5 Essential Questions for Setting Appropriate Goals

This single-page infographic presents 5 essential questions every BCBA should ask before finalizing behavior goals — grounded in VanDevander et al. (2023) research on developmental norms and age-appropriate mastery criteria.

What You'll Learn

• How to check whether your target goal is appropriate given the learner's age and developmental norms
• Why zero instances of challenging behavior is rarely a realistic mastery criterion
• When adult prompts belong in mastery criteria as age-appropriate scaffolding
• How to compare your goal expectations to what's typical for same-age neurotypical peers

Who Is This For

BCBAs writing behavior reduction and replacement behavior goals for learners across age groups.

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