Promoting Positive Behavior

Hitting a peerTeacher

attention Raising his hand

to signal the T.

When two responses serve the same function they are functionally equivalent

What do we know about successful intervention plans?

http://depts.washington.edu/stppbs/index.html

1. Analyze the data --- determine the function.2. Develop hypothesis statements.3. Identify a situation in which you can

consistently implement an intervention.4. Based on that situation or problem behavior

(hypothesis), menu a variety interventions5. Choose one set of interventions6. Make sure that you have buy in

Positive Behavior Support Plan

Hypothesis Development

setting event/context/antecedent (when this happens)

describe the target behavior (the student does)

Maintaining consequence (for what purpose obtain/ escape/Avoid)

When presented with a written academic demand,

Heather will yell at the teacher and drop to her desk sobbing

T. ignored her and Heather escaped the writing task

When asked to return the preferred item after a break

Eryn will pinch or bite T. Gives more time to access the item (obtain item)

If woken before alarm, and not given a pancake for breakfast and then asked to engage in an independent activity

Sam will bang his head and repeat over and over “they woke me up,” and “they did not give me pancakes

T. Redirected to work

Hypothesis Development

when this happens (setting event /context/antecedent)

the student does (describe the target behavior)

for what purpose (obtain/escape/avoid)

When Nick has to wait for the bus and he is presented with a difficult task

screams, swings his arms

to escape having to do the work

 When Annie has been working independently on a math assignment

Wanders the classroom picking at her classmates

to obtain attention

 When Annie has been working independently on a math assignment

Wanders the classroom picking at her classmates

to escape the task

Desired MaintainingBehaviorConsequences

When presented with Heather yelled and T. ignored and H. a writing task dropped head to desk escaped writing

Setting Antecedent Problem MaintainingEvent Event BehaviorConsequence

Replacement Behavior

Competing Behavior Diagrams

Complete Task completed AssignmentEscape

Desired MaintainingBehaviorConsequences

When presented with Heather yelled and T. ignored and H. a writing task dropped head to desk escaped writing

Setting Antecedent Problem MaintainingEvent Event BehaviorConsequence

Replacement Behavior

Competing Behavior Diagrams

Complete Task completed AssignmentEscape

Desired MaintainingBehaviorConsequences

When presented with Heather yelled and T. ignored and H. a writing task dropped head to desk escaped writing

Setting Antecedent Problem MaintainingEvent Event BehaviorConsequence

Ask for AssistanceReplacement Behavior

Competing Behavior Diagrams

Irrelevant◦ Child no longer needs to use problem

behaviors to achieve wants/needs Ineffective

◦ Problem behavior no longer enables the child to achieve the function of his/her behavior

Inefficient◦ Problem behaviors require much more effort

and time to achieve purpose compared with acceptable behavior.

Make Problem Behavior Irrelevant, Ineffective, and Inefficient

History of Reinforcement

Students come to us with a long history of being reinforced for particular behaviors

Address immediate antecedent events in the child’s environment that predict or trigger problem behavior.

Antecedent Strategies

Pre-specified Reinforcers

State the reinforcer to be delivered prior to the completion of a task or activity in which a problem behavior occurs.

Examples “If you will sit at the booth during

dinner, we will order some ice cream.” “When you finish your math worksheet

you can look at the magazines”

Pre-specified Reinforcers

Steps for Implementation1. Assess preferences and reinforcers.

a. Make a list b. Observe c. Provide Choices

2. Deliver the request by stating the reinforcer to be delivered when the request is completed.

3. Child receives reinforcer AFTER engaging in and completing the activity.

Preferred Activities or Objects as a Distractor

Engaging a child in an activity or object to distract him/her from the event in which the child usually engages in challenging behavior.

ExamplesGiving children colors to work with while waiting for dinner.

Letting a child listen to a tape recorder while riding in the car/bus.

Preferred Activities or Objects as a Distractor

Steps for Implementation1.Identify objects that are preferred.2.Identify objects that do not interfere with

the target activity.3.Engage child with the preferred object

before beginning target activity or at point prior to which challenging behavior will occur.

Choice MakingExamples“Do you want to do

the worksheet first or the reading first”

“Do you want to brush your teeth or wash you face?”

“Do you want to use the markers or the crayons?”

