Applying What You Learn: ABA Sessions

What is the point of learning a new behavior or skill if it cannot be applied in different situations? Is a skill truly acquired if the student is unable to apply it outside the classroom or house?

Generalization is the “spreading” or “expansion” of teaching beyond what was directly or intentionally taught. It is the process of taking a skill learned in one setting like home and applying it in other settings like school or a store.  If anyone (on the spectrum or not) can do that, then they are exhibiting generalization.

Generalization is an integral part of ABA therapy and all learning. If you can teach a child to say "thank you" in the therapy room, but they never respond to other peers or adults out of the session then what is the point of that? How does the skill of saying "thank you" benefit that child? Ultimately, the goal of teaching any skill or behavior is that the child can apply it across many different environments and multiple people.

People on the spectrum tend to have a harder time generalizing. While they may be able to demonstrate a given skill, generalization is not automatically guaranteed if they are not being prompted or something about the presentation is a little different than it was when it was originally taught. Recently, one of the kids I have gotten a chance to observe is learning how to appropriately cross the street. Within a few weeks, he is able to demonstrate how to cross the street with play cars in the session. He will stop the play figure if a car is incoming and look left and right. However when taken outside to do the same thing with real cars, it is harder for him to apply the same skill. An open environment brings more distractions and stimuli than the inside.

There are many ways to generalize, including across time and people, across settings, and across stimuli.

1. Time- A child learns his numbers up to 20 last month. Today, he can still remember them.
2. People- A child can respond the same way to different people.
3. Settings- A child learns his numbers up to 20 in a ABA session. He can use those 20 numbers regardless of the environment (at home, on the playground, in class etc.)
4. Behaviors- A child learns his numbers up to 20 last month. Now he is learning numbers up to 50 and eventually 100. He’s also showing learning how to add and subtract. 

Generalization should be a part of any early intervention from the start. It’s not something extra; if it doesn’t happen, then behavior change is all but meaningless.