The Importance of Tacting in ABA Therapy

Learning the best ways to connect and communicate with a child with autism takes time and effort. A critical communication skill taught in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is tacting, which guides children to communicate by labeling the world around them. Rooted in core ABA principles, tacting is a science-based approach where children first learn to label simple, everyday objects and then gradually expand to referring to, describing, and responding to people or events in their environment. In this article, we'll break down why tacting is such a vital communication skill, how ABA therapists teach it, and what it looks like in real-world situations.

How ABA Therapy Works

Does the idea of learning a new therapy seem a little, well, overwhelming on top of your already busy schedule? Here’s a tip: ABA is evidence-based, so its techniques often feel intuitive and become easier with practice. 

Applied Behavior Analysis uses various strategies to understand, address, and, ultimately, change a child’s behavior. At its core, ABA applies principles about how humans are motivated to learn and uses them to drive positive behavioral changes. ABA methods are used to support children with autism who may need extra assistance in developing social, communication, and other daily skills.

The ABA Foundation and Principles

ABA methods have been in use for decades. They are based on long-standing principles of psychology that explain how people learn from their environment.

At its core, the basic idea is that behavior is shaped by what happens before it and what happens after. One of the most influential figures in this field was B.F. Skinner, often called the father of behavior analysis. He showed that behavior can be encouraged and strengthened through reinforcement, or discouraged and reduced when not reinforced. For example, a child praised for sharing is more likely to share again, while a tantrum that doesn’t lead to a reward may decrease over time. These simple cause-and-effect patterns are the foundation of ABA.

Behavior is environmentally learned and influenced, and evaluating data can help us better understand which interventions to use and whether they’re effective on an individual level. Combining these three highly researched studies and their results provides a foundation on which to build ABA strategies, such as tacting. 

Why ABA and Autism Care Are Linked 

Children are unique. Add in the diagnosis of autism, and you have a child with all the typical growing and learning needs, plus the additional challenge of requiring extra help to understand and adapt to the world.

ABA works well because it’s flexible and adaptable for every child’s unique needs: It can be taught and applied at home, in schools, and in public places. ABA teaches real-life skills using evidence-based methods, such as positive reinforcement, which can be effective in both one-on-one learning and group settings.

ABA is Backed by Research

The effectiveness of using ABA on children with autism has been studied extensively. Peer-reviewed research studies using data analysis to monitor the use of ABA methods have shown that behavioral analysis can “significantly impact” social and communicative skills. Overall, a well-implemented ABA program using strategies like tacting may improve the daily life of a child with autism spectrum disorder. But what does “tacting” mean?

The Concept of Tact in ABA

You’ve heard the term “tact” in everyday language, which refers to the ability to be diplomatic and sensitive when dealing with others. In ABA, a tact refers to a verbal response that is evoked by a sensory experience and used to identify and label the target stimulus. 

Put simply, tacting is when a child sees, hears, feels, tastes, or smells something in their environment and then names it on their own, without being directly prompted. Through tacting, a child with autism learns how to connect what they’re noticing with verbal expressions. This knowledge bridges the communication gap, building vocabulary and supporting generalization and social skills.

Why Tacting Works

In tacting, the goal behavior is identified, then rewarded when it’s performed successfully. The key is that the reward must be meaningful to the child, so it encourages them to keep using their skill. 

In a review of research studies, over 87% of the programs that were carefully analyzed showed strong results in helping children with autism learn to label and describe the world around them 

The Importance of Tacting in Autism

Why is tacting important when supporting a child with autism? Tacting can be taught at a slower pace by introducing one target at a time. This approach can be especially helpful for children with autism, as some may become overwhelmed by too much stimulation, making it harder for them to engage in learning.

Because tacting focuses on labeling things in the environment, it helps a child focus, understand what’s going on around them, and build communication skills. Each new label becomes another tool that enhances communication, builds relationships, and supports cognitive and language development.

How to Teach Tacting

Now that we understand the importance and effectiveness of tacting, the question is how to teach it in therapy.

First, let’s break it down. Tacting is when a child labels something they see, hear, smell, taste, or feel without being prompted to do so. This often develops naturally, but children with autism often benefit from more structured teaching to build this skill.

Steps to Teach Tacting

Early tacting is most effective when the child is already interested in a particular object. When you see a sparkle in their eyes and a look of curiosity on their face, follow these steps:

• Prompt them to label the “thing,” and if they don’t know what it is, tell them.

• Reinforce the child when they tact correctly, either to a prompt or spontaneously. Reinforcement should be something the child values, such as verbal praise, clapping, or access to the item, so it motivates them to continue using the skill.

• As the child becomes more confident, gradually reduce prompting until it is entirely gone.

Slowly introduce new objects and situations to create a more generalized tacting system.

Types of Prompting

Prompting is an important part of an effective tacting strategy. How you prompt a child matters. There are different methods, and they may not all work for every learner each time. Prompting types include: 

• Echoic prompts: This is when you vocalize the response you want, prompting the child to say it. For example, you say “dog” and wait for the child to repeat (or “echo”) the word. 

