BAS Program Development and Implementation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A BAS is designing a skill acquisition program using discrete trial training (DTT). Which element is essential to include in each DTT trial?
- A lengthy verbal explanation of the task
- A discriminative stimulus, a response opportunity, and a consequence (Correct answer)
- Peer modeling before every trial
- A written prompt for the client to read
Correct answer: A discriminative stimulus, a response opportunity, and a consequence
Each DTT trial must include an SD (discriminative stimulus), the learner's response, and a consequence (reinforcement or error correction) to constitute a complete learning trial.
Question 2: Which of the following is an example of a maintenance probe in a behavior program?
- Presenting a previously mastered skill without providing reinforcement to assess retention (Correct answer)
- Testing a new skill before any instruction has been provided
- Delivering reinforcement at a thinned schedule during active training
- Implementing error correction procedures for a current target
Correct answer: Presenting a previously mastered skill without providing reinforcement to assess retention
Maintenance probes assess whether skills that previously met mastery criteria are retained over time, typically conducted without prompting or reinforcement.
Question 3: A supervisor is writing a program for toilet training a child with ASD. Which approach is most consistent with evidence-based ABA practice?
- Using a punishment-only approach for accidents
- Implementing a scheduled sitting protocol with reinforcement for successful eliminations (Correct answer)
- Waiting until the child demonstrates natural readiness without structured intervention
- Relying solely on a video modeling program without direct practice
Correct answer: Implementing a scheduled sitting protocol with reinforcement for successful eliminations
Scheduled sitting with differential reinforcement for successful eliminations is a well-established, evidence-based ABA approach to toilet training.
Question 4: When selecting a prompting strategy for a new skill program, which factor is MOST important to consider?
- The length of the intervention session
- The least intrusive prompt that will support correct responding and can be systematically faded (Correct answer)
- The preference of the training staff
- The number of trials that can be run in a session
Correct answer: The least intrusive prompt that will support correct responding and can be systematically faded
Using the least intrusive effective prompt supports independence and facilitates prompt fading, reducing the risk of prompt dependence.
Question 5: A BAS discovers that a client's program has not been updated in six months despite changes in the client's performance data. This represents a failure in which area?
- Informed consent procedures
- Ongoing program evaluation and data-driven decision making (Correct answer)
- Crisis intervention planning
- Cultural competence assessment
Correct answer: Ongoing program evaluation and data-driven decision making
Behavior programs must be regularly reviewed and updated based on data; failure to do so violates the ABA principle of ongoing evaluation and evidence-based practice.
Question 6: Which of the following best defines a 'behavior chain' in ABA programming?
- A sequence of behaviors linked together where each behavior serves as the SD for the next (Correct answer)
- A series of reinforcers delivered consecutively
- A punishment procedure applied in steps
- A list of target behaviors prioritized by importance
Correct answer: A sequence of behaviors linked together where each behavior serves as the SD for the next
A behavior chain is a sequence of individual behaviors linked together, where each behavior produces a stimulus that serves as both reinforcement for the previous response and the SD for the next.
Question 7: A BAS is implementing a naturalistic teaching strategy. Which of the following is characteristic of naturalistic ABA instruction?
- Using a structured table format with massed trials
- Embedding learning opportunities within the client's natural environment and preferred activities (Correct answer)
- Eliminating all prompts from the first session
- Conducting all teaching away from the client's home or school
Correct answer: Embedding learning opportunities within the client's natural environment and preferred activities
Naturalistic teaching strategies embed instruction within the client's natural routines and preferred activities to promote motivation and generalization.
BAS Program Development and Implementation 2
A BAS is designing a skill acquisition program using discrete trial training (DTT).
Which element is essential to include in each DTT trial?