Vocabulary List

1. Discrete Trial (D.T.): A method of instruction

based on the principles of behavior analysis. Skills
are broken down into small teachable units. Each
unit is taught using multiple presentations or trials
in rapid succession. Each distinct trial or
presentation has 3 components (S! "esponse! and
#onse$uence%. See also 3&term contingency.
'. Discrete: meaning apart! separate! detached from
others! distinct.
3. Trial: (eaning an attempt to do something. A trial
in ) always has 3 components! a distinct
beginning middle and end.
*. Contingency: dependence on the ful+llment of a
condition. E,ample: "einforcement is contingent
upon the student emitting the target behavior.
-. 3-term Contingency: "efers to the dependent
relationship between presenting an S the
student emitting a response providing
reinforcement or correction. )he foundation of
discrete trial.
.. Stimulus: An energy change that a/ects an
organism. 0e also refer to our instructional
materials as 1stimuli because these items signal
what response will be reinforced.
2. SD or Discriminative Stimulus: Actually means S
elta. "efers to a stimulus which signals what
responses will be reinforced and which will not. )his
is established through a history or reinforcement.
3n discrete trial a discriminative stimulus is often an
instruction. Examle: 1what4s your name56 is the
S and the response that will be reinforced would
be the child saying his7her name.
8. !esonse: A single instance of behavior. 9or our
purposes! a response is any behavior the student
emits after the presentation of an S
(discriminative stimulus%.
:. !ein"orcement: occurs when an event7stimulus
change that immediately follows a behavior
increases the future fre$uency of that behavior
under similar circumstances. )ypes of
reinforcement: positive and negative.
1;. #romting: Any assistance provided to help the
child emit the correct7target response. )ypes of
prompting include: <hysical! =estures! >erbal!
(odeling
11. Discrimination: (aking a distinction between
one thing versus another. )he way we can discern if
a student understands a concept! instruction! etc. is
to present multiple stimuli at the same time!
present the S and see if the child emits the
desired response. See also randomi?ation.
1'. $astere%: 0e consider a speci+c skill 1mastered6
if a pre determined criteria is met. )he criteria are
established in the student4s goals. 9or 1; trial drills!
the criteria is scoring 8;@ or higher (8 out 1; trials%
for 3 consecutive days7session or 1;;@ over '
consecutive days7sessions. 9or instructional
activities that are only presented one time a
session! the criteria is often * out - consecutive trial
days. Skills are not considered mastered unless
they are presented in a 1randomi?ed6 format.
13. &enerali'e%: 0e say a skill is 1generali?ed6 if the
child can emit the desired response in multiple
conte,ts7environments! with di/erent people!
stimuli! and interspersed in between other
responses with di/erent forms of the S. 9or
e,ample! we teach the child to sit when someone
provides the direction 1sit down6. )he child should
be able to follow the direction! when it is given by
(om! at the dinner table before dinner and (om is
able to say 1please go sit down.6 Another e,ample
would be teaching a child to identify an 1apple6.
)he child should be able to a drawn illustration of
an apple in a book! when asked 10here4s the
apple56 with ad while looking at books in the
doctor4s oAce. (atching and imitation are
considered 1generali?ed6 when speci+c targets no
longer need to be taught. )he child can emit the
desired response with new7untaught targets.
1*. #robe: means to investigate! $uestion! or search.
9or our purposes it means to test a student4s skills
by seeing if they can independently do a behavior
without us teaching it speci+cally. <robing is done
once with each teaching assistant. 8;@ or higher
means the student can do the behavior.
1-. (ovel: synonym for new. 9or our purpose novel
means untaught.
1.. !ecetive Language: "efers to the language
that is emitted by others and understood by the
listener. E,ample: 1touch shoe6 child touches shoe
instead of car or ball. 1Stand up6 child stands up.
12. Exressive Language: the language produced
by the child. E,pressive language can in di/erent
forms. Saying 13 want bubbles.6 <ointing to bubbles
or e,changing a <E#S icon for bubbles are all forms
of e,pressive language.
18. )*ollo+ing T,roug,-: 9or our purposes! means
when you present an instruction and the child does
not engage in the desired response! you
immediately assist the child to engage in the
behavior.
1:. Comliance: synonyms: cooperation! obedience
';. )Teac, ,ase-: this refers to the +rst two
sessions when a new skill is introduced. 0e 1teach6
the student by immediately prompting them to
engage in the correct or target response after the
presentation of the S and providing reinforcement
for each prompted response. After the 1teach
phase6 prompted responses are not reinforced.
'1. $ass trial ($.T.): "efers to when a single target
behavior that is introduced alone. E,ample:
3dentifying 1shoe6 instead of shoe! book! cup in one
drill.
''. !an%omi'e% (!.): 3ntroducing multiple targets in
one drill and presenting them in random order.
'3. .nterserse% Trial: <resenting an S for a
mastered response in between trials presenting
targets the student in currently learning. 0e use
interspersed trials for maintenance and e,pansion.
'*. Continuous C,ain: 0e use this term for imitation
drills. 1'&step continuous chain6 9or continuous
chains of imitation! you present the S one time!
engage in response continuously until the child
engages in the response then move onto the ne,t
behavior. Essentially! the student follows along with
each behavior as it happens.
'-. Se/uence% C,ain: 0e use this term for imitation
drills. 9or a 1'&step se$uenced chain6 you present
the S perform both behaviors and after both
actions are performed the child imitates both
actions. Essentially the child has to remember what
actions were performed.
'.. Visual Cue: is a signal that can be seen by the
child that indicates the desired response. Examle:
<resenting the direction 1sit down6 accompanied by
patting your hand on the chair you intend for the
child to sit. <atting the chair is an e,ample of a
visual cue.
'2. Visual Target: Anything that can be seen that
that creates a clear boundary in which to complete
the desired response. Examle: Baskets or trays
set up to place matched identical obCects. A small
piece of construction paper indicating the area in
which a student places an obCect when asked to
1put here6.
'8. Coor%inate% Eye &a'e: )his term refers to a
child using eye contact in conCunction with verbal
behavior to communicate. Speci+cally! we use this
term to refer to a student communicating by
pointing! using words or <E#S! looking from the
desired obCect to the communicative partner and
back to the obCect.
':. Verbal 0e,avior: Behavior whose reinforcement
is mediated by a listener. Behavior can be vocal or
non vocal (i.e. gestures! printed words7symbols!
pictures etc%.
3;. Directional #oint: Dsing a pointed inde, +nger to
indicate the direction you would like your student to
look. Eften paired with directions such as 1look6 or
1put in!6 or 1put here6.