During ABA parent training, Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) teach families several evidence-based strategies designed to support a child’s development in everyday settings. The three primary strategies taught include:
- Discrete Trial Training (DTT): This highly structured method breaks complex skills into small, teachable steps. Caregivers learn to deliver “trials” (repeated practice), record responses, and provide immediate feedback and reinforcement. It is most often used for foundational skills like labeling, matching, or imitation.
- Natural Environment Teaching (NET): This strategy focuses on embedding learning opportunities into a child’s existing daily routines, such as play, snack time, or trips to the park. Because it is child-led and uses natural rewards, it helps children generalize skills to real-world situations and maintain motivation.
- Functional Communication Training (FCT): This behavioral intervention teaches children to replace challenging behaviors with appropriate communication, such as using words, signs, or pictures to express their needs (e.g., asking for a break instead of pushing a toy away).
In addition to these core teaching methods, parent training also covers behavior management training, goal setting, and progress monitoring. Caregivers are taught how to track data and use tools like visual schedules or communication boards to ensure skills are practiced consistently at home and school.
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