Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA): A scientific approach for understanding the many variables that influence socially significant behavior, such as communication and social interactions.
ABC Data Collection: Involves recording data on what happened immediately before the behavior (antecedent), the behavior observed, and what occurred immediately after the behavior (consequence).
B
Behavior: Anything a person says or does.
Behavior Technician (BT): A paraprofessional implementing individualized treatment goals under the direction of the supervising Behavior Analyst.
Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP): A written program that is designed to strategically reduce challenging behavior, while increasing skill acquisition for appropriate replacement behaviors.
Board Certified Behavior Analyst®(BCBA®): A graduate-level certification in behavior analysis. Professionals certified at the BCBA level are independent practitioners who provide behavior-analytic services. BCBAs may supervise Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst® (BCaBA®) certificants, Registered Behavior Technician® (RBT®) certificants, and other professionals who implement behavior-analytic services.
Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst® (BCaBA®): An undergraduate-level certification in behavior analysis. Professionals certified at the BCaBA level provide behavior-analytic services under the supervision of a Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®).
Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB): A nonprofit organization that establishes professional standards and certifies individuals who have met specific education, training, and competency requirements in the field of behavior analysis.
C
Consequence: An event that immediately follows a behavior.
Communication: Communication is about much more than just learning to talk. It begins with solid non-vocal communication, including the use of gestures. This foundation is rooted in social interaction, play, and everyday activities.
Chaining: A method of teaching a behavior using sequences of individual behaviors that when linked together form a target behavior, otherwise known as behavior chains.
Cultural Humility: Acknowledges that biases, stereotypes, and historical traumas should be recognized and addressed when providing care. We must consider all factors that may influence the occurrence of (or response to) behavioral incidences. This means understanding the client’s culture which may include (but is not limited to): race, ethnicity, gender identity, geography, and so on.
D
Data (& Why We Collect It): In the context of ABA, data simply means keeping track of what a person does, how often they do it, and/or what happens before and after they do it. Data collection is important to establish a baseline of a client’s strengths/needs, evaluate whether an intervention is working, & communicate progress to caregivers.
Discrete Trial Teaching (DTT): Involves breaking skills down into smaller components and teaching those smaller sub-skills individually. Repeated practice of skills is conducted, and clinicians may incorporate prompting procedures as necessary.
Differential Reinforcement: Reinforcing a certain response, or set of responses, while withholding reinforcement for another response or set of responses.
E
Echoic: Ever repeated a friend’s “Hello!” and felt the connection? That’s exactly what echoics are in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) – echoing and imitating words.
Errorless teaching: Ensures that the learner engages in the correct response immediately, contacts reinforcement, and does not have an opportunity to engage in incorrect responses.
Ethics: Principles established by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), are outlined in the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts and the RBT Ethics Code which sets forth the standards of professional conduct expected of behavior analysts and RBTs. Adherence to these ethical principles is essential for promoting the well-being of clients, maintaining public trust in the field of ABA, and upholding the integrity and professionalism of behavior analysts.
F
Function of Behavior: Function of behavior describes what purpose the behavior serves. There are 4 primary functions of behavior:
Attention
Escape/Avoidance
Access to tangibles
Automatic/sensory
Functional Communication Training (FCT): A procedure that involves teaching meaningful communication in the most natural way to access reinforcement in the natural environment.
G
Generalization: Generalization involves learning skills in one situation and then using those skills in another situation without specific teaching. This is especially important when a child receives services in a clinical setting. We must ensure that they also can engage in the skills at home and in other more natural environments.
H
High Probability Request Sequence: A series of simple requests presented immediately before a more challenging task, in order to increase the likelihood of a correct response.
I
Intraverbal: In the world of ABA, “Intraverbal” is a key concept that unlocks the power of communication. Intraverbal is simply responding to someone else’s words with your own words, such as in a conversation where you answer questions, share thoughts, or keep the chat flowing. Teaching intraverbal skills helps people have meaningful interactions and communicate fluently.
Imitation: Children can learn so much by watching others, including communication, play, self-help skills, and more. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may show delays with imitation. Because this is an essential aspect of learning, addressing imitation skills as early as possible is crucial. Early intervention and ABA therapy are critical for teaching these skills early on and boosting learning potential.
J
Joint Attention: Joint attention is an early form of social and communicative behavior where two people share a common focus for the purpose of interacting with each other. For example, a mother points to a puppy at the park and says to their child, “Look! A puppy.” The child looks at the place her mother has pointed and sees the puppy. In this situation, the mother and the child have engaged in joint attention—that is, they shared attention to the puppy on purpose. Research has shown a strong link between joint engagement and communication development. Without joint attention skills, interacting with and developing relationships with others could be difficult.
