Learning Friendship Skills Through ABA
Valentine’s Day and Beyond
Valentine’s Day often brings images of cards, candy, and classroom celebrations—but at its heart, the day is about connection. For many children, especially those receiving Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) services, learning how to build and maintain friendships is a meaningful and important life skill.
At bitKIDS Behaviour Consulting, we view friendship skills as essential, functional goals that support children not just during special celebrations like Valentine’s Day, but throughout their everyday lives.
What Are Friendship Skills?
Friendship skills are made up of many small, teachable behaviours that support positive social interactions. These may include:
- Greeting peers and responding to greetings
- Taking turns and sharing materials
- Giving compliments or kind words
- Recognizing and responding to others’ emotions
- Participating in group activities and games
- Following social rules and reading social cues
For some children, these skills develop naturally through observation and experience. For others, including many children with autism, these skills benefit from being explicitly taught and practiced in supportive, structured ways.
How ABA Supports Friendship Skills
ABA breaks down complex social skills—like friendship—into smaller, achievable steps. Children receiving one-to-one ABA support have daily opportunities to practice these skills in real, meaningful environments with the guidance of a trained therapist.
Friendship skills are intentionally embedded into everyday routines such as:
- Circle time, where children practice sitting with peers, responding to group instructions, waiting their turn, and engaging with songs or stories
- Classroom and group playtime, which provides opportunities to share toys, join games, follow rules, and respond to peers
- Structured and unstructured games with friends, both indoors and outdoors, where children practice cooperation, flexibility, and communication
- Outdoor play, including playground activities, where skills like turn-taking, joint play, and problem-solving naturally occur
These natural learning opportunities allow children to practice social skills in the moment, helping them generalize what they learn across settings, people, and activities.
Valentine’s Day as a Natural Learning Opportunity
Valentine’s Day offers built-in opportunities to practice friendship skills in fun and motivating ways. ABA sessions may incorporate activities such as:
- Practicing giving and receiving Valentine’s cards
- Using kind words or compliments with friends and peers
- Participating in classroom celebrations and group activities
- Taking turns during Valentine-themed games or crafts
- Identifying and talking about emotions like happiness, excitement, or disappointment
By pairing social goals with meaningful activities, children are able to learn and practice skills in ways that feel natural and engaging.
Growing With Our Clients
At bitKIDS, friendship goals are individualized and evolve as children grow. Early goals may focus on parallel play or simple social interactions, while later goals may include cooperative play, conversation skills, and maintaining friendships over time.
Children receiving one-to-one ABA support benefit from consistent, daily practice embedded into their routines—helping build confidence, independence, and a sense of belonging with peers.
Supporting Friendship Skills at Home
Families play a key role in supporting social development. Simple ways to encourage friendship skills at home include:
- Modeling kind and respectful interactions
- Practicing greetings and conversational turn-taking
- Encouraging shared play with siblings or peers
- Talking about feelings and perspectives
- Celebrating small social successes
Your child’s ABA team can provide strategies tailored to your child’s goals, environment, and interests.
More Than a Valentine
While Valentine’s Day highlights friendship, connection is something we nurture all year long. Through daily opportunities for social learning—during circle time, play, games, and shared experiences—children can build meaningful friendships in ways that feel authentic and supportive.
At bitKIDS Behaviour Consulting, we are proud to support children and families as they grow friendship skills, confidence, and lifelong social connections—one meaningful interaction at a time.
