In ABA evaluation, what are the two main activities?

• A. Identify and Define Targeted Behaviors; Identify Positive Reinforcers
• B. Diagnose Medical Conditions
• C. Assess Only Cognitive Abilities
• D. Focus Solely on Motor Skills

Answer: (A)

In ABA evaluation, you start by deciding what to change and how you’ll observe it. The two main activities are identifying and operationally defining the targeted behaviors so they can be observed and measured, and identifying the positive reinforcers that will support those behavior changes. Defining the behaviors in observable, specific terms ensures consistent data collection across observers, time, and settings. Knowing which reinforcers maintain a behavior helps you design effective reinforcement-based strategies to increase desirable behavior or decrease challenging behavior.

For example, you would specify exactly what counts as a target behavior (e.g., “hands leaving the desk and turning away from work within 5 seconds of instruction, with no aggressive actions”) and determine what consequences reinforce it (e.g., access to a preferred activity after completing a task, or a brief break). This pairing of precise definition and reinforcer identification is the foundation for measurement and intervention planning.

Medical diagnoses, broad cognitive testing, or focusing only on motor skills aren’t the central activities in this ABA evaluation context; the emphasis is on observable behavior and how reinforcement shapes it.