Add a target in session

Sometimes a learner is ready for a skill the plan does not cover yet. If your clinic allows it, you can add a new target to one of the plan's goals during the session, without waiting for your BCBA. The target is active at once, so you can record data on it straight away, and your BCBA sees it on the plan with the reason you gave.

Before you start

• Your clinic grants this permission: the org owner turns on Add new targets during sessions for you. Without it, Add target does not appear. If you have neither this permission nor the one to activate planned targets, the Add or activate target button in the web app and the Add / Activate Target menu item in the mobile app are missing too.
• You must be the aide assigned to the session, and the session must be In Progress. In the web app you can also add a target to a Submitted session while your clinic lets aides correct submitted sessions.
• The mobile app hides the menu item while you are offline.
• The list shows the goals you work on in the session. Goals the parents practice at home are not listed, and neither are goals your BCBA put on hold.

Add a target during a session

Web Mobile

Web

Open the session in progress, select Collect Data, then Target. The targets you already ticked are kept while you add the new one.

1. Select Add or activate target at the bottom of the window.
2. On the goal you want, select Add target.
3. Choose the Target Type and type the Target Name. The Description is optional.
4. Fill in the settings for that type, for example the number of trials for a DTT target.
5. In Why?, write one line on why the learner needs this target now. The note is required.
6. Select Add target. If a field is missing or out of range, the form marks it and saves nothing.

The message Target added. It is active and ready for data collection. appears. The target list opens again with the new target ticked next to your earlier ticks. Select Continue or Quick entry to add it to the session and record data.

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Mobile

Add the target from the data collection screen.

The new target opens on the Targets tab as soon as it is saved, already part of the session.

1. Tap the ⋮ menu at the top right, then Add / Activate Target.
2. Add or activate target lists the session's goals. On the goal you want, tap + Add target.
3. Type the Target name and pick a Type.
4. Fill in the fields for that type.
5. In Why?, write one line on why the learner needs this target now.
6. Tap Add target. The button works once the name, the type, its fields and the note are filled in.

What differs between the apps

• The web form has a Description and lets you count a rate target per minute or per hour. The mobile form has neither, so a rate target added on the phone always counts per minute.
• In the mobile app the new target joins the session at once. In the web app it joins only when you select Continue or Quick entry. If you close the target list instead, the target is on the plan but not in this session.
• The web form checks every limit before saving. The mobile app lets some values through that ABACare then refuses, such as more than 100 trials, a duration over two hours or more than 30 steps. It then shows Could not save — check connection, although your connection is fine. Correct the value and try again.
• If your clinic turned the permission off while the app was open, saving shows You don't have permission to do this.
• If your BCBA put the goal on hold in the meantime, saving shows This goal is on hold. Ask the BCBA to resume it.

Add a target from the plan page

In the web app you can also add a target outside a session, from the learner's plan.

1. Open the learner and select Go to Active Plan.
2. Open Goals and select Add target on a goal.
3. Fill in the form as above, including Why?, and select Add target.

The plan reloads with the new target highlighted. No session changes. The button shows only while the plan is active.

What happens next

• The target is Active on the plan, with your name and your note. Your BCBA is not notified, but sees both on the plan.
• ABACare gives the target default mastery criteria and never masters it automatically. Your BCBA reviews it and decides when it is mastered.
• If its goal was Mastered, the new active target makes the goal Active again.
• Record data on it like on any other target: see Collect data during a session.

Related guides

• Activate a planned target in session
• Add a behavior in session
• Add a reward in session
• Start a session and select targets
• Collect data during a session