Best ABA Therapy Tools + Resources for your Clinic in 2025
Running an ABA practice requires juggling too many tools and materials. Here's what you need for your complete ABA toolkit, from physical materials to digital platforms, to help you get organized.
ABA therapy tools cheat sheet: What to use and when
1. Physical ABA therapy materials
Physical tools are your foundation for building communication, motivation, fine motor skills, and gross motor skills. Use them during structured play to keep learners engaged while you target specific skills.
Reinforcement and reward systems
Reinforcement tools encourage the behaviors you want to see more of. When you reward learners for attention, cooperation, or specific actions, they learn to repeat those behaviors.
Common reinforcement tools include:
- Laminated, reusable token boards
- Reinforcement menus with photos of preferred items or activities
- Reward bins filled with small toys and snacks
- Visual timers or cards for tracking activity duration
- Progress charts with stickers or markers
You can create these in-house, print free templates, or buy pre-made versions. The key is choosing things that actually motivate each individual client. What excites one learner might not interest another at all.
Visual supports and schedules
Visual supports improve communication, understanding, and independence. They work especially well for nonspeaking individuals and anyone who processes visual information better than verbal instructions.
Common visual support types:
- Picture schedules showing the sequence of a session or day
- First-then boards that break down tasks: "First, we wash hands. Then, we eat."
- Choice boards displaying activity options
- Social stories illustrating social situations
- Posters or diagrams showing rules and expectations
Most clinics create these using printed photos, clip art, or simple drawings. You can also use apps or libraries, like Picture Communication Symbols (PCS) for standardized images.
Sensory and engagement materials
Sensory materials develop fine and gross motor coordination while engaging learners through tactile, auditory, visual, and movement experiences.
Common sensory materials:
- Weighted lap pads or blankets
- Textured fidget toys, squishy balls, and putty
- Noise-canceling headphones
- Obstacle courses and weighted balls
- Dimmer switches or adjustable lighting
Order these through specialized retailers or sites like Amazon. Match sensory tools to each client's unique sensory needs and treatment goals. One learner might seek deep pressure while another avoids it entirely.
2. ABA assessment tools: Identifying baselines and treatment targets
Before you can develop and start a personalized treatment plan, you’ll need to understand your learner’s baseline. That’s where these assessments come in.
Skills assessments
Evaluate your client’s current abilities using an ABA skills assessment. They give insight into a range of areas, including cognitive, communication, daily living, and motor skills.
Common standardized assessment tools:
- Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills Revised (ABLLS-R): one of the most widely used assessments in ABA. It tracks 544 skills across 25 domains, giving BCBAs a comprehensive baseline.
- Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP): focuses on verbal behavior skills. It's particularly useful for individuals learning language or communication skills.
- Essential for Living (EFL): an assessment and curriculum that emphasizes quality of life. It's designed for learners with moderate-to-severe disabilities who need functional skills for daily living.
Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs)
FBAs answer: "Why does this behavior happen?" This assessment identifies the purpose of a behavior (attention-seeking, escape, sensory stimulation, or tangible access) and the events that trigger it.
BCBAs follow a process of collecting information about behaviors and analyzing patterns. The goal is to form a hypothesis about why the behavior occurs.
Tools known as function-based rating scales are a great starting point to guide your in-depth FBA.
Function-based rating scales include:
- Functional Analysis Screening Tool (FAST): A brief questionnaire that helps narrow down potential behavior functions.
- Motivation Assessment Scale (MAS): Rates the likelihood that behaviors serve specific functions across different situations.
- Questions About Behavioral Function (QABF): A 25-item scale that assesses behavior across five functional categories.
Many clinics keep FBA templates in a shared folder or documentation system, refining them over time.
3. Data collection tools: paper and digital
Data collection is the bridge between assessment and outcomes. Without accurate data, you can't measure progress or adjust treatment when a learner stops making gains.
Analog (paper-based) data collection
Many clinics still use paper for real-time session data. Here's why: a clipboard and data sheet are simple, cost-effective, and work everywhere.
Common paper-based data collection methods:
- Trial-by-trial data: records whether each instructional trial resulted in the target behavior. You mark + (success) or − (error) for each trial. Many clinics use a printed grid with 10 or 20 boxes per row.
- Frequency counts: tally how many times a behavior occurred during a session. Useful for challenging behaviors you're trying to reduce or skills you're building through practice.
