ABA Therapy Guide
Intake Form
ABA Therapy Guide
Intake Form

From Nonverbal to 100 Words: Real Stories of Communication Breakthroughs in ABA Therapy

From Nonverbal to 100 Words: Real Stories of Communication Breakthroughs in ABA Therapy Reading time: approx. 8 minutes | Category: Success Stories & Communication There is a moment that many parents of nonverbal children with autism describe in almost identical terms. It's not always the first word — sometimes it's a sound that's different, a point that's purposeful, a moment of eye contact that says: I see you. And then, if the right support is in place, the words come. In this post, we want to talk about communication — what it means in the context of autism, how ABA therapy supports it, and what's possible for children who are currently nonverbal or minimally verbal. We also want to share the kinds of stories that remind us why this work matters so deeply. What We Mean When We Talk About Communication Communication is much broader than speech. Many families focus understandably on whether their child will speak — and that's a meaningful goal. But communication includes: Pointing to indicate interest or make a request Using pictures, symbols, or a communication device (AAC — Augmentative and Alternative Communication) to express needs Eye contact and joint attention — sharing a moment with another person Gestures: waving, reaching, showing Facial expressions that convey emotion and intention Following directions and responding to others When we celebrate a communication breakthrough in ABA therapy, we're celebrating all of these — not just the words. Because every one of them opens a door between a child and the world. How ABA Therapy Builds Communication Skills ABA therapy approaches communication through the lens of behavior science: every attempt to communicate is a behavior that can be reinforced, shaped, and expanded. Here's what that looks like in practice: Functional Communication Training (FCT) FCT is one of the most powerful tools in the ABA toolbox. It involves teaching a child a specific, functional way to communicate a need — usually starting with the communication forms that are easiest for that child. For a nonverbal child, this might mean teaching them to exchange a picture card to request a preferred item (the PECS method). For a child with some verbal ability, it might mean teaching them to say "help" instead of crying when they're frustrated. For a child with more advanced language, it might mean teaching them to ask "Can I take a break?" instead of bolting from the table. In every case, the goal is the same: give the child a communication tool that works, so that challenging behavior no longer has to serve a communicative function. Verbal Behavior Therapy Many ABA programs for children who are nonverbal or minimally verbal incorporate Verbal Behavior (VB) therapy, based on B.F. Skinner's analysis of language as a set of learned behaviors. VB therapy breaks language into functional units — manding (requesting), tacting (labeling), intraverbals (conversing) — and teaches each one systematically. This approach has helped thousands of children who were once considered unlikely to speak find their voices — or to communicate powerfully through other means. AAC Integration For some children, speech may remain limited, and that is not a failure. It's a reality that ABA therapy honors by integrating Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) — communication apps, devices, picture systems, or sign language — as fully valid communication modalities. Research is clear that providing AAC does not reduce a child's motivation to develop speech. In fact, it often increases it — because the child now has a way to communicate successfully, which builds the confidence and neural pathways that speech also depends on. Scarlet's Story: From Silence to Sentences We introduced Scarlet earlier on our website, but her story deserves to be told fully, because it captures something essential about what this work can mean. "When we started at On Target ABA in September 2022, Scarlet was completely nonverbal. Now she has about 100 words, speaks in small sentences, and is even potty training — milestones I once wondered if we'd ever reach. I'll never forget the day she came home and said her first word. She was four years old. Hearing my daughter's voice after four years of silence was one of the best days of my life." — Sarah O'Brien Scarlet's progress didn't happen because of magic. It happened because of a skilled, invested BCBA who designed a program specifically for her. Because of RBTs who showed up consistently and built genuine rapport. Because of a mother who was fully involved, carried the strategies home, and never stopped believing. And because therapy started — and kept going. The rate of progress isn't identical for every child. But the possibility of progress is real for every child. Scarlet's story is not an outlier. It's the direction we work toward for every family we serve. What Families Often Notice First Families often ask: what will the first signs of communication progress look like? Here's what we commonly see in the early months of ABA therapy: Increased eye contact — your child looks at you when you call their name, when something happens, when they want something. More pointing — a gesture that seems small but is profoundly meaningful as a communication act. Reduction in frustration-driven behaviors — fewer meltdowns, less self-injurious behavior, because the child now has other ways to express needs. First approximations of words — sounds that are recognizably attempts at words, even if not yet clear. Use of a communication device or picture system — which is communication, full stop. Spontaneous communication — your child initiating contact with you, not just responding. Communication Changes Everything When a child finds their communication — in whatever form — something fundamental shifts. Behaviors that existed because the child had no other way to express pain, need, or joy begin to decrease. Connections with parents, siblings, and peers become possible in ways they weren't before. Learning accelerates, because communication is the foundation on which all other learning rests. We have watched children who once struggled to make a single request go on to tell their parents about their day, make jokes, and advocate for themselves. We have watched children who were completely nonverbal at age three enter kindergarten with a communication system that let them participate meaningfully in classroom life. These outcomes are not guaranteed. But they are pursued — with everything we have — for every child we work with. If Your Child Is Nonverbal or Minimally Verbal If your child is currently nonverbal, we want you to hear this clearly: early, intensive ABA therapy gives your child the best possible chance at communication breakthroughs. And the time to start is now — not after a longer wait, not after you've exhausted other options. At On Target ABA, we work with children across the full spectrum of communication ability. We use individualized assessments to determine the best starting point. We integrate AAC when appropriate. We train you — the parent — to support communication in every meal, bath time, car ride, and bedtime story. And we believe, with everything we have, that your child has something to say. Our job is to help them find the way to say it. → Learn about our communication-focused ABA therapy approach → Read: Early signs of autism in toddlers → Read: Meltdowns vs. tantrums — what's the difference? → Read: How long does ABA therapy take to work? → Contact us to start your child's ABA journey Every child has something to say. ABA therapy helps them find the way to say it.

