ABA and Autism Level II Training

ABA and Autism Level II TrainingPPCD, AVLS, FLS Carin Renee Thompson M.Ed., BCBA3/23/10Socially Mediated Positive Reinforcement (+) Trying to get it People AroundSocially Mediated Negative Reinforcement(-) Trying to get away People AroundAutomatic Positive Reinforcement(+) Trying to get it AloneAutomatic Negative Reinforcement(-) Trying to get away-Alone

4 Functions of BehaviorMovements or activities of your body when alone that produce a feeling that makes thebehavior that produced it more likely to occur.Self-stimulatory sensations produced by behavior

What Function?The withdrawal of something (such as an unpreferred demand) after a behavior that makes the behavior more likely to occur.What is the reinforcer? Escape or removal of unpreferred demandsAvoidance or at least postponement of unpreferred demands

What Function?Something that is delivered by anotherperson after behavior that makes thebehavior more likely to occur.What is the reinforcer? Gaining:AttentionAccess to Preferred ActivitiesAccess to Preferred Tangible ItemsWhat Function?Video ExamplesFunction?

What Procedure?All of the actions of a person that are mediated (reinforced) by a response from a listener who is specially trained to respond to that persons behavior (Skinner 1957)Can be vocal, sign, giving a picture, gestures.Verbal Behavior8Basic Principles of Operant Conditioning Stimulus ControlMotivating Operation MO/EOResponseLanguage/Behavior ReinforcementPunishmentExtinctionABC9Motivating Response/ Consequence Operation/MO Behavior

Thirsty Person asks Given drink, for drink thirst quenched Operant Condition Example Verbal Behavior

ABC10Stimulus Control Response/ Consequence Behavior

Red Light & asked Person says stop Social What do you do reinforcement at a Red Light? Operant Condition Example Verbal Behavior

ABC11Mand asking for what you want; Saying cookie because you want cookie (request)Tact Naming or identifying objects, actions or events; Saying cookie because you see a cookie (Label) Elementary Verbal Operants12Intraverbal Answering questions in which words are controlled by other words; Saying cookie because someone says What is your favorite dessert? (conversation) Echoic Repeating what is heard; Saying cookie because someone else says cookie (vocal imitation)Listener Response Following the directions by another person; Touching a picture of a cat when told to do so (Receptive Language)

Elementary Verbal Operants13AntecedentVerbal BehaviorControlling ReinforcementMotivating Operation/MoMandMO met/abatedStimulus Condition must have nonverbal stimulusTactSocial Reinforcement/Joint AttentionStimulus Condition Verbal stimulus onlyIntraverbalSocial Reinforcement/Joint AttentionStimulus Condition VerbalStimulus OnlyEchoicSocial ReinforcementStimulus Condition must have verbal may have nonverbal as well(not a primary operant)Listener ResponseSocial ReinforcementControlling Variables14Teach All MeaningsTactEchoicListener Response/ReceptiveIntraverbalMandCookie15Form of the response is controlled by motivation (needs and wants).Is a response that is typically followed by a specific type of consequence.Responses commonly called demands, commands, and reprimands, usually fits the definition of a mand and the classification is derived form those termsMand/Request16AntecedentBehaviorConsequenceStudents sees water bottle or is thirstyStudent asks for Water (using sign, vocal, picture etc.)Teacher delivers water to student

Mand Example17Manding is the first repertoire learned by all children. Crying functions for babies to gain access to desired items (i.e. food, clean diaper). As children develop, their environment teaches them that vocalizations are more efficient.

Manding is the only verbal behavior that immediately benefits the speaker.I get exactly what I want.Other repertoires receive secondary reinforcement (i.e. social).The MandIt is unlikely that you will be able to develop a verbal behavior repertoire in an early learner by just requiring the child to label items or talk about things.

By teaching a mand repertoire you may replace many problem behaviors.

The MandIt is imperative that you begin teaching the child to ask for his or her strongest reinforcers.

In addition, teach mands at times when the motivation is the greatest for the item or activity.The MandManding is verbal behavior that is initiated by the child. Other repertoires are responses to anothers verbal behavior.

Manding teaches a child that verbal behavior is valuable. My life is better when I communicate; I get things that I want. Other repertoires teach what to say once the learner wants to talk.

Development of a strong manding repertoire may be essential for the development of all other types of verbal behavior.The MandTeaching must occur in the natural, everyday environment where motivation is strong (NET).

Make sure the child has a motivation for an item before prompting a mand.Rules For Teaching MandingPrompt mands initially to teach the child that its easy to get things with verbal behavior, so as to not turn the child off to communicating.

Get the best quality response with the least amount of prompting.

