Teaching methods

The principles of ABA underpin the teaching and learning of pupils at TreeHouse school. TreeHouse uses ABA across the curriculum whether in sport or an academic subject like science.

”Teaching a child to kick a football will be broken down typically into four steps. For a child with autism it may be broken down into anything between four and sixteen steps.” Sports coach

TreeHouse strongly supports new ideas to improve teaching but these must be based on good evidence and be checked continuously to make sure they are helping to improve children’s learning.

Children are frequently taught using discrete trial teaching (DTT). DTT is a three-step process that will usually involve

• an instruction or question from the tutor
• a response from the pupil (correct, incorrect or no response)
• a consequence from the tutor (reinforcement for success or a prompt to be successful).

'When a child responds accurately or appropriately, we give a reward, for example by giving verbal praise or time with a toy or activity that the child likes. Token systems are also used to teach children to cope with a delay before getting a reward or reinforcer.' ABA Tutor

Children with autism often have difficulties in using skills learnt at school in other places, such as their homes. Many of the design features of TreeHouse’s new building recreate a domestic environment to support the generalisation of skills and to help the children and young people to become as independent as they can. TreeHouse staff sometimes work with parents and children at home to prepare a child for school and later to help with specific learning such as learning to put on clothing or using a knife and fork.