How to Set an ABA Prompt Hierarchy: Defaults, Overrides and Mastery
How to configure the prompt hierarchy RBTs score with: full physical, partial physical, model, gestural and verbal by default, organization-wide guidance, per-target overrides, and why prompted responses don't count toward mastery.
If every RBT scores prompts a little differently, every graph is a little wrong. TargetFlo's Programming → Prompt levels sets one prompt hierarchy for the organization, with guidance RBTs see while they score.
1. Start from the default
Most to least intrusive:
| Code | Prompt | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| FP | Full physical | Hand-over-hand guidance through the whole response |
| PP | Partial physical | A light touch at the wrist, elbow or shoulder |
| M | Model | The therapist shows the correct response first |
| G | Gestural | Pointing, nodding or looking toward the answer |
| V | Verbal | A spoken hint or part of the answer |
Independent is always +.
2. Edit the list for your organization
Add, rename, remove or reorder levels, and write the guidance in your clinical team's words. Only Admin-level roles can change it.
3. Override per target when a program needs it
A target can carry its own prompt list — for example, positional prompts for a receptive program. The override applies to that target only.
4. Know what each session keeps
Each session stores the prompt list it was run with, so changing the hierarchy later never rewrites past data.
5. Read mastery the right way
Mastery uses percent independent (independent ÷ scored trials). Percent correct (independent + prompted) is shown alongside, so fading is visible on the graph.
Related: How to build an ABA goal library · 8 reasons RBTs like collecting data in TargetFlo · Data Collection & Session Notes
- ABA prompt hierarchy
- most to least prompting
- ABA prompt levels data collection
- percent independent mastery
See it in TargetFlo
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