You’re now entering Unit D, a vital part of your RBT exam prep. This unit focuses on identifying and reducing behaviors that interfere with learning, safety, or social interaction.
As part of a broader RBT Study Guide, this section builds on your knowledge from Skill Acquisition and Assessment. Now, you’ll learn how to safely and ethically respond to challenging behaviors under supervision.
D-1: Identify Essential Components of a Written Behavior Reduction Plan
Every effective behavior reduction strategy begins with a well-designed plan. As an RBT, you won’t write this plan, but you must understand its parts to implement it correctly and safely.
A behavior reduction plan (also called a behavior intervention plan or BIP) is a structured guide that outlines how to respond to challenging behavior in a consistent, ethical, and effective way. It’s created by your supervisor based on assessment data and is tailored to each individual learner.
Key elements you’ll typically find in a behavior plan include:
- Target behavior: Clear description of the behavior to decrease — must be observable and measurable. Instead of vague labels like “being rude,” the plan might define the behavior as “yelling louder than a normal speaking voice.”
- Function of behavior: This explains why the behavior is happening — to gain attention, escape a demand, access a tangible item, or seek sensory stimulation. The whole intervention is based on this.
- Antecedent strategies: These are things you do before the behavior happens to reduce the chance it will occur. For example, giving clear expectations, offering choices, or using visual cues.
- Replacement behaviors: The learner must be taught what to do instead of the challenging behavior — something that serves the same purpose (functionally equivalent) but is appropriate and safe.
- Consequence strategies: These tell you how to respond after the behavior occurs — both when the learner does the replacement behavior (reinforce it!) and when the problem behavior happens (minimize reinforcement, possibly through extinction).
- Crisis procedures: If the behavior could result in harm, this section outlines exactly what to do. You follow this only as trained and only when necessary.
Your job is to follow the plan exactly as written, collect accurate data, and communicate any concerns to your supervisor.
Exam tip: You may see a question that gives you a sample behavior plan and asks what’s missing, or what part is being applied. Know the parts above — especially that the plan must describe the behavior clearly and include both prevention and response strategies.
D-2: Describe Common Functions of Behavior
To reduce problem behavior, we first need to understand why it’s happening. This “why” is called the function of the behavior.
There are four main functions of behavior:
- Attention
The learner wants interaction. This could be positive (praise, conversation) or even negative (being scolded). If yelling or throwing objects leads to attention, the behavior is likely maintained by attention. - Escape or Avoidance
The learner is trying to get away from something — a demand, a situation, or even a person. If a behavior results in being removed from a task, it’s likely escape-maintained. - Access to Tangibles
The learner wants a specific item or activity. For example, screaming in the store may be a way to get a toy or snack. If giving the item stops the behavior, that’s a sign it’s tangible-driven. - Automatic/Sensory
The behavior feels good or meets a sensory need. Rocking, hand-flapping, or humming can be self-stimulating. These behaviors happen even when no one else is around — they’re not socially driven.
You’ll often hear the phrase SEAT to remember these:
Sensory, Escape, Attention, Tangible
D-3: Implement Interventions Based on the Function of Behavior
Once the function of a behavior is identified, the next step is choosing an intervention that matches that function. This is key – using the wrong strategy (even a well-intentioned one) can make things worse or strengthen the behavior unintentionally.
Here’s how function-based intervention works:
- If the function is Attention:
The replacement behavior should also get attention, but in a positive way. For example, teach the learner to raise their hand, say “excuse me,” or tap your shoulder.
⚠️ Do not give attention when the problem behavior happens — even eye contact or saying “stop” may reinforce it. - If the function is Escape:
Instead of letting the learner avoid tasks by misbehaving, teach appropriate ways to request a break — like using a break card or saying “Can I do this later?”
⚠️ Don’t remove the demand after the problem behavior; that would reinforce escape. - If the function is Tangible (getting items):
Teach the learner to ask for the item appropriately — like pointing, using a picture card, or using words.
⚠️ If the problem behavior gets the item, even once, it may increase. - If the function is Sensory:
Since this behavior is self-reinforcing, replacement behaviors should provide similar sensory input. For example, a child who flaps hands might be given a fidget toy or access to movement breaks.
⚠️ These behaviors don’t rely on external consequences, so reinforcement needs to be built into appropriate alternatives.
Exam tip: On the exam, match the function to the right response. If a child screams to escape work, giving them a break afterward rewards the behavior. The correct answer would involve teaching them to ask for a break and not allowing escape after problem behavior.
D-4: Implement Extinction Procedures
Extinction means withholding reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior, so that behavior decreases over time.
But it’s not the same as ignoring. It depends on the function of the behavior — you remove what was reinforcing it.
Here’s what extinction might look like by function:
- Attention-maintained behavior: You withhold all forms of attention after the behavior (no talking, eye contact, reactions).
✳️ Example: A learner screams to get your attention. You do not respond to the screaming — but you later reinforce appropriate ways to get attention (like tapping or raising a hand). - Escape-maintained behavior: You follow through with the demand even after the behavior occurs.
✳️ Example: A learner throws papers to avoid math. You calmly continue the task as planned. - Tangible-maintained behavior: You do not give access to the item after the behavior.
✳️ Example: A child cries for candy in a store. You do not give the candy in response. - Automatically reinforced behavior: Extinction here is trickier. It often means blocking or minimizing the sensory input (e.g., using gloves if the behavior involves hand-stimulation).
Exam tip: Know that extinction only works if you’re correctly identifying and withholding the reinforcement tied to the behavior’s function. Ignoring a child whose behavior is sensory-driven is not extinction — because there’s no social reinforcer involved.
D-5: Implement Crisis/Emergency Procedures According to Protocol
Sometimes, behavior may pose a serious risk to safety — to the learner, peers, or others. That’s when crisis procedures come in. These are outlined clearly in the behavior plan or emergency protocols set by your agency.
As an RBT:
- You do not make up crisis responses. You only follow what has been approved and trained by your supervisor or organization.
- You may be trained in safety-care, CPI, or other certified procedures for physical intervention or de-escalation — but use them only if authorized and only when required.
- Always document what occurred and inform your supervisor immediately after any crisis or emergency.
Examples of crisis-level behavior include self-injury, aggression, or property destruction. The plan might include strategies like:
- Removing dangerous items
- Blocking harmful movements
- Moving other students to safety
- Calling for backup help
- Initiating specific physical procedures (if trained and authorized)
Exam tip: You may be asked what to do during a crisis. The right answer will always involve following the written protocol and alerting your supervisor. Never choose an answer that involves inventing your own response or or failing to report.