*Last updated July 2025.
When we begin our Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) assessment journey, choosing the right tools for each client while balancing time, resources, and staff training can feel like a lot.
Assessments help us identify the challenges each person faces, which allows us to craft tailored plans to target specific needs.
Why Use ABA Curricula and Assessments?
ABA assessments and curricula give us a clearer picture of each learner and help us:
- Spot strengths, gaps, and behaviors that need support
- Build intervention and teaching plans that make sense for each person
- Track progress over time so we can adjust quickly when something isn’t working
- Document outcomes for families, payors, and school or clinical teams
Below, you’ll find a list in alphabetical order of the most popular curricula used by behavioral and autism professionals, who they’re designed for, and where you can get more information.
Note: Some of these curricula are behavior analytic and some are not. This is not an exhaustive list and if you see there is a popular curriculum not listed please contact me at emaley@motivity.net to let me know.
1. AIM (Accept - Identify - Move)
Assessment & Curriculum
AIM is a curriculum that has an assessment tool designed for children struggling with social discomfort, and challenging behaviors. This text introduces and blends together the concepts of Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Applied Behavior Analysis. Together the approach seeks to improve the lives of children with or without disabilities who struggle with social and emotional challenges. Or in other words, every child.
Skill areas: Social-Emotional Behavior Supports, Mindfulness, Acceptance, Identification of Values, Moving towards goals
Ages: Children and adolescents
Developed by: Dr. Mark R. Dixon
Modality: Books
How to get it: You can purchase the AIM Curriculum through the online store.
2. Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills (Revised) ABLLS-R
Assessment & Curriculum
The ABLLS-R is an assessment, curriculum, and skill tracking program based on the behavior analysis of Language from Skinner's book, Verbal Behavior (1957). It was designed to be used to help guide the instruction of language and critical learner skills for children with autism or other developmental disabilities.
Skill areas: The ABLLS-R® provides a comprehensive review of 544 skills from 25 skill areas including language, social interaction, self-help, academic and motor skills that most typically developing children acquire prior to entering kindergarten. The task items within each skill area are arranged from simpler to more complex tasks.
Ages: Recommended for children of all ages, but mainly focuses on skills developed when children learn to speak their first language, around ages 2-6.
Developed by: The ABLLS-R was published in 2006 by Dr. Partington.
Modality: Digital and Books
How to get it: You can purchase and learn more at Partington Behavior Analysts website.
Another curriculum resource from Partington Behavior Analysts is the Big Book of ABA Programs, based on the ABLLS-R assessment.
3. Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS)
Assessment & Curriculum
The Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS) is a criterion-referenced skills assessment tool, tracking system, and curriculum guide. AFLS is used for teaching children, adolescents, and adults with developmental disabilities the essential skills they need in order to achieve the most independent outcomes.
Skill Areas: Basic living skills, home skills, community participation skills, school skills, independent living skills and vocational skills.
Ages: From early elementary through adulthood.
Developed by: James W. Partington, Ph.D., BCBA-D of Partington Behavior Analysts and Michael M. Mueller, Ph.D., BCBA-D of Stimulus Publications
Modality: Digital and Books
How to get it: You can purchase the paper copies at the Functional Living Skills Store. The AFLS is also available in a digital version.
4. Autism Curriculum Encyclopedia (ACE)
Assessment & Curriculum
The New England Children's Center published curriculum and ABA lesson plans that gives clinicians access to over 2,000 ABA-based teaching programs, covering academics, self-help, social, and work skills.
Skill Areas: Academic, self-help, communication, transitional, social, community, vocational, leisure, discrimination.
Ages: 3-22
Developed by: New England Center for Children*.
*A team of expert BCBAs, special educators, speech and occupational therapy experts as well as doctoral level experts in applied behavior analysis write and vet new ACE lessons.
Research: No research published
Modality: Digital only
How to get it: There is no hard copy version of the curriculum. It is a part of a total software that can be purchased online at New England Center for Children ACE website.
5. Complete ABA Curriculum
Curriculum Only
A four book series of ABA protocols designed for professionals working with children and young people with ASDs who are looking for a robust and ready-to-implement ABA curriculum. It will be a valuable tool for behaviour analysts, teachers, psychologists, occupational therapists, and students in these fields, as well as to parents working with professionals to implement an ABA program.
Skill Areas:
Book 1: (ages 1-4) Foundational level skills such as appropriate sitting, attention, eye contact, motor skills, basic receptive and expressive language skills, play, and foundational skills of daily living.
Book 2: (ages 3-5) Beginning skills such as imitation, visual spatial awareness, expressive and receptive language skills and skills of daily living.
Book 3: (ages 4-7) Intermediate skills such as comprehension of abstract language, social and play skills, emotional and behavioral regulation, and academic skills.
