Prompt Dependency
Includes a Live Web Event on 03/31/2026 at 3:00 PM (EDT)
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Errorless instruction is a staple in ABA programming. But when prompts aren’t faded strategically, they can quietly work against learner independence.
Join us for a free CEU that takes a closer look at when errorless instruction supports acquisition and when it becomes a barrier.
When Errorless Instruction Becomes the Error
Identifying, Preventing, and Fixing Prompt Dependency and Faulty Stimulus Control
Presented by: Catherine Lark, PhD, BCBA-D, Manager of Leadership Development & Diagnostician, NJ Practicing Psychologist 35SI00669200, NJ LBA 15BC00046800, NC HSP-P 6433, IN HSPP 20043760A, RI LBA 356
Date: Tuesday, March 31
Time: 3-4 pm EST
CEUs: 1 Learning CEU
Cost: Free
This CEU is designed to help behavior analysts recognize when instructional strategies are masking skill deficits rather than promoting true mastery. We’ll focus on how to identify unintended sources of stimulus control and make data-based adjustments that support independence.
What You’ll Learn
- How to differentiate the appropriate use of errorless instruction from prolonged or ineffective application
- Key indicators of prompt dependency and faulty stimulus control
- How to analyze learner data to determine what is actually controlling responding
- Evidence-based strategies to fade prompts and strengthen discrimination learning
- Common missing component skills that interfere with independent responding
We’ll walk through real-world examples and provide practical tools you can apply immediately to evaluate and refine your instructional programs.
This CEU is ideal for behavior analysts looking to strengthen instructional design and ensure teaching practices lead to meaningful, independent skill acquisition.
Let’s keep building clinically necessary, evidence-aligned, and impactful programs together.
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Catherine Lark (Moderator)
Manager of Leadership Development & Diagnostician
Bierman Autism Centers
Catherine Lark is the Diagnostician at Bierman Autism Center in New Jersey and is dedicated to bridging the gap between assessment and treatment services for children with developmental disabilities. Catherine also recently took on the role of Manager of Leadership Development to assist with training new leaders across the company. Catherine graduated with her PhD in School Psychology at Louisiana State University with an emphasis in ABA. She then completed her predoctoral internship and postdoctoral residency at the Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta, Georgia with a focus on the assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior and the early intervention for significant language delays in children with autism and developmental disabilities. She is currently a licensed psychologist (35SI00669200) and licensed behavioral analyst (15BC00046800) in New Jersey, along with a doctoral behavior analyst and has presented in prior state and national conferences.
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