Has your child with autism been referred for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy while already receiving speech and occupational therapy? You may wonder why they need another service, how ABA differs from their current therapies, and whether all three will work together.
Although ABA, speech, and occupational therapy may address some of the same everyday skills, each serves a distinct purpose. When your child’s therapists communicate and coordinate related goals, they can work as a team to help your child use new skills during daily routines, social interactions, and other everyday moments.
How Different Therapies Support Your Child With Autism
Although some goals may overlap, each therapist brings specialized knowledge to your child’s care:
- Applied Behavior Analysis: ABA therapy helps your child build communication, social, daily living, coping, and learning-readiness skills (such as following directions) and develop positive behaviors through positive reinforcement (like praise or access to a preferred toy) and engaging, individualized activities.
- Speech Therapy: Pediatric speech therapy helps your child understand and use language, express their needs and ideas, speak more clearly, engage in conversations, and use nonverbal communication when needed.
- Occupational Therapy: Pediatric occupational therapy helps your child participate more independently in everyday activities by building fine motor skills, including small movements of the hands and fingers, and supporting sensory processing (how your child responds to sounds, textures, and movement), play, attention, and self-care.
What Teamwork Looks Like: Getting Ready for School
Consider a goal such as getting ready for school. A speech therapist may help your child understand directions or request assistance. An occupational therapist may address dressing, buttons and zippers, hygiene, or sensory needs. An ABA therapist may help your child practice the routine and reinforce these skills.
By coordinating related goals and strategies, the therapists can help your child bring them together during a meaningful daily activity.
How ABA Supports Related Speech and Occupational Therapy Goals
Many children with autism receive ABA alongside speech and occupational therapy. ABA does not replace either service. Instead, it provides additional opportunities for your child to practice related communication, social, daily living, and coping skills during different activities and situations.
When therapists coordinate care, they share information about related goals, strategies, and progress. This does not mean they use identical activities or work on the same goals. Each therapist focuses on their specialty while using approaches that work well together across therapies and everyday settings.
This collaboration can help your child:
- Practice skills across therapies: Your child can work on communication, social, or daily living skills during more than one type of activity.
- Receive more consistent support: Therapists can use compatible communication methods and strategies without expecting every session to look the same.
- Build skills that work together: Therapists can consider how communication, sensory, motor, social, and daily living skills affect one another.
- Use skills in everyday life: Your child can practice developing skills during routines, play, and social interactions.
- Receive support that changes with their needs: Therapists can share observations and adjust related goals or strategies as your child progresses.
Ways ABA Therapists Collaborate With Speech Therapists
Speech and ABA therapists can collaborate to help your child use developing communication skills during different activities and situations. The speech therapist can determine which communication skills and methods are appropriate, while the ABA therapist provides additional opportunities to practice them through play, routines, and social interactions.
Together, the therapists may:
- Use the same words or augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) methods, such as gestures, pictures, or a device
- Encourage your child to request items or assistance
- Reinforce understanding and following directions
- Support turn-taking and participation in conversations
- Share observations about what helps your child communicate
For example, if your child is learning to request help in speech therapy, their ABA therapist can encourage them to use the same word, gesture, picture, or AAC device when they need assistance during another activity.
Ways ABA Therapists Collaborate With Occupational Therapists
Occupational and ABA therapists can collaborate when your child needs extra support with motor, sensory, play, or self-care skills to participate in daily routines. The occupational therapist addresses the underlying skills needed for an activity, while the ABA therapist provides opportunities to practice the routine and reinforces your child’s participation.
Together, the therapists may:
- Practice the steps of a dressing or hygiene routine
- Encourage the use of utensils during meals
- Support participation in fine motor or play activities
- Use sensory strategies recommended by the occupational therapist
- Help your child move from one activity to another
For example, an occupational therapist may help your child develop the hand strength and coordination needed to fasten buttons. Their ABA therapist can provide positive reinforcement as your child practices completing the steps of getting dressed.
How Can You Support Your Child Across Multiple Therapies?
You can help your child’s therapists understand how developing skills affect life outside the clinic. As an active member of the care team, you can:
- Share your priorities: Tell the therapists which activities or routines are most important to your family.
- Ask about related goals: Learn how skills practiced in one therapy may support progress in another.
- Practice recommended strategies: Help your child use developing skills during familiar home activities.
- Provide ongoing updates: Let the team know about progress or challenges you observe between sessions.
Your feedback can help the team connect therapy goals to the activities that matter in your child’s daily life.
Find ABA, Speech, and Occupational Therapy at Little Hands
Little Hands at Play Therapy offers ABA, speech, occupational, physical, and feeding therapy at our Fort Smith and Fayetteville clinics. When your child receives multiple services at either location, their therapists can communicate regularly and coordinate goals when appropriate.
Our ABA program serves children with autism ages 3 and older, and we welcome families enrolled in the PASSE program. Call us today at (479) 226-3409 or complete our online contact form to learn more or schedule an evaluation for your child.
