assent
Assent, Dissent, and Self-Determination in ABA
Assent and dissent help ABA teams notice whether the learner is willing to participate. This guide explains how consent, choice, and self-determination fit together.
Assent means the learner is showing willingness to participate. Dissent means the learner is showing they do not want to participate or want something to stop. Both matter in ethical ABA.
Caregiver consent is important, but it does not erase the learner’s communication. A learner may not be the legal decision-maker, but they can still show comfort, refusal, interest, stress, and preference.
What assent can look like
Assent may look like approaching materials, staying engaged, smiling, reaching, choosing to continue, using the communication system, or returning to an activity after a break.
Assent is not only spoken agreement. Many learners show willingness through behavior and body language.
What dissent can look like
Dissent may look like saying no, moving away, pushing materials aside, crying, freezing, turning off a device, refusing to respond, or using a break request.
Dissent should be noticed even when the learner’s communication is inconvenient for adults.
Why self-determination matters
Self-determination means having meaningful influence over one’s own life. In ABA, this can include choices, communication access, goal selection, refusal, privacy, and participation in decisions when appropriate.
Supporting self-determination does not mean removing every expectation. It means teaching skills in a way that preserves dignity and gives the learner real ways to communicate.
How teams can build assent into practice
Teams can offer choices, teach break requests, explain what will happen, use visuals, pause when distress increases, and review goals that the learner repeatedly resists.
For safety routines, adults may still need to act. Even then, the response should be calm, respectful, and as least intrusive as possible.
A useful team question
Ask: “How does this learner show yes, no, wait, help, and all done?”
If the team cannot answer, that is a starting point. ABA should help learners communicate more clearly and participate more meaningfully in their own support.