For us, we had to combine multiple therapies to get results. ABA focuses on behavior, we also had to go to speech, OT and counseling. If she is not applying her ABA sessions in everyday life, see if they have sessions available outside of the clinic. We have a place here that will do sessions at the park, in your home, or have a person with you on outings to teach them how to use the skills when they are out of the office setting.

Be thankful that she's functional. As for communication, there are two sides to ability: receptive and expressive. If she's "killing it" in sessions then that shows she understands how to communicate (i.e. her receptive skills are good) but she cannot initiate spontaneous conversation (i.e. her expressive skills have not developed.)

My point is that she's halfway there. Continue to talk to her in your normal tone of voice as if she understands. Just as with ABA it's your job to model behavior for her to emulate.

BTW, does she have speech therapy? Has she ever been diagnosed with any sort of dyspraxia (physical or neurological inability to vocalize?) If not, then have you considered using an assisted communicative device? I've seen many examples of software that runs on iPads or other proprietary hardware (that was unfortunately expensive and required insurance approval.)

Forgot to mention -LET HER have an OPINION!

Is she verbal? Have you raised this issue with the company and asked them to adjust? They can go on “field trips” with you- for example, to the ice cream store and she can practice real life situations like ordering her own ice cream.

Keep me posted on how it goes. If it is a good speech therapist she would utilize some signs. Remember TOTAL COMMUNICATION is the best. Use everything to stimulate as many parts of the brain as possible. Speech, Signs, PECS, gestures, songs, music etc. Get those synapses growing and connecting! A deaf classroom is amazing to me. They use every possible modality to teach their children. If we can model autism classrooms like a deaf classroom at the School of the Deaf, it would be amazing. The deaf community is amazing and it would be great if the autism community became like them. It would be a powerful group.