A Tutorial for the Design and Use of Assessment-Based Instruction in Practice
Use the nine-step tutorial to pit two teaching tactics against each other and let the learner’s data pick the winner.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Kodak et al. wrote a how-to guide. It shows BCBAs how to test two teaching methods in nine clear steps.
You run each method for a few days. You graph the learner’s correct responses. The data tell you which method wins.
What they found
The paper does not give new data. Instead it gives a recipe any clinician can copy.
Following the steps creates a mini-experiment inside regular therapy sessions.
How this fits with other research
Wolfe et al. (2022) asked 400 BCBAs if they already do this. About 63 % said yes, but many stop because they lack time or materials. Kodak’s guide answers that call by shrinking the process to nine quick phases.
O’Grady et al. (2021) proved that short lessons can teach people to read single-case graphs. Kodak uses the same logic: brief visual comparison picks the best teaching tactic.
LaMarca et al. (2024) give the ADDIE cycle for building whole programs. Kodak slots inside the ‘Design’ step when you must choose which teaching method to adopt.
Why it matters
You no longer need to guess which procedure works. Run the nine-step comparison in one week. Let the learner’s own data choose the intervention. You save time, reduce problem behavior faster, and show families clear visual proof.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Pick one target skill, run two brief teaching conditions for five trials each, graph, and keep the method with the higher correct-response line.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Assessment-based instruction can increase the efficacy and efficiency of skill acquisition by using learner data to select an intervention procedure from a comparison of potential interventions. Although there are many published examples of assessments that guide the selection of skill-acquisition procedures, there are limited resources available to practitioners to guide the development of assessments for use in practice. This article describes a sequence of steps that Board Certified Behavior Analysts can follow to design and use assessment-based instruction in practice. These steps include (a) pick a topic to evaluate, (b) identify interventions to include in the assessment, (c) identify target behavior, (d) select an experimental design, (e) select a skill and targets, (f) equate noncritical procedures across conditions, (g) design templates for data collection, (h) conduct the assessment, and (i) use assessment results to guide practice. Included in these steps are examples and materials for how to conduct components of assessment-based instruction.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2021 · doi:10.1007/s40617-020-00497-w