Acquiring skills requires repetition and positive feedback. This is the concept behind Discrete Trial Training, an important instructional method used in ABA therapy. This method involves repeating one skill or a group of skills to ensure the child has ample learning opportunities to ensure the concept is “sticking.”  This method of teaching is a very fast paced session of teaching targets that consists of a stimuli (Sd) then a response from the learner and quick feedback from the teacher, either in the form of a prompt, error correction or “good job.”

Therapists use DTT to teach new skills, to break large tasks down into smaller steps, and to provide more structured teaching to learners who need it. Once a learner demonstrates their skills during DTT instruction, it’s important they demonstrate the same skills in their natural environment.  Because of the large number of teaching opportunities that are available in a DTT session, skills are typically taught in DTT and then practiced in the natural environment.

ABA Connect’s goal is to ensure your child uses their new skills in the real world! Read more on this in our Parent Support and Training section.

You can also learn about one of our other common teaching methods here: Natural Environment Training (NET).