Field Size

In behavioral analysis terms, field size refers to how much stimuli or selections are made available from which to select during a teaching trial. Stimuli are presented in an array. For example, teaching an individual to identify the animal “cat” in a field size of 2-3 means that the target stimuli (“cat” flashcard or a photo of a cat) would be presented in an array of 2-3 cards during a teaching trial.

Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills are the movements that entail the use of the smaller muscles of the body, especially those of the hand (e.g., pinching, using a pencil, etc.). Fine motor skills also include the ability to use smaller muscles of the eyes, fingers, and wrists to conduct motor tasks. 

Flapping

Flapping or hand flapping is a type of repetitive movement that may appear as movements of the fingers, hands, or arms for the purpose of self-stimulation (stimming). Flapping is thought to be a result of the individual’s response to stimuli.

Functional Assessment

Functional assessment (also called a “functional analysis”) is a tool used during the process of conducting a functional behavioral assessment (FBA). It is an experimental process to determine the specific conditions that lead to a behavior. With functional assessments, an individual is exposed to conditions that may be contributing to the target behavior with the goal of determining which condition causes the target behavior most often.

Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)

A Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) is the process by which behavioral interventions are created. FBA is used in ABA to determine the reason/purpose that an individual is engaging in a target behavior to then create an intervention based on that function. With FBA, direct observation is used and observations are grouped as one of the following: 1) antecedent (what specific variable or situation is causing the behavior); 2) behavior (how the individual responds to the antecedent); 3) and consequence (what happens after the individual engages in the behavior). In other words, antecedents (As) and consequences (Cs) are systematically tested to determine the controlling variables of a specific behavior (B). FBA involves observation, interview, and collecting A-B-C data.

Functional Communication Training (FCT)

Functional Communication Training (or FCT) is a method of teaching appropriate and meaningful methods of communicating for the purpose of engaging in daily living functions. FCT is a differential reinforcement technique that teaches an individual to engage in communicative responses as a replacement for undesirable or challenging behaviors. FCT thus aims to decrease undesirable or challenging behaviors that an individual uses in trying to communicate their needs. Communication can occur in a variety of different ways (for example, gestures or images). FCT is a type of positive behavior support.

Generalization

Generalization is a term used to describe the ability to learn a skill in one situation and be able to apply it with flexibility or in other similar, but different, situations. Put another way, it is the process by which behavior that has been learned in one context is transferred to other contexts. Importantly, when a behavior has been generalized, this behavior should also be able to be performed without the presence of the person who taught it.

Gross Motor Skills

Gross motor skills are the movements that entail the use of the larger muscle groups, like those muscles required for sitting, walking, and jumping.

Hand Over Hand (HOH) Prompting

Hand over hand (or HOH) prompting is a physical prompt where the motor demand or instruction is guided / assisted by the physical placement of the therapist’s hands over the individual’s hands.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (or HIPAA) is a federal law that establishes regulations to protect a patient’s private health information and records and to ensure that access to this information is restricted absent the patient’s consent.

Hyper-responsiveness

Hyper-responsiveness is extreme reactivity to sensory inputs resulting from feeling overwhelmed by common stimuli, which may include sound, sight, taste, touch, or smell. 

Hypersensitivity

Hypersensitivity is the acute over-responsive reaction to sensory input (i.e., overly sensitive).

Hyposensitivity 

Hyposensitivity is the display of little to no reaction in response to sensory input. With hyposensitivity the brain fails to register incoming stimuli appropriately so an individual does not respond to the sensory stimulation in a way that is typical (in other words, they are under-sensitive).