When people think of ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis), they often picture highly structured teaching methods like Discrete Trial Training (DTT) and shaping. However, ABA therapy is fundamentally personalized and flexible, balancing structured techniques with natural, everyday learning. From Differential Reinforcement to Natural Environment Teaching, this article breaks down key ABA strategies used in classrooms and shows how they work together to support every child’s unique needs.
Differential Reinforcement (DR) and Shaping: Cornerstone Methods
Among the many techniques used in therapy services for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, two methods stand out for their flexibility and utility: shaping and Differential Reinforcement techniques such as DRA (Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior). These approaches rely on techniques that build on core ABA principles, such as reinforcement and prompting.
Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behaviors (DRA)
Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behaviors, or DRA, encourages positive behavior change by reinforcing a more appropriate, functional behavior that replaces a problem behavior. It is one form of Differential Reinforcement, a class of strategies used to decrease problem behaviors while increasing acceptable alternatives.
DRA works best when the behavior it’s meant to replace no longer receives a payoff, like attention or escape, but even when that’s not fully possible, reinforcing the better behavior can still lead to progress.
Why it’s common in classrooms:
You’ll see DRA used by many Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) because of its effectiveness in promoting behaviors that can generalize to real-life settings.
By consistently using positive reinforcement for appropriate behaviors, you can begin to see a gradual reduction in behaviors such as bolting, scripting, grabbing materials, or refusal. DRA also supports development in communication, self-regulation, and daily routines.
BCBAs also appreciate how easily it can be integrated into 1:1 therapy sessions, structured teaching blocks, transitions between treatment areas, group therapy, and natural play opportunities, all major parts of a typical ABA program.
What DRA looks like in real therapy settings:
DRA, in action, broken down into simple language, reinforces specific behaviors that teach new skills.
For example:
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Praising a student for handing over a “help” card instead of dropping to the floor when frustrated.
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Encouraging a child to raise their hand or say “my turn?” instead of grabbing toys during social interactions with other kids.
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Reinforcing sitting at the therapy table for short periods instead of running away.
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Supporting a child when they tap a communication button to ask for a break instead of throwing a tantrum.
Variations of Differential Reinforcement (and why they matter):
DRA offers several variations that behavior technicians can use based on the child’s unique needs.
Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO) :
DRO reinforces the absence of problem behavior for a set period, while withholding reinforcement when the behavior occurs. The aim is to increase the length of time the individual refrains from engaging in the unwanted behavior.
Example: If a child throws a tantrum, the therapist might give praise or a small reward after five minutes without a tantrum, encouraging more appropriate behavior during that time.
Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behavior (DRI):
DRI involves reinforcing a behavior that can’t happen at the same time as the problem behavior, while withholding reinforcement for the unwanted behavior. The goal is to replace the problem behavior with one that’s physically incompatible.
Example: If a child throws toys during playtime, the therapist might reinforce calm, incompatible behaviors like drawing, painting, or doing a puzzle. They may praise the child’s artwork or offer a small reward to encourage these positive actions.
Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates (DRL):
DRL is used to reduce the frequency of a behavior that does not need to be eliminated entirely. The behavior is only reinforced if it occurs less often than a set limit during a given time.
Example: A student constantly raises their hand during class, the teacher might reinforce them only if they raise it five times or fewer during a lesson.
Differential Reinforcement of High Rates (DRH) :
DRH aims to increase the frequency of a behavior that occurs too infrequently. The behavior is reinforced only when it happens more than a set number of times within a certain time frame.
Example: If a child takes very few bites during lunch, the therapist might reinforce them only after they take 10 or more bites in five minutes.
What parents should know:
DRA is a long-term strategy. It may take some patience and trust in the process to see results in everyday life.
When DRA is used consistently across therapy sessions, it strengthens new habits that eventually generalize to home, community outings, and future learning environments.
Parents can promote these skills by encouraging their children to use them in as many situations as possible.
Shaping
Shaping in applied behavior analysis therapy is a process of reinforcing small, gradual steps toward a more complex task or independent skill that the child cannot yet perform fully.
Shaping isn’t a complex ABA strategy. You can see shaping done by many to learn life skills in different settings. Adults use it in everyday contexts, such as gradually learning a new skill at work.