Rules For Teaching MandingPractice teaching mands so that you are skilled in how and when to reinforce, what approximations to accept, what level of prompt to provide and how to fade (back off) prompts quickly.

Consistency in methods across trainers is essential, as well as contriving lots of opportunities for generalization.

Rules For Teaching MandingCapture and contrive as many opportunities as possible per day to teach mands.

Be a giver and not a taker.

Avoid killing MOs - to prevent this give some items for free or require less response effort at times.

Rules For Teaching MandingCapture and contrive as many opportunities as possible per day to teach mands.

Be a giver and not a taker.

Avoid killing MOs - to prevent this give some items for free or require less response effort at times.

Rules For Teaching MandingLearner signals motivation for itemInstructor teaches the vocal mand:Model the name of the item 3-5 times as you deliver it. (Automatic Reinforcement)Teach the learner I talk, I get. If the learner imitates the word at any time during the trials differentially reinforceVocal Manding27When the learner can echo the initial trial with acceptable articulation fade the echoic prompt.Fade the item to its typical location in the natural environment when feasibleVocal Manding cont.28

Vocal ExamplePractice Vocal Manding with PartnerPractice SessionRefers to the error process in which a learner cycles through all responses which have led to reinforcement under similar conditions. The learner will produce a series of vocal words. Scrolling31Error Correction Procedure -VocalTurn away, wait 2-3 secondsRepresent the itemPrompt ImmediatelyFade prompts on subsequent trials if possibleScrolling32VideoOscar/Carlos Up Down

33Learner Signals MotivationModel Sign Prompt Sign Deliver Say the item name 3-5xs during procedure/before delivery.For some learners (low attending or poor motor imitation) may need to skip model and go directly to prompt. Manding with Sign34

Video ExamplePractice Manding with Sign with PartnerError Correction Procedure -SignBring hands to a neutral positionRepresent the itemPrompt ImmediatelyFade prompts on subsequent trials if possibleScrolling37

Video ScrollingPractice Manding with Sign/scrolling with Partner

Video Scrolling, Time Delay, Fade ItemList OpportunitiesChain Mands togetherTransitive EO/MO Plan

Increase number of mand per day41Go to manual to see examples of transitive eo/mo

VideoHannah Swing

42The Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) has been used as a measure of the sophistication of language development of young children since the 1920s.(Brown, 1973)It has been thought to be an important index of grammatical development up to the ages of five or six. At first Mean Length of Utterance (MLUw) was calculated by computing an average of the number of words per utterance within a sample of about 100 utterances. (Parker & Brorson, 2005) The index was later changed to measure the production of morphemes not merely words (MLUm). 43Mean Length Utterance43Brown (1973) in his seminal work A First Language: The Early Stages, suggested that instead of using average number words, syllables or age for that matter, to index language development it would be more useful to measure the Mean Length of Utterance in terms of morphemes (MLUm). Morphemes are the smallest unit of language that conveys meaning.They can be both bound and unbound. For example in the sentence:

She wanted the red grapes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 There are 7 morphemes in this sentence. There are 5unbound morphemes corresponding to each word and 2 bound morphemes that are shown in blue and underlined. Note that the bound morphemes can not be said alone and still convey meaning to a listener.

44MLUm44She wanted the red grapesThis sentence contains complex language and meaning, including conveying past tense and more then one grape to the listenerBrown concluded that MLUm is an excellent simple index of grammatical development because every new kind of knowledge increases length (1973, p.53)

MLUm cont.45Brown used this index for measuring language development for children up to age 5 or 6. Past this, MLUm loses its value in measuring knowledge and complexity. Context and type of interaction used then to determine the complexity. MLUm cont.46Browns (1973) research culminated in the development of a five (5) stage framework to understand typical language development according to the rules of grammar related to syntax and morphology. Each stage is referenced to MLUm as the index of the progression of language complexity through morpheme combining. Brown identified 14 different obligatory grammatical morphemes that he used as markers of the progression of language complexity across his stages 2-5. Some examples are in as a preposition, plurals, past tense, possessives, contractions, articles, etc.

Browns Research47Stage 1: 15-30 Months MLU 1.75 (Two Word Stage after 50-60 single word utterances)Examples: birdie go; daddy car; give ball; water hot

Stage 2: 28-36 Months MLU 2.25Examples: Bound and unbound Morphemes- falling (ing endings on words); in box; birdie on head; cars (regular plurals)

Stage 3: 36-42 Months MLU 2.75 Examples: mommys hat (s possessive); Is she coming? (verb to be); not a ball (negation)

Stage 4: 40-46 Months MLU 3.50Examples: the book (articles); she jumped (regular past tense)

Stage 5: 42-53 Months MLU 4.00Examples: he does (third person irregular); Theyre here (contractions)

Browns Stages of Language Development48Browns Stage 1 shows that childrens words are mostly objects, actions, and people in the environment. They are content words usually in the order :Agent -Action: Mommy Go

Agent -Object: Blue BallBrowns Stage 115-30 months49So it is not until stage 2( 2 - 3 years) before a child begins to add function/grammatical meanings to their speech.Children do not start to use articles, conjunctions, past tense, and pluralities until at least age 3.

