Latency
The time between an instruction or stimulus and the start of a behaviour.
Latency measures the delay before a behaviour begins. In teaching, a short latency means a learner attends and responds quickly to an instruction. A long latency points to hesitation, processing delays, or avoidance.
You track latency when evaluating cooperation or fluency. You typically target it for reduction, like teaching a student to follow instructions faster. Sometimes you target it for increase, like teaching a learner to pause before impulsively grabbing an item.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is latency in ABA?
Latency is the time between an instruction or stimulus and the start of the behaviour. If you say 'line up' and the student begins moving eight seconds later, the latency is eight seconds.
Can you give a latency example?
A teacher gives the instruction 'open your book'; the time from the end of that instruction until the pupil starts opening the book is the latency. Short latency suggests quick, cooperative responding; long latency can indicate hesitation, processing delay, or avoidance.
What is the difference between latency and duration?
Latency measures the delay before a behaviour starts. Duration measures how long the behaviour lasts once it has begun. One times the gap before; the other times the behaviour itself.