Traditional ABA Practices vs. Progressive ABA Practices   Traditional ABA Compliance focused, where clients would be required to engage in a certain behavior in order to receive reinforcement or breaks.  Extrinsic motivation: accessing reinforcement is  dependent on outside physical items (food, toys, activities etc.). These items are withheld until the desired behavior is emitted.  Social skills programs focused on teaching autstic children to appear neurotypical by masking autistic traits.  Focused heavily on the perspective of the stakeholders only, not as much the feelings and opinions of the client.  Hours are based on maximizing billable potential.  Solely skill and behavior based. Physical prompts are used in most situations.  Restraints used frequently for challenging behaviors.  Self stimulatory behavior is usually always seen as inappropriate and in need of reduction or modification. Use of extinction and planned ignoring to ignore the child and the behavior the child is engaging in.  May ignore child boundaries and focus solely on compliance. Learners have no say or choice in what they learn.   Used primarily discrete trial training (DTT) to focus on learning only at the table.  All goals within assessments must be mastered prior to discharge.  Little collaboration with other professionals involved with the learner.  Did not consider trauma whatsoever.  Focuses on the medical model of disability   Focuses only on a child’s behavior, disregarding private events such as feelings and emotions.  Progressive ABA Compassion focused, where a child is taught ways to advocate for their feelings and needs in a safe space. Attempts to communicate are honored and respected. Intrinsic motivation, focused on encouraging connection between the learner and the technician/teacher. Social skills programs focus on social emotional learning. SEL prioritizes teaching learners to be who they truly are, while increasing psychological flexibility and self advocacy skills. Client assent is considered each step of the way. Clients are involved in treatment planning when available and appropriate. Hours are based solely on medical necessity. Participation in prescribed hours is up to stakeholders and clients.    While skills and behaviors are important to consider, the new approach to ABA includes teaching functional communication, sensory regulation, emotional regulation, self advocacy, coping skills and independent living skills.  Physical prompts are used as a last resort and end the second the child withdraws assent. Protecting bodily autonomy is at the core of progressive ABA.  Restraints are used as an absolute last resort and are ONLY used if the learner poses a serious danger to themselves or others.  The new ABA perspective recognizes that self stimulatory behavior is key to self regulation. Self stimulatory behaviors (stimming) can be shaped to be more appropriate considering certain circumstances, but should never be eliminated.  Planned ignoring should only ignore the behavior, NOT the child. We can ignore inappropriate attention seeking behavior, while redirecting to an appropriate alternative.  While we may ignore the inappropriate behavior, we will continue to provide attention to the child and their successes.  Child boundaries and assent are at the forefront of all programming and are considered consistently. We also teach children to advocate for their boundaries and their needs.  Learners are consistently given choices on what they would like to learn or engage in.  Learning is done in a more naturalistic way. While discrete trial training is utilized, naturalistic teaching and incidental teaching are preferred. Goals within assessments are selected for the learner. If certain goals are not relevant or necessary, they will be omitted and not required for discharge.  Frequent collaboration with all other professionals involved with the learner.  Most research suggests that most autistic children have experienced some form of trauma. With that in mind, a trauma informed perspective is considered and implemented.  Focuses on the social model of disability Takes a whole child approach to look at the whole child and the whole picture rather than only the 4 functions of behavior.