HOW TO WRITE:MEASURABLE BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES

(MBOS)

WHAT THIS PRESENTATION WILL PROVIDE:

Basic information on the essential elements of a Measurable Behavioral Objective (MBO).

A Template to guide you in the creation of an individualized, effective, quality, Measurable Behavioral Objective (MBO).

Basic information on the importance of a Measurable Behavioral Objective (MBO).

Basic information about the: Relationship between the MBO, Plan, Goal, Data, and Assessments.

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WHAT THIS PRESENTATION WILL NOT PROVIDE:

Templates that will allow you to simply change the name and apply to your person.

(MBOs must be individualized to the person, situation, and objectives. Anything less is a huge disservice to the individual and whoever is paying for the intervention.) ALWAYS individualize for the person and situation.

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WHY ARE MBOS SO IMPORTANT? When well written, AND based on a

functional behavioral assessment, AND correctly implemented, and adjusted as needed, they provide:

BETTER OUTCOMES

WHY ARE MBOS SO IMPORTANT? They, with well written goals, provide:

A clear unambiguous map to the desired destination (outcome).

To test this on your objectives, write a practice MBO and give it to a group of people without any additional explanation and see if they carry it out the same … as each other, and as intended.

An MBO is the core of the plan.

A QUALITY MBO IS PARSIMONIOUS As short as possible As simple as possible Succinct

FOR ADDITONAL CLARIFICATION (OF

YOUR MBO) ATTACH:

Charts Visual: Schedules or Cues Operational Definitions

as needed

A WELL WRITTEN MBO AND PLAN WILL: Be: Written in full partnership with primary

care providers (i.e. parents/family) Be: Written in full partnership with the

intended recipient of services, to the extent possible.

Always protect the safety and dignity of the intended recipient and all others involved.

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START WITH OUTCOMES: What are the current and DESIRED

natural routines for the individual? (In family and non-clinical natural environment context ,

WITHOUT the presence of a therapist. WITH family and/or typically developing peers.)

What does the individual want to be able to do?

What does the family want the individual to be able to do?

What does the individual need to do? ~~~

WHAT IS THE CURRENT SITUATION? What is the individual doing now?

(What are his or her current skills and behaviors?)

(What are the baselines?)

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WHY??? Why is the individual doing what s/he is doing now?

(Best learned from a thorough, professional, Functional Behavioral Assessment to include a Functional Analysis of Behavior.)

(There are ALWAYS reasons for behavior, an underlying need is often being met through or as a result of the behavior. IF the behavior is inappropriate, are there other ways for the individual to meet the underlying need? If the behavior is basically appropriate, are there ways to improve?)

WELL WRITTEN OBJECTIVES ARE ALMOST ALWAYS:

Measurable (ALWAYS) Observable (almost always) Repeatable (almost always)

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MEASUREMENT MUST BE: Valid (measure what it is supposed to

measure.)

Reliable (measures the same … across, time, people, situations.)

VALIDITY: BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT: Multiple variables Maturation Observer bias

(All of these WILL alter the validity of your data if you do not take appropriate precautions.)

GOALS Goals represent where you want to go.

MBOs represent the steps needed to get there.

GOALS SHOULD BE: Positive, well supported, logically tied

to both formal and informal assessments, and derived from desired outcomes.

MBOS SHOULD BE: Contextualized within natural routines

and/or desired natural routines.

Some MBOs can lead (or provide logical steps) to MBOs which are contextualized within natural routines, and/or desired natural routines, if there is a clear (parsimonious) path to the natural routine.

WHAT??? MBOs should be contextualized within

the natural routine and environment; however, sometimes one must take steps

to get to this point…as quickly as possible.

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MBOS SHOULD: Use … as much as possible, Natural

Reinforcement in lieu of Contrived Reinforcement.

A WELL WRITTEN MBO WILL: Identify the learner (target of the

intervention) [WHO] Identify the target behavior in measurable

terms (what is the person supposed to do) [WHAT]

Identify the Target Stimulus or Cue that will clearly tell the person it is time to do the target behavior. [WHEN]

Identify the criteria for acceptable performance. [HOW] will we know the objective has been accomplished.

