The Evolution Towards More Ethical, Child-Centred ABA

Over the following decades, ABA underwent major transformations:

• 1980s-1990s – Practitioners moved away from punishment-based techniques and focused on positive reinforcement. The field recognized that supporting children’s strengths was more effective than trying to eliminate behaviours through harsh methods.
• 2000s – The concept of social validity became a priority, meaning that ABA interventions should focus on goals that improve the child’s real-life experiences, not just compliance or surface-level improvements. The field also recognized that autistic voices matter, and therapy should be done with the child, not just to the child.
• 2010s – Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) became the gold standard for applying ABA in ethical, compassionate ways. PBS emphasized autonomy, dignity, and reducing restrictive practices, aligning ABA with modern values of person-centred care.

Greg Hanley’s Practical Functional Assessment & Skills-Based Treatment

The most modern evolution of ABA has come through the work of Dr. Greg Hanley, whose Practical Functional Assessment (PFA) and Skills-Based Treatment (SBT) have redefined best practices in behaviour support.

Hanley’s approach prioritises:

• Building trusting relationships before intervention
• Understanding behaviour through communication, rather than assuming behaviour is just a “problem” to fix
• Teaching children skills in ways that are joyful, engaging, and stress-free
• Eliminating coercion and punishment entirely, ensuring therapy is always supportive and empowering

At Modern ABA, we fully embrace Hanley’s model as the most ethical and effective approach to ABA today. We focus on teaching meaningful, independence-building skills through a process that is fun, positive, and completely individualized for each child.