ABLLS-R Explained: An Alternative Curriculum for Autism

The ABLLS is an alternative curriculum that is based on ABA principles but has applications outside of ABA programs.

When working with autistic children, parents, teachers, and therapists often seek ways to track progress and identify skill development areas. One of the tools you may hear about in autism education is the Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills-Revised (ABLLS-R).

In this post, I’ll explain what the ABLLS-R is (and what it is not), its domains, how it’s used, and some of its strengths and limitations. I'll also cover how you can supplement it to better address the social skills that are often essential for autistic individuals.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to the ABLLS-R

2. What Skill Areas Does the ABLLS-R Cover?

3. Strengths of the ABLLS-R

4. Limitations of the ABLLS-R

5. Social Skills Goals Often Missing from the ABLLS-R

6. Conclusion: Is the ABLLS-R Right for Your Child or Student?

   
   

What Is the ABLLS-R?

The ABLLS-R (Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills - Revised) is not a diagnostic tool for autism but serves as a comprehensive curriculum and assessment protocol.

It helps to break down basic language, learning, and academic skills into smaller, measurable components, allowing educators, therapists, and parents to identify a child's strengths and areas for improvement. These identified skills can be targeted in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) programs but are also useful in other educational settings.

If you’re unfamiliar with ABA or want to learn more about it, check out my blog post titled Should I Consider ABA, which discusses the benefits and limitations of ABA.

One limitation of the ABLLS-R assessment is that it doesn’t come with ready-to-use learning materials. If you're looking for practical materials to support your teaching or goal development, you can check out my products on Etsy and Teachers Pay Teachers. These resources are designed to be versatile and user-friendly, making it easier for parents and educators to practice skills on the ABLLS.

History of the ABLLS

Originally developed by Dr. James Partington and Dr. Mark Sundberg in the 1990s, the ABLLS was based on B.F. Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior, incorporating the insights from their book Teaching Language to Children with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities.

The ABLLS-R encompasses 544 skills across 25 areas, including language, social interaction, self-help, academic, and motor skills typically acquired by children before and during kindergarten.

It provides criterion-referenced data about a child's current abilities rather than comparing them to developmental norms. The tool is structured into two main components: the Protocol, which scores and tracks a child's progress, and the Guide, which offers instructions on scoring and setting individualized learning objectives. This format allows for creating a customized curriculum to meet each child’s unique educational needs.

The ABLLS covers a wide variety of skills including self help skills around toilet training.

Although the elements in the ABLLS-R that involve speech and language are best utilized by those with a background in ABA or speech therapy, the assessment's broader applications make it valuable in many other contexts. It can serve as a guide for developing goals in areas such as academics or self-help skills.

The ABLLS-R breaks down skills into smaller, more manageable steps than what is typically found in general education curricula, making it a tool that can be useful for teachers, parents, and even homeschooling families. It is often used formally in ABA programs, but I have found it helpful to use informally for goals or skill ideas and monitoring.

What Does the ABLLS-R Cover?

The ABLLS-R is broken down into 25 different domains that cover a wide range of skills, from basic imitation to more complex academic skills. These domains include:

• Language and Communication Skills: such as labeling objects, understanding questions, and following instructions.

• Social Interaction Skills: including imitating others and playing appropriately with peers.

• Motor Skills: such as fine motor coordination (e.g., cutting with scissors) and gross motor activities (e.g., jumping or running).

• Academic Skills: including reading, writing, math, and problem-solving tasks.

• Self-Help Skills: such as dressing, feeding, and bathroom use.

  
  

Many people appreciate the ABLLS-R because it is very comprehensive. It organizes skills into a hierarchy, which makes it easier to see where a child’s abilities lie and what skills should come next. It’s a great tool for setting IEP goals, tracking progress, and providing a visual representation of skills mastered and goals to be achieved.

The ABLLS-R has a visual system for tracking progress.

A Visual System for Tracking Progress

One of the things I like about the ABLLS-R is how visually clear it is when you track a child’s progress. The assessment protocol uses a visual graph to show which skills have been mastered. This makes it easy for parents and therapists to quickly see which areas are strengths and which still need work. You can easily spot patterns, track mastery in various domains, and even target areas where skills may be lagging.

What’s Missing: Social Goals We Often Work on with Autistic Individuals

Although the ABLLS-R is an excellent resource for breaking down academic and language goals into specific, measurable tasks, it falls short in some important areas—particularly in the realm of social skills.

