This is a topic that is really, really, important to me because I have really, really, experienced the lack of it a time or two....or 50.

Goodness-of-fit (let's just call that GOF) is a bit of a buzzword people like to throw around to describe that ideal match between employer and employee. Employers want (or should want) happy, productive employees, and employees want to not hate their employer. So it would seem logical and in everyone's best interest to aim for GOF. Then why is it sometimes so lacking?

GOF is more than just the employee/employer dynamic. I have observed or directly experienced a lack of GOF when it comes to: working privately with consultation clients, being assigned cases at an ABA company, families/parents being assigned ABA staff, and supervisors/BCBA's being assigned direct level staff or supervisees.

In each of those areas, it is crucial for overall success that team cohesiveness, compatibility, and mutual respect occur. But in each of those areas, I have seen it not occur. The consequences of a lack of GOF are weighty, and unfortunately can lead to preventable fallout such as staff burnout or client termination (initiated by the parent).
If you are an ABA peep working in this field, you likely can think of an example when you were paired up with a co-worker, supervisee, or supervisor and GOF was lacking.
If you are a parent receiving ABA services, I'm sure a few examples come to your mind of a therapist or two that just lacked GOF with your family.

This is an issue that affects all of us, because ABA therapy/consultation always requires a team. That team could be the BCBA and RBT, it could be the parent and the BCBA, it could be the employer and their employees, but each of those teams can quickly fall apart when GOF is not considered.
For example:

RBT's/Direct staff - Do the other RBT's on the team work collaboratively with you towards client success? Do they respond to your notes/questions/emails/texts? Are schedule/hours changes discussed as a team, and agreed upon by everyone? Are the other therapists open to you observing them as a learning opportunity and vice-versa? Does the BCBA/supervisor on the team support you and make you feel valued?

BCBA's/Supervisors - Are the other BCBA's you work with a helpful place to brainstorm or safely vent? Do your supervisees respond appropriately to feedback and demonstrate appreciation for the time and energy you pour into them? Do you feel that your caseload resides in that sweet spot between where your expertise lies and areas where you need to grow and stretch? Do the people you supervise, teach, or train, support you and make you feel valued?

Parents/Families - Does the ABA team welcome your input and suggestions regarding treatment? Does the ABA team respond promptly to your notes/emails/voicemails? Are you not only allowed, but encouraged, to regularly join therapy sessions as a learning opportunity? Do you feel comfortable addressing conflict or disagreement with the ABA team, and having respectful communication? Does the ABA team seem to have the goal of supporting and valuing your child?

Employees (ABA peeps in general) - Do you know the mission statement and vision of the ABA company/organization you work for? Is there potential for growth at your current employer, either promotions, new responsibilities, or areas of professional development? How many of your colleagues regularly experience burnout, and how does your employer respond to that? Does the work culture at the organization stifle or embrace individuality? Does your employer support you and make you feel valued?


One of my favorite quotes at the moment is "Employees join companies, but leave managers". Yup, accurate.
Personally, I've been that unhappy employee who loves the job but hates the management/ownership.....which over time will turn you into an employee who hates the job.

Lack of GOF is often blamed on the individual and not the situation. Like the alpha dog BCBA who keeps clashing with the alpha dog parent. Or the micromanaging employer who keeps clashing with the autonomous employee. Or the naturally inquisitive RBT who keeps clashing with the BCBA who receives questions as criticism.

Continuing to shove a square peg into a round hole may eventually work (if you shove hard enough), but I doubt that square peg will be very productive or useful to anyone in that position.

Photo source: www.theartofautism.com

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Tameika Meadows, BCBA, Blog Author

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The Discriminative Stimulus is defined as a stimulus in the presence of which a particular response will be reinforced (Malott, 2007, Principles of Behavior).


SD is just ABA speak for the demand, instruction, or the event/stimulus that serves as a signal to someone that there is something they need to respond to. Now, that response can also include a non-response. Not responding is always a possible choice, that comes with its own possible consequences.

For example, if my cell phone rings and it is someone I do not want to talk to I have choices:
-answer the phone
-don't answer the phone

The phone ringing is a SD because when it rings, there is a specific response that in the past has led me to contact different consequences. Some pleasant, and some not so pleasant.
When my cell phone rings, I am not confused about what I should do. I know what my choices are, and depending on who is calling (or if I recognize who is calling) I then make a choice based on my history of reinforcement with that person.

SD's can vary in how they are delivered, the specific reinforcement that they make available, as well as the specific expected response.

In ABA therapy sessions, sometimes hundreds of SD's can be delivered throughout the session, and each one of those SD's has a specific expected response, as well as specific consequences available for each possible response.

