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RBT COMPETENCY STUDY

GUIDE

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Alex Faucheux
BT EXAM REVIEW
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The best way to use this study guide is together the YouTube video. The YouTube video contains all
the visual examples and verbal explanations.

https://youtu.be/wu7wOHzRqX8

RBT Competency Assessment

Tasks 1-3:
Continuous Measurement
“What is continuous measurement?”
“Continuous Measurement occurs when you record every instance of a behavior or response”
Frequency – Counting. How many times did bx occur?
Ex. Johnny eloped 10 times yesterday. The frequency is 10
Duration – How long, or the extent, that a behavior occurs
Ex. Johnny tantrumed for 5 minutes. The duration is 5 minutes.
Latency – The time between the onset of a stimulus and the start of the response
Ex. I say, “sit down”. 4 seconds later, the client sits down. The latency is 4 seconds.
Rate – Ratio of counter per observation time, or responses per minute/per hour/per session/etc
Ex. Johnny bangs his head 5 times per hour (15 times/3 hours)
IRT – The time between the end of one response and the beginning of another (same) response
Ex. 13 seconds passed between two instances of screaming
Discontinuous Measurement
“What is discontinuous measurement?”

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“Discontinuous Measurement occurs when you record behaviors or responses during a set interval of
time, but not the entire session.”
Partial interval – Did behavior occur at all during the interval? Overestimates bx
Ex. Johnny screamed once during the 30 second interval
Whole interval – Did behavior occur during the whole interval? Underestimates bx
Ex. Johnny screamed the entire 30 second interval
Momentary time sampling – Did behavior occur at that particular moment? Underestimates bx
Ex. Johnny screamed at the exact moment that you were taking data for

Data and Graphs

“What is the most common graph?”
“Line graph”
“What goes on the x and y intervals?”
“Time goes on the x-interval and behavior goes on the y-interval”

Time Behavior
5

1 1
2 3
4

3 2
4 4
3

Behavior
5 5
2

Tasks 4-5
1

1 2 3 4 5

Time
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Preference Assessments
“Name some preference assessments”
“Free operant, forced choice, multiple stimulus with and without replacement”
“What preference assessment makes the client choose between two items?”
“Forced choice/paired stimulus”

Forced choice with a client or role play: take two items and present the items. Say “which one.” Keep
the item chosen, and replace the other item. Repeat the process until you have used all items.

Free operant – observing and timing how long a client engages with an item or items
Used to identify reinforcers (reinforcer assessment)
Forced Choice – Presenting two items or activities and asking the client to choose one
Used to identify reinforcers (reinforcer assessment)
Multiple Stimulus w/ Replacement – items are presented, learner choose an item, that item is
put back and unchosen items are replaced
Multiple Stimulus w/o Replacement – items are presented, learner chooses an item, that item is
Taken out and the other items are rearranged

ABC Data
“What is ABC Data?”
“Antecedent, behavior, consequence data. Data on what happens right before and right after the
behavior.”
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Antecedent: “I’m thirsty”
Behavior: Takes a drink
Consequence: No longer thirsty

Tasks 6-15
Discrete Trial Teaching
“What is DTT? When do we use it?”
“DTT is discrete trial training or teaching. We use it to teach new skills. DTT has a clear beginning and an
end and allows us to deliver reinforcement and feedback very quickly”

Different types of DTT

Distractor trial – one target, and two unknown choices
Random rotation – one mastered target, and trial target
Maintenance/Generalization – run mastered choices
Easy to observe, and give corrective feedback
Many trials can be run

With Client:
Provide SD -> Observe Response -> Deliver Reinforcement or Feedback -> Pause -> Provide SD
“Touch Green” -> *Touches green* -> “Great job touching green!” -> Pause -> “Touch Green”
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Naturalistic Teaching
“What is naturalistic teaching? When do we use it?”
“Naturalistic teaching, also called incidental teaching, is used to strengthen, generalize, and maintain
behaviors. We look for opportunities to reinforce the client in the natural environment.”

Incorporating natural activities and natural reinforcers and consequences

Can take place in natural settings such as home and schools
Can involve parents, siblings, peers
Ex. Initiating social interactions, safety, gaining attention, gaining access to items
Used for strengthening, generalizing, and maintaining

With client:
You might be hanging out with the client working on manding. You know they want cookies, so you wait
for them to reach for cookies, and ask “what do you want?” evoking a mand, and delivering the cookies
as reinforcement.

