ABA Therapy vs. Speech Therapy: Does Your Child Need Both?

If you’re deciding on treatment for your child with autism, you’re probably hearing about both ABA and speech therapy—and you might be confused about which one your child needs.

You might not be sure what the difference is. Or you might know that your child needs both ABA and speech therapy, but aren’t sure which one should come first.

Read on to find out the differences between ABA vs speech therapy as well as how they work together, so you can make an informed decision.

What ABA Therapy Focuses On

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy focuses on teaching children social and daily living skills, behavior modification, and the overlap with speech therapy—communication.

An ABA therapy plan will look at the causes of your child’s behavior, identifying why they become dysregulated or aren’t able to communicate. It builds meaningful skills to replace causes of negative behavior.

ABA sessions are led by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), who will create an individualized program backed by data to suit your child’s needs. They can be applied by a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) under the BCBA’s supervision.

What Speech Therapy Focuses On

Speech therapy focuses on developing children’s articulation, expressive and receptive language, voice, fluency, and feeding/swallowing. It also addresses pragmatics (the use of language in a socially appropriate way) to help children communicate effectively.

These sessions are led by a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), the only professional specifically trained and certified in communication disorders.

Key Differences Between ABA and Speech Therapy

Here are the main areas where ABA and speech therapy differ:

Goals and Focus Areas

ABA therapy will set goals for your child that fall in all behavioral and developmental areas, taking all their difficulties into account. If your child struggles with communication, that will be treated as part of a comprehensive ABA plan. 

Speech therapy focuses specifically on helping your child reach their communication goals, whether that’s clearer articulation, better language structure or appropriate social communication.

Methods and Approach

ABA uses a systematic, step-by-step approach to teaching skills, relying heavily on positive reinforcement to motivate children. It teaches skills through a combination of structured activities and naturalistic teaching in play-based settings. Clinicians track progress using data collection to ensure children can use their new skills across all environments.

Speech therapy methods are all designed to increase communication. It uses modelling and repetition, oral-motor exercises, and play-based language activities. It can also support a child who uses an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device and encourage them to learn other communication skills alongside their AAC usage.

Session Structure and Intensity

ABA therapy is typically an ongoing, high-intensity program, requiring 10–40 hours per week. This level of intensity is necessary because ABA works on a broad range of developmental and behavioral goals.

In contrast, speech therapy is a targeted intervention, typically requiring 1–3 sessions per week, with each session lasting 30–60 minutes.

Does ABA Therapy Help With Speech?

Yes, ABA therapy builds the behavioral foundations that support speech development: motivation to communicate, imitation skills, attention, and functional communication. It achieves this using methods like the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), AAC, or verbal behavior modeling.[1]

However, ABA therapy doesn’t address articulation, oral-motor skills, or complex language structure. These areas are addressed by an SLP in speech therapy.

How ABA and Speech Therapy Work Together

When a child gets therapy from both a BCBA and an SLP, they tend to make faster, more lasting progress than they would with either therapy alone.

ABA Builds the Foundation, Speech Therapy Refines the Skill

A simple way to think of it is: ABA teaches a child to communicate. Speech therapy works on how they communicate.

ABA communication therapy teaches children the skills to request, label, and respond. Speech therapy improves how clearly they do it, how grammatically they structure it, and how they use language socially.

For example, ABA therapy might teach a child that by saying the word “ball,” they will get that item. In this way, they learn the function and value of communication. Speech therapy would take that basic skill and work on their tongue placement to ensure the word “ball” is pronounced clearly, and help them use it in a full sentence like, “I want the ball.”

What BCBA-SLP Collaboration Looks Like

To make therapies more effective, BCBAs and SLPs collaborate to share goals and coordinate their session planning.

For example, if your child is learning how to request “more” of something in their ABA therapy sessions using PECS, the SLP can work on helping your child vocalize the word “more” with correct articulation in autism speech therapy. They can also help your child expand this into a full, grammatically correct phrase like: “I want more, please.”

At United Care ABA, our BCBAs will collaborate with your child’s SLPs and other providers to make sure your child’s treatment plans are cohesive and the same communication goals are reinforced across every setting.

When You Might Need Only One Therapy

It’s not necessary for every child to have both ABA and speech therapy. Here’s how you can know if your child with autism will thrive with just one of them:

When ABA Alone May Be Enough

If your child struggles with communication in a way that is mainly behavioral—meaning they have the ability to speak but are missing the motivation, attention, or functional use of language to do so—ABA therapy can be enough on its own. It helps address the behavioral problems so your child is able to use the communication skills they’re capable of.

When Speech Therapy Alone May Be Enough

If your child’s challenges are not behavioral but related to articulation, feeding and swallowing difficulties, or language delay without significant behavioral barriers, speech therapy without ABA could be the right choice for them.

How to Decide What Your Child Needs

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help you get clear as you make your decision:

1. Does my child have behavioral challenges (e.g., difficulty with attention, transitions, or motivation) that interfere with learning? 
2. Are my child’s difficulties related to lack of motivation in communication or the mechanics of language?
3. What does my child’s assessment team recommend?
4. Can we coordinate both therapies logistically?

How United Care ABA Supports Communication and Collaboration

At United Care ABA, all our treatment plans include communication goals. If speech therapy is necessary to reach those goals, we will recommend it and collaborate with SLPs so it complements your child’s ABA treatment. We also offer parent coaching to reinforce both behavioral and communication strategies at home.

If you’re unsure where to start or want to talk through what your child might need, reach out — we’re here to help.

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between ABA and speech therapy?

ABA therapy focuses on building behavioral skills and the motivation to communicate. Speech therapy helps build the actual communication, such as improving a child’s articulation and sentence structure.

Does ABA therapy help with speech?

Yes, ABA therapy can build behavioral foundations necessary for functional communication, but doesn’t address articulation, language structure, or feeding and swallowing difficulties, which is what speech therapy works on. [2]

Can my child do ABA and speech therapy at the same time?

Definitely — and for many children this is the most effective approach, as the two therapies complement each other well. The key for this to be successful is to make sure that there is consistent collaboration between the BCBA and SLP.

Does ABA replace speech therapy?

ABA does not replace speech therapy. ABA supports communication from a behavioral angle; speech therapy addresses the actual quality of your child’s speech. If your child is currently in ABA therapy and you’ve been told they would benefit from speech therapy, it’s worthwhile to look into it too.

How do I know if my child needs speech therapy, ABA, or both?

Start with a professional evaluation for your child. Consider if your child’s challenges are primarily behavioral, communicative, or both — and ask your child’s providers if they’d be able to coordinate care if you pursue both therapies for your child.