Do you want blocks or bubbles?”

The child can then communicate their choice through speech, pointing, signs, pictures, or AAC.

Choice-making gives children a meaningful way to express what they want while also helping them participate more actively in everyday routines.

3. Social Interaction Skills

Social skills are another common area targeted in ABA therapy.

Depending on the child, this may include learning to initiate an interaction, respond to another person, take turns, share materials, participate in games, or engage in joint activities.

For example, a therapist might play a simple ball game with a child. The child can practice waiting, taking a turn, responding to another person, and continuing the interaction.

Social goals should be individualized. The purpose isn’t necessarily to make a child behave like everyone else. Instead, the focus can be on helping the child develop meaningful ways to connect and participate.

4. Play Skills

Play provides a natural opportunity to practice many different skills.

Some children may need support learning how to use toys functionally, imitate actions, participate in pretend play, or engage in activities with another person.

A therapist might use blocks, puzzles, toy cars, dolls, animals, art supplies, or other preferred activities.

A simple play activity can incorporate several skills at once.

For example, playing with a pretend kitchen might involve requesting items, following directions, labeling objects, taking turns, and engaging in pretend scenarios.

Following a child’s interests can make these learning opportunities more motivating and enjoyable.

5. Following Directions

Following instructions is an important skill at home, school, and in the community.

ABA therapy may begin with simple directions such as:

“Come here.”

“Give me the ball.”

“Put it in.”

As the child develops, instructions can become more complex and involve multiple steps.

For example:

“Get your shoes and put them by the door.”

The goal is not simply obedience. Following directions can help children participate in routines, understand expectations, complete tasks, and function more independently.

6. Attention and Engagement

Children may also work on staying engaged with activities and interacting with their surroundings.

This might mean participating in a short game, completing a puzzle, listening to a story, or remaining involved in a daily routine.

The appropriate expectation depends on the child’s age and developmental level.

ABA therapy should not simply focus on making a child sit still for long periods. Meaningful engagement is more important.

A child who actively participates in a favorite game, communicates with a parent, or completes an appropriate activity is practicing skills that can support future learning.

7. Daily Living Skills

Everyday activities can become important ABA therapy targets.

These may include:

• Washing hands
• Brushing teeth
• Getting dressed
• Eating independently
• Cleaning up
• Toileting
• Preparing simple snacks

These skills can be broken into smaller steps so that children can gradually learn the entire routine.

For example, handwashing involves several actions: turning on the water, getting soap, rubbing hands, rinsing, and drying.

A child may initially need prompts for some steps and gradually become more independent as they learn the routine.

8. Independence Skills

Independence is closely connected to daily living skills but can extend into many other areas.

A child may learn to choose clothing, organize school materials, get a preferred toy, put belongings away, or complete familiar routines without constant adult assistance.

Prompting may be used when necessary, but an important part of skill development is gradually reducing unnecessary assistance.

The long-term goal is to help children use their skills as independently as possible.

9. Emotional Regulation Skills

Some children need support communicating and responding when they experience frustration, disappointment, excitement, or other strong emotions.

ABA therapy may target skills such as requesting a break, communicating frustration, waiting for a preferred activity, or transitioning from one activity to another.

For example, instead of immediately leaving an activity or engaging in challenging behavior when something becomes difficult, a child may learn to communicate “break” or ask for help.

The goal isn’t to prevent children from experiencing emotions. It is to help them develop functional and safe ways to respond to difficult situations.

10. Flexibility and Transition Skills

Changes can sometimes be difficult for children with autism.

Moving from a preferred activity to a less-preferred one, leaving the house, changing plans, or starting a new routine may create challenges.

Therapy may therefore include opportunities to practice transitions and flexibility.

Visual schedules, countdowns, first-then supports, choices, and gradual exposure to changes may be incorporated depending on the child’s needs.

For example:

First: Clean up
Then: Play outside

Over time, children may become more comfortable moving between activities and handling predictable changes.

11. Problem-Solving Skills

ABA therapy can also help children learn how to respond when something doesn’t immediately work.

A child might need to figure out how to open a container, complete a puzzle, retrieve a toy, or ask someone for assistance.

Instead of immediately solving the problem for the child, an adult can create opportunities for the child to attempt a solution or request help.

These experiences can build persistence and independence.

12. Imitation Skills

Imitation is an important foundation for learning.

Children learn by watching other people, so ABA programs may target the ability to copy actions, movements, sounds, or play activities.

