The most common and distinguishing type of intervention based on Applied Behavior Analysis is discrete trial teaching (DTT). It is what people most often think of when you say "ABA". This is partly because there are so many hundreds of hours of DTT. It is what works for the certain children on the autism spectrum. Every aspect has been refined (and is still being refined) to result in maximum learning efficiency.

Here at BPTC we think of ABA program not only as DTT but a comprehensive plan to help our children. Lovaas (among others) notes very clearly that a behavioral program is a comprehensive intervention, carried out in every setting, every available moment. The skills that are taught so efficiently in discrete trial drills must be practiced and generalized in 'natural' settings.