BT Competency Exam

Continuous Measurement Procedures

records every behavioral occurence

4 Types of Continuous Measurements

• Frequency

• Duration

• Latency

• Rate

• Inter-response time (IRT)

Frequency

measure of how many times a behavior occurs within a given period of time

• Ex: Johnny eloped 10 times yesterday so the frequency is 10

Duration

measurement of how long a behavior lasts from start to finish

• Johnny tantrumed for 5 minutes, the duration is 5 minutes

Latency

the time between a stimulus and the response to that stimulus

• Ex: the time between an alarm going off and Johnny turning it off

Rate

ratio of counter per observation time/ response per minute or per hour or per session

• Ex: Johnny bangs his head 5x per hour, so in 3 hours the rate of head banging would be 15x

Inter-Response Time

the time between the end of one response and the beginning of another (same) response

• Ex: 13 seconds passed between two instances of screaming

Discontinuous Measurement Procedures

data collection method where an observer records some, but not all, instances of a target behavior during an observation period

3 Types of Discontinuous Measurement Procedures

• Partial Interval

• Whole Interval

• Momentary Time Sampling

Partial Interval

an observer notes whether a target behavior occurs at any point within a specific time interval, regardless of how many times it happens or how long it lasts during that interval

• Did the behavior occur at all during the interval?

• Ex: Johnny screamed once during a 30-second interval

Whole Interval

the behavior must be present for the whole interval to be recorded as occuring

• Did the behavior occur during the whole interval?

• Ex: Johnny screamed the entire 30 second interval

Momentary Time Sampling

capturing a snapshot of the behavior at that precise moment rather than monitoring it continuously throughout the interval -used to estimate how often a behavior occurs

• Did the behavior occur at that particular moment?

• Ex: BT decides to check if Johnny is focused on a toy every 5 minutes; BT will only look at the end of those 5 minutes and track data

Preference Assessment

tools used to find out what an individual likes most at any given time

Types of Preference Assessments

• Free Operant

• Forced Choice

• Multiple Stimulus Without Replacement (MSWO)

Free Operant

observing and timing how long a learner engages with an item

• Helps determine a preference hierarchy

Paired/Forced Choice

helps identify a learner’s preferences by presenting them with two options at a time and recording their choice

Multiple Stimulus Without Replacement

items are presented, learner chooses an item and the non-chosen item is put back and replaced with another item

ABC Data

tool used to understand the cause-and-effect relationship behind a learner’s actions

• Each section should include details that outline the setting, people, objects, tasks, and behaviors being observed

• ABC Data should give you a clear picture of what happened even if you weren’t there

ABC Data stands for

• (A)ntecedent: the events, actions or circumstances that occur before a behavior

• (B)ehavior: the behavior that occured

• (C)onsequence: action/response that follows the behavior

Discrete-Trial Teaching (DTT)

teaching procedure that breaks down skills into smaller parts and teaches them one by one

• Involves supplying external reinforcers that are unrelated to the task once the learner implements the desired behavior

• Primarily BT-led

Naturalistic Teaching

teaching method that uses everyday activities and a child’s interests to help them learn new skills

• Primarily client-led

• BT waits for child to initiate an activity and then use that acitivity as an opportunity to teach a skill activity

Chaining

teaching technique that breaks down a task into smaller steps and teaches each step in order

Types of Chaining

• Forward Chaining

• Backwards Chaining

• Total Task

Forwards Chaining

learner masters the very first step independently, while therapist prompts/completes the remaining steps

• Continuing to work on mastering each step before teaching the next one

Backward Chaining

guide the learner through all the steps expect the last, which they complete independently

• Once mastered, the learner works on the second-to-last step, repeating this reverse sequence until the entire task is mastered

Total Task Chaining

therapist provided prompting as needed for each step and gradually fades that support until the learner completes the whole routine independently

Shaping

process of teaching a new, complex skill by breaking it down into smaller, achievable steps

• Therapist rewards small improvements (successive approximation) that gradually get closer to the final target behavior

• Lesser approximation is placed on extinction and only the closer approximation are reinforced

Discrimination Training

method to teach learners to differentiate between two or more stimuli and respond appropriately to each one, usually done for stimuli that appear similar

• Ex: when teaching the learner to identify a dog- showing the learner various examples of dogs alongside other animals that share similar features

Stimulus Control Transfer

process of shifting a learner’s behavior so it responds naturally to everyday environmental cues rather than relying on artificial prompts from a therapist

• Ex: BT hands learner a block and immediately says “Say thank you”, next time BT says “say…” or prompts with a brief pause

Prompting

cue, hint, or physical assistance given to a learner to help them complete a task correctly

• We should always use least to most instrusive prompting unless otherwise specified

Prompt Fading

gradual, systemic removal of assistance (cues or prompts) used to teach a new skill

• Ex: going from physical prompts to a gestural prompt

Types of Prompting

• Visual

• Verbal

• Gesture

• Model

• Physical

Token Systems

structured reward strategy where an individual earns tokens for exhibiting desired behaviors

• Tokens act as temporary currency and are later exchanged for meaningful rewards

Antecedent Interventions

strategies that change the environment before a behavior occurs

• The goal is to make it more likely that desired behaviors will happen, and less likely that problem behaviors will occur

• Reference BSP, MASCOT, or the learner profile for frequently used strategies

Differential Reinforcement

strategy that strengthens desired behaviors by rewarding them, while simultaneously withholding rewards for unwanted behaviors

Types of Differential Reinforcement

• DRO (Differential Reinforcement of Other Behaviors)

• DRA (Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behaviors)

• DRI (Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behaviors)

DRO (Differential Reinforcement of Other Behaviors)

reinforcing the absence of the target behavior

• Ex: To decrease mouthing- anytime the learner engages with an item in a way that isn’t mouthing, you provide reinforcement

DRA (Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behaviors)

strategy used to reduce a problematic behavior by reinforcing an appropriate alternative behavior that serves the same function

• Ex: To reduce calling out in a classroom, learner is taught to raise their hand

DRI (Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behaviors)

strategy used to decrease an unwanted behavior by rewarding a positive, replacement behavior that is physically impossible to do at the same time as the problem behavior

• Ex: if a learner tries to throw items, you ask them to clap

Extinction

process of reducing and eventually eliminating an undesirable behavior by removing what reinforces it

• Ex: Parent stops giving a child a cookie when they throw a tantrum which they previously gave them to stop the tantrum

Extinction Burst

temporary increase in undesirable behavior before it begins to decline

How many hours of RBT supervision should you be given?

At least 5% of your total service delivery hours every month