The SD has an authority based on the history of consequences being delivered.
I'll say that another way: Let's say I state the SD "give me blue" to a child, and I then provide a consequence of playing on an iPad if the child gives me yellow. Assuming playing on the iPad is a reinforcer, over time I am going to see the child consistently respond to my SD by giving me yellow. Is yellow in this example actually correct? No. But it does not matter: I gave my SD, I followed the child's response with a reinforcer, and I have superglued this particular response to the SD.

And this explains why your kids don't listen.


Reinforcement is like the most powerful superglue on the market. It binds things together, as can be seen in the example below:
(SD) "Clean up the toys" ----> (Response) child cleans up the toys ---> (Consequence) "Thanks so much, you can go outside now"

Assuming in the above example that going outside is a reinforcer, over time the child will learn the expected response to the SD of "clean up the toys", AND they will learn that good things happen after they demonstrate the expected response. In other words, you just taught your child that when they clean up their toys, they might get to go outside.


If I flip this scenario on its head, I can show you how SD's (and their absolute authority) can sometimes cause you to teach things you did not mean to teach:
(SD) "Clean up your toys" ---> (Response) child cries/child screams "no!"/child does not respond to the SD ---> (Consequence) "Ugh! Fine, I'll clean the toys up. Just go outside while I clean up this mess"

Assuming in the above example that going outside is a reinforcer, over time what will the child learn? A few things actually:

-child will learn that problem behavior or not responding is a response
-child will learn that escape/avoidance behaviors work
-child will learn that cleaning up the toys is not a requirement to be able to go outside


Did you mean to teach that? I am nearly positive you did not. Unfortunately, the absolute authority of the SD remains unmoved by the fact that you didn't intend to teach new ways to avoid a demand.


Don't freak out, there is a way to avoid this trap.

First, understand what Instructional Control is and how it can help you. I promise, it isn't as scary as it sounds.

Second, see below for some common characteristics of successful SD's. A successful SD helps your child learn in an effective manner WHAT to do, and WHY to do it (because good things might happen). Let the absolute authority of the SD work for you, and not against you.

Characteristics of Successful SD's

• The SD is precise: A precise SD includes only the language necessary for the individual to know what to do. Extra details, threats, or reminders are best left off the SD, particularly if the individual has communication deficits or is very young. Good example - "Get down". Not-so-good-example - "Michael Benjamin Clark, you get down off that railing right now before you fall and break your neck".

• The SD is stated, not asked: Unless you are cool with the individual tossing you a "No/I don't feel like it/I don't want to", then do not present the SD as a question. A question gives the option of refusal. 

• The SD allows for a brief time to begin to respond: Brief as in, a few seconds. I have been in this field a long time, and I have developed an internal countdown timer that kicks in when I give a SD. To help yourself learn this skill, when you give your child a demand silently count to 3. Or, you could subtly tap a finger against the inside of your palm 3 times. If you get to 3 and the individual has not at least started to respond, it is time to provide a consequence. Another completely personal reason why I like this "internal countdown" is because it helps parents not flood the child with SD's. If you are busy counting in your head, you can't rattle off 4 more demands, when the child hasn't even responded to demand #1.

• The SD is consistent: Especially if the child has communication deficits or is very young, avoid changing up the SD rapidly. This can possibly be confusing, and impede learning. Once your child is demonstrating they know how to respond to the SD, that is the point where you can start to change the language used, or not use language at all (such as pointing at a book on the floor to indicate the child needs to put the book away).

• The SD consequence is consistent: The most critical point about understanding SD's is that what follows the response equals learning. You are teaching your child how to respond to you based on what happens when they respond correctly, and what happens when they respond incorrectly. If you decide that the SD "Make your bed" means fluffing all the pillows, then the bed being made with 1 pillow fluffed, or the bed being made with some of the pillows fluffed, are both incorrect responses. No exceptions. You would then prompt the correct response so the child knows they made an error.

• Attention is gained before the SD is given: If you observe the ABA team work with your child you will get to see possibly hundreds of SD's delivered during a therapy session. You may also note that the team works to gain the child's attention before stating the SD, to make sure it is heard. This could look like approaching the child, bending/squatting down to look in the child's face, waiting for a break in crying/screaming, or making a statement such as "Are you ready?", to verify the child is attending.

• The SD is not repeated over and over again, nor is it screamed, or shouted: SD's are bosses. SD's are in charge. SD's call the shots. They do not need to beg, bargain, plead, scream, or lose their cool. Remember, your child only has a short time to respond correctly. If they do not respond correctly, you just deliver a consequence (such as a prompt). It will be very tempting to state the SD over and over again, but don't give in to that temptation. Over time, this will actually teach your child they do not need to listen to you the first time, and that ignoring you is an effective way to avoid a demand.

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Tameika Meadows, BCBA, Blog Author