Research Based Behavioral Interventions

The Response to Intervention Best Practices Institute Wrightsville Beach, NCSeptember 2010

Betsy Stanwood

Are Current Behaviors Learned?

Children aren’t Children aren’t born aggressive, born aggressive, they learn it.”they learn it.”

--Karen DeBordKaren DeBord

Your kids leaveWet towels on the

Floor.

Your husband leavesThe toilet seat up…

Again!.

Every time (at least it seemsLike every time!) Todd does

Something he shouldn’t,He always has an excuseOr blames someone else.

Someone cutsYou off in

Traffic.

Yesterday was theLast straw. Sarah

Came to classTardy for the

Third time this week.Why? Because she was

In her room tryingTo find her homework

Before she could come to School.Your wife wants to

Talk about the toiletBowl seat

During the Super bowl

On Friday afternoon Your principal tells

You to expectA new student

On Monday.New kitten deposits

Hairball on new carpet, Just as in-lawsAre arriving for

Dinner.

Dinner burns!

Think About Yourself!

Science of Human Behavior, Kathi Wilhite (ECU) & Jessica Swencki, (NCDPI)

Level IBegin documentation of interventions, documentation, & data collection - Level I involves the practice of teaching and reinforcing students for displaying the school-wide expectations and is delivered to every student in every setting.Standards Based Classroom Learning - All settings & all students

•Implementation of School-Wide Positive Behavioral (PBIS) supports system ( School wide rules & expectations)• School Wide consequence system• School Wide social skills program with lesson plans used to teach social skills/expectations (i.e. Second Step)• Data (discipline, surveys, etc.)• Professional development on behavior for teaching staff • Classroom management plan & techniques (Rituals & routines, Teach-Model-Practice)• Positive reinforcement systems for classroom (points, tickets, etc.) to reinforce expected/appropriate behaviors• Parent training• Differentiation (ex. More chances, missed recess, cool down time, proximity control, student/teacher conference, redirects, behavior plan, room to move, use of reinforcers)•Planned parent communication system

"Note: It is only after high-quality behavior instruction and interventions are established at both theschool-wide and classroom levels that schools could conclude that a student has a need for additional resources provided by Level II"

Level IIContinue effective Level I interventions while implementing Level II interventions. - Level II provides interventions that are easy to administer to small groups of students, and which require limited time and staff involvement.Needs Based Learning - Some students (At risk)

• Tweak Level I interventions• Small group counseling with school counselor• Bullying prevention program• Classroom management techniques (Differentiated classroom behavior management plans based on PBIS)• Applied Behavioral Analysis (e.g. reinforcement)• Social Skills training (e.g. teach expected behavior by role play and modeling)• Student/teacher inventories of student performance/interests• Behavior contracts• Verbal & Visual cueing• Cognitive Behavioral therapy (e.g. problem-solving & rethinking strategies)• Visualizations• Self-monitoring & self -evaluation• Mentoring• Self talk• Talk Tickets • Planned movement breaks• Response cost• Offered choices• Behavior checklist

Data collected on effectiveness of interventions (teacher rating scales (for examples see the Florida PBIS website (http://flPBIS.fmhi.usf.edu/), teacher observation of frequency & duration using tally marks, paper clip counts, star charts, etc.- behavior checklist data - teacher (Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence) ABC data sheets - referrals)

Level IIIContinue effective Level I & II interventions while implementing Level III interventions. - Level III provides interventions that are developed by a team and includes the support of staff outside of the general education setting.PSM/RtI Team Driven Interventions

• Individual counseling with school counselor• Formal Functional Behavioral Plan (FBA) & Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP)• Teach replacement behaviors, reinforce replacement behaviors, & prevent target (inappropriate) behaviors

Teaching Replacement Behaviors

• BIP targets specific skillsBIP targets specific skills– Skills may include communication alternatives Skills may include communication alternatives

that provide an immediate mechanism for the that provide an immediate mechanism for the person to meet their needsperson to meet their needs

– Other skills that improve overall functioning Other skills that improve overall functioning such as independent living, social skills, such as independent living, social skills, leisure/recreation, toleranceleisure/recreation, tolerance

• All skills should be taught and All skills should be taught and approximations of new behavior rewarded approximations of new behavior rewarded while target behavior is correctedwhile target behavior is corrected

How Should the NEW Behavior Skills Be Taught?

