Skill Assessments in ABA

Summary: This page covers skill assessments used in ABA to evaluate a client’s current abilities across various domains. You’ll learn about the four main assessment tools (VB-MAPP, ABLLS-R, AFLS, and PEAK), their specific focus areas, administration procedures, and how to select the appropriate assessment based on client characteristics. As an RBT, you’ll understand your role in assisting with these assessments and implementing teaching procedures based on the results.

Skill assessments systematically evaluate a client’s current abilities across various domains. These assessments help identify skill deficits, establish priorities for intervention, and measure progress over time. As an RBT, you’ll assist BCBAs in conducting these assessments and implementing teaching procedures based on the results.

The Purpose of Skill Assessments

Skill assessments serve several important purposes:

Identify current skills: Determine what the client can already do
Reveal skill deficits: Identify areas needing intervention
Establish baselines: Provide starting points to measure progress
Guide curriculum development: Inform what skills to teach next
Prioritize goals: Focus on most important or prerequisite skills
Track progress: Measure improvement over time
Evaluate program effectiveness: Determine if interventions are working
Inform placement decisions: Guide educational or service placement

Common Skill Assessment Tools

1. VB-MAPP (Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program)

The VB-MAPP is based on B.F. Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior and assesses language and social skills.

Focus and Age Range

Focus: Language and social skills based on Skinner’s verbal behavior
Age Range: Typically for children with developmental age of 0-48 months
Population: Children with autism and other developmental disabilities

Components

Milestones Assessment:
- 170 skills across 16 domains and 3 developmental levels
- Level 1: 0-18 months
- Level 2: 18-30 months
- Level 3: 30-48 months
Barriers Assessment:
- 24 learning and language barriers
- Identifies obstacles to learning
- Includes problems like prompt dependency, reinforcer problems, etc.
Transition Assessment:
- 18 areas related to educational placement
- Helps determine readiness for less restrictive settings
- Guides decisions about inclusion opportunities
Task Analysis and Skills Tracking:
- Detailed skill sequences
- Breaks complex skills into teachable steps

Domains Assessed

Mand: Requesting
Tact: Labeling
Listener Responding: Following instructions
Visual Perceptual Skills and Matching-to-Sample: Visual discrimination
Independent Play: Playing appropriately with toys
Social Behavior and Social Play: Interacting with others
Motor Imitation: Copying others’ actions
Echoic: Vocal imitation
Spontaneous Vocal Behavior: Unprompted vocalizations
Listener Responding by Function, Feature, and Class: Responding to categories
Intraverbal: Conversational skills
Group Instruction: Learning in group settings
Linguistic Structure: Grammar and syntax
Reading: Early literacy skills
Writing: Early writing skills
Math: Early numeracy skills

Administration

Typically administered by a BCBA with RBT assistance
Uses direct testing, observation, and caregiver report
Can be completed over multiple sessions
Requires materials specific to each skill area
Scoring indicates mastery level for each skill

Advantages

Comprehensive: Covers wide range of language and related skills
Developmentally sequenced: Skills arranged in developmental progression
Based on verbal behavior: Aligns with ABA theoretical framework
Identifies barriers: Helps address obstacles to learning
Guides placement: Assists with educational decisions
Visually informative: Results displayed on easy-to-interpret grid

Limitations

Time-intensive: Comprehensive assessment takes significant time
Training required: Administrators need specific training
Materials needed: Requires specific assessment materials
May not be suitable: Less appropriate for older individuals or those with more advanced skills

2. ABLLS-R (Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills-Revised)

The ABLLS-R is a comprehensive assessment of language, academic, self-help, and motor skills.

Focus and Age Range

Focus: Comprehensive assessment of language, academic, self-help, and motor skills
Age Range: Typically for children with developmental delays
Population: Children with autism and other developmental disabilities

Components

544 skills across 25 skill areas
Skills arranged in developmental sequence
Criterion-referenced assessment (compared to skill standards, not peers)

Domains Assessed

Basic Learner Skills: Cooperation, reinforcer effectiveness, visual performance
Language Skills: Receptive language, requesting, labeling, intraverbals
Social Skills: Imitation, social interaction, group instruction
Academic Skills: Reading, writing, spelling, math
Self-Help Skills: Dressing, eating, grooming, toileting
Motor Skills: Gross and fine motor skills
Play and Leisure: Appropriate play skills

Administration

Can be administered by BCBA with RBT assistance
Uses direct testing, observation, and caregiver report
Typically completed over multiple sessions
Requires various materials for different skill areas
Results displayed in grid format showing skill level

Advantages

Comprehensive: Covers wide range of developmental skills
Detailed task analysis: Breaks skills into small steps
Guides curriculum: Directly informs teaching programs
Tracks progress: Easy to monitor skill acquisition over time
Widely used: Familiar to many ABA providers

Limitations

Very time-consuming: Full assessment requires significant time
Complex scoring: Detailed scoring system requires training
Less focus on barriers: Doesn’t specifically address learning barriers
Less emphasis on function: Focuses more on topography than function of skills

3. AFLS (Assessment of Functional Living Skills)

The AFLS focuses on practical, functional skills needed for daily living and independence.