Book 4: (ages 7+) Organizational skills, advanced self-care skills, academic and vocational skills and advanced skills for daily living.
Ages: Children as young as one year old (1st book in the series) up through young adulthood (4th book in the series).
Developed by: By Julie Knapp, PH. D., BCBA-D & Carolline Turnbull, BA, BCaBA
Research: No published research
Modality: Books
How to get it: Can be purchased online at Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
6. Essential for Living (EFL)
Assessment & Curriculum
EFL is designed for verbal and non-verbal children and adults with moderate-to-very severe disabilities, including autism, and limited skill repertoires.
Skill Areas: Communication, language, daily living, social, functional academic, and tolerating skills, along with a domain on severe problem behavior, which encompass the core components of autism and many other developmental disabilities.
Ages: 2 through adulthood
Developed by: Patrick McGreevy, Troy Fry, Colleen Cornwall
Modality: Book and Digital
How to get it: The EFL can be purchased on their site.
7. Preschool Life Skills Curriculum (PLS)
Curriculum Only
The Preschool Life Skills (PLS) program is an approach to teaching critical social skills to preschoolers. These particular social skills were selected because they are similar to the functional skills taught following the development of problem behavior and because these are the same skills early elementary teachers have identified as being critical to early school success. The program begins as a class-wide approach to teaching thirteen skills in sequence. The program may then be individualized for learners of different abilities.
Skill Areas: Friendship, tolerance, functional communication, instruction following
Ages: 3-5
Developed by: Greg Hanley
Modality: PDF paper
Research:
Evaluation of a Classwide Teaching Program for Developing Preschool Life Skills
Preschool Life Skills: Recent Advancements and Future Directions
Evaluation of the Preschool Life Skills Program in Head Start Classrooms: A Systematic Replication
How to get it: You can access the lesson plans here. Learn more about training at FTF Behavior Consulting.
8. Language for Learning
Curriculum Only
Language for Learning is a language program designed to teach young children (pre-kindergarten to 2nd grade) the basic vocabulary, concepts and sentence forms used in typical classroom instruction. It’s focused on oral expression. It expands into Language for Thinking for more advanced learners.
Skill Areas: Listening and reading comprehension, word knowledge, common information, concepts, sentence forms, classification, and problem solving.
Ages: 4-6 (Language for Learning) & 7-8 (Language for Thinking)
Developed by: McGraw-Hill
Modality: Book
How to get it: You can purchase the instructor materials and student materials at the McGraw-Hill website
9. PEAK Curriculum
Assessment & Curriculum
PEAK stands for Promoting the Emergence of Advanced Knowledge and involves teaching skills in a way that helps learners generalize and learn new skills in various situations. PEAK is a language curriculum dedicated to expanding language through 4 learning modules: Direct Training, Generalization, Equivalence and Transformation.
Skill Areas: Foundational learning, perceptual learning, verbal comprehension, verbal reasoning, memory, math.
Ages: 2-17
Developed by: Mark R. Dixon
Modality: Books
Research: Here is a list of peer reviewed research published
How to get it: You can purchase the curriculum, assessment and training at PEAK Relational Training website
10. Portia Curriculum
Curriculum Only
Portia™ is a complete curriculum with a wide variety of programs for all learner levels. It contains advanced level programming in executive functioning, academic and social skills.
Skill Areas: Academic, adaptive, cognitive, communication, imitation, instructional control, motor, play and social.
Ages: Not stated
Developed by: Portia Learning Centre
Modality: Books and Digital
How to get it: Purchase the digital curriculum at Portia Learning.
11. Skills
Assessment & Curriculum
Skills® contains wide-ranging assessment tools, customizable research-based lessons, and detailed progress tracking reports. It allows clinicians, teachers and parents to apply scientifically-proven treatments and interventions, measure their effectiveness, and help children with ASD reach their fullest potential.
Skill Areas: Social, motor, language, adaptive, play, executive functions, cognitive, academic.
Ages: Infancy through adolescence
Developed by: Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD)
Modality: Digital
Research: Here is a list of peer reviewed published research
How to get it: You can purchase monthly access on the Skills Website.
12. Skills Streaming
Curriculum Only
Skillstreaming employs a four-part training approach: modeling, role-playing, performance feedback, and generalization, to teach essential prosocial skills to children and adolescents.
Skill Areas: Relationship skills (beginning and advanced), social comprehension, self-regulation, problem solving, understanding emotions, school-related skills
Ages: Early childhood (preschool/kindergarten), elementary school children, and adolescents.
