RBT Exam Study Guide Unit B: Assessment

The second topic in our free RBT study guide is assessment. Since the Registered Behavior Technician exam will have 6 questions, it is an essential subject to study for.

This page will contain some assessments and will include the following tasks:

• Behavior preference assessments
• Individualized assessment procedures (e.g., curriculum-based, developmental, social skills)
• Functional assessment procedures

Significance of assessments in ABA

The ABA provides a lot of information through many different assessments or tests, which is an individualized program that is a very unique therapy that gives detail about human behavior, in which we learn a lot. RBTs play an important role in our behavior in a very good direction, and because of this assessment, we get a lot of information that is also obtained.

RBT Task B-1: Conduct Preference Assessments

1. Indirect Assessments

Involve conducting open-ended interviews or using questionnaires with the client or their caregiver to gather information about their interests.
For example, you can inquire whether the child enjoys playing with Play-Doh or coloring. Additionally, you might ask the parents to identify five to ten of their child’s preferred toys and activities.

2. Behavior: A Free Operant Preference Assessment

By giving your learner clear access to various items in their surroundings. While they explore, observe their choices and record the data on what they decide to interact with on their own.

Example

In a therapy clinic, your client participates in a session. To conduct a free operant preference assessment, let them explore all the toys available in a playroom while you sit quietly and watch what they choose to do during this time. You observe their actions for 20 minutes.
(Please note: This is just an example; there is no set time for how long you need to observe during this assessment.)

The information you collect might look like this:

• From 8:00 to 8:02, the individual moves around while flapping their arms.
• 8:02–8:07: Completes a puppy puzzle on their own.
• From 8:07 to 8:12, the individual moves around while waving their arms.
• 8:12–8:20: Engages in activities at the sensory water table.

3. Single Stimulus Preference Assessment

Give your learner one thing and screen their reaction to it, taking information on whether they acknowledge the thing or thrust it aside, how long they lock in with it, etc. After they are done locking in with this thing, you grant the client another thing.
The single jolt inclination evaluation is appropriate for learners who battle with choosing between boosts.

Example

You show your learner with a squishy ball. They thrust it absent, so you record this and evacuate the ball. Another, you show them with a toy car. They snatch it and go “vroom vroom,” driving it on the floor and playing with it for 4 minutes. You record the information; at that point move on to another thing. When wrapped up, you make a progression of inclinations based on the things the learner locked in with the longest and appeared the most intrigued by.

4. Paired Stimulus / Paired Choice Preference

Give your learner two things and permit them to select between the two. Record information on which thing they chose. After they lock in with the chosen thing for a brief time, expel it and give another two choices. Each thing is matched with each other thing. Within the conclusion, you make a pecking order of inclinations with the items the learner chose, the foremost at the top and the things chosen the least at the bottom.

The combined boost inclination appraisal is nice for learners who can choose between two things but battle with checking a cluster.

Examples

You are conducting a combined jolt inclination evaluation with four snacks: goldfish, popcorn, Cheetos, and pretzels. (It ought to be famous that the ABA field is pushing away from edible support in numerous cases, so edibles are usually a final resort.)

You conduct trials matching each nibble with the other to make a pecking order of the ones chosen, from the foremost to those chosen the slightest.

The progression might look like this: Most favored to least favored:

• Goldfish (chosen 3x)
• Pretzels (chosen 2x)
• Cheetos (chosen 1x)
• Popcorn (chosen 0x)

5. Assessment: Multiple Stimulus With Replacement Preference Assessment (MSW)

Present a variety of products to the student so they can select one. You add new items to the array once they have used the item for a brief period of time. The item they chose is returned to its original location in the array. Usually, this operation is repeated until every item in the array is shown twice. Like the other trial-based strategies, a hierarchy of selected objects is then created.

6. Multiple Stimulus Without Replacement (MSWO)

Present a variety of products to the student and tell them to select one. You delete the item, change the array’s order, and tell them to choose another item after they have briefly interacted with the selected item. You will not have any more items at the end of this examination because you do not replace the selected item. The learner’s first, second, and so on selections will define the hierarchy of most to least desired items.

