Skills Acquisition

Question 1

behavior intervention plan (BIP) or behavior reduction plan (BRP)

Answer 1

a set of procedures to reduce maladaptive behaviors. A skill acquisition plan is a set of procedures to increase the skills of the client. These skills can be in multiple areas but are typically in social skills, self-help skills, community skills, daily living skills, and vocational skills. A skills acquisition plan will outline the terminal goals of the client and how a therapist will teach the goals.

Question 2

Reinforcer

Answer 2

Any consequence that increases a behavior. For example, if you give a cookie to the client who is screaming I WANT A COOKIE, the client is more likely to scream in the future to receive a cookie.

Question 3

Punisher

Answer 3

Any consequence that decreases a behavior. For example, if you reprimand a client for jumping on the couch, the client is less likely to jump on the couch in the future you have punished the client.

Question 4

Unconditioned Reinforcement

Answer 4

The effectiveness of the reinforcer is not dependent on the learning history. In other words, things we are born wanting such as food, water warmth. Also known as primary reinforcers. Examples: food, water, warmth, pleasure, air.

Question 5

Conditioned Reinforcers

Answer 5

The effectiveness of the reinforcer is dependent on the learning history. Things that differ from one person to another, such as music, specific types of food, electronics. Also known as secondary reinforcers. Examples: electronics, money, toys.

Question 6

Positive Reinforcement

Answer 6

Positive reinforcement is adding something to the environment to increase the future probability of the behavior occurring. For example, giving a client a cookie for cleaning up toys, giving a client a hug for saying thank you, or giving a client screen time for doing math work.

Question 7

Negative Reinforcement

Answer 7

Negative reinforcement is removing something from the environment to increase the future probability of the behavior occurring. For example, you will put your seat belt on to cease the annoying seat belt warning noise in your car, client cries when he sees math homework so the homework is removed and the crying stops, but in the future the crying continues when the client sees homework.

Question 8

Positive Punishment

Answer 8

Introducing something that will increase the future probability that the behavior will decrease. Examples: You touch a hot pot and your hand gets burned, in the future you are less likely to touch a hot pot.

Question 9

Negative Punishment

Answer 9

Taking something away that will increase the future probability that the behavior will decrease. Example: a student yells out in class and the teacher takes away a token, the student is less likely to yell in the future.

Question 10

Continuous Reinforcement

Answer 10

This is a schedule in which the therapist reinforces every correct response of the target behavior.

Question 11

Intermittent Reinforcement

Answer 11

All other schedules when reinforcement does not occur after every response. This schedule is more prone to extinction, or the behavior stopping. For example: giving reinforcement every 3 responses or giving reinforcement about every 5 responses. There are four types of intermittent reinforcement.

Question 12

Fixed Ratio (FR)

Answer 12

Providing reinforcement on a fixed response ratio. In other words, if you were providing reinforcement on FR2, every 2 times the client correctly responds they would be providing reinforcement. If you were providing reinforcement on FR5, every 5 times the client correctly responses they would be providing reinforcement.

Question 13

Fixed Interval (FI)

Answer 13

Providing reinforcement on an interval (average) time ratio. You provide reinforcement on the first correct after an interval of time. If you were using FI3, you would provide reinforcement on the first correct response after 3 minutes had passed. If you were using FI5, you would provide reinforcement on the first correct response after 5 minutes had passed.

Question 14

Variable Ratio (VR)

Answer 14

Providing reinforcement on a variable response ratio. In other words, if you were providing reinforcement on VR2, on the average of 2 correct responses the client correctly responses they would be providing reinforcement. The schedules might look like this: reinforce after 1 response, 3 responses, 5 responses. The average of 1, 3, and 5 is 3, so it is a VR3.

Question 15

Variable Interval (VI)

Answer 15

Providing reinforcement on a variable (average) time ratio. You provide reinforcement on the first correct after an average interval of time. If you were using VI3, you would provide reinforcement on the first correct response after an average 3 minutes had passed. The schedules might look like this: reinforce first correct response after 1 min, 3 min, 5 min. The average of 1, 3, and 5 is 3, so it is a VI3.

Question 16

Discrete Trial Training (DTT)

Answer 16

DTT is a teaching method in which learning trials are presented in quick succession, with a clear beginning and clear end to each trial. There are three parts to a discrete trial:

1. The instruction delivered by the technician,
2. The learner’s response,
3. The consequence delivered by the technician.

Question 17

What do all Naturalistic Training Procedures share these common features?

Answer 17

1. Client directed learning
2. Reinforcers are related to the teaching
3. Motivation embedded in the teaching or play
4. Interspersed mastered skills.

Question 18

Name: Naturalistic teaching procedures

Answer 18

natural environment training, pivotal response training, milieu teaching, and incidental teaching.

Question 19

Task Analysis

Answer 19

Breaking a complex skill or series of behaviors into smaller, teachable units, the product of a task analysis is a series of sequentially ordered steps.

Question 20

Behavior Chain

Answer 20

A sequence of behaviors that must be performed correctly. The steps are taught sequentially to a client. It allows the client to learn complex skills that require many small steps.

Question 21

Forward Chaining

Answer 21

Training begins the link with the first behavior in the sequence. The client learns to perform the first step independently, the therapist preforms all other steps. Training only occurs on the steps previously mastered and current step (no training on steps after that).

