Behavior reduction strategies

“when implemented immediately after a target behavior, reduce the future probability of the target behavior recurring.” Zirpoli & Melloy, 2001

Is there really a problem?

5 questions should be considered before a decision is made to eliminate or modify a behavior

– Is the behavior causing physical harm to the student or others?

– Is the behavior disruptive to the student’s learning or the learning of others?

– Does the behavior appear to be triggering additional problem behaviors or emotional reactions in the student or others?

– Is the behavior causing the student to be socially excluded?– Is the behavior related to a medical condition?

Chapter 8

Arranging consequences to decrease behavior– Strategies of differential reinforcement– Removal of desirable stimuli– Presentation of aversive stimuli

Aversives in the educational setting

Aversive is an unpleasant consequence intervention as action by the teacher to decrease

inappropriate behavior restriction as the degree of regulation to control the use

of an intervention (Tobin & Sugai, 1993) Tobin and Sugai conducted a survey to determine

attitudes of educators about various aversive interventions.

Rankings from questionnaire

mild electric shock exposure to ammonia wearing a negative sign hits and slaps tastes of hot sauce paddling tastes of lemon juice cloth restraints wearing an eye screen exposure to water mist

Differential reinforcement

Differential reinforcement is defined as the process of reinforcing an appropriate behavior in the presence of one stimulus, and simultaneously, not reinforcing an inappropriate behavior in the presence of another stimulus.

Level 1 - Differential reinforcement

Differential reinforcement of low rates of behavior - DRL

Differential reinforcement of other behaviors - DRO

Differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior - DRI

Differential reinforcement of alternative behaviors - DRA

DRA

Definition- reinforcing a behavior that is an alternative to the targeted behavior (dissimilar but not incompatible).

How- when the student displays the inappropriate behavior the teacher redirects the student to the chosen alternative behavior.

When- every time the inappropriate behavior is displayed.

Note: sometimes DRA is used in conjunction with a mild punisher if the student continues to exhibit the inappropriate behavior.

DRL

DRL: reinforcement schedule used to decrease rate of inappropriate behavior

Full Session: must meet criteria for whole session Interval Session: must meet criteria when session broken into

smaller intervals. Intervals lengthened as behavior decreases. How: 1. Record baseline 2. Space criteria 3. Decide what feedback to give students Advantage: reduce behavior, progressive Disadvantage: slow process, not appropriate for violent behavior.

DRO

Involves reinforcement for the non-occurrence of the target behavior. Specified period of time

- full-session DRO- time period divided into smaller intervals

Permanent product data-e.g. smiley face on paper without doodles

FACTORS “pure” DRO

-reinforcement no matter what other behaviors are expressed behavior vacuum

-need to identify appropriate behavior to replace target behavior reinforcer needs to be more motivating than the one currently maintaining the inappropriate behavior

Guidelines initial DRO interval based on data

smaller increased to longer

DRIDifferential reinforcement of incompatible behavior

DRI increases behavior that excludes the occurrence of the target behavior.

Both behaviors cannot occur simultaneously Example: Reinforce someone for staying awake instead of

sleeping with positive comments and scheduling physical activity during the typical sleep period.

FBA should be performed in order to find the causes of the underlying behavior

The student should be able to perform the replacement behavior.

Start with a CRF schedule and fade over time.

Differential reinforcement of behavior

I need 4 groups of experts:– DRL– DRO– DRI– DRA

DR intervention steps

Select the target behavior to be changed Select the positive behavior to the target behavior. Select the appropriate differential strategy (DRO,DRI,

DRL, DRA) Determine the reinforcers to be used in the intervention Determine criteria for success Implement the intervention Evaluate the results of the intervention

Extinction

The discontinuation or withholding of the reinforcer of a behavior that has previously been reinforced is called extinction. This process is also known as systematic ignoring.

Guidelines: when the target behavior is exhibited, remain impassive; give no indication that you are aware of the behavior. Continue whatever activity you are presently doing; if the behavior persists, turn your back and walk away.

Reprimands

Another form of punishment is the reprimand. Reprimands are useful when a child is engaging in behavior that necessitates immediate action because it is potentially harmful to self, others or property.

A reprimand should include a statement of an appropriate alternative to the inappropriate behavior.

Guidelines for reprimands

Be specific, tell the child exactly what inappropriate behavior is being reprimanded. Reprimand the behavior, not the child. Reprimand immediately. Be firm in voice and physical demeanor. If danger of harm, remove child. If necessary back up the reprimand with the loss of privileges Encourage child to behave appropriately and include a statement of the

appropriate behavior in the reprimand. Be calm. When it is over, do not keep reminding the child of past inappropriate behavior,

avoid embarrassing in the presence of others, Use nonverbal reprimands - shake your head no, point your finger, frown,etc.

Always observe the child’s reaction to the reprimand to determine if it is an aversive.

Loss of privileges

Loss of privileges is a negative behavior management intervention though its results may be positive.

(response cost) When this is applied - a portion of the child’s

present or future positive reinforcers are taken away following the exhibition of the target behavior.

Guidelines for loss of privileges

Be sure the child understands the relationship between the target behavior and the privilege to be lost.

Be sure the student childs the punishable behavior and the consequence of exhibiting it. Use natural or logical consequences

Apply the loss of privilege fairly Avoid warning, nagging or threatening. Do not debate the punishable behaviors, the rules, or the punishment once these

have been established Do not become emotionally involved. Don’t feel guilty when the child loses a

privilege. If the child knows the rules and the consequences of the behavior, then they have chosen to break the rule and suffer the consequence.

