RBT Exam Practice

Maladaptive Behavior

A behavior that inhibits an individual from making adjustments to changes in their environment or situation

Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

A communication tool that uses pictures and other symbols to communicate requests or needs

Acquisition task

A current target being taught

Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills (ABLLS)

A curriculum-based assessment tool to evaluate 25 skill areas

Evidence Based Practice (EBP)

A decision-making model in which the best available evidence is incorporated in order to provide services to learners

Prompt

A level of assistance that is meant to encourage a learner to perform a desired behavior. Examples of prompts can be full physical prompt, partial physical prompt, verbal prompt, model prompt, visual prompt, gesture prompt and a written prompt

Baseline Data

A measurement of an individual's behavior or skill before intervention

Data Collection

A method of gathering information

Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB)

A nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation established in 1998 to meet professional credentialing needs identified by behavior analysts, governments, and consumers of behavior analysis services

Registered Behavior Technician (RBT)

A paraprofessional who practices under the close ongoing supervision of a BCBA

Error Correction

A procedure used when a learner engages in an incorrect response

Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)

A process designed to identify the target behaviors, what factors supports the behaviors and the purpose of the behaviors. There are 3 main categories: observational, indirect (questionnaires) and Functional Analysis. During an ___, a variety of data is collected about an identified behavior to evaluate the conditions in the context where the behavior is already occurring. The BCBA assessor will evaluate the data, and form a hypothesis about the function

Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA)

A professional with a graduate-level certification in behavior analysis. The BCBA is a practitioner who provides behavior analysis services

Functional Analysis Screening Tool (FAST)

A questionnaire designed to identify what influences the target behaviors (for example, aggressive behaviors)

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

A science in which strategies acquired from the principles of behavior are applied to improve socially significant behavior

RBT ® Ethics Code

A set of moral principles that guide a professional's behavior, practice, and decisions (see ethics)

Functional Analysis (FA)

A standard for assessment in ABA to determine the cause of the target behavior. Environmental conditions are manipulated to evoke challenging behavior. Four conditions are used: 3 test conditions (social positive; social negative; alone) and a control condition, play. Test conditions are presented one at the time and in alternating sequence so the assessor can identify which conditions predictable result in problem behaviors (like tantrums). This can lead to determine the function of the behavior (e.g., social positive, social negative, sensory)

Precision Teaching

A system (it is not a curriculum or a way of teaching) for precisely defining and continuously measuring features of behavior. The behavior is graphed and analyzed on the Standard Celeration Charts (SCC) so timely and effective data-based decisions can be made to improve behavior; mostly used for skills that require fluency

Chaining

A teaching method to learn multiple steps of a skill

Shaping

A teaching process where the approximations of a desired behavior is reinforced and when a new approximation occurs the previous approximation is no longer reinforced

Discrete Trial Training (DTT)

A teaching strategy that applies simplified and structured steps

Errorless Learning

A teaching strategy that guarantees that the learner will respond correctly

Pairing

A technique where a person will associate themselves with all of the learner's favorite items and activities

Visual Schedules

A tool that can help individuals to follow a routine and assist with transitions between activities

Assessment

A tool used to assist with an evaluation

Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)

A treatment plan designed to change or modify a target behavior

Mand

A verbal behavior where an individual makes a request

Echoic

A verbal behavior where one speaker repeats the word of another speaker

Tact

A verbal behavior where the speaker sees, hears, smells, tastes something and then comments about it

Intraverbal

A verbal behavior where the speaker verbally responds to another speaker

Behavior Contracts

A written agreement that is used to establish the expected behaviors or tasks to be completed and the reward the client earns upon the completion of the agreement

Individualized Education Program (IEP)

A written document that is developed to define the student's educational needs and the goals to achieve those needs

Positive Reinforcement

Adding a desired stimulus upon a behavior that will increase the likelihood of the behavior occurring in the future

Positive Punishment

Adding an undesired stimulus upon a behavior that will decrease the likelihood of the behavior occurring in the future

Antecedent

An environmental condition or stimulus change existing or occurring prior to a behavior of interest

Discriminative stimulus (SD)

An instruction that evokes a response

Fixed Interval (FI)

An interval schedule is when a response is reinforced after a certain amount of time since the last reinforcement; reinforcement is provided after a constant amount of time. Characteristics are moderate response rat with significant pauses after reinforcement

Preference

An item or activity the individual is interested in

Self-Injurious Behavior (SIB)

Behaviors that lead to physical injury to self

Task Analysis

Breaking down a skill into multiple simple steps

Autism Spectrum Disorder

DSM-V: Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts

Prompt Fade

Decreasing the amount and level of prompts over time to promote a learner's independent response

Task Reduction

Decreasing the demands placed on a learner to decrease the likelihood of a problem behavior occurring

Continuous Schedule of Reinforcement (CRF)

During CRF, reinforcement is provided every time a behavior is emitted.During CRF, reinforcement is provided every time a behavior is emitted.

