Skill acquisition is the third module in RBT Task List and one of the important section since it covers varios topics from C1 to C12, with an emphasis on the teaching of new behavior or skills for enhancing the functioning of a person. For the RBTs, it entails developing, executing, and observing programs founded on behavioral principles. This manual addresses essential concepts, procedures, and strategies from the RBT 2nd Edition Task List (e.g., sections C1 to C12), with a focus on practical application.
In today’s post, we’re kicking off Section C of RBT syllabus called Skill Acquisition, a critical area that makes up 32% of the BACB exam and includes 12 parts with 24 questions. Here we will truy to cover all the Skill Acquisition Components from C1 to C12.
RBT Assessment Study Guide (B1 to B3)
RBT Skill Acquisition Study Guide
Skill acquisition is all about how an RBT teach new behaviors and abilities to improve someone’s quality of life. But before we need to identify what to teach and how to teach it. In the below sections of this page, you will find all the topics from RBT Task list 2nd Edition.
#1 Identify the essential components of a written skill acquisition plan (C1)
When designing an instructional plan, it’s essential to clearly define the specific skill to be taught, ensuring a focused target for the learning process. A comprehensive list of materials or resources required for instruction should be prepared to facilitate effective teaching. The plan should specify the prompting strategies, such as verbal, gestural, or physical prompts, to guide the learner appropriately. Additionally, reinforcement strategies must be outlined to describe how correct responses will be rewarded, encouraging continued progress.
The teaching procedure should provide a detailed, step-by-step method for delivering the instruction, ensuring clarity and consistency. To track progress, data collection methods such as recording frequency, duration, or percentage need to be defined. Finally, a generalization and maintenance plan should be included to ensure the skill is applied across various settings and sustained over time, promoting long-term success.
#2 Prepare for the session as required by the skill acquisition plan (C2)
To prepare for an effective skill acquisition session aligned with the Skill Acquisition Plan, begin by reviewing the plan thoroughly, ensuring a clear understanding of the target skill and learning objectives while checking the specified prompting, reinforcement, and teaching strategies, and reviewing data from previous sessions to monitor progress. Next, gather all necessary materials such as teaching tools, reinforcement items, and data collection sheets and set up the learning environment to minimize distractions. Plan reinforcement strategies by identifying the learner’s preferred reinforcers based on their motivation and adjusting the reinforcement schedule, whether continuous or intermittent, as needed.
Prepare prompting techniques by determining the appropriate level of support ranging from full physical to partial, verbal, or gestural prompts and outline a strategy for fading prompts to foster independence. Set up data collection by selecting the most suitable method, such as frequency, duration, latency, or percentage correct, and ensure data sheets or digital tools are ready for real-time recording. Additionally, prepare for generalization and maintenance by identifying variations in materials, people, and settings to encourage skill transfer, and plan to fade reinforcement over time to support long-term retention.
Finally, ensure mental and physical readiness by staying focused and prepared to deliver consistent instruction, while remaining flexible to adapt the approach based on the learner’s responses. This structured preparation facilitates a smooth and impactful session.
#3 Use contingencies of reinforcement (C3)
Use contingencies of reinforcemen is an important topic in skill acquisition module, as it increases the likelihood of a desired behavior recurring. Here’s how to apply different types of contingencies of reinforcement effectively:
Reinforcement in skill acquisition involves two primary types: unconditioned reinforcement, also known as primary reinforcers, which are naturally reinforcing without prior learning such as food, water, warmth, or sensory stimulation and are particularly effective for learners motivated by basic needs; and conditioned reinforcement, or secondary reinforcers, which gain value through association with primary reinforcers, including examples like praise, tokens, stickers, or access to preferred activities, and are applied by pairing them with primary reinforcers to transition learners toward more naturalistic rewards.
Reinforcement schedules further shape behavior, starting with continuous reinforcement (CRF), where every correct response is reinforced, making it ideal for teaching new skills, as seen when a child earns a token for each correctly named color. In contrast, intermittent reinforcement, or partial schedules, delivers reinforcement only occasionally after correct responses and is best for maintaining learned behaviors, encompassing fixed ratio (FR), where reinforcement occurs after a set number of responses (e.g., every 5), variable ratio (VR), which reinforces after an unpredictable number of responses (e.g., after 2, then 5, then 3) and yields the highest response rates, fixed interval (FI), where the first correct response after a fixed time (e.g., every 2 minutes) is reinforced, and variable interval (VI), where reinforcement follows the first correct response after varying times (e.g., 1 minute, then 3, then 2).
In practical application during sessions, begin with continuous reinforcement to introduce a new skill, then gradually shift to intermittent reinforcement to strengthen and maintain it, incorporating conditioned reinforcement to guide learners toward natural reinforcers like praise instead of solely tangible rewards, and adjust schedules based on the learner’s progress to optimize outcomes.
#4 Implement discrete-trial teaching procedures (C4)
Discrete-Trial Teaching (DTT) is an organized ABA instructional approach that dismantles skills into discrete, teachable parts. Each trial involves a clear instruction-response-consequence sequence that guides people to acquire new skills in an orderly manner.
First, get ready for the session by choosing the target skill from the Skill Acquisition Plan and collecting required materials, like flashcards, toys, or reinforcement items. Finding good reinforcers, like favorite snacks, toys, or verbal compliments, is important to encourage the learner. Second, having a distraction-free learning environment ensures improved concentration and engagement.
Every DTT trial involves three main steps: Antecedent, Behavior, and Consequence (ABC Model). The antecedent is a brief and clear instruction (also called the discriminative stimulus or SD) presented to the learner. For instance, the teacher may say, “Touch your nose.” Prior to presenting the instruction, it is crucial to obtain the learner’s attention to enhance the probability of an accurate response.
