Behavior reduction is a key part of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and is a major topic on the Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) exam. Around 12 questions on the exam come from this area, so it’s important to understand it well. This guide will help you learn about all the important topics from Unit D of the RBT Task List so you can be well-prepared for the test.
Importance of Behavior Reduction in ABA Therapy
Behavior reduction is a central goal in ABA because some behaviors can be harmful, disruptive, or interfere with learning. These behaviors can include aggression, self-injury, property damage, spitting, screaming, or other actions that cause harm or interrupt progress. In ABA, we call these “target behaviors” or sometimes “maladaptive” or “inappropriate” behaviors.
The goal of behavior reduction is not just to stop bad behavior. It’s to help clients learn new, helpful ways of acting. This can improve their safety, help them learn better, and make daily life easier for them and those around them. ABA uses proven techniques to reduce these behaviors in a safe and effective way.
Key Parts of a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) in ABA
A Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) is a written guide that explains how to reduce a client’s harmful or interfering behaviors. The BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) creates this plan, and RBTs, caregivers, teachers, and others help put it into action.
Here are the main parts that must be included in every behavior reduction plan:
Behaviors Targeted for Reduction
The plan must clearly name the behaviors that need to be reduced. These are behaviors that may cause harm or stop the person from learning or doing daily tasks. Common examples are hitting, biting, self-injury, yelling, or throwing objects.
Who Carries Out the Plan
The plan must also say who is responsible for using it. This can be parents, RBTs, teachers, or caregivers. Everyone involved needs to know their role so that the client gets the same support across different places like home, school, or therapy sessions.
Function of the Behavior
Every behavior happens for a reason. In ABA, we call this the “function” of the behavior. The plan must explain why the behavior is happening so we can address the real cause. If we don’t understand the reason, we might accidentally make the problem worse.
Preventative Strategies
Preventing bad behavior is better than just reacting to it. The plan should include ways to stop the behavior before it happens. These are called antecedent strategies. They include things like offering choices, using visual supports, setting routines, and helping the person stay calm.
Consequent Strategies
These are the steps to follow if the target behavior happens. For example, ignoring the behavior, guiding the person to do something else, or taking away a reward. These responses must be clear and consistent so the behavior doesn’t get worse over time.
Crisis Procedures
If the behavior could cause serious harm, the plan must include a crisis strategy. This includes what to do if the person runs away, gets aggressive, or has a medical emergency like a seizure. Everyone should know how to stay safe and what to do in these situations.
Four Common Functions of Behavior in ABA
To reduce a behavior, we first need to understand why it’s happening. ABA identifies four main reasons, or functions, why people behave in certain ways:
Automatic Reinforcement
This means the person does something because it feels good or gives them some kind of internal reward. Examples are rocking back and forth, biting nails, or humming. These behaviors don’t need attention from others to keep happening.
Attention
Some behaviors happen because the person wants attention from someone else. This can be a caregiver, teacher, or peer. For example, a child might scream just to get a reaction from an adult, even if the attention is negative.
Escape or Avoidance
Sometimes, people act out to avoid something they don’t like, such as a hard task or a noisy environment. A student who throws a tantrum to get out of doing homework is trying to escape from the task.
Access to Tangibles or Activities
This happens when a person behaves in a certain way to get something they want, like a toy, snack, or favorite activity. For example, a child might cry to get a cookie or use problem behavior to get screen time.
Understanding the reason behind a behavior helps the team build a plan that works better and faster.
Using Antecedent Strategies to Change Behavior
Antecedents are what happen before a behavior. If we can change the things that happen before a bad behavior, we can often stop it from happening at all. Here are some common strategies used in ABA:
Visual Supports and Schedules
Pictures, checklists, and charts help clients know what to expect. This can reduce confusion, stress, and unwanted behavior.
High-Probability Request Sequence
This means asking a person to do easy tasks first, before asking them to do something harder. It builds confidence and helps them stay on task.
Priming
Letting someone know what will happen before it happens. For example, saying, “In five minutes, we’re going to clean up,” helps prepare them for the change.
Offering Choices
Letting someone choose between two acceptable options helps them feel more in control. This often reduces resistance and problem behavior.
Non-Contingent Reinforcement (NCR)
Giving rewards or positive interactions regularly, without requiring good behavior first. This helps keep the environment calm and positive.
Using Timers
Timers show how long an activity will last or when a change is coming. This helps clients understand time and manage transitions more easily.
Motivating Operations (MOs)
MOs change how much a person wants something. For example, if someone is very hungry, food becomes more valuable. There are two types:
- Establishing Operations (EOs): Increase the value of a reward
- Abolishing Operations (AOs): Decrease the value of a reward
Discriminative Stimuli (SDs)
An SD is a signal that a certain behavior will be rewarded. For example, a stop sign tells you to stop, and a teacher saying “clean up” signals it’s time to put toys away.
Applying Differential Reinforcement in Behavior Plans
Differential reinforcement is a simple but powerful tool. It means giving rewards for good behaviors and not giving rewards for bad ones.
Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO)
This method gives rewards when the person does not show the problem behavior during a set time. For example, if a child doesn’t scream for 5 minutes, they get a reward. If they scream, the timer starts over.
Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior (DRA)
With DRA, we give rewards when the person uses a better behavior instead of the bad one. For example, if a child usually grabs toys, we might teach them to ask with words or sign language. If they do that, they get the toy. If they grab, they don’t.
How Extinction Works in ABA
Extinction means stopping the reward that keeps a bad behavior going. If a child yells to get attention and we stop giving attention when they yell, the yelling should eventually go away.
It’s important to know that behaviors might get worse before they get better. This is called an “extinction burst.” It’s a sign that the process is working, but we must be consistent and not give in.
Different types of extinction are used based on the function of the behavior:
- Attention extinction: Ignore the behavior
- Tangible extinction: Don’t give access to items when the behavior happens
- Escape extinction: Don’t let the person avoid the task through behavior
Extinction should always be used carefully and with a proper plan in place.
Following Crisis or Emergency Procedures During ABA Therapy
Sometimes, a behavior can become dangerous. This might mean the person is at risk of hurting themselves, hurting others, or having a medical problem. A crisis plan tells everyone what to do in these situations.
For example, if a client runs out of the building (called elopement), the plan might say to block the exit, call for help, or alert the family. If the person has asthma, seizures, or other health conditions, the plan must include steps to manage those emergencies.
The crisis plan must be clear and easy to follow. Everyone working with the client should know it well and practice it if needed.
By studying this guide closely, you can build a strong understanding of how to reduce problem behavior in ABA. Each part of the behavior reduction plan is important and helps support the client’s progress and safety. These strategies don’t just help you pass the RBT exam—they help you become a better, more effective technician in real life.
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