ABA-U6A

ABA-U6A Student’s Name Institution Course Instructor Date Requirements for BCaBA Exam and Overview of Science of ABA I am a behavior analyst with 25 years of field experience. As a seasoned expert in the field of applied behavior analysis, I possess a deep understanding of what is expected of graduates with a bachelor’s in psychology in applied behavior analysis. To sit for the BCaBA exam, students must meet specific education and experience requirements that ensure they are well-prepared for the responsibilities of a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA). There are three basic requirements for certification as a BCaBA. First, candidates must hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Second, candidates must complete specific coursework in behavior analysis that meets the standards set by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). The third requirement is supervised practical experience in the field of behavior analysis (Behavior Analyst Certification Board, 2022). As a science, ABA uses systematic approaches to understand behavior as a social interest. ABA involves the identification of observable behaviors and the environmental factors that influence them (Heward et al., 2022). By applying techniques such as reinforcement, punishment, and stimulus control, behavior analysts seek to increase desirable behaviors and decrease undesirable ones. Summary of the Cases Parent #1 Lori is in 3rd grade and has been recently diagnosed with autism. Her parents find it challenging to get Lori ready for school and transition away from her iPad to other tasks. Several contingencies are at work to maintain Lori’s target behaviors. Her parents’ temporary cessation of insisting on their demands due to Lori’s refusal behaviors serves as reinforcement for her resistance to transitions. She has mastered the art of yelling, kicking, and throwing items in order to distract her parents. The lack of immediate punishment for Lori’s behaviors indirectly maintains her tantrums (Tan et al., 2022). Moreover, motivating operations are significant in this scenario. The iPad represents a strong motivating operation, increasing Lori's desire to continue the preferred activity and decreasing her motivation to comply with morning routines. Lori values her iPad, and this intensifies her refusal behaviors whenever she is asked to engage in other activities. Parent #2 Sam’s habit of engaging in disruptive and inappropriate behaviors during lessons has earned him the title of a class clown. These behaviors are intended to make his peers laugh, which they often do, making it difficult for the teacher to maintain a conducive learning environment. His teacher has constantly reprimanded him and sometimes placed him in timeout. However, these efforts have not been successful in curbing his disruptive behavior. Several behavioral contingencies contribute to Sam’s persistence. First, Sam’s behavior is positively reinforced by immediate social attention and approval from his peers. When his classmates live, he feels good and is more likely to repeat the acts next time. Secondly, the teacher’s reprimands also maintain Sam’s behavior because he enjoys attention from both peers and adults (Linton, 2024). The use of timeout as a punishment has been ineffective because Sam receives attention during or immediately after the timeout. Parent #3 Sarah’s parent reports that her four-year-old daughter makes it difficult for the family to organize play dates or go on a trip that will require Sarah to share anything. Life at home with her younger sister is difficult because Sarah does not want to share anything with her. Her teacher also reported that she could not share a kitchen station with her classmates, and she has the tendency to scratch or bite them to keep her classmates from accessing community items. An analysis of this case shows that many factors are that maintain Sarah’...