Chaining
“Name the three types of chaining”
“Forward, backward, and total-task”
“Describe forward chaining”
“We teach and reinforce the first step in the chain and prompt the rest. We then teach and reinforce the
first and second steps and then prompt the rest”
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Task Analysis – breaking complex skills into smaller, teachable steps (creates the chain)
Forward chain – 1st step is taught and reinforced, then remaining steps are prompted
Backward chain – Last step is taught and reinforced, then remaining steps are prompted
Total Task chain – Teach the entire chain all at once

With client:
If you were backwards chaining hand washing, you would prompt the client through the entire thing,
and then have them dry their hands independently. You would deliver reinforcement after the last step
(drying their hands).

Shaping
“What is shaping?”
“Reinforcing approximations of behavior to teach a novel behavior”

Differential reinforcement – reinforce only the approximation you want

Great for shaping language
Teaches novel behaviors

With client:
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Teaching the world bubble. You would first reinforce your client for saying “b.” You would then only
reinforce when your client said “bubb.” Finally, you would only reinforce “bubble.” You have shaped a
behavior.

Discrimination Training
“What is discrimination training”
“Teaching our clients to tell the difference between two stimuli”
“How do we teach discrimination?”
“Differential reinforcement”

Discrimination can be taught for colors, shapes, objects, people, etc.

You reinforce the response in the presence of the correct stimulus, and put the response on
extinction in the presence of the incorrect stimulus. (refer to video for visual example)

With client:
You lay out a blue card and a red card. You say, “touch blue.” Your client touches red. You put this on
extinction. You say, “touch blue.” Your client touches blue, and you reinforce. In the future your client
only touches the blue card in response to “blue.”

Stimulus Transfer Control Procedures

“What is stimulus transfer control?”
“Transferring the control of a response from one stimulus to another”
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Stimulus transfer control is similar to fading prompts
You want the response to come under the control of a different SD than whatever SD is
currently controlling the response

With a client:
It might be difficult to do this one with a client, but if you do, just think about fading prompts.
SD -> Prompt -> Response
“What is 2+2” -> “Say four” -> “Four
The response “four” is under the control of the prompt (stimulus). We need to transfer control to the
SD. We should only reinforce in the presence of “What is 2+2”
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Prompting
“What is prompting”
“Prompting is assistance or a cue used to evoke the desired response”
“What are two types of prompting procedure?”
“Least to most and most to least”

Prompting – cue or assistance to encourage a desired response

Inadvertent prompt – accidental prompt such as looking at correct target
Prompt fading – Moving down the prompt hierarchy
Ex. Going from physical prompt to a gestural prompt
Prompt dependency – requiring a prompt to perform a task
Ex. Johnny can’t remove his pants without a prompt
Least-to-Most – using the least number of prompts and only moving to more prompts as
necessary
Most-to-Least – using the most amount of prompting at the start, and moving towards
lesser prompts as needed
Types of prompts: verbal, gesture, positional, model, partial and full physical

With a client:
You will need to use whatever prompt is required of you if you do your competency with a client. I
recommend using verbal prompts, model prompts, or gestural prompts. Remember: the prompt comes
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after the SD/instruction, but BEFORE the behavior.

Token Systems
“What do we use tokens for?”
“We use them as generalized conditioned reinforcers to reinforce a variety of behaviors”
“Are tokens conditioned or unconditioned?”
“Conditioned”
“When do you deliver a token?”
“I deliver a token according to the reinforcement schedule”
“What does your client do after they get all their tokens?”
“They exchange the tokens for a back-up reinforcer”

Tokens are generalized conditioned reinforcers

Tokens are only as strong as their back-up reinforcers
Back-up reinforcers are what the tokens are exchanged for
Tokens are typically delivered on basic reinforcement schedules
FR – Fixed Ratio
FI – Fixed Interval
VR – Variable Ratio
VI – Variable Interval
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With client (refer to video for visual example):

When working with a client, you would deliver tokens based on the reinforcement schedule provided
and for the target behaviors. Always clarify what the reinforcement schedule is when working with
tokens, and what your target behaviors are. And then simply run your programs with the client.

Crisis/Emergency Scenario
“What is crisis or emergency situations?”
“When the client, I, or another person are in danger”
“What are the crisis procedures here?”
*you would answer whatever your company policy dictates*

Hair pulling – hair up, wear hat, safe distance

Biting/Scratching – long clothing, safe distance, push into bite
Throwing objects – clear area, avoid dangerous items, hold items on table
Striking/hitting – block attempts and move out the way
Restraining – Last resort, and only when there is clear danger. Discontinue asap
And report to your supervisor. Write an incident report.