🧠 AI Summary:

Communication is far more than speech — and for children with autism who are nonverbal or minimally verbal, ABA therapy can open doors that once seemed permanently closed. This blog explores how ABA builds communication skills through Functional Communication Training, Verbal Behavior therapy, and AAC integration, and shares the real story of Scarlet — who went from completely nonverbal to 100 words and small sentences after starting at On Target ABA. Because every child has something to say. ABA therapy helps them find the way to say it.

From Nonverbal to 100 Words: Real Stories of Communication Breakthroughs in ABA Therapy

There is a moment that many parents of nonverbal children with autism describe in almost identical terms. It’s not always the first word — sometimes it’s a sound that’s different, a point that’s purposeful, a moment of eye contact that says: I see you.

And then, if the right support is in place, the words come.

In this post, we want to talk about communication — what it means in the context of autism, how ABA therapy supports it, and what’s possible for children who are currently nonverbal or minimally verbal. We also want to share the kinds of stories that remind us why this work matters so deeply.

What We Mean When We Talk About Communication

Communication is much broader than speech. Many families focus understandably on whether their child will speak — and that’s a meaningful goal. But communication includes:

  • Pointing to indicate interest or make a request
  • Using pictures, symbols, or a communication device (AAC — Augmentative and Alternative Communication) to express needs
  • Eye contact and joint attention — sharing a moment with another person
  • Gestures: waving, reaching, showing
  • Facial expressions that convey emotion and intention
  • Following directions and responding to others

When we celebrate a communication breakthrough in ABA therapy, we’re celebrating all of these — not just the words. Because every one of them opens a door between a child and the world.

How ABA Therapy Builds Communication Skills

ABA therapy approaches communication through the lens of behavior science: every attempt to communicate is a behavior that can be reinforced, shaped, and expanded. Here’s what that looks like in practice:

Functional Communication Training (FCT)

FCT is one of the most powerful tools in the ABA toolbox. It involves teaching a child a specific, functional way to communicate a need — usually starting with the communication forms that are easiest for that child.

For a nonverbal child, this might mean teaching them to exchange a picture card to request a preferred item (the PECS method). For a child with some verbal ability, it might mean teaching them to say “help” instead of crying when they’re frustrated. For a child with more advanced language, it might mean teaching them to ask “Can I take a break?” instead of bolting from the table.

