ABA Therapist Course

Lesson 1 • Dimensions of Applied Behavior Analysis

Covers Baer, Wolf, and Risley's seven dimensions of ABA. Ensures students evaluate interventions against professional and scientific standards.

Lesson 2 • Core Principles of Behavior

Defines reinforcement, punishment, extinction, and stimulus control. These principles form the operational vocabulary used in every ABA intervention.

Lesson 3 • Ethical Standards in ABA Practice

Introduces professional ethics codes, client dignity, and scope of practice. Establishes non-negotiable ethical boundaries before clinical skill training begins.

Lesson 4 • History and Philosophy of Behaviorism

Traces ABA from Skinner's operant conditioning to modern practice. Provides theoretical grounding that contextualizes all subsequent clinical techniques.

Lesson 1 • Graphing and Visual Analysis

Teaches equal-interval line graphs, phase change lines, and trend identification. Visual analysis enables data-based decisions without inferential statistics.

Lesson 2 • Direct Measurement Methods

Teaches frequency, duration, latency, and inter-response time recording. Each method is matched to appropriate behavioral dimensions and goals.

Lesson 3 • Defining Behavior for Measurement

Covers operational definitions and observable, measurable behavior criteria. Precise definitions prevent observer drift and ensure data validity.

Lesson 4 • Interobserver Agreement

Explains IOA calculation methods and acceptable reliability thresholds. Reliable data collection is essential for valid clinical and research conclusions.

Lesson 1 • Indirect Assessment Methods

Covers structured interviews, rating scales, and caregiver questionnaires. Indirect data provides initial hypotheses before direct observation begins.

Lesson 2 • Functional Analysis Procedures

Explains experimental manipulation of conditions to confirm behavioral function. Students learn standard FA conditions and safety protocols.

Lesson 3 • Functions of Behavior

Introduces the four behavioral functions: attention, escape, access, and automatic reinforcement. Understanding function is prerequisite to effective intervention design.

Lesson 4 • Descriptive Assessment Methods

Teaches ABC narrative recording and scatter plot analysis in natural settings. Descriptive data reveals patterns without manipulating environmental variables.

Lesson 1 • Teaching Replacement Behaviors

Focuses on functional communication training and alternative skill instruction. Replacement behaviors must serve the same function as the problem behavior.

Lesson 2 • BIP Documentation and Review

Covers writing measurable goals, implementation fidelity checklists, and plan revision cycles. Ongoing review ensures the plan remains effective and current.

Lesson 3 • Consequence-Based Strategies

Teaches reinforcement schedules, extinction, and response cost within ethical guidelines. Consequence strategies are paired with antecedent and teaching components.

Lesson 4 • Crisis and Safety Planning

Addresses de-escalation, safety protocols, and least-restrictive intervention hierarchies. Crisis plans protect client and therapist while maintaining therapeutic relationships.

Lesson 1 • Generalization and Maintenance

Addresses programming for stimulus and response generalization and long-term maintenance. Skills must transfer beyond training settings to be clinically meaningful.

Lesson 2 • Chaining and Task Analysis

Teaches forward, backward, and total task chaining for complex skill sequences. Task analysis breaks skills into teachable steps for systematic instruction.

Lesson 3 • Naturalistic Teaching Strategies

Covers incidental teaching, natural environment training, and pivotal response training. Naturalistic methods promote generalization in everyday contexts.

Lesson 4 • Prompting and Prompt Fading

Introduces prompt hierarchy, most-to-least and least-to-most strategies, and time delay. Systematic fading prevents prompt dependency and builds independence.

Lesson 1 • Skinner's Verbal Operants

Defines mand, tact, echoic, intraverbal, and listener behavior operants. Each operant is functionally distinct and requires separate instructional programming.

Lesson 2 • Tact and Intraverbal Programs

Covers tact training across categories and intraverbal fill-in and question-answer programs. These operants support social communication and academic readiness.

Lesson 3 • Language Assessment Tools

Covers verbal behavior-based assessments and developmental language inventories. Assessment results directly guide individualized language program design.

Lesson 4 • Augmentative Communication in ABA

Introduces PECS, SGDs, and sign language as AAC options within verbal behavior frameworks. AAC selection is based on learner profile and communication goals.

Lesson 1 • Caregiver Training Techniques

Covers behavioral skills training, modeling, and performance feedback for caregivers. Trained caregivers extend therapeutic hours and reinforce skills across settings.

Lesson 2 • Home Session Structure and Safety

Addresses session setup, material organization, and home environment safety checks. Structured home sessions maximize learning opportunities and minimize distractions.

Lesson 3 • Communicating Data to Families

Teaches translating graphs and clinical data into accessible family-friendly language. Clear communication builds trust and supports informed caregiver participation.

Lesson 4 • Supporting Caregiver Wellbeing

Addresses caregiver stress, burnout recognition, and referral to support resources. Therapist awareness of family wellbeing strengthens the therapeutic alliance.

Lesson 1 • Treatment Integrity and Fidelity

Covers fidelity measurement, self-monitoring, and corrective feedback systems. High treatment integrity ensures interventions produce valid and replicable outcomes.

Lesson 2 • Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Addresses collaboration with speech, OT, PT, and educational teams within ABA frameworks. Coordinated care prevents conflicting interventions and maximizes client progress.

Lesson 3 • Supervision Models in ABA

Introduces competency-based supervision, performance monitoring, and feedback delivery. Effective supervision develops therapist skills and protects client outcomes.

Lesson 4 • Professional Development and Credentialing

Covers certification pathways, continuing education requirements, and career advancement. Ongoing professional development maintains competence and ethical standing.