ABA and CBT

Providing support services to individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often takes a multi-step approach. Since autism symptoms can range quite dramatically from one person to the next, there is no one-size-fits-all approach that works.

In many ways, this is why applied behavior analysis, or ABA therapy, is so highly regarded. It’s a science-based approach to learning and behavior that involves crafting individualized treatment plans that target every patient’s unique strengths, challenges, needs and preferences.

ABA therapy treatment plans are customized to each individual, and adapt as the patient makes progress toward their stated goal.

The success of ABA therapy can be enhanced in certain situations when it’s combined with other proven therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT.

Below, we’ll discuss how integrating ABA with CBT works.

Table Of Contents

How Are ABA Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Similar?

Both ABA therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are structured approaches to providing support to individuals. A goal of both is to help patients modify negative and/or harmful behaviors so they can navigate life more successfully.

ABA is rooted in scientific evidence. As such, it involves a lot of data collection and analysis to inform therapy teams what strategies and tools would work best for each individual patient.

The data is also used to track each patient’s progress toward their stated goals.

While there are many different strategies that ABA therapists can use, the ultimate aim of ABA therapy is to help patients live more independently. This is done by helping them improve communication and social interaction skills, teaching them daily living skills, and helping them manage their emotions, sensory sensitivities and modifying behaviors.

CBT is similar in that its ultimate goal is to help patients modify negative behaviors into ones that are more positive and productive. CBT also focuses on identifying underlying causes of behaviors first so that proper interventions can be developed to address them.

Feature	ABA Therapy	CBT
Goal	Improve independence by teaching specific skills	Modify internal thoughts to influence behavior
Focus	External behaviors and skill acquisition	Internal beliefs, thoughts, and feelings
Techniques	Positive reinforcement, structured routines	Thought restructuring, emotional regulation
Data Usage	Intensive data collection and analysis	Less data-driven, more introspective
Best For	Skill building, behavior modification	Anxiety, depression, emotional understanding
Can Be Combined With	CBT for enhanced emotional support	ABA for behavioral structure and practice

How Are ABA Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Different?

The main difference between ABA therapy and CBT is what they specifically target.

ABA therapy is focused mainly on acquiring new skills and modifying external behaviors. It addresses immediate issues that patients are facing, such as deficits in social skills or general communication and helping them build self-care skills.

While ABA therapy is very similar to CBT in the way it first identifies the root causes of deficits and behaviors, its approach to targeting them is different.

For instance, a major aspect of ABA therapy is integrating positive reinforcement. Patients are rewarded for successful attempts during therapy sessions with a toy they love, extra praise or a token they can exchange later, for example, which helps keep them engaged in the therapy and motivated to do more.

CBT, by contrast, takes a more internal approach to behavior modification. It concentrates on a person’s internal feelings, beliefs and thoughts as influences of external behaviors.

The goal of CBT is to change how patients interpret the situations they face so they can better regulate emotional responses to them. Because of this, it’s a therapy that’s often used for children who experience anxiety or depression.

How Can ABA Therapy and CBT Work Together?

ABA therapy and CBT can complement each other well, especially for older children or children who have mild autism symptoms.

What combining the two therapies can do is help to address cognition and behavior at the same time. This can provide more comprehensive and effective care for certain individuals.

Through CBT, individuals can come to understand why they’re feeling or thinking the way they are, and then address those feelings and thoughts so they can better manage emotions.

At the same time, ABA therapy can provide these same individuals with structure so they can practice the new skills they are learning with CBT. By role playing different scenarios, they can try out what they’re being taught and then experience the rewards of doing so.

In time, a combination of ABA therapy and CBT can lead to greater independence for individuals with autism.

Blue Gems ABA Follows a Holistic Approach to Care

Some individuals with autism can benefit greatly by integrating ABA therapy with cognitive behavioral therapy. The combined approach can be very effective at helping individuals understand why they’re feeling and thinking a certain way and then modifying their behaviors as a result.

At Blue Gems ABA, we take a holistic approach to care for individuals on the autism spectrum. Every treatment plan we craft is tailored to the specific needs of each patient, and we integrate various strategies and other therapies where they would be most effective.

To learn more, please contact us today.