Rethinking Social Skills Instruction in ABA: From Afterthought to Impact
In ABA, social skills groups are often treated as an afterthought. Staff are told to “just wing it,” learners disengage, and meaningful outcomes are few and far between.
In a recent episode of In the Field: The ABA Podcast, I spoke with Lee Courrau, behavior analyst and founder of Launch Kids Academy, about how we can redesign social skills instruction to be structured, fun, and impactful. Lee’s journey from RBT® to curriculum developer highlights why these groups matter and how we can do better.
Why Groups Fail
Lee’s first introduction to a social skills group was typical: board games, a video game console, no plan, and no training. Within minutes, learners were frustrated, technicians were disengaged, and valuable time was lost.
Too often, groups are:
Under-resourced—run with leftover hours and minimal planning.
Under-trained—facilitated by RBTs® without preparation or guidance.
Under-valued—dismissed as “extra,” rather than core to learner success.
The result? Learners miss opportunities for independence, skills don’t generalize, and organizations lose both clinical and financial value.
What Works Instead
Lee has found that strong social skills programs are built on three pillars:
Assessment and Readiness. We need better ways to identify when learners are ready for groups and what they need to work on.
Self-Advocacy. Saying “I don’t want to” isn’t noncompliance—it’s communication. Groups should embed and honor learner choice.
Play-Based, Engaging Activities. Programs work best when built on what kids actually enjoy.
Examples include:
Art projects that prompt sharing and requesting.
Cooking or making sandwiches, which naturally teach independence and cooperation.
A lemonade stand, where learners practice greetings, money skills, and real-world generalization.
These activities create environments where learners are motivated, staff are engaged, and skills extend beyond the clinic.
Structuring for Success
To move beyond “winging it,” Lee built a framework that includes:
Opening and closing meetings with fun questions and reflection.
Wave scheduling that alternates high-energy activities with calmer ones like meditation or drawing.
Staff huddles to align and prepare before groups begin.
Parent and learner input to keep activities relevant and meaningful.
This structure gives staff confidence and ensures groups run smoothly while staying flexible to individual needs.
Training RBTs® Beyond the 40 Hours
Social skills groups require skills that aren’t covered in the 40-hour RBT® training. Lee encourages organizations to:
Provide role play and shadowing opportunities with multiple learners.
Offer ongoing training on group dynamics, not just one-to-one programming.
Support RBTs® who show interest in group facilitation as a specialty area.
Well-prepared staff are more engaged, and learners benefit from consistency and creativity.
Tools for Providers
To help organizations implement better programming, Lee created two resources:
A Social Skills Curriculum that includes ready-to-use activities, modifications for different learner levels, and programming notes for BCBAs®.
A Social Skills Group Audit to evaluate current groups, identify staff and learner needs, and ensure programs are effective and scalable.
Both tools reduce the burden on supervisors while raising the quality of services provided.
Key Takeaways
Social skills groups are too important to leave as an afterthought.
Structure creates space for fun, choice, and learner engagement.
Training and supporting RBTs® is essential for group success.
Tools like curricula and audits can help organizations improve quality and consistency.
Social skills instruction can be one of the most impactful parts of ABA when it’s designed with intention. To learn more, listen to the full episode with Lee Courrau on In the Field: The ABA Podcast, and visit Sidekick Learning for resources on training, supervision, and professional development.