Offering choices of materials to be used, components of an activity, or undesired activities when presenting a request.

Choice Making

Steps for Implementation:1.Identify activities in which choices can

be offered2.Identify an array of choices within

activity.3.Offer choices prior to the child

engaging in challenging behavior.

Collaborative ActivitiesExamples “If you will put

up three legos, I will put up three legos.”

“If you do the first three problems, I will do the next one.”

Sharing the responsibilities of the task or activity in which a child typically exhibits challenging behaviors.

Collaborative ActivitiesSteps for Implementation1. Identify activity.2. Split the responsibilities of the task.3. Prior to the child’s engaging in challenging

behavior, present the task demand in a collaborative fashion.

NOTE: This intervention is effective for those children that engage in challenging behavior to escape from an activity and obtain attention.

Tolerance for Delay of Reinforcement

Examples At the lunch table,

the child begins to get fidgety. Mom says, “Two more bites.”

Dad sees someone and stops to talk, Margaret starts to complain that she wants to leave, Dad says, “One more minute.”

Teaching the child to (a) stay engaged in a task/activity, or (b) wait for a desired object for longer periods of time.

Tolerance for Delay of Reinforcement

Steps for Implementation

1.Identify the situation2.Identify the shortest amount of time that

the child will wait before exhibiting behavior. (CTP)

3.Choose a delay signal and a release signal.4.Engage the child in the activity.

Tolerance for Delay of Reinforcement

Steps for Implementation (cont.)

5. Deliver the delay signal prior to the critical time period.

6. Continue engagement for a short time longer.7. Deliver a release signal and reinforcement

(e.g., release student from task, deliver requested object/tangible).

8. Gradually increase time child has to wait between signal and delivery of activity/object

High‑Probability Requests

A set of simple requests delivered just prior to a request in which the child typically does not comply.

Teacher Child Consequences

Alan, give me five. Gives five Teacher gives praise

Touch your ears. Touches ear Teacher gives praise

What is on your shirt?

Says “Batman” Teacher gives praise

Sit in your chair. Sits in chair. Teacher gives praise

High‑ProbabilityRequests

1. Identify those requests that the child typically will complete. These tasks should be easy and quick to complete (High‑p requests)

2. Identify those requests in which the learner will not complete

3. Validate those requests.4. Deliver three high-p requests immediately prior

to delivering the low-p request.5. Provide some type of feedback (i.e., praise,

gesture, tangible)

Hypothesis Statement

Setting Events

Antecedent Strategies

Skill Development

ConsequenceStrategies

Teaching Strategies

Address the communication, social, and adaptive living skill deficits and needs of children with disabilities.

Strategies are linked to the skill deficits that are associated with the occurrence of problem behavior.

Strategies Teaching Replacement Behavior

General Rules for Implementing Do not continue to reinforce the problem behavior Minimize the probability that a problem behavior will

occur prior to the acceptable communicative response

If possible, select a new response that is already part of the child’s existing repertoire.

Try to incorporate the natural maintaining contingencies offered by the natural environment

Teaching a Requesting Response

A socially acceptable request to: withdraw from an uncompleted task with the

expectation of returning (requesting a break)

gain someone’s attention (request attention) gain someone’s assistance from someone

(request assistance) solicit praise or confirmation of completed

work (request a work break)

Teaching a Requesting Response

Steps for implementation 1. Determine how long the child will stay with the

task before engaging in the problem behavior2. Just prior to arriving at this point, provide the

child with the event to match the specific request you are trying to teach (escape, assistance, attention).For example, if you are trying to teach the child to request a break, immediately prior to the point in which problem behavior usually exists, release the child from the task.

Teaching a Requesting ResponseSteps for implementation (cont.)

3. Once the task has been associated with reinforcement (release from the task), prompt the child to request at the critical point before problem behavior occurs.

4. After a correct response, the child should be immediately provided the action to match the response

5. Over time, fade the prompts necessary for the child to make the desired request.

6. If the child begins to use the communicative response earlier, establish additional conditions.

Teaching a Rejecting Response

A socially acceptable response to avoid contact with an undesired activity, person, or object.

When given brussels sprouts at dinner, Karen says “Don’t like,” and they are removed.