Developed by: Dr. Arnold P. Goldstein and Dr. Ellen McGinnis
Research:
Behavioral and Academic Effects of Skillstreaming the Adolescent
The Efficacy of Skillstreaming on Elementary-aged Children with Specific Learning Disabilities
The Effectiveness of Skillstreaming when Used as a Short-term Intervention for Preschool Children
Modality: Books
How to get it: You can purchase the books at Research Press Publishers
13. Star and Links® Program
Assessment & Curriculum
The STAR Program (Strategies for Teaching based on Autism Research, Arick, Loos, Falco, Krug, 2015) includes detailed lesson plans, teaching materials, data systems and a curriculum-based assessment.
The Links Curriculum (Linking Assessment and Instruction for Independence) teaches upper elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students with autism and other developmental disabilities to be independent across school, community and vocational routines.
Skill Areas: Receptive language, expressive language, spontaneous language, functional routines, academics, and play and social skills.
Ages: Elementary and secondary education levels
Developed by: Based on Autism Research, Arick, Loos, Falco, Krug, 2015
Research: Here is a list of peer reviewed research on the Star and Links curriculum.
Modality: Books
How to get it: You can purchase the kits at Star Autism Support.
14. Teaching Good Learner Repertoires and Teaching Advanced Learner Repertoires
Assessment & Curriculum
Teaching Good Learner Repertoires provides clear scripts for teaching foundational skills, but also provides analyses, data recommendations, and “Dimension Grids”.
Advanced Learner Repertoires guides teachers in strategies to: establish functional independence; improve spontaneity; expand upon contexts in which the student cooperates with teacher expectations; strengthen self-calming; maximize the benefits of inclusive education, and more.
Skill Areas: Behavioral excesses, readiness, perseverance, focus, flexibility, spontaneity, building rapport, healthy manding, antigrazing.
Ages: Not found
Developed by: Steve Ward, MA, BCBA and Terry Grimes, MS, BCBA.
Modality: Books
How to get it: You can purchase on Whole Child Consulting.
15. VB-MAPP
Assessment & Curriculum
The Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP) is a criterion-referenced assessment tool, curriculum guide, and skill tracking system designed for children with autism and other individuals who demonstrate language delays.
Skill Areas: Mand, tact, echoic, intraverbal, listener, motor imitation, independent play, social and social play, visual perceptual and matching-to-sample, linguistic structure, group and classroom skills, and early academics.
Ages: 2-6
Developed by: Mark Sundberg
Research: See a list of research related to VB-MAPP on Mark's Website.
Modality: Books and Digital
How to get it: Order the books from VBPress.
16. A Work in Progress
Assessment & Curriculum
A Work in Progress is a comprehensive curriculum and guide for parents or professionals. The two-part manual presents ABA-based behavioral intervention strategies along with a detailed curriculum that contains 54 clear, step-by-step exercises.
Skill Areas: Behavior programs, sleep problems, toilet training, eating problems, play and social skills, social play, language and cognition.
Ages: Toddlers to adolescents.
Developed by: Ron Leaf & John McEachin and folks at Autism Partnership.
Research: Autism Partnership Research.
Modality: Books
How to get it: Order from Autism Partnership.
A Practical Way to Implement and Monitor ABA Curricula
Many of us use these resources to assess and plan, but delivering those programs and tracking data can be another challenge.
For busy ABA therapists, implementing these curricula can be time-consuming. Finding ways to cut down on manual data entry and make progress tracking easier can free up more time for working directly with learners. Digital ABA solutions like Motivity can support this by helping you:
- Collect and review behavior and skill data in real time
- Use adaptable templates that match many of these common curricula
- Easily share progress updates with caregivers and supervisors
Clinics using tools like Motivity have seen measurable benefits: the University of Washington Autism Center saved over 1,500 staff hours in a single summer. These kinds of results help teams stay organized, focus on care, and keep families, supervisors, and funders informed.
Clinicians stay organized and focus on care while still keeping everyone informed.
Book a demo to learn more about how Motivity can make your ABA assessment journey easier.
Frequently Asked Questions About ABA Curricula and Assessments
What is the difference between an ABA curriculum and an assessment?
An ABA assessment measures a learner’s current skills and behaviors, while ABA curriculum provides structured lessons and programs to teach new skills. Many tools, like ABLLS-R or AFLS, combine both, so clinicians can evaluate and teach within the same framework.
Which ABA curriculum is best for beginners or new clinics?
It depends on your learners and their goals. ABLLS-R is a staple for early language and learning skills, while AFLS is often used for teaching functional, everyday skills. Programs like PEAK or ACE focus on broader language, cognition, and academics.
Can I use multiple ABA curricula together?
Yes. Many ABA teams combine tools to address different skill areas, which allows them to better individualize learning plans based on each patient’s unique strengths and needs. For example, ABLLS-R can be used for foundational skills while PEAK or ACE is added for language and academic growth.
How do digital tools like Motivity help with ABA programs?
Platforms like Motivity facilitates program delivery by allowing teams to track behavior and skills in real time, share progress instantly, and use templates that align with popular curricula.