Browns Stages cont.50Using Browns research on Language development in conjunction with Verbal Behavior Analysis research, they provide a guide for our instructional decisions to teach students language that is appropriate to their current level of functioning, not current age.Programming for Our Kids51Verbal Behavior is behavior that is reinforced through the actions of another person (Skinner, 1957)Some behaviors act on the physical world; verbal behavior acts on the social world. Stopping at a stop light versus naming the stop light or Getting a drink versus asking for the drinkRemember52 Skinners analysis provides an explanatory guide for the development of language through Browns 5 stages using the primary operantsVocal behavior is movements of the vocal musculature that produce acoustic stimuli that affect a listener in a special way so as to produce reinforcement for the speaker. Just the same as signing is movements of skeletal musculature that produces visual stimuli that affect a listener in a special way to produce reinforcement for the speaker Remember Vocal does not equal Verbal

Skinner Analysis of VB53Pair with ReinforcementErrorless TeachingVariable RatioMix and Vary

Intersperse Easy and HardShort ITIFluencyMost to Least PromptsEffective Teaching Procedures541. Pair Teaching Environments WithReinforcement and Use CompetingReinforcers

Teaching ProceduresInitially, correlate the teachingenvironment with highly valuable andhigh-density reinforcement relative to theconditions that have typically beeninterrupted at the start of teachingsessionsTeaching Procedures: PairingWith some learners it will not be possibleto reduce the problem behavior andteach quick and correct respondingwithout removing the reinforcement forthe problem behavior that sometimesoccurs.Teaching Procedures3. Reduce Learner Errors

Teaching ProceduresReduce student errors through teachingmethods that insure high levels of correctresponding.

These procedures will lower thevalue of escape-established reinforcement andwill insure that instructional demands arecorrelated with an improving of conditionsrelative to a worsening of conditions thatresults from frequent errors.Teaching Procedures: Reduce ErrorsUse time delay prompt procedures where prompts are antecedent to responding and therefore are not consequences for incorrect responses.The time-delay extends from 0 second delays to short duration of 2-3 seconds to avoid errors and a disparity in reinforcement density inherent in delayed prompting (longer intervals). This procedure establishes a higher density of reinforcement for quick and correct responding that avoids the prompt and a shorter delay in reinforcement relative to other procedures.Practical Applications of Reduced Errors4. Intersperse Easy And Difficult Demands

Teaching ProceduresInterspersing easy tasks which result incorrect responding and therefore arecorrelated with a higher density ofreinforcement with relatively moredifficult tasks will reduce problembehavior by reducing the value of escapeas a reinforcer.Teaching Procedures5. Pace Instruction Properly

Teaching ProceduresInter-trial intervals of about two seconds or less seem to produce maximal benefit with children with autism.Begin teaching with low frequency demands so as to not evoke the problem behavior, present easy demands so that errors are reduced and correct responding frequently contacts reinforcement on a dense VR schedule. Gradually increase the response-reinforcer ratio similar to a backward chain type of method.Practical Applications of Pacing Instruction Properly6. Mix and Vary Instructional DemandsTeaching ProceduresPresenting instructional demands inwhich the stimuli and responserequirements vary from trial to trialappear to reduce the value of escape asa reinforcer compared to massed trialingand constant task presentation.Teaching Procedures: Mix and Vary7. Teach To Fluency

Teaching ProceduresTeaching skills to fluency as opposed to justcorrect decreases the value of escape as areinforcer relative to other reinforcers availablefor non-fluent responding. It appears thatstudents who learn to respond quickly andaccurately and not just accurately tend toexhibit greater endurance for longer durationsessions without problem behavior.Teaching Procedures8. Fade In Number of Demands

Teaching ProceduresPresent low frequency demands at firstand fade in greater and greater responseration requirements. Deliver extinction forproblem behavior that occurs when theEO was not manipulated precisely so asto abolish problem behavior.Teaching ProceduresInitially present instructional demands at a frequency which does not raise the value of escape and therefore correct responses to the teacher delivered instruction contacts positive reinforcement frequently.

