This glossary is a
collection of ABA terms that are helpful to know as a professional or parent.
I try to keep my blog as jargon-free as I can, because I want it to be
accessible to many. However from time to time I may use some of these terms on the blog.
ABA
Glossary
ABA- Applied Behavior
Analysis is an established science that goes MUCH farther than Autism. If all you know of ABA is a treatment for young children with Autism, I highly recommend you further your reading and study of the field. ABA at
its core is a way to teach, manage, or reduce behaviors. ABA is an umbrella term that can cover many specific and unique
strategies. Some examples include Incidental Teaching, Discrete Trial Training, and Verbal Behavior. There are
many ways to implement or carry out ABA.
ABA Therapist- This is the term I use
on my blog to describe anyone who provides ABA therapy to a learner, in a direct staff role. I have seen all kinds of terms used to label the direct staff, such as ABA tutor, ABA technician, Clinical assistant, Services provider, etc, however I
most often use the term ABA Therapist.
ABLLS Assessment- Pronounced
"A-bulls". A comprehensive assessment and curriculum planning tool created by Drs. Sundberg &
Partington. This tool allows you to assess across 25 varied domains to get a
complete snapshot of a child’s functioning level, strengths, and deficits.
Domains include self help skills, gross motor skills, receptive skills, group
instruction, etc.
ABC's of Behavior- Also known as the
Three Term Contingency, ABC's of behavior is a tool used to determine the
function of any behavior. The A is for antecedent, the B is the actual behavior, and C
is the consequence.
Acquisition Task – A target that is in the
process of being taught. This behavior is not yet a known skill.
Antecedent- In behavior analytic
terms, an antecedent is simply what happened right before the behavior.
Aspergers Syndrome- Aspergers is a form/type of Autism, with the main differences being
these individuals usually lack language deficits, but may present with social difficulties/impairments, and neurological issues. These individuals can often go
undiagnosed until they are older, since common hallmarks of Autism may not be present or as obvious. Note: Aspergers as a separate diagnosis was removed from the DSM- V.
Autism Spectrum
Disorders- According to the DSM- V, these are defined as persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, and there is a severity level rating system based on the intensity of supports the individual needs to function. Basically, its important to know that Autism is a spectrum, and no 2 individuals are the same. There is much variability amongst people with Autism.
BCBA or BCBA-D/BCaBA- This is the board
certification required for a person to become a Behavior Analyst, and it is
recognized worldwide. In many states or with insurance companies, only BCBAs are recognized as being properly authorized to oversee, manage, or supervise ABA programs. The BCaBA denotes the person is at an associate level, and must
work under a BCBA. BCaBA's usually have less training or experience, although
this isn’t always the case. Becoming certified is a lengthy process that takes much dedication, focus, and graduate level coursework.
RBT - Registered Behavior Technician. For direct level staff, this is a credential that denotes the person has met specific education and experience standards, and starting in 12/2015, that the person has passed a rigorous exam. Currently, the RBT is not a requirement to work as direct ABA staff, but things are likely headed in that direction.
RBT - Registered Behavior Technician. For direct level staff, this is a credential that denotes the person has met specific education and experience standards, and starting in 12/2015, that the person has passed a rigorous exam. Currently, the RBT is not a requirement to work as direct ABA staff, but things are likely headed in that direction.
Behavior - To be called a behavior, it must be observable and/or
measurable. In the field we refer to something called the "Dead Man's Test": If a dead man can do it, it ain't behavior. So "being quiet" is not a behavior because a dead person can "be quiet".
Bio- Medical
Approach- The
bio- medical approach to treating Autism is based on treating the biological causes of, or issues associated with Autism, such as
heavy metals or an over growth of yeast. Some common bio-medical interventions not only lack empirical evidence, but they can be potentially harmful.
Chaining – Used to teach
multi-step skills in which the steps involved are defined through task
analysis, and each separate step is taught to link together the total "chain". Can be either done by
backward, forward, or total task analyses.