- Duration recording: measures how long a behavior lasted. For example, "time in independent play" or "length of tantrums before calming."
- Interval recording: breaks a session into time blocks (e.g., 5-minute intervals) and notes whether the target behavior occurred during each block. Useful when precise frequency is hard to capture.
- Latency recording: measures the time between a cue and the response. Important for skills like "response to name" or "following instructions."
Paper recordings are immediate and visual, but data written on paper is hard to analyze across sessions or compare across therapists.
Digital data collection platforms
Digital data collection moves therapy data into software where it can be analyzed, visualized, and shared automatically. Instead of manually transcribing paper data sheets into spreadsheets, therapists enter data directly into mobile apps or tablets during sessions.
Benefits of digital data collection:
- Real-time data entry eliminates transcription errors
- Automatic graphing shows progress trends instantly
- Data syncs across your team so everyone sees the same information
- Export features make insurance reporting faster
Some platforms focus only on data collection, while others (like Passage Health) integrate data collection with practice management features like scheduling and billing.
4. All-in-one ABA platforms
Integrated platforms like Passage Health combine data collection, clinical documentation, scheduling, and billing in one system. When therapists enter data during a session, it flows directly into treatment notes, progress reports, and insurance authorization documents.
Passage Health includes real-time mobile data collection. Therapists collect session data on a phone or tablet, and it syncs immediately to the platform. Your BCBA can then generate treatment reports that visualize progress and auto-populate client information for insurance communications.
This solves the "data entered twice" problem. When you use separate tools, you have to enter the same information multiple times. Passage Health connects data collection, treatment planning, and billing, so data only goes in once.
Passage Health manages the full cycle:
- BCBAs enter goals and targets from skill assessments
- RBTs collect data against those goals during sessions
- The platform generates progress reports for insurance re-authorization
One clinic director told us their BCBA spent 8-10 hours per week pulling data and formatting reports. After switching to Passage Health, that dropped to under 2 hours per week.
5. Free ABA resources, worksheets, and templates
Start building your own practice toolkit with these free resources.
Free printable ABA therapy tools and guidelines
The Council of Autism Service Providers offers a structure for how to conduct assessments and collect data. They don't give you pre-made forms, but they give you the framework to follow.
I Love ABA offers free downloadable social stories, visual schedules, and behavior tracking worksheets.
Teachers Pay Teachers has a dedicated ABA section with free and paid resources. Search for tools like "ABA data sheets," "visual schedules," or "reinforcement menus."
The American Psychological Association (APA) publishes evidence-based resources on behavior analysis. Many are free to download from their website.
Free data collection templates
Google Sheets can be formatted to create basic progress graphs. Not specialized for ABA, but functional if you have the time to set it up.
You can also get free ABA data collection forms from ABA Education Resources. That way, you don’t have to manually structure your data as you would on Google Sheets.
Neither replaces specialized clinical software, but both are better than manually drawing graphs on paper.
Webinars and online training
Many professional organizations offer free webinars on ABA assessment and data collection:
- The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) News & Updates page offers free resources for registered behavior analysts, including newsletters, podcasts, and videos
- The Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) Learning Center hosts free webinars and maintains a resource library
- Many university ABA programs post free educational videos on assessment and data collection protocols
Putting it together: 4 steps to build your clinic's ABA therapy toolkit
Now that we've covered the best ABA therapy tools out there, how do you decide what to actually use?
Step 1: Start with your clinical model
Your assessment approach determines what tools you need. If your clinic uses VB-MAPP, you'll need materials to target the skill areas it identifies. If you use a functional skills model, your physical materials and treatment focus will differ.
Step 2: Choose your data collection approach
Paper-based data collection might seem easier at first, but it doesn't scale. You'll spend hours transcribing notes and manually building progress reports.
Digital platforms let your RBTs collect data in real-time during sessions, which syncs automatically. You can save hours per week with automated features like graphing and session data summaries.
Step 3: Select your documentation system
This is where clinical software enters the decision tree. Ask yourself:
- Are my therapists spending a lot of time on documentation outside of sessions?
- Am I using multiple separate tools (one for data, one for scheduling, one for billing)?
- Do I struggle to pull accurate progress data for insurance re-authorizations?
- Am I managing RBT supervision and credential tracking manually?
