ABA & autism glossary for parents

Plain-English definitions of the terms you'll come across in ABA and autism support — no clinical background needed.

Applied behavior analysis (ABA): A framework based on the science of learning and behavior. ABA uses principles like reinforcement to build helpful skills — communication, social, play, and daily-living skills — and is the most extensively researched approach for autism. Learn more →
Antecedent: What happens right before a behavior — an instruction, a question, a setting, or a time of day. The "A" in the ABC model.
Behavior: Any observable action a child takes. In ABA, behaviors are described specifically enough that two people would count them the same way.
Consequence: What happens right after a behavior. Consequences either make the behavior more likely to happen again (reinforcement) or less likely (extinction).
ABC model: A simple way to understand behavior by looking at the Antecedent (before), the Behavior itself, and the Consequence (after). Learn more →
Positive reinforcement: Adding something a child values right after a behavior so the behavior happens more often. It is the main engine of skill-building in modern ABA. Learn more →
Reinforcer: Anything a child will work for — praise, a favorite toy, a small treat, or extra time on a preferred activity. What works as a reinforcer is different for every child.
Prompt: A bit of help that makes a correct response more likely — a gesture, a model to copy, a verbal hint, or hand-over-hand guidance.
Prompt fading: Gradually reducing help over time so a child can perform a skill more independently.
Shaping: Building a new skill by reinforcing small steps that get closer and closer to the final goal, instead of waiting for the whole skill at once.
Chaining: Teaching a multi-step skill (like handwashing) by linking individual steps together into a complete sequence.
Task analysis: Breaking a complex skill into small, teachable steps so each part can be taught and then chained together.
Discrete trial training (DTT): A structured teaching method that breaks skills into small units taught through clear, repeated practice trials: an instruction, the response, and an immediate consequence. Learn more →
Natural environment teaching (NET): Teaching skills during everyday play and routines rather than at a table, so skills transfer more easily to real life. Learn more →
Pivotal response training (PRT): A child-led, play-based approach that targets "pivotal" areas like motivation and self-initiation, which tend to improve many other skills at once.
Mand (requesting): A request — asking for something a child wants, by word, sign, picture, or device. Requesting is often the highest-priority early communication skill. Learn more →
Tact (labeling): Naming or commenting on things in the environment, such as labeling objects, actions, or pictures.
Receptive language: Understanding language — following directions, identifying objects, and responding to what others say. Learn more →
Expressive language: Using language to communicate — through speech, signs, pictures, or a device. Learn more →
Joint attention: Sharing focus on the same thing with another person — for example, looking at a toy and then back at a parent. It is a foundation for communication and social learning. Learn more →
Token economy: A motivation system where a child earns tokens for target behaviors and trades them for a chosen reward. Learn more →
Generalization: When a skill learned in one setting transfers to new people, places, and materials. Practicing across settings helps skills generalize.
Maintenance: Keeping a mastered skill strong over time by continuing to practice and reinforce it occasionally.
Extinction: When a behavior stops being reinforced and gradually decreases. In modern, ethical practice this is paired with teaching and reinforcing a more helpful alternative.
Mastery criteria: The clear, pre-set standard a child must meet for a skill to count as learned — for example, performing it correctly and independently across several sessions.

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