Why shaping is fundamental in therapy classrooms:
Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) use shaping when a child with developmental disorders needs a gradual path toward a new behavior.
Shaping is especially helpful in teaching communication, social, motor, and daily living skills.
This type of behavior therapy promotes steady, achievable progress without increasing stress or frustration. It helps the child build confidence in their abilities.
It also aligns naturally with individualized goals in ABA therapy programs based on the child’s needs.
What shaping looks like day to day:
Shaping can be done by providers and caregivers in various settings.
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A child learning to tolerate new foods begins by allowing the food to stay on the table, then touching it, smelling it, and eventually taking small bites.
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A student learning to communicate may start with eye contact or reaching, then progress to gestures, signs, or vocalizations.
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A child learning to brush their teeth might begin by placing a toothbrush near their lips, then make brief movements, then a single swipe, and finally complete brushing.
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Participating in group activities begins with tolerating short intervals of participation that gradually increase.
What parents should understand:
The effectiveness of shaping can be difficult to observe in real time, but each small success lays the groundwork for the next.
Over time, however, these tiny steps accumulate into significant, life-changing progress in communication, independence, and daily functioning.
Additional ABA Therapy Techniques Common in Classrooms
While the following techniques draw on different core ABA principles, such as prompting and reinforcement, they generally fall into one of two instructional approaches discussed so far: highly structured instruction or natural teaching opportunities embedded in everyday routines.
Task Analysis
Task analysis involves breaking down tasks into smaller teachable steps. For example, when teaching a child how to wash their hands, the process might include turning on the water, applying soap, rubbing hands together, rinsing, and drying. Each of these steps becomes a teachable action.
This technique is often paired with chaining, which focuses on teaching each individual step in sequence. The goal is for the child to learn and perform the entire skill independently, one step at a time.
Chaining (Forward, Backward, Total Task)
Once each individual step is identified, it is taught to the child using chaining. Chaining thus works alongside task analysis by providing a clear strategy for teaching the steps one at a time.
There are three main ways to teach the steps in a chain:
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Forward chaining starts with teaching the first step in the sequence and then moves forward.
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Backward chaining starts with teaching the last step first, then works backward.
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Total task chaining teaches all steps of the task during each session, with support as needed.
Finally, the child will practice the entire task, including all steps, with support as needed
Prompting (Verbal, Visual, Gestural, Physical)
Therapists may guide a child to success in a variety of ways. One of the most often used is prompting.
Just as a news broadcaster is given prompts on what to say, a therapist may provide a prompt to help a learner perform a skill correctly. These prompts may be visual or verbal cues, gestures, or physical guidance.
For example, when teaching a child to ask for help, a therapist may use a gestural prompt by pointing to the help button on their communication device. They can also use a verbal prompt of saying, “You can ask for help.”
Prompting can be used during shaping to help the child learn each step progressively.
Prompt Fading and Errorless Teaching
As the child improves in skills, the therapist will gradually reduce prompting until the new skill is used independently. This is called prompt fading.
Errorless teaching is an instructional approach that aims to minimize mistakes during learning. By providing prompts early and systematically, the therapist helps reduce frustration and increase confidence while promoting correct responding.
Errorless teaching (sometimes called errorless learning) is also considered a type of Antecedent-Based Intervention (ABA), which aims to prevent challenging behaviors by modifying what happens immediately beforehand, such as by providing prompts, to set up conditions that support success.
By focusing on teaching the correct response early, these methods help the child learn quickly and effectively. Over time, as support is gradually reduced, the child learns to use the skills independently, which also helps shape new behaviors.
Discrete Trial Instruction (DTI / DTT)
Discrete Trial Training (DTT), also called Discrete Trial Instruction (DTI), is a structured teaching approach with clear instructions and clear responses, most often used in 1:1 training with the therapist and child. This is the method often used to teach letter recognition, math facts, or to help students respond to questions.
More than any other technique on this list, DTT resembles traditional teaching. However, the key difference is that it is always adjusted to meet the child where they are, rather than forcing the child to fit into the teaching format.
