ABA therapy goals are clear, measurable targets that describe a skill your child will learn and how well they will do it. Common goal areas include communication, social skills, play, daily living, school readiness, and behavior. A good goal names the skill, the situation, and the level of success needed, such as 8 out of 10 tries across three sessions. Your child’s Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) writes these goals after an assessment.
Goals are the heart of an ABA treatment plan. They tell you what your child is working on, why it matters, and how you will know it is working. At Go Behavioral LLC, every goal ties back to your child’s daily life and your family’s priorities. The examples below can help you read your child’s plan or start a conversation with your BCBA.
What Makes a Good ABA Goal
Strong ABA goals share the same parts. Many BCBAs use the SMART format, which means goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound.
| Part | What It Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Behavior | The exact skill | Request a favorite item |
| Condition | When or where it happens | During snack, when the item is out of reach |
| Criteria | How well your child does it | Using a two word phrase in 8 of 10 chances |
| Mastery | How long success must last | Across 3 sessions in a row |
Put together, the goal reads: “During snack time, when a favorite item is out of reach, the child will request it using a two word phrase in 8 out of 10 opportunities across 3 sessions in a row.”
How ABA Goals Are Chosen
Goals start with an assessment. The BCBA watches your child, talks with you, and uses tools such as the VB-MAPP, ABLLS-R, AFLS, or Vineland-3. These tools measure language, social, and daily living skills. If your child has challenging behavior, the BCBA may also complete a functional behavior assessment to learn why it happens.
Your input matters just as much. You know which skills would make the biggest difference at home. If your child has not been evaluated yet, start with our guide on how to get an autism evaluation for your child.
ABA Goal Examples by Skill Area
The examples below are samples only. Your child’s BCBA will adjust each goal to fit your child’s current skills and needs.
Communication Goals
| Target Skill | Example Goal |
|---|---|
| Requesting | Child will request preferred items using words, signs, or a device in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 sessions. |
| Following directions | Child will follow one step directions, such as “get your shoes,” within 5 seconds in 80% of opportunities. |
| Answering questions | Child will answer simple “what” and “where” questions about familiar items with 80% accuracy. |
| Asking for help | Child will say or sign “help” when a task is too hard in 4 of 5 opportunities. |
Social Skills Goals
| Target Skill | Example Goal |
|---|---|
| Greetings | Child will respond to a greeting from a peer or adult within 3 seconds in 80% of opportunities. |
| Turn taking | Child will take turns in a simple game with a peer for 3 rounds with no more than one prompt. |
| Joint attention | Child will look where an adult points and then look back at the adult in 4 of 5 trials. |
| Starting conversations | Child will start a conversation with a peer at least 2 times during a 30 minute group. |
Play Skills Goals
| Target Skill | Example Goal |
|---|---|
| Functional play | Child will use toys as intended, such as rolling a car, for 2 minutes without prompts. |
| Pretend play | Child will act out 3 pretend actions, such as feeding a doll, during play. |
| Independent play | Child will play alone with a toy or activity for 5 minutes. |
Daily Living Skills Goals
| Target Skill | Example Goal |
|---|---|
| Handwashing | Child will complete all steps of handwashing with no more than one prompt across 3 sessions. |
| Toileting | Child will use the toilet when taken on a schedule in 80% of opportunities across one week. |
| Dressing | Child will put on a jacket without help in 4 of 5 opportunities. |
| Mealtime | Child will try one bite of a new food during 3 of 5 meals. |
School Readiness Goals
| Target Skill | Example Goal |
|---|---|
| Group sitting | Child will stay seated during a 10 minute group activity with no more than 2 prompts. |
| Transitions | Child will move to the next activity within 1 minute of a cue in 80% of transitions. |
| Waiting | Child will wait calmly for up to 2 minutes for a preferred item. |
School goals often overlap with a child’s IEP. Our guide on supporting your child in school and knowing when a child needs an IEP explains how those plans work. You can also read how autism affects education.
Behavior Reduction Goals
Behavior goals lower actions that cause harm or block learning. Each one is paired with a better skill that meets the same need.
| Target Behavior | Example Goal |
|---|---|
| Aggression | Child will reduce hitting by 80% from baseline over 3 months while learning to ask for a break. |
| Tantrums | Child will reduce tantrum length to under 2 minutes in 4 of 5 episodes. |
| Elopement | Child will stay with an adult during community outings with zero attempts to run across 5 outings. |
| Coping skills | Child will use a calming strategy, such as deep breaths, when upset in 4 of 5 observed times. |
Many behavior goals use functional communication training, which teaches a child to ask for what they need instead. Learn more in our guide to intervention strategies for autism.
How Progress on Goals Is Tracked
Your child’s therapist records data on each goal during every session. The BCBA reviews that data often. When your child meets the mastery criteria, the goal moves to maintenance. The team then checks that your child can use the skill with new people and in new places. Our article on BCBA vs RBT vs BCaBA explains who collects and reviews this data. Most plans get a full review every six months.
How Parents Can Help Reach Goals
- Share your priorities: Tell your BCBA which skills matter most for your family.
- Ask for plain language: Request a simple list of current goals and what each one means.
- Practice at home: Use the same words and rewards the therapist uses.
- Report changes: Let the team know about new skills or new challenges at home.
To see what these goals add up to over time, read about the benefits of ABA for your child.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many goals are in an ABA treatment plan?
There is no set number. Comprehensive plans often include goals across many skill areas. Focused plans may target only a few skills or one main behavior.
What is mastery criteria in ABA?
Mastery criteria is the level your child must reach to show a skill is learned. A common example is 80% to 90% correct across 2 or 3 sessions in a row. The BCBA sets the criteria for each goal.
Who writes ABA therapy goals?
The BCBA writes the goals using assessment results and input from parents. The RBT then works on those goals with your child in each session.
Can parents add goals to an ABA plan?
Yes. You can share any skill you want your child to learn. The BCBA will turn it into a measurable goal if it fits your child’s needs and plan.
How often are ABA goals updated?
Goals change whenever a skill is mastered or progress stalls. A full treatment plan review usually happens every six months.
What is the difference between ABA goals and IEP goals?
ABA goals are written by a BCBA for therapy and are often covered by health insurance. IEP goals are written by a school team for learning at school. The two can overlap and support each other.
Build Meaningful Goals With Go Behavioral LLC
The best ABA goals are clear, measurable, and tied to your child’s real life. You should always know what your child is working on and why. To start an assessment or review your child’s goals, reach out to Go Behavioral LLC and our team will guide you through each step.
