Introduction to ABA

Three-Term Contingency Model

Antecedent (A) —> Behavior (B) —> Consequence (C)

Antecedent (SD)

The cue that comes before the behavior

Examples of an antecedent

verbal instruction, visual cue, or other environmental change that signals a specific response

The behavior (B)

The action the individual takes in response to the antecedent (SD) (e.g. picking up a toy when asked)

The consequence (C)

The outcome that follows the behavior (i.e. if the individual is correct the individual receives reinforcement thus strengthening the connection between the SD and the behavior)

reinforcement

when we deliver a preferred stimulus or remove an unpreferred stimulus following a behavior and that behavior increases in the future. The process increases the likelihood of a desired behavior through providing a consequence to strengthen the behavior

positive reinforcement

adding a preferred item or activity after a desired behavior to make it more likely to happen again

negative reinforcement

involves removing something undesirable after a desired behavior to make that behavior more likely to occur again

immediate

within a few seconds

varied

changes based on the response

preferred

assessed periodically

descriptive

specific to behavior observedd

distinct

use of tone and magnitude matches behavior

fixed ratio

delivered every X times a behavior occurs (often used in token systems

variable ratio

delivered on average every X times a behavior occurs causes post-reinforcement pause (PRP)

fixed interval

delivered after x amount of time following the occurence of target behavior

variable interval

delivered on average every X seconds/minutes

differential reinforcement

changing the intensity value or amount of reinforcement in proportion to the quality of response (adding enthusiasm if they respond correctly on first opportunity for new skill and as they go as they increase in benchmark accomplishment)

differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA)

reinforcing a specific behavior which substitutes for a challenging behavior (e.g. signing “break” instead of eloping from the work area)

Differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO)

providing reinforcement for any behavior other than the challenging behavior (e.g., the client received reinforcement when the challenging behavior did not occur for that time interval)

Four Functions of Behavior

1. Access to Tangibles

2. Escape/Avoidance

3. Attention

4. Sensory Stimulation (Automatic)

access to tangibles

the behavior is performed to gain access to a desired item or activity

escape/avoidance

the behavior is performed to get out of or avoid a demanding task, situation, or activity

attention

the behavior is performed to gain attention from others, whether positive or negative

sensory stimulation (automatic)

The behavior is performed because it feels good or provides internal satisfaction, and it is not dependent on getting a reaction from other people or external items

mand

a request for something desired such as saying “juice” to ask for a drink

tact

labeling or describing something in the environment like saying “dog” when seeing a dog

echoic

repeating words or sounds heard from another person such as a child repeating “car” after hearing it

intraverbal

responding to a question or comment with something other than what was just said, forming the basis for conversations. An example is answering “what’s your favorite color?” with “blue”

baseline

during baseline we collect objective data to understand what’s happening and why a behavior occurs. This pahse builds the foundation for every decision that follows

intervention

using strategies like reinforcement, prompting, and antecedent adjustments, skills are actively targeted and built to mastery

generalization

this means the client can use a skill in new places, with different people, and under natural conditions

maintenance

this focuses on independence - fading prompts, naturalizing reinforcement, and checking in periodically to make sure growth continues over time