L
Latency: Time between a request for response and the response.
M
Modeling: In the context of ABA therapy, modeling refers to the demonstration of a target behavior by another person such as a parent, therapist, or peer, with the intention of encouraging the individual to imitate and learn the desired behavior. It’s like Simon says – do as the instructor does!
Maintenance: The continued performance of behavior over time after the intervention or treatment has been discontinued or reduced in intensity.
Mand: In the realm of ABA, a “mand” is a way of referring to a request or how someone asks for something they desire. It’s a fundamental communication skill. For example, when you’re feeling thirsty and say, “May I have some water, please?” or point to a glass of water to indicate your desire, you’re essentially “manding.”
Motivation: Motivation refers to the internal or external factors that drive an individual to engage in a particular behavior. Motivation plays a crucial role in behavior change and learning processes.
Mastery criteria: A rule for how to decide when a particular skill or a particular phase of a skill acquisition program is mastered, based on the accuracy of the learner’s performance.
N
Naturalistic Environment Teaching (NET): An instructional approach that focuses on teaching skills and behaviors in natural or everyday settings, rather than in structured or contrived environments.
O
Operant Behavior: Behavior that is learned, shaped, and maintained by consequences.
Operational Definition: A written description of the behavior of interest.
P
Prompt: Additional cues or ‘hints’ provided to help an individual complete a desired behavior or task. Prompts are used to assist individuals in learning new skills or behaviors by providing extra support or guidance when needed.
Pairing: A foundational process that aims to build a positive relationship between a clinician and a learner, which is essential for successful therapy outcomes and skill development.
Play & Leisure: Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Through play, children also learn other skills such as social skills, independence, coping with challenging situations, confidence & self-esteem, resilience, curiosity, and physical fitness.
Preference Assessment: Used to identify what will motivate an individual at a specific point in time. Allows the assessor to develop a hierarchy of highly preferred, moderately preferred, & low preferred items.
Physical Prompt: Physically guiding the learner to complete a task.
Picture Exchange System: A communication system in which a client uses visuals to communicate, visuals can include pictures, symbols, or text.
R
Reinforcement: Refers to the contingency between a specific behavior and a consequence that leads to an increase in the probability of that behavior occurring again in the future.
Reinforcer: The item or event that follows a behavior and increases the probability of that behavior occurring again in the future.
RBT Registered Behavior Technician® (RBT): A paraprofessional certified in behavior analysis. RBT’s assist in delivering behavior analysis services and practice under the direction and supervision of a BCBA® or BCaBA®.
S
Shaping: A technique used to teach new behaviors by gradually reinforcing successive approximations of a desired behavior. Essentially, shaping involves breaking down a complex behavior into smaller, more manageable steps and reinforcing each step as it approaches the target behavior.
Social Validity: Refers to the extent to which the goals of therapy, the intervention techniques used, and the outcomes achieved are acceptable, relevant, and valuable for the parents, guardians, or the recipients of the therapy.
Social Connection: Social connections can help enhance participation in the community and support outcomes like happiness and friendships.
T
Tact: In the world of ABA, a “tact” is essentially a label. A tact refers to a verbal behavior where an individual labels or describes objects, actions, events, or concepts in their environment. In ABA, teaching tact is important because it helps people connect words to the things they experience, which improves their language and communication skills.
Task Analysis: This is a fundamental technique used in ABA to break down complex skills or behaviors into smaller, more manageable steps.
Token Economy: A reinforcement system where small/arbitrary ‘tokens’ are delivered frequently for adaptive behaviors. The tokens can then be exchanged for more valuable ‘backup’ reinforcers.
Trauma Informed Care: Acknowledges that a complete picture of a person’s life situation (past and present) is necessary to provide effective services. Current or past traumas may influence when, where, how, and why a client may be involved in a behavioral incident.
Treatment Plan: A written document outlining the provider’s plan of care for patients receiving applied behavior analysis (ABA) services.
U
Unconditioned Reinforcer: A reinforcer that does not need to be learned because it is innately motivating (e.g., food and water).
V
VBMAPP: A functional skills assessment focused on understanding the level of an individual’s verbal behavior.
Verbal Prompt: Involves telling the learner the answer, giving a verbal cue, (such as the beginning sound of the answer), and/or giving the direction more than once.
Visual Prompt: A picture or other visual cue such as text that the learner sees which provides information about the correct answer.