Data

Factual information such as measurements used as a basis for making clinical decisions

Gross Motor Skills

Focuses on the coordination and movement of the larger muscle groups

Fine motor skills

Focuses on the coordination and movement of the small muscles of the hands

Skill Acquisition Goals

Goals developed for the purpose of teaching skills

Intermittent Schedules of Reinforcement (INT)

INT is when some, but not all, instances of a behavior are reinforced. Example schedules can be a ratio or interval schedule

Socially significant behaviors

Important for the individual and the society around them, for example: social skills, communication, and adaptive skills. When selecting behaviors to target for increase (skill acquisition) or decrease (challenging behavior), those skills should be socially significant, meaning that they are important for the day to day life experience of the learner and/or affect their significant others in such ways that create positivity for them and the learner

Punishment

Introducing or removing a stimulus after the target behavior occurs that will decrease the likelihood that the behavior will occur in the future

Reinforcement

Introducing or removing a stimulus after the target behavior occurs that will increase the likelihood that the behavior will occur in the future

Receptive Communication

Listener behavior used to respond to others. This is not verbal.

Preference Assessments

Methods or procedures to identify a client's potential reinforcers. Once a selected preference increases a behavior, it can be used as a reinforcer. There are different types of preference assessments, such as: free operant observation, single stimulus, paired stimuli, multiple stimuli without replacement, multiple stimuli with replacement

Consequence

Occurs immediately after the behavior and affects future behaviors

Matching Law

Organisms divide their behavior between 2 or more concurrent schedules of behavior. Thus, if a behavior is reinforced most of the times in 1 situation and sometimes in another situation, the behavior will occur more frequently in the first situation

Negative Punishment

Removing a desired stimulus upon a behavior that will decrease the likelihood of the behavior occurring in the future

Negative Reinforcement

Removing an undesired stimulus upon a behavior that will increase the likelihood of the behavior occurring in the future

Variable Ratio (VR)

Schedule of reinforcement where a response is reinforced after an unpredictable number of responses. Characteristics: creates a steady, high rate of responding

Stereotypic/Repetitive behaviors

Stimulatory behaviors

Behavior Reduction

Strategies that are utilized to decrease the probability of the target behavior occurring

Generalization

The ability of a learner to perform a skill under different conditions across settings, people, and materials

Behavior

The activity of a living organism that is observable and measurable

Target Behavior

The behavior that has been selected for change

7 Dimensions of ABA

The core principles for developing interventions: Applied(The intervention uses realistic settings), Behavioral(The behavior is observable and measurable), Analytic (Data is used to make evidence-based decisions), Technological(The intervention is descriptive), Conceptually Systematic(Using behavioral principles), Effective (The intervention produces significant changes), Generality(The intervention works across time, different people, and settings)

Goal

The proposed outcome of an intervention

Satiation

The reinforcer is no longer effective due to being overused

Behavior Contrast

This is associated with multiple schedules of reinforcement which often occurs between different settings. The difference between Behavior Contrast and the Matching Law is that Behavior Contrast involves 2 separate schedules of reinforcement across 2 separate environments for one behavior

Fixed Ratio (FR)

This means that reinforcement that is delivered after a fixed number of correct responses. Characteristics are results in high, steady responding until the reinforcement is delivered; good to use when teaching new behavior; leads to a brief response pause after reinforcement, but responding time quickly resumes

Extinction Burst

This occurs during an extinction process where the target behavior increases in frequency or intensity temporarily

Echolalia

Unnecessary repetition of a phase or sound an individual heard from another speaker

Natural Environment Training (NET)

Utilizing the learner's natural environment for teaching opportunities

Expressive Communication

Verbal behavior used to communicate with others

Scripting

Vocal repetition of the same word, phrase, or sound

Prompt Dependent

When a learner continues to need a prompt in order to initiate a skill that was previously mastered

Scrolling

When a learner provides several answers to a question before providing the correct response

Probe

When a new skill is introduced by the RBT, the RBT will probe the skill. This means that the skill level will be measured. Probing also occurs at the onset of ABA, during an assessment

Extinction

When a previously reinforced behavior is no longer reinforced

Verbal Behavior (VB)

a method of teaching communication and language, that focuses on the meaning of a word is found in their purpose. ___ is based on the theories of behaviorist B.F. Skinner

Variable Interval (VI)

a schedule of reinforcement where a response is rewarded after a varied and unpredictable amount of time. Characteristics of the Variable Interval schedule are resistant to Extinction, rate of response is moderate but steady, very minimal pause after reinforcement is given