• Target/Target Behavior - The specific behavior the client is to achieve by the end of the quarter. (Also known as "Behavioral Objective".)

• Sequential Program - An orderly system of individualized teaching. Planning some possible "steps" to get to the target, starting with relatively easy steps (near the client's present abilities) and gradually introducing harder steps to teach a new behavior.

• Antecedent - Stimulus; what is done to elicit a specific response.

• Cues; Prompts - Aids (primarily visual and auditory-verbal) that promote the desired response.

• Behavior - The response; the specific behavior of the client - must be carefully defined so you know when it is correct or not.

• Consequence - What occurs immediately following the client's response. What the clinician does when the client's response is correct and when incorrect.

Example:
 

Antecedent	Behavior	Consequence
Visual and auditory-verbal stimuli Hold up picture Ask "What's this?"	Client's response Correct label ("ball")	(+) Positive reinforcement; give praise and talk about word (-) Ask client to imitate word "Say ball.".

• Reinforcement - Any event or consequence that increases the strength or probability of occurrence of the behavior it follows.

• Punishment - Any event or consequence that decreases the strength or probability of occurrence of the behavior it follows.

• Criterion for Change - minimal acceptance of success for each step. How many correct responses you would expect before changing your program. For example, if Susie gets over 12 correct responses in 2 consecutive sessions, it probably is time to change the antecedent (introduce new words) or change the behavior (expect 2 word responses). If, on the other hand, she gets fewer than 5 correct responses 2 days in a row, perhaps the program needs to be made easier or a new consequence considered.

• Shaping - Approaching or reaching a behavior by means of systematic, successive approximations; reinforcing closer and closer approximations to a desired behavior.

• Data Form - Organized and efficient way of recording information on a behavior.

• Baseline - Measure of a specific behavior taken prior to treatment (the training/modification of that behavior). Baseline may be a percentage of the number of correct/desired behaviors out of a total number of opportunities for a behavior; or it may also be a frequency count in a given time frame measure a behavior (language form, content or use and or speech). The behavior is measured in a spontaneous speech/language sample, elicited production tasks, or other informal task. Often baseline is used to determine what the child is capable of oding with NO support; however, there are times when a degree of support is necessary to get the behavior. If a baseline is taken that includes support, then that amount of support provided must be kept constant. Other key features of baseline measures:
• More than one baseline measure is usually taken over the first 2-3 therapy sessions.
• You may use a previous quarter's end-of-the-quarter measure as 1 of your data points (if you are taking 3 data points. Discuss this with your supervisor.
• The activity/materials that you use to take baseline will be used a various points during the quarter and at the end of the quarter to probe progress. DO NOT use these activities/materials for treatment.
• At the end of the quarter, your initial baseline measures can be compared to end-of-the-quarter measures to determine progress.
• Baseline measures relate at least to behaviors targeted for treatment.
• You may also have baselines on control measures and/or response generalization measures.

• Static Assessment - Measures designed to sample performance without facilitating cues, to determine the client's current level of performance for the specified behavior. Static assessment may be standardized or nonstandardized. Standardized measures allow for comparison of a child's performance to peers' to determine whether behavior is within normal limits; nonstandardized measures are used to sample a specific behavior in more depth or to sample a behavior not measured by standardized procedures. Nonstandardized static measures can help determine whether a specific behavior needs to be targeted; they are also used to measure baseline, before the onset of treatment, and to measure generalization throughout and following treatment.

• Dynamic Assessment; Stimulability - Measures constructed to sample a specific behavior with varying degrees of cues from the clinician. Dynamic assessment is used to determine if the client can correctly produce erred or absent behaviors with modeling or other contextual support. It reveals a client's immediate potential for change and suggests possible teaching strategies. Also known as stimulability, it can be implemented as a "quick and dirty" method to give a general idea of a client's modifiability, or it can be structured and systematic, with multiple opportunities provided at several levels in a hierarchy of cues. Stimulability is part of non-standardized assessment.

• Treatment measures - These are taken to determine whether progress is being made on the behaviors your are teaching the child. Treatment measures are basiclly taken "on-line" as you are working with the child. YOu might not necessarily chart your treatment measures, as you will with your probes; however, this is important data, as it will guide your decisions for subsequent therapy sessions.