"Child"- My blog is primarily
directed towards people who teach or are a caregiver for children with Autism,
so I tend to use the general term "child" instead of person,
adolescent, or individual. I may often refer to my clients as "kiddos" or my "buds", not to be disrespectful or degrading, but because most of them are 2-3 years old. I also primarily work with children under 5, so my perspective is heavily child -focused.
Chronological
Age/ Developmental Age- Chronological age is the actual age
calculated by birthdate. A developmental age is based on
level of functioning/cognitive ability, and adaptive skills. For example a 7 year old child
diagnosed with Autism could have the developmental age of a 3 year old. A
Pediatrician or Developmental Psychologist can help you determine your child's
developmental age, or if you work with a BCBA they can assess your child to help determine developmental age.
Co-Morbidity- This means having
multiple diagnoses as the same time, such as being diagnosed with
Autism, OCD, and an Anxiety Disorder.
Consequence- In behavior analytic
terms, a consequence is simply what happens after the behavior. Consequences
can be good or bad (or nothing).
Consultant- Describes anyone who
creates the treatment/behavioral plans, trains and supervises staff, and may or
may not assist with hiring staff. Typically this is a BCBA level individual
with extensive experience and training in running an ABA program.
Contained
Classroom- A
contained, or self -contained, classroom is a classroom that has only special
needs children. These classrooms have a smaller teacher to student ratio than
an inclusive classroom. Typically these classes are taught by Special Education
teachers and include at least 1 specially trained paraprofessional.
Deprivation – An ABA principle
which states that the more deprived of a particular reinforcer, the more
powerful that reinforcer will be. Think about how when you are on a diet suddenly cakes, brownies, and cookies seem MUCH more appetizing :-)
Developmentally
Delayed-A
child or infant may be given a diagnosis of DD when they are not progressing as they should
be and aren’t meeting developmental milestones such as crawling, sitting up,
using a pincer grasp, talking/babbling, etc. However, adolescents or adults sometimes receive this diagnosis far later in life than they should have received it.
Discrete Trial Training (DTT) - A specific method of instruction in which a task is isolated and
taught to an individual across multiple trials (repetition teaching). A specific opportunity to respond is presented, and a specific response from the learner is expected (Teacher: "Stand up". Learner: (stands up). Teacher: "Nice standing!").
Discriminative stimulus (SD) - This is the demand/question or directive given, to obtain a
specific response. This
is a technical term that basically means to make it clear that reinforcement is available if the correct response is given. Examples of SD's: "Touch red", and
"Clean your room".
DSM- The Diagnostic &
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is used by a variety of professionals
across the world to diagnoses or treat individuals. The DSM is basically a
handy manual that catalogs all mental conditions, disorders, and syndromes and
explains how to diagnose each one. It is regularly updated, and professionals have to reference the newest version when discussing, explaining, or understanding diagnoses.
Echoic- This is a Verbal Behavior term. An
echoic is being able to vocally imitate upon request.
Echolalia- "Echoing" or imitating what is heard, can be immediate or delayed. So if you ask your child "Want to go outside?" and they respond "Go outside?", that is echolalia. Many individuals with Autism (particularly early learners) exhibit echolalia, but engaging in echolalia does not automatically mean someone has Autism.
Elopement- Elopement is wandering, or running away, from an area the person is not supposed to leave. This behavior can be very scary, especially for individuals who cannot communicate.
Expressive- Expressive means speaker behavior, and refers to tasks that require a vocal response such as singing or
talking.
Extinction – The withholding
of reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior, resulting in reduction
of that behavior.
Extinction burst - The increase in frequency and/or intensity of behavior
in the early stages of extinction.
FBA- Functional Behavior
Assessment. This is the process by which behavioral interventions are
created. An FBA is intended to determine the function (or the reason) for a
behavior, and then create an intervention based on that function. A Functional Analysis (FA) involves manipulating the environment to understand the
behavior, while a Functional Behavior Assessment involves things like
observation, interview, and collecting ABC data.
