RBT Skill Acquisition and Training 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary goal of skill acquisition programs in ABA?
- To eliminate all problem behaviors
- To teach new socially significant behaviors (Correct answer)
- To provide reinforcement on a fixed schedule
- To collect data on existing skills only
Correct answer: To teach new socially significant behaviors
Skill acquisition programs in ABA focus on teaching new, socially significant behaviors that improve the client's quality of life. While behavior reduction is also part of ABA, skill acquisition specifically targets building new repertoires.
Question 2: Which teaching procedure involves breaking a complex skill into smaller, teachable steps?
- Shaping
- Task analysis (Correct answer)
- Modeling
- Prompting
Correct answer: Task analysis
Task analysis involves breaking a complex behavior or skill into smaller, sequential steps that can be taught individually. This allows the learner to master each component before combining them into the full chain.
Question 3: During forward chaining, the RBT teaches:
- All steps simultaneously
- The last step first
- The first step first, then adds subsequent steps (Correct answer)
- Only the most difficult step
Correct answer: The first step first, then adds subsequent steps
In forward chaining, the first step in the task analysis is taught first. Once mastered, the second step is added, and so on. The learner completes taught steps independently while the instructor assists with remaining steps.
Question 4: What is an example of a naturalistic teaching strategy?
- Discrete trial training at a desk
- Incidental teaching during play (Correct answer)
- Fluency-based drill practice
- Errorless learning with physical prompts
Correct answer: Incidental teaching during play
Incidental teaching is a naturalistic strategy that capitalizes on the learner's interests and motivation in their natural environment. Teaching occurs during naturally occurring activities like play, meals, or daily routines.
Question 5: Which prompt is considered the most intrusive?
- Gestural prompt
- Verbal prompt
- Full physical prompt (Correct answer)
- Visual prompt
Correct answer: Full physical prompt
Full physical prompts, where the instructor physically guides the learner through the entire response, are considered the most intrusive. The prompt hierarchy generally moves from most to least intrusive: full physical, partial physical, model, gestural, verbal.
Question 6: What does prompt fading involve?
- Increasing the intensity of prompts over time
- Systematically reducing prompts to promote independence (Correct answer)
- Removing all prompts immediately
- Switching between different prompt types randomly
Correct answer: Systematically reducing prompts to promote independence
Prompt fading is the systematic reduction of prompts over time to help the learner respond independently. This prevents prompt dependency and ensures the learner can perform the skill without assistance.
RBT Skill Acquisition and Training 1
What is the primary goal of skill acquisition programs in ABA?