What Are Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) in ABA Therapy?
Activities of daily living (ADLs) are the routine, self-care tasks that people perform every day to take care of themselves and live independently. In Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, ADLs are a primary skill area, especially for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who may need structured support to learn tasks that come more naturally to neurotypical peers.
The term was first introduced by Dr. Sidney Katz in 1950 as part of an effort to measure functional independence in older adults. Today, the concept is used across healthcare, occupational therapy, education, and ABA, and it serves as a baseline measure of a person’s ability to manage their own day-to-day life. According to the National Institutes of Health’s StatPearls reference on Activities of Daily Living, ADLs are widely classified into two categories: basic ADLs and instrumental ADLs.
Basic activities of daily living (BADLs) cover the foundational self-care skills:
- Eating and feeding
- Bathing and grooming
- Toileting and continence
- Dressing
- Transferring (moving from one position to another, like getting in and out of bed)
- Walking or mobility
Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) are more complex skills that support independent community living:
- Preparing meals
- Managing money
- Using transportation
- Shopping
- Managing medications
- Communicating by phone or computer
- Housekeeping
For children with autism, behavior technicians and behavior analysts treat ADLs as foundational targets in many ABA programs. Building these skills supports a child’s independence, dignity, and quality of life as they grow.
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Examples of Activities of Daily Living in ABA Therapy
Example 1: Teaching toothbrushing as a multi-step routine
A behavior technician works with an eight-year-old client on learning independent toothbrushing. The skill is broken down through a task analysis into specific steps:
- Pick up the toothbrush
- Wet the bristles
- Apply toothpaste
- Brush upper teeth
- Brush lower teeth
- Rinse
- Put the toothbrush away
The behavior technician uses backward chaining—prompting all but the final step at first, then fading prompts back through earlier steps as the child masters each segment. Over several weeks, the child performs the entire routine independently, and the family reports much smoother morning and bedtime routines at home.
Example 2: Self-feeding with utensils
A four-year-old client uses their fingers to eat almost every meal. A behavior analyst designs a self-feeding program targeting independent spoon use with structured prompting and reinforcement. The behavior technician implements the program during lunch each session, starting with hand-over-hand assistance and then fading to a gestural prompt as the child gains motor control.
Data on the number of independent scoops collected at each meal show steady progress over several months. Self-feeding is a classic basic ADL target and a strong predictor of independence at family mealtimes, which is why behavior technicians often track this skill across multiple meals each week.
Example 3: Preparing a simple snack (an instrumental ADL)
For an older learner working toward more independence, a behavior technician supports the child in preparing a simple snack like a peanut butter sandwich. The protocol covers gathering ingredients, opening containers safely, spreading the peanut butter, putting the slices together, and cleaning up. Because meal preparation is an instrumental ADL, the therapist also weaves in communication targets, like requesting help when a lid is stuck, and safety awareness, like keeping fingers away from a knife. For another example of how ABA programs structure ADL teaching, see our blog post on successful toilet training for kids with autism.
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Why Are Activities of Daily Living Important in ABA Therapy?
Activities of daily living are important because they tie directly to a learner’s independence, safety, and dignity. A child who can dress, eat, and use the bathroom on their own moves through their day with less reliance on caregivers and more confidence in their own abilities. For families, mastery of ADLs reduces the daily caregiving load and opens up more opportunities for the child to participate in school, social events, and community life.
In ABA therapy, ADLs are also one of the clearest places to see the connection between teaching and real-life outcomes. Unlike academic targets that may only show up at school, an ADL like handwashing or toothbrushing will be performed every single day for a lifetime.
Behavior technicians often anchor weekly session goals around these skills because progress shows up almost immediately in family routines, which keeps parents engaged and reinforces consistency between session and home.
ADLs are also closely tied to generalization. A child who learns to put on shoes in the clinic should be able to put on shoes at home, at a friend’s house, and at school. ABA programs are designed to build that generalization in from the start, with behavior technicians often delivering parts of the program in the natural environment alongside the family.
A behavior technician might run a handwashing trial at the kitchen sink one day and at a restaurant restroom the next, intentionally varying the materials and setting. To learn more about how ABA therapists extend programs into the home setting, explore our home and community ABA therapy services.
FAQs About Activities of Daily Living
What is the difference between basic ADLs and instrumental ADLs?
Basic ADLs are the foundational self-care tasks needed for survival and personal care: feeding, bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, and ambulating. Instrumental ADLs are more complex skills tied to living independently in a community: meal preparation, money management, shopping, using transportation, and managing medications. Basic ADLs are usually targeted earlier in ABA programs because they’re prerequisites for daily functioning; instrumental ADLs come later as a learner builds toward greater autonomy.
At what age should a child be able to perform ADLs independently?
There is no single benchmark, since development varies across children. Neurotypical children generally begin mastering self-feeding around age 2 to 3, dressing around age 4 to 5, and full independent toileting between ages 3 and 4. Children with autism may follow a different timeline, and ABA programs adjust expectations to each learner’s developmental level rather than their chronological age. The behavior analyst sets individualized goals after a baseline assessment of the learner’s current skills.
How do behavior analysts assess ADL skills in ABA therapy?
Assessment typically begins with a behavior analyst observing the learner attempting the skill and conducting a task analysis that breaks the activity into smaller, measurable steps. Additional input comes from parent or teacher interviews, standardized tools like the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, or direct testing of each step. The resulting data establishes a baseline and identifies which steps the learner can already perform and which need targeted instruction from a behavior technician.
Which ADLs are typically taught first in ABA therapy?
The order depends on the child’s age, current skills, and family priorities. For young learners, programs commonly start with feeding, toileting, dressing, and basic hygiene because these have the largest daily impact on the family. For older learners or those preparing for community settings, instrumental ADLs like preparing simple meals or following a safety routine become higher priority. Behavior technicians work the targets in the order set during program planning, then revisit the sequence as the learner masters foundational steps.
Can ADL skills be generalized across different settings and people?
Yes, and generalization is built into well-designed ABA programs. A behavior technician may begin teaching handwashing at the clinic sink, then practice at the bathroom sink at home, then at a public restroom, with different soaps, faucet styles, and towels. Generalization across people, settings, and materials is one of the seven dimensions of ABA, and it’s especially important for ADLs since these skills need to be performed everywhere the learner goes.
Key Takeaways About Activities of Daily Living
- Activities of daily living (ADLs) are the everyday self-care and life-management tasks needed for independence.
- The term was introduced by Dr. Sidney Katz in 1950 and is now used across healthcare, occupational therapy, education, and ABA.
- ADLs fall into two categories: basic ADLs (feeding, bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, mobility) and instrumental ADLs (meal prep, money management, transportation, shopping, medication management, communication, housekeeping).
- In ABA therapy, behavior technicians teach ADLs using task analyses, prompting, reinforcement, and structured generalization across people and settings.
- ADL goals are individualized based on the learner’s developmental level, family priorities, and the behavior analyst’s assessment.
- Mastery of ADLs supports independence, safety, dignity, and full participation in family, school, and community life.