Reinforcement is a key component of DTT, strengthening correct responses and building new skills. In some cases, DTT may be combined with strategies such as Differential Reinforcement to address specific behavior goals.
Natural Environment Teaching (NET)
Natural Environment Teaching, or NET, uses real-life situations to teach new skills. Instead of a structured classroom setting, learning happens during daily routines, such as playtime, mealtime, or transitions, wherever opportunities naturally arise.
During NET, reinforcement happens in the moment as well, typically with naturally occurring rewards.
For example, if a child shows interest in a preferred snack, the therapist will use this time to encourage the child to ask for it using words, signs, or a communication device.
Techniques like DRA can be used within NET to teach appropriate replacement behaviors in the same setting where challenges occur. This helps children learn new skills in meaningful and functional ways.
Modeling (Peer Modeling, Adult Modeling, Video Modeling)
In modeling, a child learns by watching a peer, adult, or video demonstrate the desired behavior.
The child can then mimic what they see. For example, when teaching how to brush their teeth, an adult may show them how by brushing their own teeth, explaining what they are doing step by step.
Modeling is often used in shaping by providing an example of what the “next step” in the skill looks like.
Visual Supports
Many children, including those with autism, can understand ideas better when they can see them. That is why visual supports are so effective in ABA therapy.
Visual supports can include schedules, token boards, first/then boards, and transition cues.
These constant reminders can help the student learn independently and provide predictability, making DRA and shaping easier for the student to follow.
Token Economies and Classroom Reinforcement Systems
Token systems allow children to get “mini wins” by collecting tokens, stickers, or points for demonstrating a target behavior.
For example, when working on communication, the child can earn a token for each time they successfully communicate a need or want.
These immediate rewards can be exchanged later for an even greater reward, such as time with their favorite toy or a yummy snack.
Over time, token systems provide motivation for children with ASD to strengthen the same skills that are being taught in daily therapy sessions.
Functional Communication Training (FCT)
FCT is teaching a communication response that replaces a challenging behavior. When a parent tells a child, “Use your words,” they are, in a sense, using FCT.
Instead of aggression, tantrums, or some other challenging behavior, the child is encouraged to communicate their needs through words, signs, or a communication device.
FCT is an expanded form of DRA, in which the “alternative behavior” is always a communication skill.
This method is often paired with shaping to teach vocal approximations or to gradually increase the child’s communication abilities.
How ABA Therapists Decide Which Technique to Use
ABA therapy is never meant to be a one-size-fits-all approach. This means that therapists need to take time to determine which technique works best for each child.
They base their decisions on the child’s individual skill level, therapy goals, motivation, and learning style.
Several different techniques may be used within the same session. These are very dependent on the classroom environment and the skills being taught.
Of course, data collection plays a big role in this process. Therapists are constantly tracking progress to see what is working for the child and what isn’t.
When they see that a technique is not helping the child reach their goals, they will pivot and try another. This is a constant process as the child develops and their needs evolve.
What You Should Not See
As this article shows, ABA uses several evidence-based approaches. However, there are some practices that should never be seen in a therapy session.
Ethical, modern ABA therapy does not include punitive approaches, such as withholding basic needs, ignoring a child, or refusing to allow breaks. It also does not include shaming or punishing a child.
Reinforcements should always be meaningful and individualized to the child.
With all the techniques and methods available in their toolboxes, therapists shouldn’t rely too heavily on any one strategy, as this could create a dependence in the child. An ABA program’s goal should always be to guide the child toward independence.
Understanding the techniques used in a child’s therapy can empower parents and caregivers to feel more confident and informed.
While some of the words may sound technical, the techniques are all grounded on the same basic principle: helping children to build life skills in a supportive and caring way.
At Behavior Span, we combine structured approaches, such as DTT, with more flexible methods, such as NET, to meet each child’s unique needs. Core techniques like DRA and shaping are also routinely integrated into daily sessions, along with additional tools that promote meaningful, individualized progress.
We have immediate openings at our centers. Contact us today to begin your child’s behavior assessment right away by calling 720-206-9644.
BehaviorSpan provides center-based ABA therapy in Denver and Aurora, Colorado — find care for your child today.