Fine Motor Skills - These are the activities that
require the coordination and movement of the smaller muscles of the body, especially those of
the hand.
Field Size (teaching term) - During a teaching trial, this refers to how much stimuli to have presented in an array. E.g. "Teach the animal 'cat' in a field size of 2-3". This example means that the target stimuli ("cat" flashcard or photo) would be presented in an array of 2-3 other cards, during a teaching trial.
Field Size (teaching term) - During a teaching trial, this refers to how much stimuli to have presented in an array. E.g. "Teach the animal 'cat' in a field size of 2-3". This example means that the target stimuli ("cat" flashcard or photo) would be presented in an array of 2-3 other cards, during a teaching trial.
Floortime- Floortime is a
treatment method that focuses on child-led, play focused activities
using a naturalistic approach. Floortime is not a type of ABA due to not being an empirically supported method.
Generalization - Term used
to describe the ability to learn a skill in one situation and be able to apply
it flexibly to other similar but different situations.
GFCF Diet- GFCF stands for Gluten
free and Casein free. Gluten is wheat, and Casein is dairy. GFCF diets are not empirically supported to be effective as a treatment for Autism.
Gross Motor Skills - These are the activities we do
using our larger muscle groups; like sitting, walking & jumping.
High Functioning/Low
Functioning- Individuals on the Spectrum are sometimes categorized according to their
functioning level, or cognitive ability. A high functioning child may be fine academically, has conversational language, and has social difficulties. A low
functioning child may have significant deficits and difficulties across all
areas including language, cognition, academics, adaptive, etc. Many people find the terms "high or low functioning" to be offensive, due to the over-generalization of these labels. The DSM -V uses the categorizations of severity levels instead (how impacted is the individual by their diagnosis).
HOH Prompting- Hand over hand
prompting is a physical prompt where you place your hands over the learner's hand
to get them to comply with a motor demand or directive.
Hypersensitivity - Acute reaction to sensory input (i.e. overly sensitive).
Hyposensitivity - Little or no reaction to sensory input (i.e. under-sensitive).
IEP- An Individual
Education Plan is the individualized curriculum plan that children, adolescents, or adults (usually up to 22)
have if they are in special education. An IEP is a legal document, and the IEP
process should be taken very seriously and with much consideration for the learner's future. If the child is under 3 years old and receiving services they
may have an IFSP, which is an Individual Family Services Plan.
Inclusive Classroom- An inclusive
classroom is a classroom with both special needs and typical children learning
together. Typically these are taught by General Education teachers, and there may or may not be paraprofessionals in the room.
Intervention- This is the plan of
action or the strategy you will use to change a behavior. An example of an
intervention is teaching a learner to use a card to request help instead of
tantrumming.
Intraverbal- This is a Verbal Behavior term. Basically,
intraverbals are building blocks to conversation skills as its the ability to discuss, describe, or answer a question about something that isn't physically present. Like if someone asks you "What did you do on your vacation last summer?".
Lead Therapist-This is the term I use
on my blog to describe anyone who helps manage the ABA program, and supervises
the ABA Therapists (direct staff) while also reporting to the Consultant. Lead Therapists are
also sometimes called Supervising Therapists, Senior Therapists, or Case
Managers.
Lovaas therapy- ABA is sometimes
referred to as Lovaas therapy, after Dr. Ivar Lovaas who conducted
groundbreaking studies on Autism & ABA in the 1950's which were critical to
the development and explosion of this field.Traditional Lovaas therapy may look very different from how DTT is implemented today, due to advancements in research.
Main Stream- To mainstream a learner
means that they can be successfully placed in a typical classroom, as opposed
to a special education classroom. It also means they can perform grade level work, and have play, adaptive, motor, and cognitive abilities comparable to typically developing peers....to put it another way, they can be successful across multiple environments that are not the most restricted environments. Main streaming is sometimes the long term goal
for a child who is placed in special education.
