RBT Comp

Task 1 — Continuous Measurement

Continuous measurement means you record every single instance of a behavior. Nothing is skipped — you capture it all.

🎤 What they may ask you

"Show me how you would measure how often a client waves their hand."

⚠ During the exam, they may give you a live scenario and ask "what is the best measurement to use?" — you need to know WHEN to use each type and WHY.

✅ What you should say / do

• Frequency = how many times it happens · Use when: behaviors have a clear start and end (hitting, clapping) · Ex: Client hit the table 4 times

• Rate = frequency ÷ time · Use when: sessions are different lengths · Ex: 4 hits in 20 min = 0.2 per minute

• Duration = how long it lasts · Use when: how long matters more than how often · Ex: Tantrum lasted 3 minutes

• Latency = time before the behavior starts after the prompt · Use when: you want to measure response time · Ex: Client started task 45 seconds after instruction

• IRT = time between one behavior ending and the next starting · Use when: you want space between behaviors · Ex: 10 minutes between self-injury episodes

💡Don't forget rate — it's frequency's sibling! If sessions are different lengths, rate is more accurate than raw frequency. Say the type out loud before you start: "I'm going to use duration recording because how long the tantrum lasts matters most here."