Autism Therapy Centers – RBT Training Glossary

A comprehensive set of 115 vocabulary flashcards covering key ABA and RBT terminology from the Autism Therapy Centers training notes.

Continuous Reinforcement

Schedule in which the target behavior is reinforced after every occurrence.

Deprivation

Not having something often enough, thereby increasing its effectiveness as a reinforcer.

Differential Reinforcement

Procedure in which one behavior is reinforced while other behaviors are placed on extinction.

DRI – Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behaviors

Reinforce a behavior that cannot occur at the same time as the undesirable behavior.

DRA – Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behaviors

Reinforce an appropriate alternative (replacement) behavior for the undesirable behavior.

DRO – Differential Reinforcement of Other Behaviors

Reinforce any behavior except the undesirable behavior during a specified interval.

Discontinuous Measurement

Measures some, but not all, instances of a behavior (e.g., partial/whole-interval, momentary time sampling).

Discrete Trial

Teacher-initiated learning opportunity that follows the 3-term contingency and provides many trials in a short time.

Discrimination Training

Teaching a behavior to occur in the presence of one stimulus and not in the presence of another.

Discriminative Stimulus (Sd)

A cue indicating that reinforcement is available for a particular response.

Dual Relationship

Situation in which multiple roles exist between therapist and client or family; must be avoided ethically.

ABC (Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence)

Three-term contingency describing what happens before, during, and after a behavior.

Abolishing Operation

Event that decreases the effectiveness of a reinforcer, often due to satiation.

Acquisition

Phase in which a target skill is being taught and is not yet mastered.

Antecedent Interventions

Environmental adjustments made before behavior occurs to reduce triggers for maladaptive behavior.

Antecedent

Event or stimulus that occurs immediately before a behavior.

Backward Chaining

Teaching steps from the last to the first, prompting earlier steps and reinforcing at the taught step and task completion.

Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)

Document outlining antecedent strategies, replacement behaviors, and responses to maladaptive behavior.

Behavior Skills Training (BST)

Instructional package consisting of instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback.

Behavior

Anything a person does that can be observed and measured.

Function of Behavior – Automatic/Sensory

Behavior that provides self-stimulation and is automatically reinforced.

Function of Behavior – Escape

Behavior aimed at avoiding or terminating an undesired demand or situation.

Function of Behavior – Attention

Behavior maintained by gaining social interaction or attention from others.

Function of Behavior – Access/Tangible

Behavior intended to obtain a preferred item or activity.

Chaining

Teaching multi-step skills by linking individual steps into a behavioral sequence.

Consequence

Event that follows a behavior and affects its future likelihood.

Continuous Measurement

Recording every single occurrence of a behavior (e.g., frequency, duration, rate).

Frequency

Count of how many times a behavior occurs.

Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)

Process of identifying the function of behavior through observation, interview, and data collection.

Functional Analysis (FA)

Experimental manipulation of environmental variables to verify the function of behavior.

Functional Relationship

How changes produced by behavior affect future occurrences of that behavior.

Functions of Behavior (Four Functions)

Escape, Access (tangible), Attention, and Automatic/Sensory reinforcement.

Generalization

Skill or behavior occurring across people, settings, and time outside teaching environment.

HIPAA

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act that protects confidentiality of health information.

Imitation

Copying another person’s motor movements.

Incidental Teaching

Naturalistic teaching in which learning opportunities arise from the child’s interests and environment.

Instructional Control

History of reinforcement that makes a learner likely to comply with given instructions.

Intermittent Reinforcement

Schedule in which some, but not all, instances of the desired behavior are reinforced.

Inter-Response Time (IRT)

Time between two consecutive responses.

Intraverbal

Verbal behavior in response to another’s verbal stimulus about things not currently present.

Latency

Time between the presentation of the Sd and the initiation of the response.

Duration

Total time a behavior lasts from onset to offset.

Echoic

Verbal imitation; repeating exactly what the speaker says.

Error Correction (ECTER)

Sequence of Error, Correction with prompt, Transfer, Expand, and Return to ensure mastery after an error.

Errorless Teaching

Prompting the correct response immediately after the Sd to prevent errors.

Establishing Operation

Event that increases the effectiveness of a reinforcer, often due to deprivation.

Ethics (BACB Code)

Mandatory professional standards that govern RBT conduct; violations can lead to loss of certification.

Expressive Language

Ability to communicate thoughts, wants, and needs through words or other expressive means.

