The Power of Balance: Why Teaching Both Functional and Foundational Skills Is Essential in Progressive ABA
Post created by Am Badwall February 2025
Introduction
At Missing Links, our mission is to empower individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to lead meaningful, independent lives. One of the most important ways we achieve this is through our Progressive ABA model, which emphasizes the equal importance of teaching both functional and foundational skills. While traditional ABA often focuses heavily on behavior reduction or rote learning, Progressive ABA ensures that every learner gains the necessary tools to thrive in real-world environments.
But what exactly are functional and foundational skills? Why is it critical to teach both? Let’s explore how these two essential components work together to build a strong, sustainable path to independence.
What Are Functional Skills?
Functional skills are the everyday tasks and behaviors that individuals need to function independently and successfully in their daily lives. These skills directly impact an individual’s ability to care for themselves, engage with others, and navigate their environment.
Examples of Functional Skills:
Self-Help Skills: Toileting, dressing, hygiene, and eating independently.
Communication Skills: Expressing needs and wants verbally, through sign language, or via AAC devices.
Academic & Life Skills: Cooking, cleaning, managing money, using public transportation.
Social Skills: Making friends, understanding personal space, engaging in conversations.
Safety Skills: Understanding boundaries, recognizing danger, following safety rules.
Why Functional Skills Matter:
Functional skills are essential because they empower individuals to be more self-sufficient and confident. Without these skills, individuals may become overly dependent on caregivers, limiting their opportunities for personal growth and independence. Teaching these skills in real-life settings allows learners to immediately apply what they’ve learned in meaningful ways.
What Are Foundational Skills?
Foundational skills are the underlying cognitive, social, and emotional abilities that support the learning of more complex tasks. These skills are critical for problem-solving, adapting to new situations, and managing emotions—capabilities that make functional skills more sustainable and adaptable.
Examples of Foundational Skills:
Executive Functioning: Planning, organizing, time management, and flexible thinking.
Emotional Regulation: Identifying and managing emotions, coping with frustration.
Attention and Focus: Staying engaged, following instructions, task completion.
Learning Readiness: Imitation, cause-and-effect understanding, visual and auditory processing.
Hidden Curriculum and Social Cognition: Understanding social cues, empathy, perspective-taking.
Why Foundational Skills Matter:
Foundational skills create the cognitive and emotional groundwork necessary for mastering functional skills. Without these abilities, learners may struggle to adapt their functional skills across different environments. Foundational skills support problem-solving, help individuals manage emotions, and allow them to generalize learned behaviors in various settings.
Functional vs. Foundational Skills: Understanding the Difference
While both types of skills are essential, understanding how they differ is critical for effective teaching:
Functional Skills
Directly improve day-to-day independence
Focus on practical, real-world tasks
Immediate and tangible outcomes
Taught in natural, everyday environments
Examples: Toileting, communication, money management
Foundational Skills
Support the ability to learn and adapt skills
Focus on cognitive, emotional, and social development
Long-term growth and adaptability
Taught through structured and exploratory learning
Examples: Emotional regulation, problem-solving, attention
Why Both Skills Are Essential in Progressive ABA
1. Functional Skills Without Foundational Skills Lead to Rigid Learning
Imagine teaching a child how to greet someone, but not teaching them when and how it’s appropriate. Without emotional understanding or social awareness (foundational skills), greetings become robotic and lack social meaning. Foundational skills give depth to functional skills, allowing individuals to adapt and use them in the right contexts.
2. Foundational Skills Without Functional Skills Limit Practical Independence
Conversely, focusing solely on foundational skills without teaching practical tasks leaves individuals without the tools they need for daily living. Emotional regulation and problem-solving are vital, but they must be paired with real-world skills like self-care, communication, and safety awareness to build true independence.
3. Combined Skills Build Flexibility and Generalization
Progressive ABA focuses on teaching skills that are adaptable across various settings. By teaching both skill sets together, learners can apply what they know in new situations, making them more flexible, confident, and prepared for life’s challenges.
4. Enhances Quality of Life
When individuals master both functional and foundational skills, they gain autonomy and self-confidence. They can build relationships, contribute to their communities, and experience a greater sense of fulfillment and purpose.
How Missing Links Integrates Functional and Foundational Skills
At Missing Links, our Progressive ABA programs are designed to seamlessly integrate functional and foundational skills into every learning opportunity. Here’s how we make it happen:
Individualized Programs: Every learner has a customized plan that balances both types of skills based on their needs and goals.
Natural Environment Teaching: We teach skills in group based, natural learning scenarios to ensure relevance and generalization.
Dynamic Teaching Methods: We use a variety of evidence-based teaching strategies, including modeling, reinforcement, visual supports, and naturalistic learning, to make learning meaningful.
Multi team Involvement: Multiple instructors/teachers/analysts are involved every step of the way to reinforce skills, ensuring consistency and success.
Success in Action
One of our adult learners, struggled with transitioning to the day program due to anxiety and resistance to change. By focusing on foundational skills like emotional regulation and executive functioning, alongside functional skills like following daily routines and engaging in preferred tasks, this student now arrives at the center with ease and actively participates in group activities.
Another learner exhibited challenges with self-help routines and social engagement. We combined functional teaching (improving functional communication) with foundational strategies (building emotional regulation) to support her progress. Today, this student has gained more independence and is gradually increasing her attendance at our program.
Conclusion: Building Strong Foundations for Lifelong Success
Functional and foundational skills are the cornerstones of independence and meaningful engagement in life. One cannot exist effectively without the other. At Missing Links, our Progressive ABA model ensures that learners are equipped not only to complete tasks but also to understand, adapt, and thrive in every aspect of their lives.
By linking these two essential skill sets, we create opportunities for learners to unlock their full potential—empowering them to live, learn, and grow with confidence.
Let’s build the foundation for lifelong success, together.
Interested in how Progressive ABA can support your loved one? Contact Missing Links today to learn more about our individualized programs that balance functional and foundational skills for real-life success.