ABA Course

Lesson 1 • Basic Concepts in Behavior Science

Defines behavior, environment, and the organism as the three-term unit of analysis. Establishes precise vocabulary students will use throughout the entire course.

Lesson 2 • Ethical Foundations of ABA Practice

Introduces professional ethics codes and the least-restrictive-intervention principle. Students identify ethical obligations before implementing any behavior-change procedure.

Lesson 3 • History and Philosophy of Behaviorism

Traces behaviorism from Watson through Skinner to modern ABA, grounding students in the field's intellectual lineage. Provides context for understanding why ABA operates as a natural science.

Lesson 1 • Continuous and Discontinuous Recording

Contrasts event recording, whole-interval, partial-interval, and momentary time sampling. Students select the appropriate method based on behavior characteristics and practical constraints.

Lesson 2 • Dimensions of Behavior to Measure

Covers frequency, rate, duration, latency, inter-response time, and magnitude as measurable properties. Students match each dimension to the behavior and question it best answers.

Lesson 3 • Interobserver Agreement

Teaches calculation and interpretation of IOA indices to verify measurement reliability. Students practice computing point-by-point and total-count IOA from sample data sets.

Lesson 4 • Behavioral Cusps and Measurement Planning

Guides students in selecting target behaviors and designing a complete measurement plan before data collection begins. Connects measurement decisions to the broader assessment and intervention cycle.

Lesson 1 • Schedules of Reinforcement

Covers fixed and variable ratio and interval schedules and their characteristic response patterns. Students predict schedule effects on acquisition, maintenance, and extinction resistance.

Lesson 2 • Reinforcement: Positive and Negative

Defines positive and negative reinforcement through the lens of stimulus addition and removal. Students distinguish reinforcement from reward and identify each type in applied examples.

Lesson 3 • Motivating Operations and Stimulus Control

Introduces establishing and abolishing operations that alter reinforcer effectiveness and evoke behavior. Students integrate MO analysis into reinforcement planning to improve intervention outcomes.

Lesson 4 • Punishment: Positive and Negative

Defines positive and negative punishment and their effects on future behavior frequency. Students apply ethical guidelines when considering punishment-based procedures.

Lesson 1 • Descriptive Assessment Methods

Teaches ABC narrative recording and scatterplot analysis to identify antecedent-behavior-consequence patterns. Students conduct and code a live or video-based descriptive observation.

Lesson 2 • Functional Analysis Methodology

Introduces Iwata's analog functional analysis conditions and their logic for isolating behavioral functions. Students design a basic FA protocol and interpret graphed results.

Lesson 3 • Indirect Assessment Methods

Covers structured interviews, rating scales, and checklists used to gather informant perspectives. Students administer and score common indirect tools and summarize findings.

Lesson 4 • Functions of Behavior

Presents the four primary behavioral functions: access, escape, attention, and automatic reinforcement. Students classify problem behaviors by function using case vignettes.

Lesson 1 • Antecedent-Based Interventions

Covers environmental modifications, high-probability request sequences, and noncontingent reinforcement as antecedent strategies. Students select antecedent interventions matched to the identified behavioral function.

Lesson 2 • BIP Documentation and Review

Guides students in writing a complete, legally defensible BIP document and scheduling data-based reviews. Students practice revising BIPs based on graphed progress data.

Lesson 3 • Consequence-Based Strategies

Covers differential reinforcement procedures including DRA, DRO, DRI, and DRL. Students match each DR procedure to the function and severity of the target behavior.

Lesson 4 • Crisis and Safety Planning

Addresses procedures for managing severe behavior safely, including de-escalation and emergency protocols. Students embed crisis plans within the BIP and train support staff on implementation.

Lesson 1 • Prompting Strategies and Hierarchies

Covers the full prompt hierarchy from most-to-least and least-to-most, including physical, model, and verbal prompts. Students select and sequence prompts to minimize errors and promote independence.

Lesson 2 • Shaping and Differential Reinforcement

Teaches successive approximation as a method for building novel behaviors not yet in the learner's repertoire. Students design shaping programs with defined criteria for each step.

Lesson 3 • Naturalistic Teaching Strategies

Presents incidental teaching, natural environment training, and pivotal response training as alternatives to structured DTT. Students embed teaching opportunities within natural routines and activities.

Lesson 4 • Discrete Trial Training

Covers the structure of a discrete trial, including the SD, response, and consequence components. Students implement DTT programs with correct pacing, error correction, and data collection.

Lesson 1 • Self-Management Techniques

Introduces self-monitoring, self-instruction, and self-reinforcement as strategies that promote independent behavior change. Students design a self-management package for a learner-appropriate target.

Lesson 2 • Maintenance Strategies

Teaches schedule thinning, natural community of reinforcement, and self-management as maintenance tools. Students embed maintenance probes into ongoing data collection systems.

Lesson 3 • Types of Generalization

Distinguishes stimulus generalization, response generalization, and maintenance as distinct outcomes to plan for. Students identify which generalization type is relevant for each target behavior.

Lesson 1 • Alternating Treatments and Changing Criterion

Introduces ATD for comparing two or more treatments and changing criterion for shaping toward a goal. Students select the appropriate design based on the research question.

Lesson 2 • Logic of Single-Subject Research

Explains the rationale for using the individual as their own control and the role of replication. Students distinguish single-subject designs from group designs and identify their advantages.

Lesson 3 • Reversal and Withdrawal Designs

Covers ABAB and withdrawal designs, including their logic, strengths, and ethical limitations. Students identify when reversal designs are appropriate and when they are contraindicated.

Lesson 4 • Multiple Baseline Designs

Presents multiple baseline across behaviors, settings, and participants as a non-reversal alternative. Students evaluate staggered introduction logic and identify threats to internal validity.