​I often find that there are misconceptions about what ABA therapy looks like primarily, due to the history of what the therapy has looked like in the past. I like to break it down to behaviors “we” (child, family and the clinical team) want to see less of and behaviors we want to see more of. In the role of BCBA, I work with both challenging behaviors and teaching new skills. For instance, I may teach a child the needed skills to wave “hi” so, they can initiate interactions in social settings. This is a behavior that we would love to see more of. Other times, I am presented with a behavior that can cause harm, such as running into the street, with a disregard for surroundings and traffic. This is a behavior that we want to see less of.

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In my work as a BCBA, I most often use ABA strategies in what’s called the natural environment — or, the real-life places where a child lives, learns, and plays. This could be at home, in school, on the playground, or during everyday routines like snack time, bath time, or getting ready in the morning. Teaching in the natural environment means we focus on building skills in the moments that matter most. Instead of learning only in a structured setting, children practice communication, social skills, self-help, and emotional regulation in the places where they’ll actually use them. Even in more structured settings, I use play-based ABA strategies to foster skill building. Natural environment and play-based learning helps learning feel more natural, relevant, and meaningful — supporting long-term success and independence. 

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I often blend my passion for understanding an individual's unique needs from a developmental, person-centered perspective when I am creating comprehensive behavioral assessments to help us understand the function of a behavior we are seeing. This means we are gaining more insight to how an individual may have learned that a behavior, even if it's a risky one, was the most efficient way for them to get their needs met. I find this so important to consider this aspect of the human experience when thinking about behavior change.

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