In every case, the goal is the same: give the child a communication tool that works, so that challenging behavior no longer has to serve a communicative function.

Verbal Behavior Therapy

Many ABA programs for children who are nonverbal or minimally verbal incorporate Verbal Behavior (VB) therapy, based on B.F. Skinner’s analysis of language as a set of learned behaviors. VB therapy breaks language into functional units — manding (requesting), tacting (labeling), intraverbals (conversing) — and teaches each one systematically.

This approach has helped thousands of children who were once considered unlikely to speak find their voices — or to communicate powerfully through other means.

AAC Integration

For some children, speech may remain limited, and that is not a failure. It’s a reality that ABA therapy honors by integrating Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) — communication apps, devices, picture systems, or sign language — as fully valid communication modalities.

Integration

Research is clear that providing AAC does not reduce a child’s motivation to develop speech. In fact, it often increases it — because the child now has a way to communicate successfully, which builds the confidence and neural pathways that speech also depends on.

 

Scarlet’s Story: From Silence to Sentences

We introduced Scarlet earlier on our website, but her story deserves to be told fully, because it captures something essential about what this work can mean.

“When we started at On Target ABA in September 2022, Scarlet was completely nonverbal. Now she has about 100 words, speaks in small sentences, and is even potty training — milestones I once wondered if we’d ever reach. I’ll never forget the day she came home and said her first word. She was four years old. Hearing my daughter’s voice after four years of silence was one of the best days of my life.” — Sarah O’Brien

Scarlet’s progress didn’t happen because of magic. It happened because of a skilled, invested BCBA who designed a program specifically for her. Because of RBTs who showed up consistently and built genuine rapport. Because of a mother who was fully involved, carried the strategies home, and never stopped believing. And because therapy started — and kept going.

The rate of progress isn’t identical for every child. But the possibility of progress is real for every child. Scarlet’s story is not an outlier. It’s the direction we work toward for every family we serve.

What Families Often Notice First

Families often ask: what will the first signs of communication progress look like? Here’s what we commonly see in the early months of ABA therapy:

  • Increased eye contact — your child looks at you when you call their name, when something happens, when they want something.
  • More pointing — a gesture that seems small but is profoundly meaningful as a communication act.
  • Reduction in frustration-driven behaviors — fewer meltdowns, less self-injurious behavior, because the child now has other ways to express needs.
  • First approximations of words — sounds that are recognizably attempts at words, even if not yet clear.
  • Use of a communication device or picture system — which is communication, full stop.
  • Spontaneous communication — your child initiating contact with you, not just responding.

Communication Changes Everything

When a child finds their communication — in whatever form — something fundamental shifts. Behaviors that existed because the child had no other way to express pain, need, or joy begin to decrease. Connections with parents, siblings, and peers become possible in ways they weren’t before. Learning accelerates, because communication is the foundation on which all other learning rests.

We have watched children who once struggled to make a single request go on to tell their parents about their day, make jokes, and advocate for themselves. We have watched children who were completely nonverbal at age three enter kindergarten with a communication system that let them participate meaningfully in classroom life.

These outcomes are not guaranteed. But they are pursued — with everything we have — for every child we work with.

If Your Child Is Nonverbal or Minimally Verbal

If your child is currently nonverbal, we want you to hear this clearly: early, intensive ABA therapy gives your child the best possible chance at communication breakthroughs. And the time to start is now — not after a longer wait, not after you’ve exhausted other options.

At On Target ABA, we work with children across the full spectrum of communication ability. We use individualized assessments to determine the best starting point. We integrate AAC when appropriate. We train you — the parent — to support communication in every meal, bath time, car ride, and bedtime story.

And we believe, with everything we have, that your child has something to say. Our job is to help them find the way to say it.

 

→ Learn about our communication-focused ABA therapy approach
→ Read: Early signs of autism in toddlers
→ Read: Meltdowns vs. tantrums — what’s the difference?
→ Read: How long does ABA therapy take to work?
→ Contact us to start your child’s ABA journey

Every child has something to say. ABA therapy helps them find the way to say it.

PLEASE NOTE: Our offices we will be closed April 8th and 9th. Thank you.
This is default text for notification bar
Learn more