Evaluation of ABA Programs
Data Collection and Analysis
Duration How long. For example, the length of time that a preschooler sits appropriately during circle time - three minutes. Intensity How severe. For example, a tantrum could range from mild to severe. As one might imagine, there are some behaviors that are better tracked by one method than another. For advantages and disadvantages for each type data, please see the resource section below. Data analysis involves graphing the data and analyzing the following elements: Level (How much is the behavior happening?). Trend (Is the behavior increasing, decreasing, or maintaining?).
Data are collected within an ABA program for multiple purposes. Data inform the decisions we make about programming. Data are taken to document both the acquisition of skills and the improvement in challenging behaviors. Here are some of the most common ways to collect data. Frequency How often, for example, the number of times a learner requests a toy: five times Rate How often within a certain amount of time. For example, the number of times a learner requests a toy within a twenty -minute class period - five times in twenty minutes equals 0.25 times per minute. One advantage of converting frequency to rate is that you can take data for different amounts of time and still be able to evenly compare the number of times a behavior occurred.
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