ABA Acronyms!! Our field is almost as bad as the military when it comes to acronyms. So we made this post to help explain common terms you will come across if receiving services. As always, you can contact us if you have questions or want to know more.
ABA: Applied Behavior Analysis: The science/therapy of studying and changing behavior through principles and data collection. Commonly used to change behaviors such as increase communication skills, daily activities of living, skill acquisition skills and decrease behaviors like tantrums, aggression etc.
ABC: A - Antecedent (what happens right before a behavior occurs); B - Behavior (what the child does); C - Consequence (what happens right after a behavior). This is how we determine a pattern in behavior.
BCBA: Board Certified Behavior Analyst: Certified professionals who are independent practitioners that provide behavior-analytic services.
BIP: Behavior Intervention Plan: A individualized plan created specifically for target behaviors based on the results of an FBA (see below).
DTT: Discrete Trial Training:ABA technique that breaks down skills into small, “discrete” steps to teach a concept.
FBA: Functional Behavior Assessment: A process for identifying problem behaviors and developing interventions to improve or eliminate those behaviors.
FCT: Functional Communication Training: The procedure of teaching an alternative response for a behavior.
IEP: Individualized Education Plan: A written education plan designed to meet a child's learning needs.
NET: Natural Environment Training: The procedure of teaching new skills naturally in the environment the child is used to.
SIB: Self-Injurious Behavior: Hurting your own body in any type of way (I.e. head banging, cutting, hair pulling etc.).
Other Unfamiliar Words You May Hear:
Reinforcement: The addition or removal of something that increases the behavior.
Punishment: The addition or removal of something that decreases the behavior.
Extinction: The gradual elimination of a behavior.
Extinction Burst: A temporary increase in the intensity or frequency of the behavior you are eliminating. (This means its working yay!).
Mand: A demand/request.
Tact: A label.
Echoic: Echoing what you here.
Intraverbal: A fill in or a response to another person.
Prompt: Assistance with the task or skill through someone else or by changing the item/task itself.
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