CRITERIA DATA The more complex the MBO, the more

complex the data. The simpler the MBO, the simpler the data.

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DATA WILL! Tell you when the MBO has been met. Tell you when the goal has been met. Provide you feedback to adjust the MBO

and perhaps the entire plan as needed.

(Plans and MBOs should be adjusted at least every six months. If you are not making good progress, adjust, if you are making good progress and meeting objectives, adjust to the next steps. Remember the saying attributed to Einstein: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.”

TEMPLATE, OR QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF ANSWER: IN WRITING AND BEFORE WRITING YOUR MBO:

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WHO? For example: Name of Child

WHAT? For example: What specifically (in valid

and reliably measurable terms) do you want the child to do?

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WHEN? For example: When is the child to do

the desired behavior? What is the target stimulus or cue for the child that it is time to do the behavior? (Whenever possible use or systematically adjust the MBO to use naturally occurring target stimuli. For example: when hungry, or when s/he enters the home, or when finished eating.)

HOW? How do we know the new or improved behavior is sufficiently consistent to move on to a next step? (You may also want to consider and submit to writing in another part of the plan, how you will know when it’s time to adjust because of lack of progress).

(How will you know that this objective has been met/accomplished?)  This needs to be specific and the data easy to collect and understand.  In the case of a safety issue, it must always be 100% (it is unacceptable to write that Joey will cross the street safely 50% of the time. The only thing that should change is the assistance or prompt level).  For non-safety issues, an example would be 3 out of 4 trials for 3 consecutive weeks or 45% of the time for three consecutive weeks.  Be careful about saying an average over multiple weeks or months as this can paint a very inaccurate picture in your data collection and reporting.

TEMPLATE OR QUESTIONS FOR DATA COLLECTION: ANSWER IN WRITING

WHAT IS THE PERSON SUPPOSED TO DO? For example: list everything the child is

supposed to do according to the MBO.

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WHAT ARE THE ADDITIONAL VARIABLES (IF THERE ARE ANY)? 

For example: amount of time the person has to start and/or complete the behavior (or task),  how it is to be done,  et etc.

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DATA COLLECTION: Good data collection will almost always

… unless there is an incredibly compelling reason not to:

Track EVERY target behavior and EVERY variable within the MBO and some outside of the MBO i.e. setting events.

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TEMPLATE OR QUESTIONS FOR PROBLEM BEHAVIOR:

Answer in writing:

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WHAT IS THE PROBLEM BEHAVIOR?

WHAT IS THE FUNCTION OF THE PROBLEM BEHAVIOR? What benefit is the child getting from

this? Remember that the same problem

behavior may derive different benefit in different settings, over time, with different people, and with satiation.

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WHAT ARE THE SETTING EVENTS THAT MAY IMPACT THIS BEHAVIOR?

Also, What are the immediate antecedents that may impact this behavior?

What will you do about the setting events and antecedents?

Do IT

WHAT IS CURRENTLY REINFORCING THE PROBLEM BEHAVIOR?

What will you do about this reinforcement?

DO IT!

REMEMBER: AN MBO ANSWERS 4 QUESTIONS:

Who? (Individual receiving the intervention) What? (What this individual is supposed to

do?) When? (When will the person know it is time

to do the behavior? What is the target stimulus or cue?)

How? (How will you know the objective has been met? What is the criteria for success?)

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EXAMPLE: When (or Upon entering his home)

Charlie enters his home, if he is wearing his coat, Charlie will remove his coat and hang it on the coat rack, beside the front door, without any additional prompts, within two minutes of entering. Four out of five trials for three consecutive weeks.

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NOW WHAT?

Write your MBO. Let me know if you have questions.

You can ask questions and discusses issues from this presentation at the blog at: http://bestoutcomes.blogspot.com/2013/11/q-and-discussion-for-associated.html