A therapist might clap their hands and encourage the child to imitate. Later, imitation could involve more complex actions, such as copying how to build a block tower or pretend to feed a stuffed animal.

Imitation can become especially useful when children begin learning new play, communication, and social skills.

13. School Readiness Skills

For children preparing for school, ABA therapy may target skills that help them participate in classroom routines.

These can include following instructions, transitioning between activities, communicating with teachers, participating in group activities, completing tasks, and interacting appropriately with classmates.

School readiness isn’t about expecting every child to master classroom behavior before entering school.

Instead, the goal is to develop foundational skills that can make classroom participation easier.

14. Safety Skills

Safety can be an important priority for some children.

Depending on individual needs, therapy may address responding to their name, stopping when instructed, staying near a caregiver, safely navigating familiar environments, or communicating when they need help.

Safety goals should be practical and age-appropriate.

The purpose is to help children participate more safely in everyday environments while developing greater independence.

15. Generalization Skills

One of the most important skills in ABA therapy is learning to use a skill in different situations.

Imagine a child learns to ask for help from a therapist but doesn’t use that skill with a parent.

The skill exists, but it hasn’t yet generalized.

Therapy may therefore provide opportunities to practice the same skill with different people, in different environments, and during different activities.

A child might practice requesting at home, during therapy, at school, or while out with family.

Generalization helps make learning useful beyond the therapy session.

Why ABA Skills Are Individualized

Not every child needs to work on all of these areas.

A good ABA program should begin with an understanding of the child’s current abilities, needs, interests, and priorities.

For one child, communication may be the biggest focus. Another child may already communicate effectively but need significant support with independence or emotional regulation.

Goals can also change as children develop.

A child may start by learning to request a preferred item and eventually move toward answering questions, initiating conversations, or expressing more complex needs.

How Therapists Choose Skills to Target

ABA professionals typically look at several factors when determining which skills to prioritize.

They may consider the child’s developmental level, existing strengths, areas of difficulty, family priorities, school needs, safety concerns, and the situations in which the child needs the most support.

Parents can provide particularly valuable information.

They know what happens during morning routines, mealtimes, family outings, play, bedtime, and other parts of everyday life.

That information can help the treatment team identify skills that have practical value.

Why Natural Environments Matter

A skill is most useful when a child can use it where they actually need it.

For example, practicing communication only at a therapy table may not be enough. Children may also need opportunities to communicate during meals, play, family activities, school, and community outings.

This is one reason natural-environment learning can be valuable.

In-home ABA therapy can provide opportunities to work on skills within familiar routines. A therapist may incorporate toys, meals, dressing, cleanup, play, and other everyday activities into treatment.

This can help connect therapy with the child’s actual life.

How Parents Can Support Skill Development

Parents don’t need to recreate a therapy session at home.

Simple everyday opportunities can be enough.

If a child is learning to communicate, parents can pause during play and give the child an opportunity to request something. If independence is a goal, parents can allow the child to complete part of a routine independently before stepping in.

If a child is practicing turn-taking, family members can incorporate short back-and-forth games into play.

The key is consistency and patience.

Parents can also communicate with the therapy team about what is working and which situations remain difficult.

Progress Isn’t Always Linear

Children don’t necessarily develop skills in a perfectly straight line.

A child may make significant progress in one area while needing more time in another. Skills may also appear stronger in one environment than another.

That is normal.

Progress should be viewed over time and in context.

For example, a child who previously needed full assistance to complete a routine but now needs only occasional prompting has made meaningful progress—even if they aren’t completely independent yet.

Summary

The most common skills targeted in ABA therapy include communication, requesting, social interaction, play, following directions, attention and engagement, daily living, independence, emotional regulation, flexibility, problem-solving, imitation, school readiness, safety, and generalization.

Not every child will need support in every area.

ABA therapy is most meaningful when skills are selected based on the individual child and connected to real-life needs. The goal is not simply to teach isolated behaviors but to help children develop practical abilities they can use at home, at school, and in their communities.

Final Thoughts

ABA therapy can address many different areas of development, but the most important skills are often the ones that make everyday life a little easier.

Being able to ask for help, participate in a family routine, play with another person, communicate a preference, handle a transition, or complete a task independently can have a meaningful impact on a child’s daily experiences.

For parents considering ABA therapy, it can be helpful to ask how a provider chooses skills, how progress is measured, and how the skills learned during therapy will transfer into everyday situations.

Ultimately, the purpose of skill development should be to give children more effective ways to communicate, participate, connect, and become increasingly independent in ways that are meaningful to them.