Assessment guides
ABA assessments for autism: VB-MAPP, ABLLS-R, PEAK, AFLS and more.
Plain-language guides to the skills assessments ABA teams, therapists and schools use with young learners with autism, intellectual disability or developmental delay. What each one covers, who it fits, how scoring works, and how to turn the results into daily practice.
The basics
What is an ABA skills assessment?
An ABA skills assessment is a criterion-referenced checklist that shows which language, learning and daily living skills a learner already has and which to teach next. The VB-MAPP, ABLLS-R, PEAK, AFLS and Essential for Living are the most widely used, and a behavior analyst usually picks one as the main guide for goals and progress reports.
Each tool fits a different learner. The VB-MAPP suits early learners with little language, the ABLLS-R tracks a broad curriculum including academics and self-help, and the AFLS covers functional living skills for teens and adults. Not sure which fits? The side-by-side comparison matches each one to a learner profile.
Once a learner is scored, the free VB-MAPP goal mapper turns milestone areas into practice goals, and free ABA data sheets track every trial between reassessments. RBTs who run these programs day to day can prepare for the exam with our free RBT practice test.
All guides
ABA assessment guides, plus a free VB-MAPP goal mapper
- VB-MAPPThe 170 milestones, three levels, barriers and transition scoring, and how to turn results into daily practice.
- ABLLS-RThe 25 skill areas, who it fits, how scoring and the tracking grid work, and how it relates to the AFLS.
- VB-MAPP vs ABLLS-R vs PEAK vs AFLSFive ABA assessments side by side, with a clear pick for each learner profile and worked examples.
- PEAKMark Dixon’s four-module ABA curriculum and assessment, from direct training to derived relational responding.
- AFLSThe Assessment of Functional Living Skills: six protocols for daily living, from self-care to work and independent living.
- Essential for LivingA functional assessment and curriculum for learners with limited speech, built around eight must-have skills.
- ESDM and PEP-3Two early-childhood autism tools: a curriculum checklist inside an intervention model and a standardized developmental profile.
- VB-MAPP goal mapperFree tool: pick a level, domain and milestone area and get plain-language practice goals and activities.
Not sure which one fits? Compare them by learner profile.
New to ABA, or explaining it to a family? Read ABA therapy explained, or browse the IEP and ABA goal bank.
Studying for the RBT exam? Take the free RBT practice test, an 85-question timed mock exam with every answer explained.
Independent guide by SuperChild, not affiliated with the publisher or authors. Use the official protocol to administer and score.
Written from the publishers’ own materials and published research. Spotted an error? Email contact@superchild.ai and we’ll fix it.
FAQ
Questions teams and parents ask
- Which assessment should I use for a 3-year-old with autism?
- Most teams start with the VB-MAPP, because its milestones are built around language development from birth to about 4 years and it includes a barriers check. Some add ABLLS-R areas for self-help and early academics. The right choice depends on the child and on what your funder or school asks for, so a BCBA or clinician should make the call.
- What is the difference between the VB-MAPP and the ABLLS-R?
- The VB-MAPP measures 170 language and learning milestones against typical development up to about 48 months, with a barriers assessment. The ABLLS-R is a broader skills checklist of 544 skills in 25 areas, including academics, self-help and motor skills, and is often used for long-term tracking. Many teams use both.
- Can I use more than one assessment with the same learner?
- Yes. Many teams use one assessment as the main curriculum guide and pull a few areas from another, for example the VB-MAPP for language plus AFLS or ABLLS-R areas for daily living skills. Keep one main tool for progress reports so the numbers stay comparable over time.
- Who administers ABA assessments in the UK, Ireland and Australia?
- Usually a behaviour analyst: a BCBA or BCaBA, a behaviour analyst on the UK Society for Behaviour Analysis (UK-SBA) register, or a holder of a QABA (QBA, QASP-S) or IBAO (IBA) credential. Speech and language therapists in the UK and Ireland and speech pathologists in Australia often co-assess language. In England, results commonly feed EHCP outcomes for children with special educational needs (SEN); in Australia, they support goals in NDIS-funded early intervention.
- Is SuperChild an assessment or scoring tool?
- No. Your team administers and scores the assessment with the official protocol and chooses the targets. SuperChild then runs short daily practice on those targets with an AI coach and records every trial, so the professional keeps oversight and sees progress between reassessments.
- Are these guides official?
- No. They’re independent guides by SuperChild, not endorsed by any publisher. Buy the official protocol to administer and score.
- Where can I download a free VB-MAPP or ABLLS-R PDF?
- The protocols are copyrighted and sold by their publishers, so copies on file-sharing sites are not legitimate and often outdated. What you can use for free here is our VB-MAPP goal mapper, which turns a milestone area into plain-language practice goals and activities, plus practice printables for each skill area.
Next step
You pick the targets. SuperChild runs the daily practice.
342 trainings built from VB-MAPP milestones and ABLLS-R tasks, each a 10-level ladder in small steps, with every trial recorded for the professional who oversees it.