Right before gym time, Ryan signs “all done” and does not have to go to gym.

Teaching a Rejecting ResponseSteps for implementation1. Identify the earliest possible at which the

child attends to the approach of the undesired event without engaging in problem behavior

2. Reinforce the absence of problem behavior3. Prompt or model the desired response in

the presence of the undesired event4. Shape successfully better approximations

or gradually reduce the child’s reliance on prompts.

5. Insure that rejecting is used conditionally

Tertiary Interventions

Changing the Consequences

What are some challenges to these interventions?

•They are hard to do•They require you to do an FBA

•They require consistency•They must be individualized

•Often lack social validity•Not as effective as people think

Consequences

• Consequences occur after the behavior

• They can be planned or unplanned

• Natural or artificial

Reinforcement

A consequence that increases or

maintains behavior

Can be positive or negative

Is administered contingently

upon production of requested

response.

Reward vs ReinforcerReward Reinforce

r

has a demonstrated strengthening

effect on behavior.

form of compensation

that is assumed to strengthen

behavior

For what behavior the student will receive a token?

How many tokens will it take to get the reinforcer?

When can the student trade-in the tokens?

Token Reinforcer

Punishment

A consequence

that decreases behavior

Can be positive or negative

Disadvantages:--Withdrawal

--Initial increase in behavior

--peer reactions

•Contingent Effort

•Reprimand

Adding a Punisher

Implementing a Punisher

•Define behavior•Collect data

•Determine function•Make sure reinforcement is in place

•Implement with fidelity•Monitor progress

•Time out from positive reinforcement

•Extinction

•Loss of privilege

Loss of privilege •Response Cost

Removing a Reinforcer

Time Out From Positive Reinforcement

•Identify reinforcer that maintains behavior (e.g., tangible, attention).

•Remove access to the reinforcer

•Make Time In as reinforcing as possible•Keep time out period as short as possible

•Release child from TO contingent on acceptable behavior.•Try teaching acceptable behavior first

Extinction•behavior that has been previously reinforced is no longer reinforced•Possible extinction burst

•Identify source of reinforcement•Withhold reinforcement

•Maintain extinction for a sufficient amount of time•Combine extinction with other strategies

Loss of Privilege—Response Cost

•Identify reinforcer to be lost or removed•Determine what behaviors will result in a loss

•How will the student earn the reinforcer back?•Monitor behavior to be sure response cost is effective

DATA, DATA, DATA

Power of changing consequences is limited

The real power of behavior change is in teaching alternatives and prevention

Where does this leave us?

The summary or hypothesis statement/function behavior plan diagram serves as the foundation for an effective Positive Behavior Support Plan

You must consider the perspective of all of your team members.

Brainstorm Intervention Strategies and Make a Plan

Setting Events

Antecedent Strategies

Skill Development

ConsequenceStrategies

Pre-specify the Reinforcer

Teaching to request assistance

Deliver reinforcement for minimal engagement

Provide choices of what she will write about

Provide Graphic Organizer

High-p Requests

Finalize GOODNESS OF FIT

Do key members believe the support strategies can be implemented during routine/activity?

Does the plan take into consideration all of the individuals who may be involved during the routine?

Are the strategies congruent with values and beliefs?

Are there materials and resources to implement the plan during the routine?

Hypothesis Development

setting event/context/antecedent (when this happens)

describe the target behavior (the student does)

Maintaining consequence (for what purpose obtain/ escape/Avoid)

When asked to return the preferred item after a break

Eryn will pinch or bite

T. Gives more time to access the item (obtain item)

1. Consistent use of a visual schedule across the school day

2. Reinforcer Assessment3. Consistent use of reinforcement across the

school day

General Primary Interventions

Transition from Break to Work Tasks

1. Pre-specify a reinforcer prior to a work demand

2. Delay reinforcement

3. Use of a timer to indicate end of break

Consequence Strategies

1. Access reinforcement appropriately

2. Access reinforcement appropriately

3. Gives up reinforcer appropriately

Antecedent interventions

Transition from Break to Work Tasks

1. Appropriately request more time with reinforcer

2. Appropriately give up reinforcer (i.e. into a box/basket)

Consequence Strategies

1. Access reinforcement appropriately

2. Gives up reinforcer appropriately

Teaching Interventions