How do Therapists Use Play-based Aba to Teach Social Skills?

When we use play-based ABA to teach social skills, we move away from structured tabletop drills and instead embed learning targets directly into the activities your child already enjoys. This naturalistic approach meets your child where they learn best—in the middle of everyday life in the living room, kitchen, or backyard.

Our therapists use several evidence-based strategies to build these essential social connections:

• Natural Environment Teaching (NET): We transform routine moments into social classrooms. For example, during a game of blocks, a therapist might pause to encourage turn-taking or use a favorite toy to practice joint attention and making requests.
• Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT): This strategy focuses on “pivotal” areas like motivation and self-initiation. By following your child’s lead and letting them choose the activity, we shift the motivation to communicate from an external prompt to an internal desire.

Through these play-based interactions, we help children develop a variety of social skills, including:

• Social communication, such as gesturing or using words to express feelings.
• Initiating interaction, like tapping a friend to play tag or bringing a book to a parent.
• Turn-taking during games or shared activities.

We provide 1:1 therapy with Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) under the expert guidance of our BCBAs to ensure these skills generalize, meaning your child can use them with different people and in different settings. WE COUNT ON OUR PARENTS to be active partners in this process, and we provide the training you need to weave these strategies into your daily routine. You’re not on your own.

Results may vary based on individual patient circumstances; please consult with a healthcare professional for diagnosis or treatment advice.

• Naturalistic ABA Therapy at Home: Complete Guide for Parents