BCAT certification test
Latency - ANSElapsed time from the onset of a stimulus to the initiation of a response
Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity - ANSranging, for example, from abnormal social
approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation; to reduced sharing of interests,
emotions or affect, to failure to initiate or respond to social interactions.
Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction - ANSranging for
example, from poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication; to abnormalities in eye
contact and body language or deficits in understanding and use of gestures; to lack of facial
expressions and nonverbal communication.
Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships - ANSranging, for example,
from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit various social contexts, to difficulties in sharing
imaginative play or in making friends, to absence of interest in peers.
Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or Speech - ANSOften referred to
as "Stimming" or "Stims". These are self-initiated, repetitive movements (e.g. rocking,
vocalizations, flapping, spinning, finger-flicking, and/or unusual manipulation of inanimate
objects) that can be vocal or motor. For some individuals with Autism these behaviors can occur
at very high frequencies, sometimes 100+ times per day. Individuals with Autism may engage in
these behaviors for automatic reinforcement purposes, but that isn't always the case (function
can vary).
Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns of verbal or
nonverbal behavior - ANSextreme distress at small changes, difficulties with transitions, rigid
thinking pattern, greeting rituals, need to take same route or eat same food every day
highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus - ANSstrong attachment
to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interests
hyper or hypo reactivity to sensory input or unusual interests in sensory aspects of environment
- ANSapparent indifference to pain/temperature, adverse response to specific sounds or
textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, visual fascination with lights or movement
levels of severity across social communication and restricted, repetitive behaviors - ANSLevel 3
- "Requiring very substantial support," Level 2 - "Requiring substantial support,"
Level 1 - "Requiring support."
, research regarding treatment intensity - ANSResults indicate a strong relationship between
treatment intensity and mastery of learning objectives, where higher treatment intensity
predicted greater progress.
early intensive behavioral intervention research - ANSEIBI is a type of Applied Behavioral
Analysis focused on children under five years of age. New research has shown that while
intensive behavioral interventions work well with all children, children starting before the age of
two were likely to make the most significant gains. For EIBI to be successful children are
provided with 20 to 40 hours of one-on-one therapy and families are also incorporated into the
process so that young children get as much exposure as possible.
foundational autism research - ANSDr. Margaret Bauman was the first researcher to discover
the anatomical differences between a typical brain and a brain with autism alongside her
colleague, Dr. Thomas Kemper. Their discovery demonstrated for the first time that autism was
related to abnormalities of brain development and not to poor parenting. Until their discovery,
autism had actually been blamed on the "refrigerator mother" - a term that suspected the child's
disability was a result of his/her parent's emotional coldness.
Distinguishing between evidence-based interventions - - ANSEvidence-based practice involves
the integration of research findings with: Professional judgment and data-based clinical
decision-making, Values and preferences of families, Assessment and Improvement of the
capacity of the delivery system to implement the intervention with a high degree of procedural
accuracy
Positive reinforcement - ANSan event in which a stimulus occurs contingent on a response,
resulting in the increase in future probability of that response
Negative reinforcement - ANSBehavior increases or maintains the same as a function of the
contingent removal of the stimulus
Positive punishment - ANSAn event in which a stimulus (typically unpleasant) occurs contingent
on a response, resulting in a decrease in the future probability of that response
Negative punishment - ANSThe removal or reduction of positive reinforcers as a consequence
of a response, resulting in the reduction in the of that response
Reinforcer - ANSsomething used to motivate a learner to complete a task, or engage in a
behavior.
Conditioned reinforcer - ANSa stimulus that initially lacked reinforcing properties, but has
acquired those by being paired with primary or strong secondary reinforcers
Unconditioned reinforcer - ANSstimulus that is reinforcing in the absence of any prior learning
Latency - ANSElapsed time from the onset of a stimulus to the initiation of a response
Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity - ANSranging, for example, from abnormal social
approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation; to reduced sharing of interests,
emotions or affect, to failure to initiate or respond to social interactions.
Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction - ANSranging for
example, from poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication; to abnormalities in eye
contact and body language or deficits in understanding and use of gestures; to lack of facial
expressions and nonverbal communication.
Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships - ANSranging, for example,
from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit various social contexts, to difficulties in sharing
imaginative play or in making friends, to absence of interest in peers.
Stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or Speech - ANSOften referred to
as "Stimming" or "Stims". These are self-initiated, repetitive movements (e.g. rocking,
vocalizations, flapping, spinning, finger-flicking, and/or unusual manipulation of inanimate
objects) that can be vocal or motor. For some individuals with Autism these behaviors can occur
at very high frequencies, sometimes 100+ times per day. Individuals with Autism may engage in
these behaviors for automatic reinforcement purposes, but that isn't always the case (function
can vary).
Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns of verbal or
nonverbal behavior - ANSextreme distress at small changes, difficulties with transitions, rigid
thinking pattern, greeting rituals, need to take same route or eat same food every day
highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus - ANSstrong attachment
to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interests
hyper or hypo reactivity to sensory input or unusual interests in sensory aspects of environment
- ANSapparent indifference to pain/temperature, adverse response to specific sounds or
textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, visual fascination with lights or movement
levels of severity across social communication and restricted, repetitive behaviors - ANSLevel 3
- "Requiring very substantial support," Level 2 - "Requiring substantial support,"
Level 1 - "Requiring support."
, research regarding treatment intensity - ANSResults indicate a strong relationship between
treatment intensity and mastery of learning objectives, where higher treatment intensity
predicted greater progress.
early intensive behavioral intervention research - ANSEIBI is a type of Applied Behavioral
Analysis focused on children under five years of age. New research has shown that while
intensive behavioral interventions work well with all children, children starting before the age of
two were likely to make the most significant gains. For EIBI to be successful children are
provided with 20 to 40 hours of one-on-one therapy and families are also incorporated into the
process so that young children get as much exposure as possible.
foundational autism research - ANSDr. Margaret Bauman was the first researcher to discover
the anatomical differences between a typical brain and a brain with autism alongside her
colleague, Dr. Thomas Kemper. Their discovery demonstrated for the first time that autism was
related to abnormalities of brain development and not to poor parenting. Until their discovery,
autism had actually been blamed on the "refrigerator mother" - a term that suspected the child's
disability was a result of his/her parent's emotional coldness.
Distinguishing between evidence-based interventions - - ANSEvidence-based practice involves
the integration of research findings with: Professional judgment and data-based clinical
decision-making, Values and preferences of families, Assessment and Improvement of the
capacity of the delivery system to implement the intervention with a high degree of procedural
accuracy
Positive reinforcement - ANSan event in which a stimulus occurs contingent on a response,
resulting in the increase in future probability of that response
Negative reinforcement - ANSBehavior increases or maintains the same as a function of the
contingent removal of the stimulus
Positive punishment - ANSAn event in which a stimulus (typically unpleasant) occurs contingent
on a response, resulting in a decrease in the future probability of that response
Negative punishment - ANSThe removal or reduction of positive reinforcers as a consequence
of a response, resulting in the reduction in the of that response
Reinforcer - ANSsomething used to motivate a learner to complete a task, or engage in a
behavior.
Conditioned reinforcer - ANSa stimulus that initially lacked reinforcing properties, but has
acquired those by being paired with primary or strong secondary reinforcers
Unconditioned reinforcer - ANSstimulus that is reinforcing in the absence of any prior learning
