Small Steps. Big Gains.
Data Tells The Story.
ABA (Applied Behavioural Analysis) is the gold-standard, evidence-based behavioral model for teaching new skills and reducing challenging behaviors. Built on B.F. Skinner's operant conditioning principles, every program is individually designed, data-tracked weekly, and adjusted in real-time — so progress isn't guessed. It's proven, every single session.
Applied. Behavioural. Analyzed. Three Words. One Powerful Science.
Applied Behavioural Analysis is the study of human behavior in real-world settings — and the systematic application of learning principles to change behavior in meaningful, positive ways. The "applied" part means skills are taught in real situations, the "behavioural" part means we work with observable, measurable actions, and the "analysis" part means decisions are driven by data — never guesswork.
Nigel practices compassionate, contemporary ABA that centers the dignity and autonomy of every client. We use the full evidence-based toolkit: Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT), Natural Environment Training (NET), Pivotal Response Training (PRT), Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), and Task Analysis with chaining — always paired with reinforcement that is genuinely meaningful to YOU (or your child).
ABA isn't about "fixing" anyone. It's about teaching skills that give a human being more freedom, more choice, and more access to the things they love in this world. Every skill taught is a door opened.
— Nigel ChristieEvery Behavior Has A Story. We Read It With A, B, And C.
The three-term contingency is the engine of all ABA work. Understand these three — and you understand behavior. Change one of these three — and the behavior changes. It's that powerful. That simple.
What Happened Right Before
The trigger, the setting, the cue, the context — everything in the environment that immediately precedes the behavior. This is the setup.
The Observable Action
The behavior itself — what you can SEE and COUNT. No interpretations, no judgments, no "they were being bad." Just dead-description of what happened.
What Happens Right After
The immediate environmental response to the behavior. This is the most important part — because the consequence in THIS moment determines whether the behavior will happen MORE or LESS in the future.
For Anyone Who Would Benefit From Learning New Skills.
Autism & Neurodivergence
The #1 researched and funded application of ABA worldwide. Comprehensive skill-building.
Developmental Delays
Skill gaps become skill gains. Task analysis breaks everything into teachable steps.
ABA For Adults & Teens
ABA isn't just for kids. It's for any human wanting to build a behavioral skill for life.
4 Things Compassionate ABA Delivers That Nothing Else Can.
Truly Measurable Progress
Every skill is graphed. Every session is data-collected. You see progress on paper every single week — not "I think they're improving."
100% Individualized
What reinforces one person does nothing for another. ABA programs are built for ONE client — their reinforcers, their pace, their goals, their life.
Access To More Freedom
Every skill taught = a new door. Communication opens. Community access opens. Employment opens. ABA builds literal life freedom.
Caregiver Empowerment
Parent training is baked in. You leave every ABA program knowing exactly HOW to teach, how to reinforce, how to respond — skills for a lifetime.
Inside A Standard ABA Session · Skill By Skill.
Pairing & Rapport
First 5-10 minutes: no demands. Nigel builds rapport so learning is fun, not a chore.
DTT Skill Block
Structured teaching of 2-3 target skills: prompts, reinforcement, error correction, data on every trial.
NET Natural Teaching
Skill generalization: teach the SAME skill in natural environment, with natural reinforcers.
Data + Caregiver
Graphs reviewed. Progress scored. One caregiver-training point. Next session plan written.
ABA FAQ · Everything You Need To Know.
I've heard ABA is "old-fashioned" or not compassionate. Is that true?
+Great question. ABA in 2025 is NOT the ABA you might have read about from the 1980s. Contemporary compassionate ABA: (1) never uses punishment, (2) centers the client's autonomy and dignity, (3) uses ONLY reinforcement the client actually enjoys, (4) pairs rapport-building before every session, (5) gives "break cards" and choice-making constantly, and (6) targets ONLY skills that the client or family actually wants — never arbitrary compliance. Nigel's practice follows strict compassionate ABA guidelines.
How many hours of ABA will we need?
+It depends entirely on the number of skill targets and the severity of challenging behavior. For early learners with multiple skill gaps: 20-40 hours/week is standard research recommendation. For focused skill-building (e.g., just toilet training, or just social skills): 5-15 hours/week is typical. For adult ABA (executive function, habits, vocational): 2-4 hours/week is usually sufficient. Nigel will recommend an honest, specific number after Session 2 assessment — and the number always goes DOWN as skills are mastered.
Is ABA only for children with autism?
+No — that's another common myth. ABA was developed with children with developmental differences, and that's still its largest application (and most evidence-based one). But the SCIENCE of behavior — reinforcement, shaping, chaining, prompting, fading — works for any human, any age, any behavior you want more or less of. Nigel uses ABA principles with: adults building habits for sobriety, executives building productivity systems, parents changing their own reactivity patterns, and teens building study skills. If it's a behavior, it can be shaped with ABA.
Every Skill Is Teachable. Every Human Is Capable Of Growth.
Your free 20-minute ABA consultation is a chance to tell Nigel exactly what skill or behavior you'd like to see change. He'll explain (1) whether ABA is the right model, (2) the first 3 skills he'd target, (3) roughly how many hours, and (4) what kind of progress you'd see in the first 30 days. No pressure, no jargon, just honest information.