ABA Basics
What does ABA stand for?
Applied Behavior Analysis
What does the "A" in ABC stand for?
Antecedent
What are the four common functions of behavior?
1) Attention
2) Escape
3) Access to Tangibles
4) Automatic/Sensory
What does reinforcement do to the future likelihood of a behavior?
Reinforcement increases the future likelihood of a behavior happening again.
Your client independently asks for a break. What should you do?
Immediately honor the appropriate break request and provide positive reinforcement, such as giving the client their break, so they learn that appropriately asking for a break is effective.
What is the difference between an observable behavior that's measurable and a thought or feeling?
The key difference is that observable, measurable behaviors are external actions that can be seen, recorded, and quantified, while thoughts or feelings are internal states that cannot be directly observed or measured.
What does the "B" stand for?
Behavior
A client screams when presented with work and the work is removed. What function might this behavior serve?
Escape
What is the difference between positive and negative reinforcement?
Positive reinforcement means adding something desirable after a behavior to increase it, while negative reinforcement means removing something unpleasant after a behavior to increase it.
Your client isn't responding to a direction. What should you consider before immediately increasing prompts?
Consider whether the direction was clear and understood, whether the client is motivated and attending, and whether there are any environmental factors affecting their response before increasing prompts.
What is an Operational Definition?
An Operational Definition is a clear, specific, and objective description of a behavior that explains exactly what the behavior looks like so that different people can identify and measure it consistently.
What does the "C" stand for?
Consequence
A client engages in behavior and receives attention from the BT immediately afterward. What function might be involved?
Attention
A client completes their work and earns 5 minutes of iPad time. What type of reinforcement is this?
This is positive reinforcement because the client receives something they like (5 minutes of iPad time) after completing their work, which can increase the likelihood of completing work again.
Your client is transitioning appropriately and you want to strengthen that behavior. What could you provide?
You could provide positive reinforcement, such as praise, a preferred item, or access to a preferred activity, to increase the likelihood of appropriate transitioning in the future.
What is shaping?
Shaping is a teaching technique where you reinforce small steps toward a desired behavior until the person can perform the full behavior independently.
Identify the A, B, and C: The BT says "clean up." The client throws their toys. The BT tells the client they can have a 2-minute break.
Antecedent= The SD of "Clean up".
Behavior= The client throws their toy.
Consequence= The BT tells the client that they can have a 2-minute break.
A client grabs a preferred toy from another child and gets to play with it. What function might this suggest?
Access to Tangibles
What is differential reinforcement?
Differential reinforcement means reinforcing a desired behavior while withholding reinforcement for an undesired behavior, to increase the desired behavior and decrease the undesired behavior.
You notice that a client is no longer interested in their usual reinforcer. What could you do?
Try offering different or newly preferred reinforcers and use a preference assessment to identify what the client is currently interested in.
What is the difference between a skill deficit and a performance deficit?
The difference is whether the person knows how to do the skill or can do it but doesn't consistently perform it due to potential physical limitations.
Why is it important for an operational definition to be objective and measurable?
It prevents opinions or guesses from affecting the data collected.
Why should we avoid assuming the function of a behavior based only on what the behavior looks like?
We should not assume a behavior’s function based only on how it looks because the same behavior can serve different functions, so we need to look at the situation and collect data.
Why is identifying effective reinforcers important when implementing an ABA program?
Identifying effective reinforcers is important because reinforcers motivate the client and increase the likelihood that desired behaviors will happen again.
You notice a consistent pattern in your client's behavior that isn't reflected in the current data. What should you do as a BT?
You should continue collecting accurate ABC data and report the pattern to your BCBA or supervisor so they can review it and determine whether changes to the program are needed.