RBT Module 4: Lesson 1A

The ultimate goal of instruction within ABA is for learner to respond appropriately to naturally occurring antecedents, under contextually appropriate motivating operations and naturally occurring schedules of reinforcement. If the goals we have selected are socially valid, then the impact of learning to use a behaviour under such circumstances should improve a client?s quality of life.

This means that if we are teaching them about money, the ultimate goal will be that they use money in a contextually appropriate manner ? producing the correct amount when provided with a bill.

If we are teaching a client to use a toilet, then they will go to a toilet and urinate when they feel the urge to do so.

If we are teaching them to use a coping a tolerance skill, we want them to be able to use it in the environment outside of which they learned the skill when they are stressed.

When skills are taught in this way, they improve a person?s independence and strengthen their ability to live the kind of life they would like to live.  

During the initial phases of instruction, it may be necessary to reinforce learner?s behaviour with artificially heightened levels of reinforcement. However, over time, reinforcement schedules are thinned until the behaviour continues to occur when provided with the naturally occurring schedules of reinforcement.

Similarly, we use a variety of different procedures to transfer stimulus control from an SD in whose presence a behaviour currently occurs, to the one under which it needs to occur to encounter reinforcement in a natural environment.

In effect, as part of instruction, behaviour analysts create temporary prosthetic physical and social environments to help establish a skill. Then, the prosthetic aspects of that environment are gradually and systematically removed in response to a learner?s progress until the behaviour is happening under naturally occurring circumstances in all environments where that behaviour would benefit a learner.

In some circumstance, it might not be necessary or desirable to remove all prosthetic aspects of that environment. For example, if during instruction, a learner learns to plan their day and go about their daily activities using a visual schedule app, then that supplementary stimulus has no negative impacts on that learner. Since they can use it themselves, it does not make them dependent on other people.

As an RBT, it is important to remember this. You should ask your supervisor what plans are in place to thin schedules of reinforcement and to transfer stimulus control to naturally occurring antecedents.? If you understand the goals of an intervention, you will likely perform better and feel more satisfied with your work.

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