Adaptive skills are practical skills needed to function appropriately within one’s own environment (e.g., home, school, etc.). Adaptive skills include dressing, feeding, problem-solving, engaging with the community, reading, and maintaining safety.

Communication skills are necessary to get one’s own needs and wants met; They are the foundation of understanding and interacting with others. Communication skills include making eye contact, using gestures, greeting others, and engaging in appropriate listener behavior.

Social skills are used to maintain positive interactions with others, whether interacting verbally or nonverbally. Social skills include understanding cues, displaying empathy, taking turns, and understanding the thoughts of others.

Maladaptive behaviors, or problem behaviors, are those that prevent an individual from interacting in and learning from their environment. Engagement in maladaptive behaviors can pose a significant risk for the individual themselves or others around them. Maladaptive behaviors may include aggression, destruction of property, and engagement in repetitive/restrictive behavior (e.g., scripting).