An ABA Glossary for Parents: BCBA, RBT, Reinforcement, Prompting, and More

Your child just started ABA therapy, and suddenly everyone is talking about BCBAs, RBTs, reinforcers, prompt fading, and FBAs. If you've nodded along in a meeting while quietly wondering what half of it meant, you're not alone.

ABA has its own vocabulary, and learning it helps you ask better questions, understand your child's progress reports, and use the same strategies at home. At Avant-Garde Behavioral Therapy in Davie, FL, we want every parent to feel like a full member of their child's team.

This glossary groups the terms you'll hear most often by topic, with plain-English definitions and real examples. Bookmark it and come back whenever a new word pops up.

The people on your child's team

ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis). A science-based approach to understanding behavior and teaching meaningful skills. Modern ABA is play-based, individualized, and focused on what matters to your child and family, like communication, independence, and safety. Learn more about ABA therapy at Avant-Garde.

BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst). The clinician who leads your child's program. A BCBA holds a master's degree or higher, has completed supervised fieldwork, and has passed a national exam from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Your BCBA runs assessments, writes the treatment plan, supervises sessions, analyzes data, and leads parent training.

BCaBA (Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst). A bachelor's-level clinician who can help with assessments and programming under a BCBA's supervision. Not every team has one.

RBT (Registered Behavior Technician). The person who usually works one-on-one with your child during sessions. RBTs complete specialized training and a competency assessment, pass a certification exam, and always work under BCBA supervision. They're often the face your child knows best.

Supervision. Regular time your BCBA spends observing sessions, coaching the RBT, and adjusting the program. It's how quality stays high.

You, the parent or caregiver. The most important member of the team. You know your child best, and you're with them far more hours than any therapist.

Assessments and plans

Initial assessment. The first step in ABA. Your BCBA observes your child, talks with you, and uses structured tools to understand your child's strengths and needs. Read more about our behavioral assessments.

Skills assessment (VB-MAPP, ABLLS-R, AFLS). Standardized tools that map where your child is in areas like language, play, social skills, and daily living. The results help your BCBA choose goals that are the right next step, not too easy or too hard.

FBA (Functional Behavior Assessment). A process for figuring out why a challenging behavior happens. Your BCBA gathers information through interviews, observation, and data to identify what the behavior is getting or helping your child avoid.

BIP (Behavior Intervention Plan). The plan that comes out of an FBA. It describes how to prevent the behavior, what skills to teach instead, and how everyone should respond when it happens.

Treatment plan. Your child's roadmap for therapy. It lists goals, teaching methods, recommended hours, and how progress will be measured. It's usually updated every six months, often alongside insurance reauthorization.

Goals and targets. A goal is the big skill your child is working toward, like asking for help. Targets are the specific, smaller steps or examples taught along the way.

Reinforcement and motivation

Reinforcement. Anything that happens after a behavior and makes that behavior more likely to happen again. It's the core of ABA. If your child asks for a snack and gets it, asking is reinforced.

Positive reinforcement. Adding something your child likes after a behavior. Example: your child puts on their shoes and you give a high five and five minutes of their favorite song. "Positive" means adding, not "good."

Negative reinforcement. Removing something unpleasant after a behavior, which makes that behavior more likely. Example: your child says "break please" and gets a short break from a hard task. It is not punishment, which is a common mix-up.

Reinforcer. The specific thing that works as a reward for your child. It might be bubbles, praise, a tablet, tickles, or a toy train. What works changes over time, so therapists check often.

Preference assessment. A quick, structured way to find out what your child currently likes most, usually by offering choices and seeing what they pick.

Pairing. Building a positive relationship by connecting the therapist (and therapy) with fun things before placing demands. It's why early sessions can look like pure play.

Token economy. A system where your child earns tokens, like stars or stickers, that they trade in for a bigger reward. It teaches waiting and works well at home too.

Motivating operation (MO). Something that temporarily changes how much your child wants a reinforcer. A child who just ate lunch is less motivated by snacks; a child who hasn't seen the iPad all day is very motivated by it.

Prompting and teaching methods

Prompt. Extra help that makes it more likely your child will respond correctly. Prompts help kids succeed while they learn, so they don't get frustrated.

