ABA Training for General Education Teachers

General education classrooms now routinely include students with autism, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental differences. Most teacher preparation programs don't go deep enough on behavioral science to be useful in practice. Special Learning closes that gap with content built by practitioners who work in the field, not by instructional designers working from textbooks. You can use this Monday morning.

Primary Resource
All Access Annual Library
$299/year

159 courses across 11 topic areas plus downloadable tools, training courses covering ABA principles and behavior support, and classroom-applicable resources. One payment. Twelve months of full access.

Get the All Access Annual Library →

What's changed in the general education classroom

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and decades of inclusion movement have shifted where students with autism receive their education. Many students with ASD spend most or all of their school day in general education settings. That's a good outcome for students when the adults in those rooms are prepared. Most aren't.

Teacher prep covers behavioral management broadly. It doesn't typically cover functional behavior assessment, reinforcement schedules, discrete trial instruction, or the specific behavioral profiles of students with autism spectrum disorder. The result is that well-intentioned teachers often respond to behavior in ways that accidentally maintain it or make it worse.

Applied behavior analysis gives you a framework for understanding why a behavior is happening and what to do about it. Learning it makes you a more effective teacher for every neurodivergent student in your room.

What the training covers

The All Access Annual Library includes the ABA content most directly applicable to inclusive general education classrooms:

Free tools for immediate classroom use

These tools are available at no cost. No subscription required.

Download and use these before you buy anything.

Built by practitioners, not instructional designers

Special Learning was founded in 2010 by Karen Chung. The training exists because it didn't exist when practitioners needed it. Today, 32,000+ customers in 140+ countries use Special Learning resources, and the content gets updated as the field's evidence base develops.

One note: whether this coursework counts toward a state teacher recertification requirement depends on your state's rules and district policy, so check with your HR office. What we can confirm is that the content translates directly to classroom practice with neurodivergent students.

Questions answered on this page

Why do general education teachers need ABA training?

General education classrooms now routinely include students with autism, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental differences. Most teacher prep doesn't go deep enough on behavioral science for classrooms with students who have specific behavioral profiles. ABA training gives teachers a framework for understanding why behaviors happen and what to do about them.

What ABA strategies translate most directly to general education classrooms?

Positive reinforcement and token economy systems, visual schedules and visual supports, antecedent modifications, strategies for attention-maintained behaviors, self-monitoring strategies, and social skills instruction. The All Access Annual Library covers all of these with downloadable tools.

Can general education teachers use ABA strategies without a behavior specialist on the team?

Yes. Reinforcement systems, visual supports, token boards, structured routines, and antecedent modifications are classroom-safe and don't require specialist oversight for general use. For students with a formal behavior intervention plan, a behavior specialist designs the plan. ABA training helps teachers implement those plans correctly and recognize when something isn't working.

Do I need any prior training to start with Special Learning?

No. The Level 1 ABA Online Training starts from behavioral science foundations and is designed for teachers and other professionals without a behavioral credential. The All Access Annual Library includes this course along with all other content.

What free resources are available for general education teachers?

A visual schedule builder, token board template, social story generator, reinforcement assessment, What Is ABA Guide, and ABA Glossary Complete are all free at special-learning.com/tools/. No email required for most tools.

What does the All Access Annual Library cost for a general education teacher?

$299 per year. 159 courses across 11 topic areas plus downloadable tools, training courses, and behavior support resources. No per-course fees. One payment covers 12 months of full library access.

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