Shaping: Recognizing and Reinforcing Approximations | RBT PDU | 0.5 Hour 

This presentation explores shaping as a reciprocal process in which the learner’s behavior and the interventionist’s moment-to-moment decisions jointly influence progress. Through fictional teaching examples, the presenter asks RBTs to identify which changes in responding approximate an individualized target, deliver reinforcement at useful times, and decide whether to maintain, advance, or revisit an expectation. One example involves a child who draws marks one to three centimeters long while working toward longer marks. If length is the target dimension, a longer curved mark can be meaningful progress even when straightness is unchanged. The talk also examines prompted versus independent responding, the effect of delays between a response and reinforcement, and why one unusually strong response does not justify automatically raising the criterion. When responding stalls, RBTs are encouraged to inspect changes in task demands, materials, distance, timing, and reinforcement opportunities rather than assume a single cause. A second example addresses shaping a ball roll toward a partner. The presentation emphasizes observing response patterns, reporting concrete changes to supervisors, and developing shaping fluency through supervised practice and feedback.