Practical Applications of Fading in Number of Demands9. Fade In Effort/Difficulty Of TasksTeaching ProceduresInsuring that the response being taught isthe most efficient will reduce the shift inthe value of reinforcement toward escapeand evoke problem behavior.Teaching Procedures10. Immediately Deliver ReinforcementTeaching ProceduresSeveral studies have demonstrated theneed to deliver reinforcementimmediately for behaviors that replaceproblem behaviors. Delays in the receiptof reinforcement has been demonstratedto be related to higher rates of problembehavior when teaching new behaviors.Teaching Procedures

Video of Teaching ProceduresPresent Sd with 0 sec. time delayPresent Sd with no prompt/ (2-3 second time delay)Distracter skill (Easy response)Distracter skill (Easy response)Represent Sd with 2-3 second time delayTeaching ProcedureTeach Transfer Test (No Error)PracticeOnce an error has been made:Represent Sd with 0 sec. time delayRepresent Sd with no prompt (2-3 second time delay)Distracter (Easy Skill)Distracter (Easy Skill)Represent SdError CorrectionError CorrectionPractice Teach, Transfer, Test

Teaching Procedure in Group InstructionJoint ControlJoint control is a behavior analytic description of comprehension and memory. Dr. Barry Lowenkron (the founder of the theory of joint control) defines joint control as occurring when a verbal response evoked by a sample stimulus is preserved by a self-duplic and then comes under the control of an additional comparison stimulus which simultaneously evokes a tact, textual, or intraverbal response (Lowenkron, 1997). Put in laymans terms, joint control explains how people follow instructions by repeating part or all of the instruction to themselves and then searching out items or activities which match what they are repeating and allow them to complete the instruction. What is Joint Control?

A joint control event can be experienced by the following activity. Look at the following pattern and remember it:

Find thesame shape sequence among the options below:

How did you do? What behaviors did you engage in to do it?

To find the sequence on the table, the sequence octagon, square, diamond, octagon, diamond is repeated over and over again (a self-echoic) then the sequences in the table are scanned by naming (tacting) the shapes in each sequence until one sequence matches the sequence being repeated. The joint control event is the moment when the sequence you are repeating matches the sequence you found in the table above. That joint control event likely evoked responses in you such as There it is!, I found it! or a nodding of the head, or pointing to the sequence (autoclitics). Joint control also explains why it is difficult for people who have limited tacts, duplic, and intraverbals to develop more advanced receptive repertoires. Joint ControlProcedure- have student rehearse as an echoic (or using sign) the items or steps he will need to perform the taskEx: Receptive ID, give 2 items in a field of 5T- Say, APPLE, BALL (While pointing to self)S- APPLE, BALL (Teacher is pointing to student)T- APPLE, BALLS- APPLE, BALLT- Points to studentS- APPLE, BALLT- presents 5 picture cards in a messy array on the table and says, Give me the apple and the ball.S- Gives pictures of apple and ball.

Joint ControlError Correction- If student gives 1 or gives the items out of order.Remove all cards from the tableStart rehearsal procedure overRepresent cards

Joint Control89Can role play here and/or give other examplesVideo ExampleMany children with Autism have immediate echolalia- repeating back words/phrases immediately after hearing them or Delayed Echolalia- repeating back words/ phrases after a time delayBefore a treatment is prescribed, a functional behavioral assessment and verbal behavior assessment should be conducted Function could be for automatic positiveMaladaptive manding Function as a result weak stimulus control (strong echoic, weak or no intraverbal)

EcholaliaTreatment for immediate echolalia that is due to disordered verbal behavior skillsFocus on teaching manding and intraverbalsRehearsal TechniqueHave student repeat back the word they will use as mands or intraverbals several times with a point prompt to cue when to speak. When they repeat back the word just with your point prompt (self-echoic), transfer stimulus control to the mand or intraverbal.

EcholaliaEx: Teaching Intraverbal, What is your name?T- Bill (while pointing to herself to represent her turn to speak)L- Bill (points to learner to represent his turn to speak)Repeat steps several times until teacher can just point at the learner and he is saying BillT- Whats your name? Points to learnerL- BillT- Reinforces EcholaliaIf child the child has good textual verbal behavior (reading), you may also try a textual prompt to teach intraverbalsT- Shows flash card with the word Bill on it and points to it.L- BillT- Whats your name? Holds card up and points to word BillL- BillT- Whats your name? (Hides card)L- BillEcholaliaSign language may also serve as an effective prompt to transfer stimulus control from the echoic to the intraverbalT- Signs and says BillL- Signs and says BillT- Signs BillL- Signs and says BillT- Whats your name? Signs Bill but does not say it.L- Answers, Bill (with or with out sign)T- Whats your name? No signL- BillEcholaliawww.jacobslessons.com

Games for Language:CaribooNeds HeadIdeas and Resources