Mand- This is a Verbal Behavior term. A
mand is basically a "demand". This is being able to request something that one wants or needs.
Mental Retardation (MR) - A mental disorder characterized by significantly under-average
general intellectual functioning associated with impairments in adaptive
behavior. It is classified on the basis of severity as mild, moderate, severe,
and profound. In different states, this may have different names (cognitive impairments, intellectual impairments, etc).
Mouthing- This refers to when inappropriately placing items/toys, etc. in the mouth. Depending on the individual, licking items could also be considered mouthing.
NET- Natural Environment
Training is a type of ABA where learning occurs incidentally and often playfully in natural environments, such as at the bus stop, in the bathtub, or during dinner.
Normal vs Typical- Many people use the
word "normal" when distinguishing between individuals with Autism, and individuals who do not have Autism. I don’t like to use the word
"normal", and use "typical/typically developing"
instead.
NT- This stands for
Neuro-Typical, and is a term used by some individuals with Autism to describe
people who do not have Autism. It basically refers to someone who does not have
neurological difficulties or differences.
"Parents" vs
"Professionals"- I use these terms on my blog to distinguish
between the two primary readers of my blog. "Professional" includes
anyone who works with individuals with Autism, such as ABA Therapists, OT's,
SLP's, or teachers. "Parent" includes anyone who cares for an
individual with Autism, such as biological parents, adoptive parents, family
members, foster parents, etc. These are all-inclusive terms, and not intended
to exclude anyone.
PDD- Pervasive
Developmental Disorder was a form of Autism.
Despite popular opinion, PDD is not a way for doctors to "avoid giving a
diagnosis of Autism”. Basically, a diagnosis of PDD is a doctors way of telling
you: "Your child is on the spectrum somewhere, but they aren't fitting
neatly into any one box". PDD is no longer a separate diagnosis in the most recent edition of the DSM.
Perseverative Behavior - Displaying excessively repetitive and stereotypical behaviors, such as
asking for a pretzel 18 times in 5
minutes or repeating a line from a commercial over and over again. Many people think this word is synonymous with "stimming" (see below), but its not because perseverative behavior may or may not be automatically maintained.
Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS): PECS is a symbolic communication system for functionally non-verbal individuals. The approach is
designed to help individuals with autism learn to initiate requests and
communicate their needs.
Prompt - A form of
assistance or cue given to help the learner compete a task and to increase accurate responding. There are several
types of prompts: physical prompt, gestural prompt, position prompt, model
prompt, verbal prompt, symbolic prompt, and visual prompt, and many more.
Prompt Dependent- Prompt
dependency is when an individual has become reliant on being assisted with a
task, and stops attempting to do the task independently. Or it could be a learner
who has been prompted to do a task a certain way so many times, that it is very
difficult for them to change the way they complete the task.
Punisher- Punishers can be tangible, social, physical, etc. In behavior
analytic terms, to be considered a punisher the target behavior must decrease.
Receptive- Receptive is listener behavior, and refers to tasks that require a nonvocal action or motor response such as
touch, give, or point.
Recovered - The word
"recovered" is often used instead of words like "cured" or
"fixed". An individual who is recovered has overcome the more disabling effects
of their Autism diagnosis, and is able to be successful with minimum supports across a variety of settings (work, school, relationships, etc).
Reinforcer- A reinforcer is
something used to motivate a learner to complete a task, or engage in a behavior. Reinforcement can be tangible (toy), social (praise), physical (hugs,
kisses), etc. In behavior analytic terms, to be considered a reinforcer the likelihood of future occurrence of the target
behavior must increase. Remember that bribery (which isn't effective) is given before the behavior occurs, reinforcement is given after the behavior occurs.
Satiation - When a reinforcer loses it’s effectiveness due to
overuse.
Scripting- This is when a learner
engages in a vocal stim where they repeat, or "script", phrases or
entire sections of a TV show, movie, commercial, etc. Can also be called
“self-talk”.
