ABA – Applied Behavior Analysis
BCBA – Board Certified Behavior Analyst
FBA – Functional Behavior Assessment
RBT – Registered Behavior Technician
ASD – Autism Spectrum Disorder
AAEC – Approved Autism Evaluation Center

ABLLS Assessment: An Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills (ABBLS) is an evaluation tool, curriculum guide, and skills-tracking system used to help facilitate the instruction of language and critical learner skills for children with autism or other developmental disabilities.

Antecedent: An antecedent is an event which happens prior to a specific behavior.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA): ABA is a broad treatment model that utilizes many strategies in order to teach, manage, and reduce behavior.

Adaptive Skill Training: Direct instruction in life and self-help skills for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Approved Autism Evaluation Center (AAEC): Centers that meet criteria developed by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and use a comprehensive approach to diagnosing autism. Some insurance companies require a diagnosis from an AAEC to authorize insurance coverage. A list of some AAEC’s can be found here.

Asperger’s Syndrome: Asperger’s syndrome was previously listed as a mild subtype of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Individuals diagnosed with Asperger’s typically do not struggle with communication but present with social difficulties.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Autism spectrum disorder is the name for a group of developmental disorders. ASD includes a wide range or spectrum of symptoms, skills and levels of disability. ASD characteristics are typically recognized in the first two years of life and can impair an individual’s ability to function socially, cognitively or in other areas.

Behavior: Behavior is essentially anything a person does. From a clinical perspective, a behavior is an observable and measurable act involving action and response to stimuli in the environment.

Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA): A Board Certified Behavior Analyst is a graduate-level certification in behavior analysis. Professionals who are certified at the BCBA level are independent practitioners who provide behavior-analytic services.
Center-Based ABA Therapy: ABA therapy that takes place in a healthcare facility.

Co-Insurance: Your share of the cost of a covered health care service, calculated as a percentage of the allowed amount of the service.

Co-Payment: A fixed amount you pay for each covered health care service.

Consequence: A consequence is what happens directly after a behavior is exhibited. Consequences can be pleasant, aversive or neutral.

Deductible: The amount you owe yearly for a covered health care service before your health insurance plan begins to pay. Once your yearly deductible has been met, a co-payment or co-insurance may apply, depending on the policy.

Differential Reinforcement: Reinforcing certain behaviors and not others. This can also include reinforcing certain behavior under certain circumstances and not under others.

Discrete Trial Training (DTT): Discrete Trial Training is a method of teaching in simplified and structured steps.

DSM-V: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Extinction Burst: A sharp increase in the frequency and/or the intensity of an inappropriate behavior prior to its extinction. Extinction bursts are often observed when a behavior that was previously reinforced is no longer reinforced.

Facilitated Play: Promoting play and social interactions across a variety of environments with prompting and structure to ensure child success.

Fine Motor Activities: Activities that involve coordination and movement of smaller muscles in the body. Fine motor activities most commonly involve the use of the hand. Examples of fine motor activities are drawing or writing.

Functional Communication Training: Functional Communication Training is a method used to teach essential elements of communication. The serves to replace inappropriate or maladaptive behaviors.

Gross Motor Activities: Activities that involve large muscle groups, such as walking, running or jumping.

Home-Based ABA Therapy: ABA Therapy that takes place in a client’s residence and/or surrounding community.

Incidental Learning: Incidental learning often takes place away from a table and may be embedded in play.

Intervention: A consistent response to a behavior that either decreases or increases the frequency of a behavior.

Mand: A mand is a request for something.

Perseverative Behavior: Perseverative behavior is an inappropriate repetition of a particular response, such as a word or gesture. Perseverative behavior is frequently referred to as stereotypic behavior, stereotypy, or stimming.

Prompt: A cue to complete a task.

Registered Behavior Technician (RBT): A Registered Behavior Technician is a paraprofessional who practices under the close, ongoing supervision of a BCBA and is primarily responsible for the direct implementation of ABA services.

Reinforcer: Any stimulus delivered contingent on a behavior that increases the probability of that behavior occurring in the future.

Social Skills Training: A form of behavioral therapy that is implemented to help individuals who have difficulties relating to other people.

Structured Play: Goal-oriented play focused on the acquisition of new play and social skills.

Tact: A tact is being able to label or describe an object that is present. An example of a tact is a learner being able to label the color of a shirt he/she sees.