With client:
Typically, you will not do crisis/emergency scenarios with an actual client. However, you may have to
roleplay one of the above scenarios. Remember, keep yourself, the client, and others safe.
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Antecedent Interventions
“What are antecedent interventions?”
“Interventions that take place before the behavior in attempt to prevent a behavior. They are
preventative measures”
“Give me an example”
“Putting your hair in a ponytail if your client pulls hair”
“How would we manipulate motivating operations?”
“By depriving or satiating the client”

Antecedent – antecedents are manipulated before the bx occurs

Ex. Johnny makes a huge mess with the ball pit. The ball pit is removed before session
Ex. You use candy as a reinforcer. Johnny isn’t allowed candy until it is time for session
Motivating operations of Discriminative Stimuli can be manipulated

With client:
If you are with a client, and you know they will swipe cups of water, remove cups of water before
working with the client. For antecedent intervention role-play, consider what changes you can make
BEFORE you engage with the client. That is the key to antecedent interventions.
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Differential Reinforcement
“What is differential reinforcement?”
“Differential reinforcement is when we reinforce a response, and put all other responses on extinction”
“Name three DR procedures”
“Differential reinforcement of alternative behaviors, incompatible behaviors, and other behaviors”

Differential Reinforcement – reinforcing a desired bx while withholding R+ for an

undesirable bx
Ex. You reinforce a child asking nicely for an apple, but put screaming on extinction
DRI – DR of incompatible behaviors
Ex. Kevin elopes from his seat. Kevin is only reinforced if he is sitting in his seat.
Kevin can’t be in his seat, and out of his seat, at the same time. (incompatible)
DRA - DR of alternate behaviors
Ex. Karen screams the answer, instead of raising her hand. She is only reinforced when
She raises her hand. Karen can scream and raiser her hand at the same time (alt bx)
DRO – DR of other behaviors
Ex. Julie pulls hair. If Julie doesn’t pull hair for 3 minutes she is reinforced

With client:
If you are working on DRA or DRI, you will reinforce only the target behavior. Put all other
behaviors/responses on extinction. If you are implementing DRO with a client or via role-play, you will
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reinforce whenever the target behavior is not happening. When the target behavior is occurring, put it
on extinction.

Extinction
“What is extinction?”
“Removing or stopping reinforcement for a behavior that was previously reinforced”
“What can we expect when we implement extinction?”
“An extinction burst. An extinction burst is a predictable increase in behavior that is put on extinction.”

Extinction – reinforcement of a previously reinforced bx is discontinued

Extinction burst – a predictable, temporary increase in intensity of bx during extinction
Spontaneous recovery – the sudden reappearance of a previously extinguished behavior

With client:
This one is very easy with a client or role play. Whatever reinforces the target behavior, do not deliver
that reinforcement whether it is attention, tokens, or anything else.
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Tasks 16-20
Session Notes
“When are session notes to be completed?”
“Before the end of session (or whatever your company policy is”
“What should you remember about session notes?”
“Be objective, be complete, and just say what happened”

Session notes must be objective. Write what you observed, not what you feel.
Include: goals worked on, and the data that goes along with the goals
Ex. Johnny worked on manding, and manded 3 times for his bear.
Report on the following:
How client responded to reinforcement
Antecedents and consequences
How data was collected (DTT, duration, frequency)
Was anything mastered?
Only report what happened

With client:
If you are asked to write session notes, or demonstrate session notes, make sure you remain objective
and ONLY write exactly what you see, not what you feel. Objectivity and completeness are the two most
important aspects of session notes.
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Client Dignity
“When should you maintain client dignity?”
“Always?”
“How do you maintain client dignity?”
“By treating them like I would treat anyone else. Treat them appropriately for their age and skill level.
Respect them.”

Always respect your client, speak to them like you would anyone else
You will treat them as you would treat any member of society
Respect cultural differences that you may encounter
Share client information only with stakeholders and your supervisor
Adjust your language and behavior to reflect ages/skill level
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Professional Boundaries
“What are professional boundaries?”
“Boundaries that are clear between professional and personal relationships”
“If a client asks you to babysit, should you accept?”
“No. I should only work with the client as an RBT”
“What is a dual relationship?”
“A relationship between myself and a client that is both professional and personal”
“Are they allowed?”
“No.”

Dual relationships – professional relationships that involve friendships, romance, or business

It’s very important that you avoid any dual relationships with your clients
Make sure the relationship boundaries are clearly defined
Do not accept gifts, invitations, or food from your clients
Violating this professional relationship can cause services to suffer
If you are having issues, refer to your supervisor or consultant

Supervision Requirements:
You must receive supervision every month as an RBT
5% of your hours spent delivering service must be supervised
If you work 100 hours, you must receive 5 hours of supervision
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You must get your supervision form signed every month by your supervisor

Clinical Direction
“When should you request clinical direction from a supervisor?”
“At any point that I have a question, or concern”
“Should you wait for scheduled supervision to reach out a supervisor?”
“No, as soon as something comes up I should reach out to a supervisor”

Communication is crucial between you and your supervisor

Ask a lot of questions
Always get clarity on treatment plans and behavior plans
Never hesitate to question your supervisor