Scrolling- This is when a learner
responds to a demand by either receptively or expressively linking several
responses together. For example, if shown a photo of a firefighter
and asked "Who is this?" the learner responds by saying
"Doctor/Teacher/Firefighter".
Self injurious behavior (SIB) - Self-injurious behaviors are actions that an individual
performs that result in physical injury to the body. Typical forms of self-injurious
performs that result in physical injury to the body. Typical forms of self-injurious
behavior include: hitting oneself with hands or other body
parts, head-banging, biting
oneself, picking at skin or sores, or frantically scratching or
rubbing oneself repeatedly to
the point of bruising or other harm.
the point of bruising or other harm.
Stereotypic/Repetitive behaviors – Often referred to as “Stimming” or "Stims". These are self-initiated, often repetitive
movements (e.g. rocking, vocalizations, flapping, spinning, finger-flicking, and/or unusual
manipulation of inanimate objects) that can be vocal or motoric. For some individuals with Autism these behaviors can occur at very high frequencies, sometimes 100+ times per day. Individuals
with Autism may engage in these behaviors for automatic reinforcement purposes, but that isn't always the case (function can vary), which is why the blanket term of "self-stimulatory behavior/stimming" can be technically incorrect.
Sensory
Integration/Sensory Diets- Sensory integration refers to different strategies or techniques used to meet, raise, or lower internal sensory needs such as weighted vests, specific sensory diets, or brushing procedures. Often an OT will recommend sensory integration via a sensory diet. Sensory integration is not
empirically supported, and should not be considered to be part of ABA treatment.
Shadow- Also called a School
Facilitator; a Shadow is someone who goes into the classroom with a child and
helps that child integrate fully into the classroom environment.
SLP/OT/PT- Speech therapist
(also referred to as ST), Occupational Therapist, & Physical Therapist. These are
professionals who often work with individuals with Autism to provide therapy
services related to speech, movement, developmental goals, coordination, and functional
communication. It isn't uncommon for these professionals (including ABA professionals) to overlap in the services they provide, such as teaching motor skills or visual performance skills. Ideally, the "alphabet soup" team (BCBA/SLP/OT) will work together collaboratively to benefit the client.
Tact- This is a Verbal Behavior term. A
tact is being able to label or describe an item with stimuli being present. For
example, a learner can tact if they can label the color of a ball if the ball is
present.
Target Behavior- This is the behavior
of interest you are trying to increase, or decrease. There may be multiple
target behaviors being addressed simultaneously, as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.
Task reduction – Reducing the demands put upon the individual in
an effort to avoid or decrease frustration levels.
Transitions - May refer to
changes from one activity or setting to another such as from an early childhood
program to school or from a preferred play activity to a work activity.
Transitions are typically very difficult for individuals with ASD, particularly unplanned or abrupt transitions.
VB- VB stands for Verbal
Behavior. Verbal Behavior is a type of ABA based on the works of B.F. Skinner
that focuses on understanding and teaching language as a behavior, and based on its function.
VB-MAPP Assessment- An assessment and curriculum tool
created by Dr. Sundberg. This tool focuses on verbal/language assessment to get a
complete snapshot of verbal abilities, strengths, and deficits. Domains include
manding, intraverbals, echoics, etc.
Verbal vs Non Verbal- When people use these
terms they typically mean if a learner can talk or not. Babbling/sounds are
not usually considered "verbal", unless they serve a communicative purpose. The behavior analytic
term for being able to talk is "vocal", not verbal. "Verbal" can be any form of communication such as sign language or gesturing, while "Vocal" is speech/vocalizations used to communicate.
VI- Variable interval is
a way of describing a schedule of reinforcement. If the child has a VI of 2-3
minutes, that means that between every 2 and 3 minutes the child contacts
reinforcement.
VR- Variable ratio
is a way of describing a schedule of reinforcement. If the child has a VR of
4-6, that means that between every 4th and 6th response the child contacts
reinforcement.