How to Read an ABA Progress Report: Questions About Goals and Progress

An ABA progress report can show whether a measured skill is changing. It cannot answer by itself whether the goal matters to your child, whether the teaching approach feels acceptable, or whether the skill is useful outside therapy.

Review the numbers alongside what you and your child notice in everyday life. You do not need to interpret every graph on your own. Your BCBA should be able to explain the goal, the data, and any proposed changes in plain language.

Start with the goal, not the graph

Choose one goal in the report and ask what it is meant to make easier, safer, or more meaningful for your child. A goal such as asking for a break may support communication across home, school, and community routines. A goal that only asks a child to look or act more typical needs a clear explanation of how it benefits that child.

Goals should reflect the learner’s needs and perspectives as much as possible. A survey of 660 respondents, including 226 autistic people, found high acceptability for goals that promote self-determination and low social acceptability for goals focused on masking autistic traits. The authors recommend considering autistic culture and each child’s perspective when selecting goals. Read the study summary.

Ask your BCBA:

• What everyday situation is this goal intended to help with?
• How was this goal chosen, and how can my child take part in decisions?
• What would meaningful progress look like to my child and our family?
• Is there a reason to keep working on this goal if it is not useful in daily life?

Understand what the data measures

Progress reports often use graphs or percentages. Before drawing conclusions, ask what was counted and how the team collected it. A clear explanation should cover the skill being measured, the starting point, the time period, and what counts as an opportunity to use the skill.

Useful questions include:

• What does each point or bar on this graph represent?
• What was the starting level, and what is the current level?
• How often was the skill practiced and observed?
• Does the data include prompts, or can my child do the skill independently?
• What explains weeks when the numbers changed or stayed about the same?

One percentage rarely tells the whole story. Ask the team to explain any changes in the teaching approach, staff, setting, schedule, or opportunities to practice. Those details can help you understand what the data does and does not show.

Ask whether the skill works beyond the session

A skill can improve during a structured activity and still be hard to use during an ordinary day. Ask where the team has seen the skill, who was present, and whether your child can use it with different people or in different settings.

For example, if a goal is asking for help, ask whether your child has been able to do that with a caregiver, teacher, or another familiar adult. The answer may be that the team is still practicing in one setting. That is useful information too. A next step could be planning safe, manageable practice in the place where the skill is needed.

If your child has goals at school, read Orchid’s Washington IEP guide for the school team’s role. Clinical ABA and school services may support related needs, but they have different responsibilities.

Include your child’s communication and assent

Children may communicate interest, discomfort, or a wish to pause in different ways. Speech is one way to communicate, but it is not the only one. Ask how the team learns your child’s individual communication signals, including use of AAC, gestures, movement, or changes in participation.

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board’s Ethics Code addresses informed consent and assent when applicable. Ask your provider how your child can show willingness, decline an activity, or ask for a break, and how the team responds. Review the BACB Ethics Code.

No single action should be treated as a complete explanation without context. A team should be able to discuss what it observes, check its interpretation with you, and consider whether an activity or environment needs to change. You can also ask how concerns or refusal are documented and who you should contact after a difficult session.

Look at your child’s experience, not only task completion

Alongside the graph, think about what you see before, during, and after sessions. Does your child have ways to ask for help or take a break? Do they seem comfortable returning? Are routines becoming more manageable? Have you noticed changes in sleep, stress, or participation that you want the team to understand?

These observations do not diagnose a problem or prove that a particular therapy is working or not working. They give you and the BCBA context for reviewing the plan. The Autism Society’s ABA resource encourages informed decisions based on the individual’s abilities and interests, with services aimed at self-determination and quality of life.

What to do when progress is unclear

If a goal has not changed, or the report does not make sense to you, ask for a review before assuming what is happening. The team may need to clarify how the skill is measured, check whether there have been enough opportunities to practice, or reconsider the goal or teaching approach.

You can ask:

1. What do you think is making this goal difficult right now?
2. What could we adjust, and how will we know whether the change helped?
3. Does this goal still fit my child’s needs and priorities?
4. When will we review the results together?
5. What should I watch for at home or school, and how can I share that information?

Bring a short list of questions and examples from daily routines. If a recommendation changes the number of weekly hours, ask how it connects to the assessment and the specific goals. Orchid’s ABA therapy hours guide explains questions families can ask about treatment schedules.

A simple progress review checklist

At your next meeting, use these prompts for one or two goals:

• Purpose: I understand how this goal could help my child in daily life.
• Participation: I know how my child can communicate a preference, refusal, or need for a break.
• Measurement: I understand what the report counts and what the graph shows.
• Use: We have a plan to see whether the skill works in a relevant everyday setting.
• Review: We have agreed on when to revisit the goal and what information to bring.

You can ask your BCBA to help complete the checklist. If you want a broader list for interviewing a provider, see questions to ask a new ABA provider. If a current arrangement is not working for your family, Orchid’s guide to switching ABA providers covers practical next steps.

Contact Orchid Academy if you would like to discuss how goals and progress are reviewed in our programs. A first conversation is a chance to ask questions and consider fit.