• Gestural prompts: These are nonverbal actions that act as a cue for the child to tact. For example, you might point to the item, nod, or look at the item and make eye contact, then wait for the response. 

• Physical prompts: This approach is helpful with tasks that require more detailed responses, such as those that use fine motor skills. The child receives physical guidance to complete a task.

• Visual prompts: These involve using images or pictures as a nonverbal stimulus to remind the child of the desired response. For example, a dog might not always be nearby to cue the child to tact, but you can easily pull up a video or picture to show them.

Types of Tacting

You can begin tacting with day-to-day objects, like “dog”, “cookie”, “chair.” From there, the child can gradually expand their vocabulary by tacting actions, events, and even feelings. 

These are the main types of tacting:

• Object tacting: The most common beginner tacting in language development is that of objects. Object tacting happens when you identify and name everyday objects. 

• Attribute tacting: This includes describing characteristics of an object. For example, once the child tacts “dog,” they can tact attributes like the color of the dog’s fur, whether it is fluffy or soft, or its eye color.

• Action tacting: This involves labeling actions or movements. For example, “The dog is running.”

• Condition tacting:  This involves labeling the state or condition of something. For example, “hot milk” or “wet clothes.”

• Abstract tacting: Considered more complex, this is when the child labels abstract concepts, such as “happy face” or “The dog is excited.”

Tacting can also focus on the senses. For example, a child may learn to label sounds (“The music is loud”), tastes (“The cookie is sweet”), or smells (“The flower smells nice”) by following the same tacting steps.

To Mand or To Tact?

As you research more about ABA, you’ll see another strategy called “manding.” Tacting and manding are related and sometimes confused, but they have distinct differences.

When a baby reaches for a bottle, it is communicating its desire to eat. This is one of the most innate responses we have as humans, and it’s referred to as manding. (Think: demanding.) A mand is a request expressed through words, signs, or other communication methods, and it is reinforced by getting what is asked for (e.g., bottle, “mama,” “up,” “down”).

Manding is driven by a need for the item or activity as its motivation. Tact, on the other hand, is applying a label to something in the environment, either on demand (to a prompt) or spontaneously when a stimulus appears.

Both manding and tacting skills are excellent growth opportunities for a child. However, manding limits learning experiences to what the child needs or desires at the time. Tacting opens their world up to things they’ve seen and are thinking about, describing sensations, and communicating their thoughts. As children build their tacting skills, they also develop the foundation for intraverbals — conversational exchanges that have no direct relation to the child’s current environment.

Other Growth Strategies in ABA Therapy

Tacting is an effective, research-based strategy used in ABA therapy. But it’s not the only way to help a child with autism spectrum disorder. If tacting isn’t working or you want to expand your knowledge of strategies used in ABA, consider these other techniques.

Natural Environment Teaching (NET)

Play is a favorite way for children to learn, and Natural Environment Teaching (NET) maximizes playtime. This teaching strategy uses the child’s environment as their playground and classroom. Skills are built into their daily lives as they play with toys, help around the house, and interact with others. With NET, the child’s personal choices help motivate them while they learn real-world skills.

Collaboration 

Collaborative activities with social interactions are a practical way for children who need extra help to practice communication and socialization. Through structured play, such as board games and role-playing, children learn how to take turns, share, and communicate effectively. Collaboration also fosters the understanding of social cues.

Discrete Trial Training (DTT)

ABA therapy systems may combine Discrete Trial Training (DTT), which is a structured teaching method. DTT takes complex skills and breaks them down into smaller, more manageable steps, each of which receives positive reinforcement. This strategy uses one-on-one instruction, with children receiving a cue (antecedent) followed by reinforcement for correct responses or error correction.

Early Behavioral Intervention

Family involvement is essential for a child with autism to feel safe and learn how to communicate with the world. When combined with Early Behavioral Intervention, young children receive individualized, intensive therapy to develop vital skills and learn to respond to stimuli in more socially acceptable ways. By working with behavior analyst professionals like BehaviorSpan, children practice communication and social interaction while learning real-world skills that help them cope in their daily life. 

BehaviorSpan has many professional behavioral analysts who work with children and their families to provide social reinforcement, tact training, and guidance. Each child has a team working with them, including a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) to assist with goal-setting and skill prioritization, and a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT), who works one-on-one with the child daily to implement strategies and track progress. ABA Therapy sessions at BehaviorSpan are always collaborative, engaging, and taught with research-based methods.

The extra help during these early years, when the child’s brain is most responsive, provides support and builds a stronger foundation for future learning. Families also gain expert knowledge, support, and research-based strategies that can make these often challenging years a little less stressful.

Conclusion

Research has shown that working on language skills with children with autism builds on core concepts of human motivation and breaks them down into strategies that a neurodivergent learner can understand. Learning occurs in-home, in public, and in the classroom, utilizing tacting and other methods. Collaborating with professionals like those at BehaviorSpan sets each child on a unique and structured path to develop the skills necessary to build a brighter future.

Partner with a team that’s committed to your child’s growth and happiness. Contact BehaviorSpan today or call 720-206-9644.

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