Rbt Study Guide Behavior assessment

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Behavior Assessment

RBT Task List 3.0 (Section B). Understanding client needs, preferences, and the functions of behavior.

B.1

Preference Assessments

Identifying what items or activities a learner enjoys. These items are potential reinforcers (they only become reinforcers if they actually increase behavior).

  • Free Operant (Observation) Watching what the client engages with naturally in an unrestricted environment. Good for clients who engage in problem behavior when items are removed.
  • Single Stimulus (Successive Choice) Presenting one item at a time. Used for clients who have difficulty choosing between two items.
  • Paired Choice (Forced Choice) Presenting two items and asking the client to "pick one." This creates a hierarchy of most-to-least preferred items.
  • Multiple Stimulus (MSWO / MSW) Presenting 3 or more items in an array.
    *Without Replacement (MSWO): Chosen item is removed (ranking system).
    *With Replacement (MSW): Chosen item goes back into the array.
B.2

Assist with Skill Assessments

The RBT's role is to assist the BCBA. You do not design the assessment or interpret the results, but you may conduct trials to see what a client knows.

Curriculum-Based
Assessments like VB-MAPP or ABLLS-R check language and learning skills against age-typical milestones.
Social Skills
Assessments focusing on peer interactions, play skills, and understanding social cues.

Probing: Testing a skill without prompting to see if the client can do it independently. Usually done before teaching starts (Baseline).

B.3

Functional Assessment Procedures

Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) is a process used to determine the "Why" (Function) of a behavior. Why is it happening?

The RBT's primary role in an FBA is collecting ABC Data:

  • A - Antecedent What happened immediately before the behavior? (e.g., Demand placed, toy removed).
  • B - Behavior What exactly did the behavior look like? (Observable and Measurable).
  • C - Consequence What happened immediately after the behavior? (e.g., Attention given, escape provided).

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