Be consistent Reinforce appropriate behaviors, do not emphasize inappropriate behaviors.

Effectiveness

Reprimand - is increased when paired with nonverbal behavior associated with a verbal command - (pointing a finger) & delivered in close proximity to the individual who is the target of the reprimand.

Loss of privilege - most effective when it is a logical or natural consequence of the inappropriate behavior - late for bus - miss it

Time-out

Time out is the removal of the child from an apparently reinforcing setting to a presumable non-reinforcing setting for a specified and limited period of time.

In other words - time out is time away from positive reinforcement.

contingent upon the exhibition of the target behavior discrepancy that is meaningful to the student exists

between the time in and time out environments. Such removal can effectively decrease a target

behavior. Time out has been proven to be more effective than

verbal reprimands (Jones, Sloane & Roberts, 1992)

Time out has two important factors:

Three types of time out

Observational time out (head down on desk, outer perimeter, removing activity materials, reduction of room illumination)

Exclusion - placing a screen between student and the rest of the class -student remains in the class.

Seclusion - time out room, the student leaves the classroom and goes to an isolated room.

Effectiveness of time out is contingent upon

Characteristics of the individual child Teachers consistent application of the

intervention Child’s understanding of the rules of time out Characteristics of the time out area Duration of time out Evaluation of the effectiveness of the

intervention

Overcorrection

A punishment procedures that required the individual who misbehaves to improve the environmental effects of the misbehavior and/or repeatedly perform the appropriate form of the target behavior in the environment in which the misbehavior was exhibited.

Other terms: Overcorrection

Positive practice, functional movement training, autism reversal, and educative restitution

Overcorrection characteristics

directly related to misbehavior directly experiences the effort normally required of

others to correct the products of the misbehavior instituted immediately performs overcorrection act rapidly so that the

consequences constitute an inhibitory effort requirements

individual is instructed and manually guided through the required acts - depending on individual

Two types of overcorrection

Positive practice - the individual who exhibits the inappropriate behavior is required to repeat over and over the appropriate target behavior

Restitution - is correcting or setting right whatever in the environment has been disturbed or disrupted by the inappropriate behavior and doing so in a manner that is more corrected than it actually was disturbed or disrupted

example: slamming a door and then opening and closing the door quietly 20 times.

No throwing toys - pick up all the toys

Satiation

Decreasing or eliminating an inappropriate behavior as a result of continued and increased reinforcement of the behavior.

Very common. “getting too much of a good thing” variable reinforcement schedules are more

resistant to satiation than a continuous or fixed

Punishment

Intervention used to decrease or eliminate an inappropriate behavior.

Two forms– addition of an aversive stimulus as a consequence of behavior– subtraction of something the child perceives as desirable– (punishment by deprivation is generally considered less

harmful than the addition of physical or psychological aversive stimuli)

Punishment

Punishment always works. If you try something that does not decrease behavior, you simply have the wrong stimulus.

For example, it is only time out if the behavior decreases. If the student would rather be alone, then it is not working. You can only tell - by looking at the data.

Timeout

The behavior needs to be specified. Time out should only be used for one or two specified problems. This limits the amount of time out being used, if overused, it may

well lose its effectiveness. Time out is not a procedure to be used at a whim. It has to be well

thought out and part of a written plan for a student. Everyone needs to understand the rules.

Timeout

The shorter the time spent in timeout, the better, because the targeted behavior may not be happening, but no learning is taking place either. If the student would happen top perform a desirable behavior, it would not be readily reinforced.

Time out

The location has to be safe, well-ventilated, and lighted. The student must be observed at all times. Some way to have eye contact. These qualifications eliminate the bathroom and hall closet. There is nothing more controversial than timeout.

Time out

You have a place that meets the ethical standards. You program has been written and approved. You have given a warning and Jason threw a chair. What do you do?

First, tell him in your firmest and most commanding voice (not yelling)- Jason you throw a chair, go to time out. If Jason doesn’t go, you may have to physically take him. DO NOT touch a student except as a last resort and only if you have enough help to overpower if necessary. Never let the student escape. It is better to let him avoid time out than to let him physically hurt himself or someone else, or escape.

Ethical concerns

There are more obvious ethical concerns when using deceleration procedures than when using acceleration ones. One rule of thumb says - implement deceleration at a ratio of 1:3. This means for every behavior you are trying to decrease, you should be teaching or increasing 3 others. Usually it is best to try a positive approach first, like reinforcing an incompatible. In some places documentation of this is required by law or agency guidelines.

Ethical concerns

Informed consent is required for some punishment procedures by law or agency guidelines. It certainly should de an ethical requirement. It is also good sense to be protected in case some one questions your procedures.

Ethical concerns

There is little physical or emotional harm possible to a student from praise that doesn’t function as a reinforcer or a prompt that doesn’t work. There is danger of time lost and behaviors not being learned, but that danger is less than the possibility of someone being hurt in a time out or overcorrection procedure or becoming completely withdrawn from being completely ignored in the name of extinction. For this reason it is critical to document your results in a deceleration program. If it isn’t working, stop, and change it. To do otherwise is unethical.

Ethical concerns

It is certainly your ethical duty to demand a satisfactory explanation from your supervisor for any procedures you question.

This is true whether you question the ethics or the effectiveness of any particular program.

Problems to solve….

Answer the following questions at the end of ch 7 & 8:– Chapter 7 - #2– Chapter 8 - #2, #3 (divide a-l between the group, @ person

taking one example).

Complete the following task:– List some items of useful information that you have learned so

far this week.– Note any alteration of format that would be beneficial to your

learning.