Prompt hierarchy. The different levels of help, from most to least support:

1. Full physical: gently guiding your child's hands through the whole action
2. Partial physical: a light touch, like a tap on the elbow
3. Modeling: showing your child what to do
4. Gestural: pointing or looking toward the right answer
5. Verbal: a spoken hint or partial word, like "cu..." for "cup"
6. Visual: a picture, written word, or visual schedule

Prompt fading. Gradually giving less help until your child can do the skill on their own. The goal is always independence.

Prompt dependence. When a child waits for help instead of trying. Careful fading prevents it.

Errorless learning. Giving the right amount of help up front so your child succeeds from the start, then fading it.

DTT (Discrete Trial Training). A structured way of teaching in short, repeated practice rounds: an instruction, your child's response, and immediate feedback. Great for building new skills quickly.

NET (Natural Environment Teaching). Teaching during play and everyday routines, following your child's interests. If your child loves cars, a therapist might teach colors, requesting, and turn-taking with them.

Task analysis. Breaking a complex skill, like handwashing or getting dressed, into small, teachable steps.

Chaining. Teaching the steps of a task analysis one at a time and linking them together. Forward chaining starts with the first step; backward chaining starts with the last, so your child always gets to finish the task.

Shaping. Reinforcing closer and closer attempts at a skill. A child might first be reinforced for "buh," then "bu-buh," then "bubble."

Understanding behavior

ABC (Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence). The basic way ABA looks at any behavior. The antecedent is what happened right before, the behavior is what your child did, and the consequence is what happened right after. Example: you turn off the TV (antecedent), your child cries (behavior), and you turn it back on (consequence).

Function of behavior. The reason a behavior happens, or what it does for your child. Most behaviors serve one of four functions:

• Attention: getting a reaction from others
• Escape: getting out of something hard or unpleasant
• Tangible: getting a toy, food, or activity
• Sensory: the behavior itself feels good or relieves discomfort

Replacement behavior. A safer, more appropriate way for your child to get the same need met. If a child hits to get a break, they might learn to hand over a "break" card instead.

Antecedent strategies. Changes made before a behavior to prevent it, like visual schedules, timers before transitions, or offering choices.

Extinction. No longer allowing a behavior to get what it used to get, so it gradually decreases. It's always paired with teaching a replacement behavior, and your BCBA will guide you through it carefully.

Extinction burst. A temporary spike in a behavior when it stops working, before it improves. It's frustrating but normal, and a sign the plan is taking effect.

Generalization. Using a skill in new places, with new people, and with new materials. Saying "hi" to a therapist is great; saying it to grandma at the grocery store is generalization.

Maintenance. Keeping a skill over time after teaching ends. Your BCBA will check mastered skills to make sure they stick.

Data, progress, and insurance

Data collection. Your child's RBT records what happens during each session, like how many times a skill was done correctly or how often a behavior occurred. Data is how the team knows what's working, rather than guessing.

Baseline. A measure of where a skill or behavior stands before teaching starts. Every bit of progress is compared to it.

Mastery criteria. The standard your child needs to meet for a skill to count as learned, for example 80% correct across three sessions with two different people.

Graph. A visual of your child's data over time. Ask your BCBA to walk you through your child's graphs. They tell the story of progress better than any single session.

Progress report. A regular summary of how your child is doing on each goal, usually completed every six months for insurance.

Parent training (caregiver training). Sessions where your BCBA teaches you the strategies used in therapy so you can use them at home. It's a key part of every quality ABA program. Learn about our parent training services.

Prior authorization. Approval your insurance company gives before ABA services begin, and again when they're renewed. Your provider usually submits the paperwork, including the assessment and treatment plan.

Recommended hours. The number of therapy hours per week your BCBA recommends based on your child's needs. This can range from a few hours to a more intensive program.

CPT codes. Billing codes you may see on insurance statements. The common ABA codes include 97151 (assessment), 97153 (direct therapy with an RBT), 97155 (BCBA program adjustments), and 97156 (parent training).

Never be afraid to ask

You don't need to memorize every term on this list. What matters most is that you feel comfortable asking, "What does that mean for my child?" A good ABA team will always take the time to explain.

At Avant-Garde Behavioral Therapy, we believe informed parents make the strongest partners. Our team provides ABA therapy, behavioral assessments, social skills development, and parent training for children and teens with autism in Miami Florida.