How Does ABA Help? Understanding the 5 E’s
A Note from Dr. Autumn Flick
Now that I’m further along in my career (I won’t date myself completely 😊), I’ve had the rare privilege of watching learners grow from kindergarten all the way into adulthood - age 21 and beyond. That long view has deeply shaped how I practice and how I lead our team at Orchid Academy.
When I work with your child, I don’t just see who they are today. I’m also thinking about who they may be at 10, 16, 18, or 21. I ask our team to do the same.
While you are the expert on your child and your hopes for their future, our role is to bring decades of experience supporting children with autism - experience that helps us recognize which behaviors often fade with development and which may become more challenging if left unaddressed.
📏 What Works Now May Not Work Later
What’s appropriate for a three-year-old doesn’t always look safe or functional for a seven- or thirteen-year-old. As children grow, expectations change, and sometimes physical size alone changes what’s realistic. A child who could once be picked up off the floor may no longer be able to be supported that way.
🛋️ Real-Life Example: When Play Changes
I once worked with a learner who loved to run and jump on the couch. At a young age, it felt playful and harmless. His parents couldn’t have known how this behavior might evolve - there was no fault or failure there.
As he grew bigger and stronger, the behavior led to damaged furniture and eventually a frightening accident involving a glass door. That moment was scary for everyone and became the point where support was needed.
🏫 Small Behaviors, Big Impact
In another situation, a behavior like nose picking might seem minor or developmentally typical. However, in school settings, small behaviors can sometimes have outsized impacts. Certain habits may be difficult for adults to manage and can unintentionally affect how a child is supported or included in general education spaces.
💡 Why Modern ABA Matters
This is where thoughtful, modern ABA comes in. While every child with autism is unique, there are shared patterns in learning, strengths, and challenges that experienced clinicians can help families anticipate. Our job is to support not only the present, but the future.
✨ The 5 E’s of How ABA Helps ✨
At Orchid Academy, we explain our approach through The 5 E’s of How ABA Helps - a framework that keeps us focused on building skills that matter today and prepare your child for what’s ahead.
1. Envision (Seeing What’s Ahead) 🧭
We don’t just look at where your child is today — we consider where they’re headed at 10, 16, 18, 21, and beyond. With experience supporting learners across ages, we can anticipate which skills will matter most as expectations increase, helping prevent challenges before they escalate.
2. Equip (Building the Right Skills Now) 🧰
We focus on communication, learning, flexibility, and coping skills that support independence and reduce frustration as your child’s world gets bigger. These are the skills that allow children to participate meaningfully at home, at school, and in the community.
3. Expand (Making Skills Work Everywhere) 🌍
A skill isn’t helpful if it only works in one place. ABA helps children use skills across people, settings, and situations — not just in therapy or in the comfort of home.
4. Endure (Helping Skills Stick) 🔒
We prioritize consistency and independence so skills hold up during real-life challenges — not just on “good days” with the right amount of sleep, the perfect breakfast, and ideal conditions.
5. Empower (Confidence for the Future) 🌱
Our goal is to help learners feel capable, understood, and confident as they move through school, community life, and beyond.
Looking Ahead
ABA works best when it is proactive, compassionate, and future-focused. By understanding how skills evolve — and how environments change — we can help children grow into adolescents and adults who are safe, confident, and able to access the world around them.
At Orchid Academy, this is the heart of our work: supporting your child today while preparing them for tomorrow — every step of the way.
