Discrimination Training in ABA: 5 Fun Activities to Try

Key Points:

• Discrimination training in ABA helps children learn to tell the difference between things like objects, instructions, or people.
• Fun and interactive activities can boost engagement and generalization of learned skills.
• Each activity can be adapted to your child’s current skill level and interests.

Discrimination training in ABA is one of the most foundational teaching strategies in applied behavior analysis. It helps children with autism learn to distinguish between different stimuli—like knowing when to wave “hi” versus “bye,” or choosing a red block instead of a blue one. This process teaches children how to respond appropriately depending on what’s presented to them, and it supports more complex skills like communication, problem-solving, and daily living routines.

But here’s the challenge: discrimination training can feel repetitive if it’s not done creatively. That’s why introducing playful, structured activities can make the process more natural—and more fun. Below are five engaging activities that can support discrimination training while keeping your child interested and motivated.

Color and Shape Sorting Race

Sorting tasks are a great way to build early discrimination skills. But instead of simply placing a blue circle in the right bin over and over, we can make this more interactive.

Set-Up:

Grab colored paper, toy blocks, or foam shapes in various sizes and shades. Create labeled baskets or containers for each category (e.g., “red,” “green,” “circle,” “square”).

How It Builds Discrimination:

You can vary this based on what your child is learning. For example, if they’re working on color discrimination, present multiple shapes of the same color to avoid prompting confusion. If they’re ready for combined targets, ask for a “green square” and reinforce when both features are correctly identified.

Make It Fun:

Turn it into a timed race! Say, “Let’s see how many red ones you can find in 30 seconds!” or play upbeat music while they sort. Reinforce correct responses immediately, and vary the pace to keep things exciting.

What's That Sound? Audio Matching Game

This activity is excellent for building auditory discrimination skills, especially for kids who are strong visual learners but struggle with identifying sounds or words.

Set-Up:

Use sound clips from everyday items (e.g., dog barking, doorbell, microwave beep). Show your child two or three pictures representing those items.

How It Builds Discrimination:

Play one sound and ask your child to choose the matching image. For example, when the dog barks, your child should select the dog photo from the set. This helps with generalization too—they learn that the same bark means “dog,” regardless of whether the picture is a cartoon or a real photo.

Adaptations:

Once your child masters this, you can include sounds that are more similar (e.g., a cat meowing vs. a baby crying) to strengthen auditory discrimination.

Yes/No Sorting: Is This the One?

This activity introduces conditional discrimination, where the response depends on both the stimulus and the instruction. It’s often used in natural environment teaching.

Set-Up:

Lay out various items (photos, toys, flashcards) and ask your child a question like, “Is this a fruit?” or “Is this something you wear?”

How It Builds Discrimination:

It teaches your child not just to identify objects but to consider categories and features. For example, an apple and a banana are both “yes” for fruit, but a tomato may be a trickier item to classify. That added challenge encourages critical thinking and deeper engagement.

Pro Tip:

To avoid rote responding, vary your instructions. Sometimes ask “Is this a tool?” or “Can you eat this?” You can even let your child take on the role of asking you questions to make it more interactive.

5 Discrimination Training Games Using Common Household Items

You don’t need expensive toys or therapy materials to work on discrimination training in ABA. Here are five activities you can do right at home:

Laundry Toss

• Goal: Sort clothing by color or owner.
• How it Works: Call out a color or person’s name, and your child tosses the matching item into the basket.
• Why it Works: This adds a physical component, boosting engagement while practicing visual and verbal discrimination.

Snack Sorting

• Goal: Identify different textures or flavors (e.g., sweet vs. salty).
• How it Works: Lay out snack options and ask, “Which one is salty?” or “Give me something crunchy.”
• Why it Works: Taps into multiple senses and encourages choice-making.

Toy Rescue Mission

• Goal: Discriminate based on function or category.
• How it Works: Hide toys and give clues like “Find something that rolls” or “Get me something that makes noise.”
• Why it Works: Adds an element of pretend play to build generalization.

Drawer Detective

• Goal: Identify items by function or location.
• How it Works: Say, “Find something you use to eat,” and let your child explore the drawer to find a spoon.
• Why it Works: Brings discrimination practice into real-life context.

Mirror Me!

• Goal: Follow and identify actions.
• How it Works: Perform actions like clapping or spinning and ask your child to imitate or name them.
• Why it Works: Supports both motor imitation and action labeling.

Digital and Tablet-Based Discrimination Apps

Sometimes tech can be your best friend when trying to teach discrimination without it feeling like a drill. With so many apps designed for ABA therapy and learning, this can be a motivating and flexible tool.

What to Look For:

Choose apps that allow you to customize stimuli, like adding your own voice, images, or reward system. Platforms like Bitsboard, ABA Flash Cards, or Proloquo2Go allow you to teach receptive and expressive discrimination with consistent visuals and sounds.

How It Builds Discrimination:

Digital apps are great for teaching receptive ID (e.g., “Touch banana”) and visual scanning. You can gradually increase complexity by adding distractors or using multiple-choice formats.

Cautions:

Don’t rely solely on tablets. While they’re engaging, make sure skills learned digitally are generalized in the real world—like knowing a dog in the app is the same as the neighbor’s barking pup.

Why Discrimination Training in ABA Matters

When children learn how to tell things apart, they also learn how to respond differently based on context. Whether it’s recognizing the right button to press on a toy, or understanding the difference between “Come here” and “Go get your shoes,” discrimination training in ABA lays the groundwork for functional independence.

For many parents, though, this process can feel slow or repetitive without clear progress. This is where ABA therapy, especially when delivered through structured programs, can provide support. At Total Care ABA, trained professionals break skills into small, teachable parts and ensure your child is learning at their pace—with strategies that are both evidence-based and motivating.

Ready for Support?

Discrimination training in ABA is more than just pointing to flashcards—it's a powerful way to help your child better understand their world. When done thoughtfully, it leads to stronger communication, safer behavior, and more confidence in everyday routines.

If you're looking for professional guidance or feel like your child would benefit from structured, one-on-one therapy, Total Care ABA is here to help. We offer personalized ABA therapy in Indiana, New Mexico, Georgia, Tennessee, Arizona, North Carolina, Maine, and Utah—right where families need it most.

Let us support your child’s learning journey. Contact us today to learn how we can help bring ABA to your home and make learning both meaningful and fun.