A Comparison of Baseline Procedures in Task Analyses.
Let kids try each task-analysis step several times before teaching; you will see what they truly know and save teaching time.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Grauerholz-Fisher et al. (2023) compared two ways to measure what a child can already do before teaching starts.
One way lets the child try each step only once. The other way lets the child try each step many times.
They used an alternating-treatments design with kids on the spectrum to see which probe showed truer baselines.
What they found
Most children scored higher when they got several chances per step.
Some kids even showed they could already do parts of the task before any teaching began.
Single-opportunity probes hid those skills and made kids look less able than they were.
How this fits with other research
Scheithauer et al. (2020) also asked, Does my baseline choice matter? They found that re-using functional-analysis data saved time without hurting treatment plans. Emma’s team adds a new rule: within task analyses, more chances equal clearer pictures.
Cerasuolo et al. (2022) warned that higher baseline skill does not always predict better ABA outcomes. That warning feels like a contradiction, but it is not. Emma shows we must first measure the true baseline; Cerasuolo reminds us that many other child variables still shape final success.
Knutson et al. (2019) used the same alternating-treatments design to test task interspersal ratios. Both studies keep the child constant and only tweak the arrangement of trials, proving that small procedural details change learning speed.
Why it matters
If you start with a low picture of the child’s skills, you may place them in easier programs than they need. Switch to multiple-opportunity probes during your next task analysis. You will write goals that match real skill levels, avoid re-teaching known steps, and speed up mastery.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Several methods for assessing baseline performance in chained tasks have been outlined in the literature, including the fixed-opportunity probe (FOP) and the multiple-opportunity probe (MOP). Concerns have been raised regarding how each of these methods might change the baseline performance of a task, affecting the interpretation of experimental control. The purpose of the current study was to conduct a within-subject comparison of both the FOP and MOP procedures for children with autism performing daily living and self-care skills. Results indicated that, for most participants, the MOP resulted in elevated performance during baseline compared to the FOP, and that for some participants the MOP resulted in acquisition prior to direct training. Because of the possibility that the FOP might result in suppressed baseline performance, it is recommended that in most cases clinicians and researchers use the MOP when assessing baseline performance in chained tasks in order to obtain the most accurate data.
Behavior modification, 2023 · doi:10.1177/01454455231186585