Why We Created Skybound Learning: Practical ABA Courses

Our Skybound Learning courses came out of a desire to share knowledge — something that really aligns with our core values. Initially, one of us was looking to get more involved with training staff and trainees. What began as internal knowledge-sharing quickly grew into something more. We realised there was real value in making these practical courses available to a wider audience.

We were also thinking about how to replicate the kind of experience someone gets on an intensive. When you’re supporting an intensive session, working with a clinical director or senior behaviour analyst, you’re getting a deep dive into a specific topic, with lots of troubleshooting and learning along the way. We wanted others to access that same depth, even if they weren’t in the

And we wanted to keep the spirit of collaboration at its core. So, when the opportunity came to create new courses together, we took it.

The First Tutorials: Why Unlocking Language and Teaching Imitation?

We chose Unlocking Language and Teaching Imitation for our first two tutorials because they’re often underestimated — taught too quickly, ticked off too early, or misunderstood altogether. And yet, they’re foundational.

“These are crucial skills,” says Rhian. “They’re often where we see gaps, especially in more complex cases. They’re not always straightforward to teach, you need to go back to the research and then adapt it to what the learner actually needs.”

Natalie agrees: “Sometimes people think, ‘We’ve taught this skill, so it’s done.’ But it hasn’t been generalised, or it’s not yet functional. We want to show what it looks like to go beyond the tick-box.”

In our Unlocking Language tutorial, for example, we explore why a child may be progressing slowly through assessments like the VB-MAPP or ABLLS, or why they’re not “picking up” language in a natural way. We break down strategies to build toward more creative, independent, and abstract language use, like understanding metaphors, or generating original phrases instead of relying on rote scripts.

The Imitation course takes a similar approach. We look at situations where a child might not copy others, needs full hand-over-hand support for basic skills, or isn’t developing speech as expected. You’ll find step-by-step guidance, troubleshooting tips, and real-life strategies based on both current research and years of hands-on experience.

Grounded in Research, Made for the Real World

One thing we kept hearing from professionals — especially in the UK — was that a lot of CEU content felt either too theoretical or too American in its context. We wanted Skybound Learning to be both UK relevant and practically useful.

“We web the research together in a ‘how-to’ format,” Natalie explains. “Sometimes the literature says, ‘Do it this way,’ but in practice we find we need to troubleshoot, and that’s what we show.”

That includes flowcharts, decision trees, and even live demonstrations (yes, there’s singing — “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” makes a cameo).

What Makes Skybound Learning Different?

We didn’t just want to create another CEU or APD course. We wanted to capture the kind of deep-dive experience that happens when you’re sitting beside a senior clinician on an Intensive, asking questions in real time, exploring the why behind a strategy, and learning how to adjust when things don’t go to plan.

“We’ve had clients who couldn’t access more advanced language programmes,” says Natalie. “But once we worked through the Unlocking Language content, those foundational gaps were closed and suddenly, they could move into naturalistic learning.”

And the change isn’t just about moving forward, it’s about how learning happens.

“One learner had everything rote-taught,” explains Rhian. “Every new skill had to be broken down. He could learn that way, but he wasn’t generating new language. Now, after this work, he’s spontaneously commenting, using new phrases, and interacting naturally with peers. That’s a huge shift.”

Another client had difficulty understanding what was happening or what was coming next, he relied entirely on being told. But now, after developing foundational language skills, when he hears words like “airport,” “passport,” or “packing,” he independently connects the dots: “We’re going on holiday.” These are real-life, functional leaps in comprehension.

And it’s not just language. With Imitation, we’ve seen clients go from only copying specific actions at the table (and only when prompted) to generalising those skills in everyday life. One learner is now succeeding at two work placements, learning entirely new tasks by observing others. Before, that would’ve required extensive task analyses and prompting. Now, he learns by watching, a key sign of true learning-to-learn ability.

“That kind of observational learning used to take weeks to build through structured teaching,” Natalie notes. “Now, it’s happening naturally, and quickly.”

These are the kinds of results we want more professionals and families to experience. Real change, grounded in strong foundations, and built through strategies that actually work in the world outside the therapy room.

Common Challenges These Tutorials Help Address

Parents, carers, and therapy providers often face very real struggles when supporting skill development, struggles that Skybound Learning tutorials are designed to help with.

For Unlocking Language & Cognition, common challenges include:

• A child slowly progressing through VB-MAPP or ABLLS stages
• A child not picking up language naturally from people around them
• A child having to be systematically taught to ask for everything
• Limited creativity or flexibility in language use
• Difficulty understanding abstract concepts (like metaphors)

For Teaching Imitation Skills, typical barriers might be:

• A child struggling to learn by watching others (e.g., not knowing how to play with a new toy)
• Requiring hand-over-hand support for daily tasks like dressing, toothbrushing, or cooking
• Needing hand-over-hand support to learn signs when developing communication
• Loss of early speech milestones (such as babbling that fades without progressing to words)

Our tutorials offer practical strategies to work through these barriers, building truly functional, transferable skills that open the door to greater independence and communication.

FAQs

What is Skybound Learning?
Skybound Learning is an online platform offering practical video courses with downloadable course materials. The content is evidence-based and provided by practising BCBAs with a wealth of experience.

Can I earn CEUs or APDs from Skybound Learning?
Our tutorials are eligible for CEUs. With the announcement at the recent UK-SBA conference of their APD (Approved Professional Development) provider register beginning later this year, we hope to soon provide APDs for our courses too.

Who are the Skybound Learning tutorials for?
They’re designed for ABA and PBS professionals, parents, and therapy providers looking for hands-on, research-backed strategies.

Ready to dive deeper?
Visit the Skybound Learning website here!