ABAT Natural Environment Teaching (NET) and Incidental Teaching

Question 1

Natural Environment Teaching (NET) differs from Discrete Trial Training (DTT) primarily because NET:

Accepted Answer

Embeds teaching opportunities within the learner's naturally occurring activities and follows the learner's motivation

Answer

Uses punishers to reduce errors during skill practice

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Requires the therapist to control all materials and initiate every teaching trial

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Is only appropriate for learners who have already mastered skills in a structured setting

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of 'capturing' a teaching opportunity in Natural Environment Teaching?

Accepted Answer

Taking advantage of a learner spontaneously reaching for a cookie to prompt the mand 'cookie please'

Answer

Setting up a situation where a preferred toy is placed out of reach to prompt a request

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Teaching a skill during a structured table-top session with a predetermined trial sequence

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Using a written lesson plan to decide exactly which skills to practice in a 30-minute session

Question 3

In incidental teaching, the instructor's role when a learner approaches and reaches for a desired item is FIRST to:

Accepted Answer

Wait for the learner to initiate communication and then prompt an elaborated response if needed

Answer

Immediately give the item to maintain a positive rapport

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Redirect the learner to a structured table task before providing the item

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Record the behavior on a frequency data sheet before responding

Question 4

A key advantage of Natural Environment Teaching over purely structured teaching sessions is that skills learned through NET tend to:

Accepted Answer

Generalize more readily because they are taught across varied, natural contexts from the start

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Be acquired more quickly because fewer practice trials are needed

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Require less supervision because the learner works independently

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Produce higher rates of correct responding within the first session

Question 5

Which of the following BEST describes the concept of 'contriving' a teaching opportunity in NET?

Accepted Answer

Deliberately engineering an environmental situation to create motivation to communicate or respond

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Waiting for a naturally occurring moment and then delivering reinforcement without prompting

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Using a fixed trial sequence at a table to introduce a new skill

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Withholding reinforcement indefinitely to increase motivation

Question 6

During a NET session, a child reaches for blocks on a high shelf but cannot reach them. The RBT waits a few seconds, then models 'blocks please' and the child imitates. The RBT immediately gives the child the blocks. This sequence is an example of:

Accepted Answer

A mand training trial using a contrived motivating operation and natural reinforcement

Answer

Negative reinforcement — removing the aversive demand of reaching

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Punishment — withholding the blocks was aversive until the correct response occurred

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Errorless teaching — no opportunity for the child to make an error was provided