If you answered yes to two or more of these, an integrated clinical software like Passage Health will be helpful for your clinic.
Step 4: Ensure compliance and scalability
Whatever tools you choose, make sure they support your growth plan. If you’re planning to scale, you need software that grows with your team and learners.
Check whether your tools integrate with each other. If your assessment data, session notes, and billing system don't talk to each other, you're stuck with manual data entry, which wastes time and introduces errors.
Your ABA toolkit checklist
The right tools make the difference between a practice that scales and one that drowns in administrative work. Here's what matters:
Physical materials: Keep reinforcement systems, visual supports, and sensory tools stocked and individualized to each learner.
Assessment tools: Use standardized assessments (ABLLS-R, VB-MAPP, EFL) to establish baselines and measure progress objectively.
Data collection: Start with paper if you need to, but plan your transition to digital before manual data entry becomes a bottleneck.
Integrated systems: Connect your data collection to treatment planning and billing so you're not entering the same information twice.
The clinics that grow without burning out their staff are the ones that automate the administrative work early. That means choosing platforms that connect your clinical work to your practice management from the start.
Passage Health connects your schedules, session notes, data collection, progress reports, and billing in one system. See how our practice management and clinical platforms can give your team time back.
Frequently asked questions
What digital tools are used in ABA therapy?
Digital tools in ABA therapy include data collection apps, practice management platforms, graphing software, and supplementary tools like parent communication apps.
Most modern clinics use all-in-one platforms that combine data collection, documentation, scheduling, and billing.
Which ABA tools are best for data collection?
The best data collection tool depends on your clinic's size and workflow.
For clinics wanting everything in one place, platforms like Passage Health integrate data collection with treatment planning and billing, eliminating duplicate data entry.
What are the most common ABA assessments?
The VB-MAPP and ABLLS-R are the most commonly used ABA assessments, though Essential for Living (EFL) is growing in popularity.
Are there free ABA therapy resources available online?
Yes, there are free ABA therapy resources available online. Teachers Pay Teachers has a dedicated ABA section with free and paid templates. I Love ABA offers a drive full of free visual schedules and practice management resources for ABA therapists.
How do ABA worksheets support skill development?
ABA worksheets support skill development by creating structure for therapy sessions and providing quantitative evidence of progress. They help therapists track which skills a learner has mastered and where they need additional support.
What tools help track progress in ABA therapy?
You can track progress using paper data sheets or digital platforms. Digital tools range from simple data collection apps that create basic graphs to integrated platforms that auto-generate progress visualizations across sessions and settings.
What are the best ABA tools for home programs?
Some of the best ABA tools for home programs include visual supports, like schedules and choice boards, token boards for reinforcement, and data collection sheets for caregivers.
Some clinics use parent coaching apps to provide weekly guidance and track behavioral data between sessions.
How can digital ABA tools simplify documentation?
Digital ABA tools simplify documentation by allowing therapists to collect session data on a mobile device. That data automatically syncs to the platform, where it populates treatment notes, progress graphs, and insurance authorization reports.
This saves BCBAs hours on manual data entry and reduces the risk of transcription errors.
What should therapists look for in ABA therapy resources?
Therapists should look for resources aligned with your clinic's treatment model and your learners’ specific needs. Prioritize evidence-based resources (backed by published research or professional guidelines). Finally, check whether the resource integrates with your existing workflow.
References
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Behavior analysis resources. https://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/behavior-analysis
Association for Behavior Analysis International. (n.d.). Resources and publications. https://www.abainternational.org/
Autism Speaks. (n.d.). Free resources and tools. https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-we-do/programs-and-resources
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (n.d.). Learning community. https://www.bacb.org/
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (n.d.). Practice guidelines and requirements. https://www.bacb.org/practice-guidelines
Carr, E. G., Dunlap, G., Horner, R. H., Koegel, R. L., Turnbull, A. P., Sailor, W., & Fox, L. (2002). Positive behavior support: Evolution of an applied science. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 4(1), 4–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/109830070200400102
Partington, J. W. (2006). The Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills—Revised (ABLLS-R). Behavior Analysts, Inc.
Sundberg, M. L. (2008). Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program: The VB-MAPP. AVB Press.
Vollmer, T. R., & Vorndran, C. M. (2002). Accuracy of client and therapist identification of reinforcers within functional analyses. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 35(2), 149–160. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2002.35-149