Focus and Age Range

Focus: Functional, practical, and essential skills for daily living
Age Range: Children through adults
Population: Individuals with developmental disabilities, including older children and adults

Components

Six assessment protocols:

Basic Living Skills: Foundation skills for daily functioning
Home Skills: Skills needed for home living
Community Participation Skills: Skills for community access
School Skills: Skills for success in educational settings
Vocational Skills: Skills for workplace success
Independent Living Skills: Skills for living with minimal support

Domains Assessed

Self-Management: Self-care, health, and safety
Domestic Skills: Cooking, cleaning, laundry
Community Skills: Shopping, transportation, recreation
School Participation: Classroom routines, academic behaviors
Vocational Skills: Job-seeking, work habits, social skills at work
Independent Living: Money management, household maintenance

Administration

Can be completed by various team members, including RBTs under supervision
Uses direct observation, testing, and informant report
Can be administered in relevant natural settings
Scoring indicates current level of independence

Advantages

Functional focus: Emphasizes practical, useful skills
Age-appropriate: Suitable for older children and adults
Comprehensive: Covers wide range of daily living skills
Promotes independence: Directly targets self-sufficiency
Relevant across settings: Applicable to home, school, community

Limitations

Less focus on early skills: Not designed for early developmental skills
May not address prerequisites: Assumes certain foundational skills
Time-intensive: Complete assessment across all protocols is lengthy
Environment-specific: Some skills may not be relevant in all settings

4. PEAK (Promoting Emergence of Advanced Knowledge)

PEAK combines traditional ABA with derived relational responding to address more complex language and cognitive skills.

Focus and Age Range

Focus: Combines traditional ABA with derived relational responding
Age Range: Children through adults
Population: Individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities

Components

Four modules:

Direct Training: Basic skills taught through direct contingencies
Generalization: Application of skills across contexts
Equivalence: Derived relational responding
Transformation: Advanced language and cognition

Domains Assessed

Foundational Learning Skills: Attention, cooperation, reinforcement
Perceptual Skills: Matching, sorting, categorizing
Verbal Comprehension: Following directions, understanding concepts
Verbal Expression: Requesting, labeling, conversation
Memory: Recall of information
Inferential Language: Drawing conclusions, making inferences
Problem-Solving: Logical reasoning, planning

Administration

Typically administered by BCBA with RBT assistance
Uses direct testing with specific materials
Includes both receptive and expressive tasks
Scoring indicates mastery level for each skill

Advantages

Addresses complex skills: Goes beyond basic behavioral repertoires
Promotes generalization: Explicitly targets skill transfer
Research-based: Grounded in relational frame theory
Comprehensive: Covers wide range of cognitive and language skills
Developmentally sequenced: Skills arranged in logical progression

Limitations

Training required: Administrators need specific training
Complex concepts: Some theoretical aspects require advanced understanding
Time-intensive: Complete assessment across all modules is lengthy
Materials needed: Requires specific assessment materials

Selecting the Appropriate Assessment

The choice of assessment tool depends on several factors:

Client Characteristics

Age and developmental level: Match assessment to developmental stage
Current skill level: Select assessment that captures relevant skill range
Specific needs: Choose assessment that addresses priority domains
Future goals: Consider long-term objectives for the client

Assessment Purpose

Initial evaluation: Comprehensive assessment may be needed
Progress monitoring: Targeted assessment of specific skills
Program planning: Assessment that directly informs curriculum
Transition planning: Assessment that guides placement decisions

Practical Considerations

Time available: Consider time constraints for assessment
Setting: Select assessment appropriate for the environment
Available resources: Consider materials and training requirements
Team expertise: Match assessment to team capabilities

RBT Responsibilities in Skill Assessment

As an RBT, your role in skill assessment typically includes:

Preparing materials: Gathering items needed for assessment
Setting up environment: Arranging appropriate assessment space
Assisting with administration: Helping present assessment items
Recording responses: Documenting client performance
Maintaining engagement: Keeping client motivated during assessment
Managing behavior: Addressing any challenging behaviors
Implementing programs: Teaching skills identified in assessment

Practice Example

A BCBA and RBT team are working with a 4-year-old client with autism who has limited language skills. The client can follow some simple instructions but rarely initiates communication. The team needs to assess the client’s current skills to develop an intervention plan.

Question: Which assessment tool would be most appropriate for this client?

Solution: The VB-MAPP would be most appropriate because:

It specifically targets early language and communication skills
It’s designed for children at a developmental level of 0-48 months
It assesses verbal operants (mands, tacts, etc.) that are important for early language development
It identifies barriers to learning that may be affecting skill acquisition
It provides a clear developmental sequence for teaching language skills

Key Points to Remember

Skill assessments systematically evaluate current abilities across various domains
Different assessment tools focus on different skill areas and developmental levels
Assessment results guide intervention planning and goal selection
RBTs assist with assessment administration under BCBA supervision
The choice of assessment tool should match client characteristics and assessment purpose
Regular reassessment helps track progress and adjust programming as needed