RBT Initial Competency Assessment

Continuous Measurement

Continuous Measurement: Records every possible behavioral occurrence

- Frequency: Ratio of count per observation time

- Duration: Total extent of time in which a behavior occurs

- Latency: The delay between a stimulus and a given response

- IRT (Inter-response Time): The elapsed time between two successive responses

Discontinuous Measurement

Discontinuous Measurement: Records a sample of behavior during an observation

- Partial: behavior occurred during an interval if it happens at any point during the interval

- Whole: the observer is interested in behavior that occurs during the entire interval.

- Momentary: behavior occurs or does not occur during specified time periods

Data and Graphs

Enter data, update, and read graphs

Reference Assessments

Conduct preference assessments.

A tool to systematically identify preferred stimuli that may fun as reinforcers for your client. (identify the "what" the client is willing to work for)

ABC Data

Antecedent: changes to the environment that occur immediately before a behavior occurs

Behavior: The behavior

Consequence: The action or response that follows the behavior

Discrete Trial Training

A method of teaching readiness skills or other desired behaviors that involves a step-by-step approach of presenting a stimulus and requiring a specific response.

Ex.)

1. short instruction form instructor- " give me red"

2. A response from the learner- He hands her a red card

3. Feedback or consequence tied to the response from the instructor- " thank you that's right"

Naturalistic teaching

Use of opportunities that arise in typical activities to create teaching opportunities.

- Instructor structures the environment prior to the session so that targeted goals can be addressed

- Child must make initiation (can aid by toys that interest the learner, control access to items, display photos of activities the child likes to do, etc.)

- After initiation, prompted to perform more elaborate response before getting reinforcement

Chaining

Chaining involves breaking a skill down into its step by step components. Each step is taught and mastered and then chained together into a larger whole.

- forward: you would teach the first step to mastery first and provide assistance for all additional steps. When the first step has been mastered, you would teach the first two steps to mastery and provide assistance for all additional steps.

- backward: you would teach the first step to mastery first and provide assistance for all additional steps. When the first step has been mastered, you would teach the first two steps to mastery and provide assistance for all additional steps.

Shaping

The process of systematically and differentially reinforcing successive approximations to a terminal behavior.

Ex. ) when a baby or a toddler learns to walk. They are reinforced for crawling, then standing, then taking one step, then taking a few steps, and finally for walking.

discrimination training

the process of teaching an individual to differentiate between two or more stimuli.

Ex.) a therapist may teach a child to identify the color blue by presenting them with two objects, one blue and one red, and asking them to point to the blue object.

Stimulus Control Transfer

Activities that are completed with multiple different behaviors can be broken down into small steps or chains of the task analysis (the order of task required to complete the activity).

Ex.) when a child is learning about tooth-brushing, washing his hands, clean up, and most any other daily living skills.

Prompting

Prompts are used to increase the likelihood that a child will provide the desired response. Fading is gradually reducing the prompt.

Least to most: the learner is provided with an opportunity to independently respond to the instruction. If the learner engages in no response or an incorrect response a more intrusive prompt will be provided at the next trail presentation (modeling)

Most to least: teaching a skill by starting with the most intrusive prompt to ensure the learners contacts the correct response and reinforcement, while also reducing errors. The intrusiveness of the prompts are then systematically faded across trials if the learner is demonstrating success.

Token System

A token economy system is a method used to try and reinforce (increase) the frequency of a target behavior e.g. eye contact. The tokens or symbols are provided to the individual when the target behavior is performed.

Ex.) putting blocks in a bowl for each task done correctly. After reaching a certain amount of blocks, child gets to play.

Crisis/ Emergency

Hair pulling: put hair up, wear hat, safe distance

Biting: long/thick clothing, safe distance

Throwing Objects: clear area, avoid dangerous items, work behind/beside client

Scratching: long/thick clothing, safe distance, clip nails

Lifting: provide stools, use environment to prevent eloping, climbing

Strike: block and move

Grab: use weak point of grab, leverage and momentum

Restraints: last resort when a person is a danger to self or others, discontinue quickly as soon as safe, report to supervisor and HR department

Incident: anything that causes an employee or client damage, report to supervisor immediately and contact HR department

antecedent intervention

strategies that involve modifying the environment to reduce undesirable behaviors

Ex.) Re-scheduling a high-energy activity right so that it does not occur right before a quiet reading activity is an example of an Antecedent Intervention. Instead, a more proactive approach is to schedule a high-energy activity like recess after reading class.

differential reinforcement

Implementation of reinforcing only the appropriate response (or behavior you wish to increase) and applying extinction to all other responses.

- Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior (DRA): reinforcing a desirable alternative behavior while withholding reinforcement for an undesirable behavior

Ex.) a child who demands food from his parents. Each time the child makes a demand, his parents would ignore him. Only when the child asks politely do the parents turn, acknowledge him, and satisfy his request.

- Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO): involves identifying a behavior that is incompatible with the problem behavior and reinforcing it when it occurs while withholding reinforcement for the problem behavior. The goal is to increase the occurrence of the incompatible behavior while decreasing the occurrence of the problem behavior.

Ex.) playing with a puzzle or coloring book, that is incompatible with physical aggression

Extinction (operant conditioning)

decreases in the frequency of a behavior when the behavior is no longer reinforced

Ex.) giving no response at all to the screaming.

Session notes

Brief, objective notes that generally include date and time of the session and a summary of the session (2 words). Should be objective, avoid opinions or assumptions of student feeling

Ex,) he got mad

Client dignity

Be respectful and thoughtful about the client's needs and wants.

Never do or say anything to cause embarrassment to the client.

Do not do something in front of your client that you would not do if working with a typical developing child.

Professional boundaries

Ex.) avoid dual relationships, conflicts of interest, social media contacts.

Supervision Requirements

Each RBT must obtain ongoing supervision for a minimum of 5% of the hours spent providing applied behavior-analytic services per month. Supervision must include at least 2 face-to-face, synchronous contacts per month, during at least one of which the supervisor observes the RBT providing services.

Clinical Direction

Communication between RBT and BCBA

Ex.) When new programs are introduced to your client and you are unsure of how to properly implement them.

task analysis

a teaching process that breaks down complex activities into a series of simple steps that students are able to learn more easily

Tacting

labeling or naming objects, actions, or events