Data Makes The Difference
Insights, updates, and resources for ABA professionals, educators, and parents.
Most self-monitoring systems quietly teach learners to rate themselves highly. Self & Match does something different: learners earn points when their rating agrees with the matcher's, not when it's positive. Here's why that one design choice matters, and how to set the system up well.
When a learner makes an error, what you do next matters more than you think. A good error correction procedure builds learning. A poor one builds frustration, prompt dependency, or rote chains that look like learning but aren't.
The materials you hold up during a VB-MAPP assessment shape what the score actually measures. This post covers choosing life-relevant stimuli, progressing from objects to photos to pictures for nouns, keeping printed words off cards, and using moving stimuli - not still pictures - for actions.
Prompts are meant to be temporary scaffolds, not permanent fixtures. Yet prompt dependency is one of the most common unintended effects of ABA programming. Here’s how it develops, how to recognize it, and - most importantly - how to prevent it from taking root.
Challenging behavior is communication. Functional Communication Training (FCT) gives learners a more effective, socially appropriate way to get their needs met. Here's how to design it well, avoid common pitfalls, and make it last.
A learner who can perform a skill but only does so at the wrong times or under the wrong conditions doesn't have a learning problem. They have a stimulus control problem. Here's how to identify it, fix it, and prevent it from the start.
A skill isn't truly learned until it maintains over time without ongoing teaching. Yet maintenance is often the most overlooked phase of ABA programming. Here's why it deserves more attention and how to build it into every program from the start.
Errorless teaching gives learners the confidence to succeed, but independence doesn't happen by accident. Learn why prompt fading, differential reinforcement, multiple exemplar teaching, and generalization planning should be built into every teaching program from day one.
Reinforcement and rewards are not the same thing. Confusing the two leads to ineffective programs, frustrated learners, and misunderstandings about what ABA actually is. Here's how to get it right.
Before you can teach anything, you have to become someone the learner actually wants to be around. Pairing is the foundation of effective ABA therapy, and getting it wrong can stall progress for months. Here's how to do it well.
Ethics in ABA isn't just about following a code. It's about making thoughtful decisions in the messy, real-world moments that don't come with easy answers. Here's how to navigate the gray areas with confidence and integrity.
A skill that only shows up at the therapy table isn't really a functional skill yet. Here's how to program for generalization from the start, so learners can use what they've learned across people, places, and contexts.
ABA therapy doesn't stop when the session ends. When parents are actively involved — trained, supported, and empowered — learners make faster progress and skills generalize to the real world. Here's how to make parent collaboration a core part of your programming.
Running a VB-MAPP assessment is only the beginning. The real clinical skill is translating those results into meaningful, individualized treatment goals. Here's how to bridge the gap between assessment data and effective programming.
Few assessment tools in ABA can match the VB-MAPP's research base. We look at what the evidence says, address the insurance myth, and explore what's next - including the EESAPP and an upcoming Generative Learning Assessment from Dr. Sundberg and his team.
The VB-MAPP is trusted by practitioners around the world — and now we're working to make it accessible in their languages too. From verified translations to AI-assisted options, here's where we are and how you can help.
Welcome to Data Makes the Difference, a company dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities.
Technology is amazing! There are so many products out there today that assist us to be more efficient and effective when it comes to assessing and programming for our clients with disabilities.
I had a realization a few days ago about planning for Sarah's future, and I wanted to share.
A Rainbow of Lessons we've learned along the way, as parents of a young adult with autism.
Learn about Skinner's Analysis of Verbal Behavior and how it applies to the VB-MAPP and EFL assessments/curricula.
The AMS Selection Tool provides a revolutionary way to select an alternative, primary method of speaking for individuals who do not use spoken words effectively.
When our Sarah left school at 21, there was a sinking feeling that I may have forgotten to teach a very important skill - leisure skills.
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