Question 22

Backwards Chaining

Answer 22

Training begins the link with the last behavior in the sequence. Therapist performs all but last step until client masters that last step. Then therapist performs all but last two steps until client masters last two steps, and so on.

Question 23

Total Task Chaining

Answer 23

Training is provided for every behavior in the sequence during every training session. Therapist assistance (prompting) is provided on every step.

Question 24

Discrimination Training

Answer 24

This procedure involves reinforcing one behavior and extinguishing the behavior (not reinforcing) in the presence of other stimuli. For example: a client would receive a cookie if they said red in the presence of a red car; however, they would not receive a cookie if they said red in the presence of a green car. A client would receive a high five if they said Mom when their mom walked in the room and would not receive a high five if they said Mom when their dad walked into the room.

Question 25

Discriminative Stimuli (SD)

Answer 25

A stimulus in the presence of which a particular response will be reinforced. Example, if a client would receive a cookie if they said red in the presence of a red car, the red car is the SD. A client would receive a high five if they said Mom when their mom walked in the room, mom is the SD.

Question 26

Stimulus Generalization

Answer 26

Occurs when stimuli that share similar physical characteristics with the controlling stimulus evoke the same behavior as the controlling stimulus. For example, a child calling all dogs Bella because the child’s dog is named Bella or a baby calling both Mom and Dad dada.

Question 27

Stimulus Discrimination

Answer 27

Occurs when new stimuli ― similar or not similar ― to the controlling stimulus do not evoke the same response as the controlling stimulus. For example, a client would receive a cookie if they said red in the presence of a red car; however, they would not receive a cookie if they said red in the presence of a green car.

Question 28

Physical prompt

Answer 28

A prompt in which you provide some amount of physical assistance in order to help the learner do the expected behavior. (Full or Partial)

Question 29

Model Prompt

Answer 29

A prompt in which you demonstrate the desired response. For example, when teaching a learner with autism to wave when greeted, you may show her how to do this skill by doing so yourself. Modeling prompts can be vocal or a physical demonstration of the desired behavior, and can be further subdivided into partial and full models.

Question 30

Verbal Prompt

Answer 30

Supplementary words, instructions, or questions to assist a learner in demonstrating a correct response are called verbal prompts. For example, when teaching an individual with autism to brush his teeth, you may provide verbal prompts for each step (e.g., Remember to spit the water). Verbal prompts can also be full or partial.

Question 31

Gestural Prompt

Answer 31

A prompt where you indicate the correct response by gesturing in some way. For example, when asking a learner to pass a fork during a meal, you may point to the requested utensil among those on the table.

Question 32

Proximity Prompt

Answer 32

A prompt where the stimulus that corresponds to the correct response is placed closer to the learner than other stimuli. For example, if you were teaching attributes of objects (e.g., heavy vs. light) and put a feather and a rock on the table, you might put the rock slightly closer to the learner when you deliver the instruction Which one is heavy? and you might put the feather slightly closer when you deliver the instruction Which one is light?

Question 33

Visual Prompt

Answer 33

Often used to help clients with transitions and schedules. For example, your supervising BCBA might create a visual schedule that depicts the sequence of events to take place during a therapy session.

Question 34

Least-to-Most Prompt Fading

Answer 34

Includes procedures where fewer prompts are provided at the beginning of a teaching interaction and gradually more intrusive prompts are faded in when the learner needs help.

Question 35

Most to Least Prompt Fading

Answer 35

This prompt works in the reverse direction. With MTL prompt fading, you begin the teaching interaction by providing a prompt that you are sure will help the learner make the correct response; then you fade the prompts out.

Question 36

Time Delay Prompt Fading

Answer 36

You can also insert a time delay that occurs after instruction but before the prompt. A child might reach for a teddy bear. You would withhold the teddy bear until the child made a vocalization. You would wait 3 second between withholding the bear and giving a prompt for the vocalization.

Question 37

Generalization

Answer 37

Spreading the effects of training to other trainings and settings critical to ensure that ABA effects do not only take place during ABA training

Question 38

Stimulus Generalization

Answer 38

The behavior that occurs in the presence of one stimulus also occurs in the presence of another stimulus. For example, teaching a learner to say apple when they see a picture of an apple, then the learner says apple when they see a real apple. A learner learns to identify their sibling’s emotions and then begins to identify friend’s emotions.

Question 39

Response Generalization

Answer 39

When one behavior occurs in the presence of a stimulus and then another behavior occurs in the presence of the stimulus. For example, you teach a learner to build a castle with blocks and he builds a house with the same set of blocks.

Question 40

Maintenance

Answer 40

Probing the client to ensure that they still are able to do mastered skills. If the client mastered labeling the color red, you would check that the client could still say red through sessions.

Question 41

Shaping

Answer 41

Differentially reinforcing successive approximations toward a terminal behavior. For example if you wanted a client to say ball you would first reinforce “b”, once the client had mastered “b” you would reinforce “ba”, and finally reinforce “ball”.

Question 42

Token Economies

Answer 42

Token economies are reinforcement systems that employ a monetary system (token reinforcers) and backup reinforcer. Token economies employ widespread use of tokens within groups of individuals. Token economies can be used to control a wide range of behaviors. Token economies typically use diverse consequences.