RBT Study Guide: Measurement and Behavior Reduction

• This study guide covers measurement, assessment, skill acquisition, behavior reduction, professionalism, and requirements for Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs).

Measurement

• Continuous Measurement involves recording data every time a behavior occurs
• Discontinuous Measurement involves recording data for a sample of behavior

Continuous Measurement Types

• Frequency involves counting each instance of a behavior
• Duration involves timing a behavior from its start to its end
• Latency involves timing from the presentation of a cue (SD) to the response (SR)
• Inter-response Time involves timing between successive responses (SRs)

Discontinuous Measurement Types

• Partial Interval Recording uses Yes/No data to observe if a behavior occurs at any point during an interval
• Whole Interval Recording uses Yes/No data to observe if a behavior occurs for the entire length of an interval
• Momentary Time Sampling uses Yes/No data to observe if a behavior is occurring at the exact moment an interval ends
• Percent Occurrence calculates the percentage of opportunities a client responds independently
• Discrete Categorization/Coding involves sorting data into codes/categories
• Trials to Criterion measures the number of trials needed for a client to go from baseline to mastered

Graphs

• Graphs display data as points, lines, curves, or areas to represent the variation of a variable
• Positive Trend indicates the observed behavior is increasing
• Negative Trend indicates the observed behavior is decreasing

Preference Assessment

• Preference Assessments determine preferred stimuli and reinforcement value of stimuli

Stimulus Preference Assessment

• Asks the client or a stakeholder about preferences
• Trial-based methods include:
  • Single Stimulus: presenting one stimulus at a time
  • Paired Stimulus: presenting two stimuli at a time
  • Multiple Stimulus with replacement: presenting 3+ stimuli, replacing the chosen stimulus with a novel one
  • Multiple Stimulus without replacement: presenting 3+ stimuli, rotating stimuli after each choice
• Free Operant Observation involves observing a client engage with stimuli in their environment
• Reinforcer Assessment determines the reinforcement value of preferred stimuli

Reinforcer Assessment Types

• Progressive Ratio increases the amount of work required to obtain stimuli
• Multiple Schedule engages with stimuli in contingent and non-contingent settings to see if client is motivated in the contingent setting
• Concurrent schedule involves completing tasks for two different stimuli to see which results in increased task performance

ABC Data Collection

• ABC Data Collection involves directly observing and recording client behavior, antecedents, consequences, and environmental information

Skill Acquisition and Behavior Reduction

• Requires a client present

Discrete Trial Training (DTT)

• DTT involves a controlled teaching procedure with a discriminative stimulus (SD) and a corresponding behavior (sR)
  • Mass Trial (MT): repeatedly presenting one target stimulus until mastered
  • Distractor Trial (DT): presenting a target stimulus alongside an unknown stimulus until mastered (receptive programs)
  • Random Rotation (RR): presenting two target stimuli together repeatedly, rotating the SD to teach discrimination
  • Expanded Trial (ET): presenting 3+ target stimuli together repeatedly, rotating the SD to reinforce retention

Generalization and Maintenance

• Generalization and Maintenance involves transitioning skills learned in DTT to natural conditions and maintaining mastery

Naturalistic Teaching Procedures

• Naturalistic teaching procedures involve implementing teaching strategies using natural stimuli, environments, or contingencies
  • Pivotal Response Training teaches foundational skills through play
  • Incidental Teaching implements teaching procedures in natural environments based on client interests
  • Naturalistic Environment Teaching (NET) implements ABA teaching procedures in natural environments

Chaining

• Chaining teaches a task analysis where the client must do all previously mastered steps before learning the next step
  • Task Analysis breaks down complex, multi-step routines into smaller steps
    • Backward chaining teaches a task analysis from the final step to the first step
    • Forward chaining teaches a task analysis from the first step to the final step

Shaping

• Shaping reinforces successive approximations towards a desired behavior by reinforcing when the behavior gets "better" and prompting for the complete behavior

Discrimination Training

• Discrimination Training reinforces a behavior under one stimulus condition (sD) and not another (sDelta)

Stimulus Control Transfer

• Stimulus Control Transfer transitions control of a behavior from one stimulus to another by pairing and fading the original stimuli

Prompting

• Prompting involves cues or assistance to encourage a desired response and reduce frustration

Prompting Hierarchy

• Prompting Hierarchy ranges from most to least intrusive prompts
  • Physical: touching the client to assist with the task
  • Verbal: making noises or saying words to prompt the client
  • Gestural: moving the body to prompt the client
  • Model: doing exactly what the client is expected to do
  • Visual: visual cues in the environment
  • Positional: moving a stimuli to a physical spot
  • Material: the material that a visual is made out of
• Prompt Fading involves gradually adding or removing prompts
  • Most to Least prompting moves down the prompting hierarchy for errorless learning
  • Least to Most prompting moves up the prompting hierarchy to facilitate independence
  • Prompt Dependence means a client requires a prompt to perform the task
  • Stimulus Fading involves increasing or decreasing the size or presence of a stimulus to prompt behaviors

Token Economy System

• Token Economy System uses a visualization of delayed reinforcement to maintain motivation

Crisis/Emergency

• Crisis/Emergency is any situation where the safety of the client, staff, family, or public is at risk

Antecedent Based Interventions

• Preventative measures to prevent crisis situations
  • Create Safe Environments
  • Dress appropriately for behaviors
  • Stay at a distance and/or behind the client
  • Manipulate the environment, clip nails, and teach replacement behaviors

Consequence Based Interventions

• Respond to crisis behaviors
• Strike; if a weapon is thrown
• Grab: Making physical contact without consent; Hold and Stabilize, Pull/Push, or Lever

Antecedent Intervention

• Antecedent Intervention changes something before a behavior occurs to change the behavior
  • Manipulating stimuli to change client motivation and cue behaviors

Differential Reinforcement

• Differential reinforcement involves not reinforcing the target behavior while instead reinforcing a different behavior
  • DRA (Alternative): reinforce an alternative behavior that fulfills the same function
  • DRI (Incompatible): reinforce an incompatible behavior that the client cannot do at the same time as the target behavior
  • DRO (Other): reinforce any other behavior the client engages in

Extinction

• Extinction involves withholding reinforcement from a previously reinforced target behavior
  • Extinction Burst is a predictable increase and escalation in behavior
  • Spontaneous recovery is the sudden re-emergence of an extinguished behavior.

Session Notes

• Session Notes should use objective which is observable and measurable.

Client Dignity

• Acting in the clients best interest, avoiding discrimination, harassment, and bullying while encouraging independence and privacy

Professional Boundaries

• Maintain professional relationships, report all dual relationships, and adherence to social media contracts

RBT Supervision Requirements

• 5% of monthly direct hours must be supervised
• The RBT must have at least 2 separate instances of face-to-face supervision per month
• At least one supervision per month must be 1:1 Supervisor and RBT
• Active participation by the RBTs
• Direct observation of ABA skills with a client
• Setting goals for ABA skill development or to review ABA skill implementation by the RBT
• Reviewing new client programs, procedures, or behaviors

RBT Certification Renewal

• RBTs must renew their certification annually
• Renewal competency assessment with a qualified assessor
• After expiration, RBTs have 30 days to renew with a late fee before they must reapply, meet current standards, and retake the RBT exam to become certified

Actively Seek Clinical Direction

• Seek direction do not wait for your supervisor to be in session or for them to notice a mistake
• Communicate with supervisor any time when unsure how to implement a program or take data, if a parent raises a concern, or if something changes that can influence the client's behavior