Vocabulary (ABA Principles; Chapter 6)

Question 1

Instructional Program

Answer 1

Describes systematic direct instruction procedures to teach instructional sessions.

NOTE: Unlike a lesson plan, you teach the instructional program until the behavior objective is met. An instructional program can be embedded into a lesson plan.

Question 2

Instructional Session

Answer 2

Made up of one or more instructional trials.

Note: A session is each time you teach the learner at different times of the day.

Question 3

Instructional Trial

Answer 3

Made up of an antecedent, behavior, and consequence.

Example:
Antecedent = flashcard
Behavior = read word on flashcard
Consequence = reinforcement for a correct response or an error correction for an incorrect response.

Question 4

Antecedent

Answer 4

Stimulus (also called a discriminative stimulus)

The discriminative stimulus precedes the behavior. The stimulus signals to the learner that reinforcement is available for a given response. Through a history of reinforcement the learner will learn how to correctly discriminate what is the correct behavior in response to the stimulus.

Question 5

Behavior

Answer 5

Response

The response the student gives (either correct or incorrect).

Question 6

Consequence

Answer 6

What happens after the behavior.

The consequence for correct behaviors (i.e., responses) is reinforcement. The consequence for incorrect behaviors (i.e., responses) is an error correction.

Question 7

Task Direction

Answer 7

Antecedent stimulus (i.e., discriminative stimulus) provided by the teacher, such as “complete the math problem.”

Question 8

Target Behavior

Answer 8

Correct response

Question 9

Discrete Behaviors

Answer 9

The behavior has a single step. For example, reading a sight word from memory is a discrete behavior also called a discrete skill.

In contrast, segmenting and blending a CVC word may be treated as a chained task.

NOTE: The decision to treat some behaviors as a DISCRETE or CHAINED has to do with the learner and how much they need the skill broken down into more manageable steps to learn it.

Question 10

Chained Behavior

Answer 10

The behavior is a complex skill made up of multiple steps (e.g., washing hands, solving a math problem, writing a sentence).

NOTE: The decision to treat some behaviors as a DISCRETE or CHAINED has to do with the learner. For example, drying hands may be treated as a discrete behavior or a chained class depending on the learner and how much they need the skill broken down into more manageable steps to learn it.

Question 11

Forward Chaining

Answer 11

Begin with teaching the first step in the task analysis until it is mastered than teach the next step in subsequent instructional sessions until mastered, and so on.

NOTE: This chaining format works for learners who need more than the skill just being broken down into more manageable steps. They also need to focus on learning one step at a time to build gradual success.

Question 12

Backward Chaining

Answer 12

Begin with teaching the last step in the task analysis until it is mastered than teach the previous step in subsequent instructional sessions until mastered, and so on.

NOTE: This chaining format works for learners who need more than the skill just being broken down into more manageable steps. They also need to focus on learning one step at a time to build gradual success. Backwards chaining ensures the learner initially gets the reinforcement more quickly, which can promote motivation.

Question 13

Total Task Presentation

Answer 13

Each step in the task analysis is taught in forward order each instructional session.

Question 14

Important Features of Reinforcement

Answer 14

~Reinforcement is a consequence given for correct behaviors (i.e., responses).

~Reinforcement increases the likelihood of the behavior occurring again in the future.

~Reinforcement should be given within 2-3 seconds after the correct response is given.

~Behavior specific verbal praise is preferred because it describes to the student what they did correctly. It also provides an additional opportunity to hear the correct response.

~Vary verbal praise and work to ensure it sounds authentic to your learners.

Question 15

Attentional Cue and Responses

Answer 15

How you get your students attention and what your students do to indicate they are paying attention. For example, “ready?”

Question 16

Specific Unrelated Attentional Cue and Responses

Answer 16

The teacher gets the students attention by asking them to do a simple behavior. This is helpful for learners for whom a typical attentional cue is not enough. For example, “Touch the book to show me you are ready.”

Question 17

Prompts

Answer 17

Prompts are help to the learner to give the correct response. There are two types: Stimulus Prompts and Response Prompts.

Question 18

Stimulus Prompt

Answer 18

Change in materials to help the learner get a correct response. For example, feet stickers on floor to prompt a student where to stand when they line up. Or picture directions to make a sandwich.

Question 19

Response Prompt

Answer 19

Teacher help in the form of any of the following prompts to help the learner get the correct response.

Picture prompt, indirect verbal prompt, direct verbal prompt, gesture prompt, model prompt, partial physical prompt, and full physical prompt.

Question 20

Response Prompting Procedures

Answer 20

There are different procedures for systematically introducing and fading response prompts.

These include constant time delay, progressive time delay, system of least prompts, most to least prompts, simultaneous prompting, graduated guidance, and other natural communication response prompting procedures.

Question 21

Trial Format

Answer 21

An instructional trial consists of an antecedent or stimulus, a behavior or response, and a consequence. When teaching discrete skills, a single discrete skill is one trial. When teaching chained behaviors, each step in the task analysis is one trial.

There are three trial formats.
1. massed trials (teaching multiple trials at once in quick succession)
2. spaced trials (trials are spaced apart with time for the learner to observe others learning)
3. distributed trials (trials are distributed across natural learning opportunities during the school day)

Question 22

What are the 4 phases of learning?

Answer 22

1. Acquisition
2. Fluency
3. Maintenance
4. Generalization

Question 23

Acquisition

Answer 23

The phase of learning when the student is just beginning to learn (a.k.a. acquire the skill).

NOTE: High levels of prompting and reinforcement are needed in this phase of learning to acquire the skill.

Question 24

Fluency

Answer 24

The phase of learning when the student is beginning to develop accuracy and speed in performing the skill.

NOTE: As students gain fluency and approach mastery, we systematically fade out the prompts and higher levels of reinforcement. We also pair teacher delivered reinforcement with the natural reinforcement to support a transference from teacher reinforcement to the intrinsic and external natural reinforcement available to the student (e.g., feeling proud, being more independent, accessing reinforcers without help).

Question 25

Maintenance

Answer 25

The phase of learning where students perform the skill over time. This happens after they meet performance criterion in the behavioral objective (i.e., the student meets a behavioral objective to wipe nose without errors and then continues to perform the skill without errors after instruction has ended).

Question 26

Generalization

Answer 26

The phase of learning where students apply the skill they learned in their behavioral objective to new conditions that you did not teach (i.e., you taught your student to wipe their nose at school in the classroom and bathroom and the student can now wipe their nose at home and in the community).