Extinction

Withholding reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior, leading to its decrease.

Extinction Burst

Temporary increase in frequency or intensity of behavior when extinction is first implemented.

Fixed Interval (FI)

Reinforcement delivered for the first response after a fixed amount of time has passed.

Fixed Ratio (FR)

Reinforcement delivered after a fixed number of responses.

Forward Chaining

Teaching steps from the first to the last, prompting later steps and reinforcing each new taught step.

Preference Assessment

Systematic method for identifying stimuli that may serve as effective reinforcers.

Primary Reinforcer (Unconditioned)

Item or activity naturally reinforcing without prior learning (e.g., food).

Principle of Reinforcement – Deprivation

The more deprived an individual is of a reinforcer, the more effective it becomes.

Principle of Reinforcement – Immediacy

Reinforcer should be delivered immediately after the desired response.

Principle of Reinforcement – Size

Reinforcer magnitude must be appropriate—neither too large nor too small—for the task.

Principle of Reinforcement – Contingency

Reinforcement occurs only if and after the desired behavior takes place.

Prompt

Additional cue or assistance used to evoke the correct response.

Prompt Hierarchy

Ordered levels of prompts from most to least intrusive or vice versa.

Prompt Fading

Gradual removal of prompts to transfer control to the natural Sd.

Punishment

Stimulus change following behavior that decreases its future occurrence.

Positive Punishment

Adding a stimulus after behavior to decrease that behavior.

Negative Punishment

Removing a stimulus after behavior to decrease that behavior.

Rate

Frequency of behavior divided by the length of the observation period.

Reactive Strategies

Emergency techniques used to regain control of dangerous or out-of-control behaviors.

Listener Responding

Following directions from another person; receptive language skill.

Listener Responding Feature Function Class (LRFFC)

Receptively identifying items based on their features, functions, or categories.

Magnitude

Intensity or force with which a response is emitted.

Maintenance

Ability to perform previously acquired skills over time after reinforcement has faded.

Mand

Verbal request for something that the speaker wants or needs.

Measurement

Process of collecting data on skills or behaviors.

Momentary Time Sample

Recording whether behavior occurs at the exact moment an interval ends.

Motivating Operation (MO)

Environmental change that alters the value of a reinforcer and the likelihood of behaviors that access it.

Natural Environment Teaching (NET)

Learner-initiated instruction in natural settings where the reinforcer is related to the activity.

Negative Reinforcement

Removing a stimulus after behavior to increase that behavior.

Operational Definition

Objective, measurable, and observable description of a behavior.

Pairing

Process of becoming a conditioned reinforcer by consistently delivering reinforcement.

Partial Interval Recording

Marking an interval if the behavior occurs at any point within it.

Permanent Product

Tangible outcome or environmental change that indicates a behavior occurred.

Positive Reinforcement

Adding a stimulus after behavior to increase that behavior.

Stimulus Prompt

Alteration of the stimulus to evoke the correct response (e.g., color, size, position).

Tact

Labeling or commenting on things that are present in the environment.

Task Analysis

Breaking a complex skill into smaller, teachable steps.

Token Economy

System of generalized conditioned reinforcers (tokens) exchanged for backup reinforcers.

Topography

Physical form or shape of a behavior.

Total Task Chaining

Teaching all steps of a behavior chain in every session, reinforcing independence.

Variable Interval (VI)

Reinforcement delivered for the first response after variable time intervals.

Variable Ratio (VR)

Reinforcement delivered after a variable number of responses.

Whole Interval Recording

Marking an interval only if the behavior persists for the entire interval.

Receptive Language

Listener behavior requiring a non-vocal response to a spoken instruction.

Reinforcement (General)

Any stimulus change following behavior that increases its future occurrence.

Replacement Behavior

Appropriate behavior taught to take the place of an unwanted behavior.

Response Prompt

Prompt applied to the learner’s response (e.g., gestural, model, verbal).

Role of the RBT

Implement programs, collect data, communicate with stakeholders, and follow BCBA guidance and written plans.

Satiation

Reduced effectiveness of a reinforcer due to overexposure.

Secondary Reinforcer (Conditioned)

Previously neutral stimulus that becomes reinforcing through pairing with a primary reinforcer.

Setting Events

Contextual factors that influence the strength of stimulus-behavior relationships.

Shaping

Reinforcing successive approximations toward a target behavior.