Teaching Children with Autism: Errata: Glossary

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ABA: See Applied Behavior Analysis
ABCs of Functional Behavior Assessment: In a functional behavior assessment or analysis, refers to the antecedent of a behavior, the behavior itself and the consequences of that behavior. Documenting the ABCs are often the first step to assessing the functional nature of the behavior. See also antecedent, behavior, consequence, Functional Behavior Analysis, Functional Behavior Assessment.
Antecedent: An environmental condition present before a targeted behavior is exhibited. Antecedents are often considered when running either a functional behavior assessment or a functional behavior analysis.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA): The application of the science of behavior to modify the behavior of an individual or group. ABA is often used synonymously (and I believe erroneously) with specific programs for teaching children with autism (such as a program in the style of O. Ivar Lovaas, or the UCLA model), especially those based on discrete trials. [read more on Applied Behavior Analysis]

Backward Chaining: In ABA-based interventions, a method of combining simple, component behaviors into a more complex, composite behavior. In backwards chaining, the child is guided through all of the steps of a behavior except for the last, which he completes on his own (or is taught to complete on his own). As he becomes successful with the last step, the teacher begins to guide him through all but the last two steps, and so on until the child is able to sequence the entire behavior independently. See also task analysis.
Behavior: The interaction of the muscles and glands (and possibly neurons?) of an organism and the environment.
Behaviorism: The viewpoint that holds that the appropriate subject matter for psychology is behavior and the appropriate method for study and application are the methods of natural science (objective measurement, ability to duplicate experimentation, etc.). This is in contrast to other schools of thought in psychology, many of which hold that appropriate subject matter is mental, subjective, or conscious experience and therefor the appropriate method is introspection.

Consequence: A stimulus that occurs after a particular behavior, as a result of that behavior. Antecedents are often considered when running either a functional behavior assessment or a functional behavior analysis. See also ABCs of Functional Behavior Assessment.
Chaining: In ABA-based interventions, the combining of simple, component behaviors into a more complex, composite behavior. See also forward chaining and backward chaining.

EIBI: Early Intensive Behavior Intervention. A fairly generic term for ABA-based interventions, except the focus is one very young children with autism, usually younger than five, and often younger than three.

Floortime
Forward Chaining: In ABA-based interventions, a method of combining simple, component behaviors into a more complex, composite behavior. In forward chaining, the child is taught the first step in a complex behavior and is then guided through all of the remaining steps. As he becomes successful with the first step, the teacher begins to teach him the second step. When the child is doing the first to steps independently, he's taught the third, and so on until the child is able to sequence the entire behavior independently. See also backward chaining and task analysis.
Functional Behavior Analysis: [read more on Functional Behavior Analysis]
Functional Behavior Assessment: [read more on Functional Behavior Assessment]