Some Common ABA terms
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA): The science of good teaching.
Antecedent: Anything in the environment before the Behavior of interest.
Augmentative Communication: Any communication made through assisted means.
Behavior: Whatever the child does in response to the Antecedent.
Consequence: Anything that happens after the Behavior of interest.
Discrete Trial Training: A 3-part teaching system that uses an SD and an SR to elicit a target response.
Demand: anything requirement placed on the child.
E O (establishing operations): anything added to an SD that changes the effectiveness of a reinforcer causing increased motivation for a target response.
Echoic: The repetition of a modeled vocal sound.
Errorless Learning: Pairing new Demands with highest prompt necessary to elicit a target response in order to create a pattern of reinforcement for that target response.
Extinction: The lack of previously available reinforcement.
Extinction Burst: The period of time a behavior on extinction actually increases before beginning to decrease.
Fading: The act of systematically removing a prompt from an SD.
Intensive Trial Training ITT: Teaching to planned targets when there is not a naturally occurring E O.
Intraverbals: Any words spoken or signed related to the different spoken or signed words of others.
Mand: A request.
Manding: The act of requesting.
Motor imitation: The physical copying of a modeled body movement.
Natural Environment Training NET: Teaching to planned targets where there is a naturally occurring E O.
“On the Move” Training OTM: Teaching to unplanned targets when there is a naturally occurring E O.
Picture Exchange Communication System PECS: An augmentative communication system based on the exchange of mutually understood pictures or symbols.
Prompt: Anything added to an SD that assists in eliciting a target response.
Punishment: Anything that occurs after a behavior that decreases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again.
Receptive: The demonstration of understanding the intent of a demand.
Reinforcement: Anything that occurs after a behavior that increases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again.
Response: Any behavior occurring after an SD.
RFFC: The skill of Receptive by feature function or class.
SD: Any antecedent that has established a history of eliciting a specific behavior.
SR: Any consequence that has established a history of reinforcing a specific behavior.
Sign Language (Sign): An augmentative communication system based on the exchange of mutually understood body movements.
Stimming: The act of engaging in stereotypical, repetitive movements that are self reinforcing.
Tact: A label.
Tacting: The act of Labeling.
Target Response: The response you are hoping to elicit.
Trial: A single teaching attempt.
Textual: The skill of reading a word in a book.
Verbal Behavior: Any behavior that is reinforced by a trained person.
Writing: The skill of hand writing or typing words.