BCAT Skill Acquisition Procedures Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A technician is teaching a child to say the word "bubble." Initially, the technician provides reinforcement for any sound the child makes. Then, they only reinforce sounds that approximate "buh." Finally, reinforcement is only given when the child says the full word "bubble." This is an example of which skill acquisition procedure?
- Chaining
- Shaping (Correct answer)
- Discrete Trial Training
- Generalization
Correct answer: Shaping
Shaping is the correct answer because it involves reinforcing successive approximations of a target behavior. The technician gradually refines the child's vocalizations from any sound to the final, complete word.
Question 2: A BCAT is working with a client in their home to increase their requesting skills. The technician sets up the environment by placing a preferred toy on a high shelf, in sight but out of reach. The goal is for the client to ask for the toy. This teaching strategy, which utilizes the client's natural motivations and environment, is best described as:
- Discrete Trial Training (DTT)
- Errorless Learning
- Natural Environment Teaching (NET) (Correct answer)
- Paired Stimulus Preference Assessment
Correct answer: Natural Environment Teaching (NET)
Natural Environment Teaching (NET) involves teaching skills within the natural context where they would be used. By using the client's interest in the toy and the natural home setting, the technician is contriving a learning opportunity that is functional and client-led.
Question 3: When teaching a client to differentiate between a red card and a blue card, the technician provides praise and a token when the client correctly touches the red card when asked, but provides no reinforcement if they touch the blue card. This procedure is known as:
- Shaping
- Discrimination Training (Correct answer)
- Task Analysis
- Prompt Fading
Correct answer: Discrimination Training
Discrimination training is the process of reinforcing a behavior in the presence of one stimulus but not others. In this scenario, the client is learning to discriminate the red card (the SD or discriminative stimulus) from the blue card (the S-delta) to receive reinforcement.
Question 4: Which of the following is a critical component of a written skill acquisition plan?
- A list of all previously mastered skills by the client.
- The client's full diagnostic history and evaluation.
- A description of the technician's qualifications and experience.
- A clear definition of the target skill and mastery criteria. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: A clear definition of the target skill and mastery criteria.
A skill acquisition plan must include an objective and measurable definition of the skill being taught, as well as the specific criteria that will determine when the skill is considered mastered. This ensures consistency and allows for accurate data-driven decisions.
Question 5: A technician is teaching a client to get dressed using a forward chaining procedure. Which step would the technician teach and reinforce FIRST?
- Putting on their shoes.
- Putting on their shirt.
- Putting on their pants. (Correct answer)
- Putting on their socks.
Correct answer: Putting on their pants.
Forward chaining involves teaching a behavioral sequence beginning with the first step. In the typical sequence of getting dressed, putting on pants would occur before putting on socks, a shirt, or shoes. The technician would teach this first step to mastery before moving to the next step in the chain.
Question 6: During a Discrete Trial Training (DTT) session, the technician presents the instruction, "Point to the car." This instruction is known as the:
- Consequence
- Discriminative Stimulus (SD) (Correct answer)
- Response
- Inter-trial Interval (ITI)
Correct answer: Discriminative Stimulus (SD)
In DTT, the Discriminative Stimulus (SD) is the instruction or cue given by the technician that signals the availability of reinforcement for a correct response. The instruction "Point to the car" is the SD that is meant to evoke the specific behavior from the client.
BCAT Skill Acquisition Procedures Questions and Answers
A technician is teaching a child to say the word "bubble." Initially, the technician provides reinforcement for any sound the child makes.
Then, they only reinforce sounds that approximate "buh." Finally, reinforcement is only given when the child says the full word "bubble." This is an example of which skill acquisition procedure?