Then, the behavior is the learner’s reaction to the instruction. This reaction can be correct, incorrect, or missing. If the reaction is correct, the instructor immediately gives reinforcement, like praise or a concrete reward, to reinforce repetition of the desired behavior. But if the reaction is incorrect or missing, the instructor uses error correction by withholding reinforcement and re-presenting the SD with proper prompting. Examples of common prompts are modeling (providing the correct response) or physical guidance, which are gradually faded to prompt independent responses.
| Trial | Antecedent (Instruction) | Response | Consequence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Clap your hands” | Claps | Praise + Token | Correct |
| 2 | “Clap your hands” | No response | Model + Repeat | P |
| 3 | “Clap your hands” | Claps | Praise + High Five | Correct |
#5 Implement naturalistic teaching procedures (C5)
To implement naturalistic teaching procedures effectively, begin by embedding instruction within the learner’s everyday environment and routines, such as during play, mealtime, or social interactions, to capitalize on naturally occurring opportunities rather than contrived settings. Identify the learner’s current interests and motivations such as a favorite toy, snack, or activity and use these as the foundation for teaching functional skills like manding, tacting, or intraverbals, ensuring the target behavior is immediately relevant and reinforced by the natural consequences of the context (e.g., requesting a toy leads to playing with it).
#6 Implement Task Analyzed Chaining Procedures (C6)
Task analyzed chaining is a teaching procedure in ABA that breaks down complex skills into smaller, sequential steps. This approach is very helpful to individuals to learn multi tasks efficiently by reinforcing each step in the correct order.
The 3 main types of chaining procedures includes forward chaining, backward chaining, and total-task chaining.
Forward chaining teaches the first step independently while the instructor completes the remaining steps. Once the learner masters the first step, they move on to the next one in sequence. For instance, when teaching a child to brush their teeth, the first step might be picking up the toothbrush. After mastering this, they move on to applying toothpaste, and so on.
Backward chaining, on the other hand, requires the instructor to complete all steps except the final one, which the learner performs independently. As they master the last step, instruction moves backward through the sequence. For example, in teaching dressing skills, the instructor might help with all steps except pulling up pants, which the learner does independently.
Finally, Total Task Chaining involves teaching the entire sequence in one go, providing prompts or reinforcement as needed. This method is useful for learners who have some familiarity with the task.
#7 Implement Discrimination Training (C7)
Discrimination training is a procedure in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) that teaches individuals to differentiate between stimuli and respond appropriately to specific cues. This is essential for developing communication, academic, and daily living skills.
It is two types, simple discrimination and conditional discrimination. In simple discrimination, the learner is taught to associate one stimulus with reinforcement. In conditional discrimination, the response depends on additional contextual cues.
#8 Implement Stimulus Control Transfer Procedures (C8)
Stimulus control transfer is the process of shifting control of a learner’s response from a prompt to the natural stimulus (SD). This ensures that the learner responds independently in real-world situations without relying on additional cues.
The most common stimulus control transfer procedures include prompt fading, prompt delay, and stimulus fading. Prompt fading gradually reduces the level of assistance provided.
For example, If you want to teach a child to clap on a command, you have to start with full physical guidance, then move to a light touch, then to a gestural cue, and eventually to just the verbal command, “Clap.”
Prompt delay involves increasing the time between the natural stimulus and the prompt, allowing the learner to respond independently before assistance is given.
For instance, when you teach a child to label a picture,you might wait a few seconds before providing a verbal prompt, giving the child an opportunity to respond on their own.
Stimulus fading involves gradually changing the prompt itself until it is no longer needed. A common example is teaching letter recognition by presenting faded versions of letters until the learner can recognize them without additional visual support.
#9 Implement Prompt and Prompt Fading Procedures (C9)
Prompts are cues or assistance given to help a learner produce the correct response when learning a new skill. Prompt fading is the gradual removal of these prompts to ensure the learner responds independently. The goal is to transfer control from the prompt to the natural discriminative stimulus (SD) so the learner can perform the skill in real-world situations.
There are different types of prompts that includes
- Physical Prompts: Physically guiding the learner to complete the task
- Modeling: Demonstrating the correct behavior for the learner to imitate
- Gestural Prompts: Using hand gestures or pointing to indicate the correct response
- Verbal Prompts: Giving spoken cues or hints
- Visual Prompts: Using images, written instructions, or highlighted cue
- Positional Prompts: Placing the correct choice closer to the learner
#10 Implement generalization and maintenance procedures (C10)
Generalization ensures that a learned skill is applied across different settings, people, and materials, while maintenance ensures that the skill continues over time without the need for constant instruction or reinforcement. Without these processes, a learner may only perform the skill in a controlled teaching environment but fail to use it in real-life situations.
#11 Implement shaping procedures (C11)
This method is particularly useful when teaching complex or difficult behaviors where learner cannot perform independently. Shaping is a behavioral technique used in ABA to teach new skills. Instead of requiring a learner to perform the complete behavior immediately, shaping gradually builds the skill by reinforcing small steps that lead to the final goal.
#12 Implement token economy procedures (C12)
A token economy is a structured behavior management system used in ABA to reinforce desired behaviors by providing tokens that can later be exchanged for preferred rewards. This method is highly effective in increasing motivation, improving compliance, and promoting skill development in learners of all ages.
The first step in implementing a token economy is identifying the behaviors. Then choose the tokens to distribute, track, and exchange while maintaining the learner’s interest. Learners should understand how they can exchange their tokens for preferred rewards. Finally, Regular data collection should track the learner’s progress, token earnings, and exchanges.
By systematically implementing a token economy, learners develop positive behaviors while gaining motivation through structured reinforcement.