ABA Exam Coach

F.2: Identify and integrate relevant cultural variables in the assessment process.

Free practice questions for this part of the BCBA, with an explanation for every option.

A BCBA's draft skills assessment includes the goal 'maintains eye contact with adults during conversation.' The family tells the BCBA that, in their culture, children looking directly at adults' eyes is considered disrespectful. What should the BCBA do?
  1. A. Work with the family to revise the goal so it matches their values, such as orienting toward the speaker
    Correct. Working with the family to adapt the goal respects their cultural values while still addressing a meaningful social skill.
  2. B. Explain to the family that the research supports eye contact training
    Persuading the family to drop their cultural norms is not culturally responsive.
  3. C. Keep the goal, because eye contact is a standard social skill
    Keeping the goal ignores a relevant cultural variable and may target behavior the family does not value.
  4. D. Drop all social-communication goals from the assessment
    Dropping all social goals goes too far. Only the goal that conflicts with the family's values needs to change.
A BCBA needs to interview the parents of a new client, and the parents mainly speak Vietnamese. The client's 12-year-old sibling is bilingual and offers to translate. What is the best approach?
  1. A. Arrange a qualified interpreter, or a BCBA who speaks the language, for the interview
    Correct. Using a qualified interpreter makes communication accurate and supports a culturally responsive assessment.
  2. B. Skip the interview and rely only on direct observation
    Caregiver input is an important source of information, so skipping the interview leaves out valuable data.
  3. C. Use the sibling, because it is convenient and the family trusts them
    A child sibling may lack the vocabulary, may mistranslate, and is put in a role that can affect confidentiality and family dynamics.
  4. D. Hold the interview in English and give the parents written materials afterward
    Holding the interview in a language the parents do not speak well means the information may be incomplete or wrong.
During a home observation, a BCBA sees a parent hand-feeding their 5-year-old at dinner. The BCBA is about to list 'lack of independent self-feeding' as a deficit. What should the BCBA do first?
  1. A. Ask the family about their mealtime practices and goals before deciding whether this is a target
    Correct. Asking about cultural practices and family goals first prevents targeting behavior the family values.
  2. B. Check whether the child can feed independently in clinic, then add the goal no matter what the family wants
    Probing the skill can be useful, but adding the goal regardless of the family's wishes ignores stakeholder involvement.
  3. C. List it as a deficit, because 5-year-olds usually feed themselves
    Applying a developmental norm without context may wrongly label a culturally normal practice as a deficit.
  4. D. Tell the parent to stop hand-feeding at once
    Directing the family to change a practice before the assessment is finished is premature and ignores their input.

Take the free diagnostic