Over the years, research into autism and social development has significantly advanced, leading to a deeper understanding of the importance of explicitly teaching social skills. I believe that this area is essential to include in a well-rounded autism program. Unfortunately, many of these skills are not adequately covered by the ABLLS-R.

More subtle social skills such as pointing to show are not covered in the ABLLS.

Goals such as these are not included in the ABLLS-R but are now often targeted in programs for autistic children:

• Getting Someone's Attention: Teaching a child to call someone’s name or tap them

  gently on the shoulder to gain attention.

• Advocating for Oneself: Learning how to express needs, preferences, or discomforts (e.g., "I need a break").

• Taking Turns with Toys or Activities: Developing the ability to share and take turns during play or other activities.

• Understanding Another Person’s Point of View (Perspective Taking): Teaching a child to recognize that others have different thoughts and feelings.

• Following a Point or Gesture: Building joint attention skills by teaching children to follow someone’s point or gestures.

• Using Gestures to Communicate: Learning how to use non-verbal communication, such as pointing, nodding, or waving.

• Recognizing and Responding to Emotions in Others: Teaching children how to identify and appropriately respond to the emotions of others.

• Initiating Social Interactions: Developing skills to approach peers and initiate conversations or play.

  
  

These social skills are fundamental for autistic individuals to navigate everyday interactions and relationships. The lack of comprehensive coverage for these skills in the ABLLS-R is why I would recommend supplementing it with other curricula or social skills programs that focus specifically on developing social skills.

If you're interested in learning more about how to support social skill development, take a look at my post, Play Based Learning in Autism which explores why curriculums that focus on academic skills often miss the mark with autistic children.

Tools for Addressing Skills

Items on the ABLLS can be practiced in structured settings in more traditionally ABA style programs but it's important to keep in mind that most if not all of these skills can be practiced and assessed in the natural environment.

For example, you can work on turn-taking during playtime at the park or practice getting someone’s attention while interacting at home or in the classroom.

The key is finding natural opportunities to help children generalize these skills across different environments and situations.

Examples of ABLLS-R Goals Across Different Domains

Skills such as motor imitation are comprehensively covered in the ABLLS.

Below is a list of example goals from various domains in the ABLLS-R:

• Language Goals:

  • Label common objects

  • Respond to "Wh" questions (who, what, where, etc.)

  • Follow one-step directions

• Motor Skills:

  • Imitate fine motor actions (e.g., wiggle fingers)

  • Jump forward with two feet

• Social Skills:

  • Imitate peer play activities

  • Take turns during simple games

• Academic Skills:

  • Match letters to sounds

  • Identify numbers and quantities

• Self-Help Skills:

  • Use utensils to feed self

  • Dress independently (e.g., putting on shoes)

    
    

The ABLLS has a very comprehensive speech/language and academic sections.

These goals are useful for guiding teachers and therapists in developing clear, measurable objectives for each child. However, the teaching materials themselves are not included with the ABLLS-R assessment. Fortunately, you can find various supplemental resources, including digital downloads on sites like Etsy and Teachers Pay Teachers, which offer pre-made activities designed to target specific ABLLS-R goals. For example, check out my digital downloadable products available on Etsy.

Conclusion

If you're a parent, teacher, or therapist struggling to identify measurable learning goals for your autistic child or student, the ABLLS-R is worth considering. It is comprehensive, easy to follow, and visually helpful for tracking progress. However, it’s important to recognize its limitations, particularly in the area of social skill development. By supplementing it with other curricula and using natural opportunities to practice skills, the ABLLS-R can be a powerful tool for helping children with autism reach their full potential.

Where Can I Get Materials to Assess or Teach Skills on the ABLLS?

Don’t forget, if you’re looking for digital downloads that are aligned with the goals on the ABLLS-R, you can check out my Etsy or Teachers Pay Teachers stores for products designed to complement the ABLLS-R.

A set of worksheets and cards to practice matching CVC words to their corresponding picture. cards to work on the ABLLS curriculum item "sort non-identical pictures".

Sorting non-identical pictures is an item on the ABLLS assessment.

Digital download of labelling actions, an item on the ABLLS.

Digital download of cards to practice selecting non-examples of things, an item on the ABLLS.

Partington, J. W. (2006). The Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills - Revised (The ABLLS-R). Behavior Analysts, Inc.