A simple solution for trial-based preference assessments is to block the learner and say something like, “Let us choose one,” if they attempt to grasp many items.

RBT Task B-2: Assist with Individualized Assessment Procedures

(e.g., curriculum-based, developmental, social skills)

In ABA, a variety of customized evaluations might be employed. A learner’s present strengths and abilities are ascertained through skill-based assessments, which also identify areas of deficiency that can be addressed by treatment objectives. Tests are meant to paint a picture of a person’s abilities in particular areas rather than to diagnose illnesses.

Some of these tests are curriculum-based, which means that they not only give a baseline of their ability to demonstrate the skills, but they also offer recommendations for how to teach them.

With skill-based assessments, an RBT assists the BCBA in conducting the evaluation by eliciting information about the individual’s ability to exhibit the skill and probing skills as instructed and trained. Simply offer the goal as described and note if the student exhibits the competence on their first attempt when evaluating skills. When probing skills, you always collect data based on the first response and do not prompt the response (unless the assessment specifies that a prompt can be used for that skill). Additionally, if the student makes a mistake, you do not have to correct them.

Some of the Skill Assessments You May Encounter Include:

• Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP):
  A criterion-based evaluation of the various abilities that make up linguistic behavior. Manding, tacting, intraverbal skills, learning hurdles, and other areas are evaluated by the VB-MAPP. In ABA, it is among the most often utilized tests for kids under six.
• Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills-Revised (ABLLS-R):
  A thorough evaluation that looks at a variety of abilities, such as social interactions, pre-academics, verbal conduct, learner readiness, and more. Although it can be used up to age 12, it is most frequently used for children under six.
• Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS):
  An evaluation of a broad variety of functional skills, including community-based, vocational, and basic home abilities. People of all ages can participate in this evaluation. When assigning you assessment assignments, your BCBA should provide you with training on the particular assessment.

RBT Task B-3: Assist with Functional Assessment Procedures

Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) are important tools for students who show behaviors that disrupt their learning or interactions with others, as well as for those who may harm themselves or others. An FBA includes various tools that help identify the possible reasons behind a client’s behavior.

Understanding the function of behavior is crucial for a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). This knowledge allows the BCBA to create personalized strategies that aid in changing behavior. (For more information, see Unit D, which explains the functions of behavior in detail.)

Various assessment tools can be utilized in a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA), including:

Indirect assessments

There are methods used to collect information about a person’s behavior without watching them behave in real time. Indirect assessments involve the use of tools such as questionnaires, interviews, and checklists. Indirect assessments usually involve gathering information from parents, teachers, caregivers, or others who frequently watch the individual display the behavior.

Descriptive or direct assessments

Involve watching someone closely to gather information about how they act. This means observing their behavior and writing down what you see.

A-B-C data is the most popular way to describe behavior. It’s also what Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) usually keep track of. This type of data involves noting three key parts: what happened before the behavior (antecedent), the behavior itself, and what happened after (consequence). Let’s take a closer look at these terms.

• The antecedent is what happens just before a specific behavior takes place. For instance, you might tell your client to do something. Remember, an antecedent isn’t what makes the behavior happen; it’s just what happened right before it. It could be something as basic as “the client was busy doing something they liked.”
• The behavior is simply what took place. You will note down how the behavior appeared, like throwing toys, hitting the RBT, biting themselves, screaming, and so on.
• The consequence is what takes place right after someone does something. For instance, if a therapist guides a client to a different activity, that is an example of a consequence. Many people wrongly think that the word “consequence” always means something bad, like punishment or discipline. But in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), a consequence just refers to what happens after a behavior, whether it’s good or bad.

Functional Analysis (FA)

It is a method that behavior experts use to find out why a person behaves a certain way. They do this by changing different factors in a controlled setting to see how the person reacts. What makes functional analysis different from other types of assessments is that it allows analysts to have strong control over the situation. This lets them figure out the exact reason behind the behavior with a lot of confidence. On the other hand, indirect and descriptive assessments can give clues about the behavior, but can’t prove what causes it.

A BCBA carries out a functional assessment, but they can have a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) help by keeping track of how often certain behaviors happen during the evaluation.

RBT Assessment Quiz