Systematically! Systematic Instruction Involves:Systematic Instruction Involves:

– effective instructional cueseffective instructional cues– analyzing & breaking down analyzing & breaking down

task componentstask components– employing appropriate employing appropriate

teaching methods (e.g., teaching methods (e.g., prompting, shaping, fading prompting, shaping, fading procedures) procedures)

– rewarding & correcting rewarding & correcting behaviors consistentlybehaviors consistently

KEY to Success is KEY to Success is Consistency!Consistency!

General Guidelines for Teaching Replacement Behaviors

• Meet with the student privatelyMeet with the student privately• Discuss the planDiscuss the plan• Get input from the student/Ask Get input from the student/Ask “Will this “Will this

plan work for you?”plan work for you?”• Follow throughFollow through• As much as possible, get the student to As much as possible, get the student to

self-monitor with visual gaugesself-monitor with visual gauges• Review the plan daily and if time allows Review the plan daily and if time allows

act it out.act it out.

Some Research Based Strategies for Teaching Replacement Behaviors

• Applied Behavior Applied Behavior AnalysisAnalysis

• Incidental Teaching Incidental Teaching MethodsMethods

• ShapingShaping• Token EconomiesToken Economies• Differential Differential

ReinforcementReinforcement

What is Applied Behavior Analysis?

Has been referred to by many different termsHas been referred to by many different terms• Behavior analysisBehavior analysis• Behavior modificationBehavior modification• Behavior managementBehavior management• Contingency managementContingency management• Positive approachesPositive approaches• Operant conditioningOperant conditioning• Skinnerian psychologySkinnerian psychology• LovaasLovaas

In the area of autism intervention, behavior analysis has come In the area of autism intervention, behavior analysis has come to be misrepresented by terms for specific behavioral to be misrepresented by terms for specific behavioral methods (i.e. discrete trial training, incidental teaching, methods (i.e. discrete trial training, incidental teaching, pivotal response training, verbal behavior analysis)pivotal response training, verbal behavior analysis)

ANTECEDENTANTECEDENT

BEHAVIORBEHAVIORCONSEQUENCECONSEQUENCE

ABCs of ABCs of Behavior or Behavior or ““Three-term Three-term Contingency”Contingency”

The Core of Applied Behavior The Core of Applied Behavior Analysis Analysis

Myths of Applied Behavior Analysis

MythsMyths

• Behavior analysis consists Behavior analysis consists only of discrete trial trainingonly of discrete trial training

• Behavior analysis is a “quick Behavior analysis is a “quick fix” without lasting effectsfix” without lasting effects

What are Incidental Teaching Methods?

A way of using the student’s interests to A way of using the student’s interests to encourage him/her to say or do encourage him/her to say or do something.something.

The teaching and the learning occur The teaching and the learning occur incidentallyincidentally

Examples:Examples:-Pivotal Response-Pivotal Response-Greenspan Floortime-Greenspan Floortime

Five Steps of Incidental TeachingFive Steps of Incidental Teaching

Watch & Watch & ListenListen

EngageEngage

WaitWait

SupportSupport

ConfirmConfirmConfirmConfirm

What are the Steps in Incidental Teaching ?

What is Shaping?Shaping is also known as “Successive or Progressive Shaping is also known as “Successive or Progressive Approximations”Approximations”

A method that assists

A method that assists

in setting goals for the

in setting goals for the

behavior of a student

behavior of a student

Assists in Assists in changing changing aberrant aberrant behavior or behavior or creating an creating an appropriate appropriate behavior that behavior that is not yet in is not yet in the student’s the student’s repertoirerepertoire

Provides guidance and direction

Provides guidance and direction

for behavior change program

for behavior change program

What are the Steps to Shape Turning in Homework?

Progressive Steps to theProgressive Steps to the Desired BehaviorDesired Behavior

Complete one problem of his choice

Complete 5 problems of his choice

Write his name at the top of the worksheet

Complete all odd or all even numbered problems

Complete all problems except one

Complete all problems

Remember to shape the behavior at each step by

providing positive consequences

As each step is mastered you tell the student that they must move to the next step to receive the reward.

What is a Token Economy?

It is a system of individual It is a system of individual reinforcement of target reinforcement of target behaviorsbehaviors

Tokens are administered and exchanged later for Tokens are administered and exchanged later for backup reinforcersbackup reinforcers

To be successful, a person must be reinforced for To be successful, a person must be reinforced for increasing or decreasing existing behaviors as increasing or decreasing existing behaviors as well as successive approximations for the well as successive approximations for the behaviors we wish to establishbehaviors we wish to establish

What are Common Forms of Tokens?

Plastic or Metal Plastic or Metal circular chips circular chips or checkersor checkers

Marks on chalk or white boardMarks on chalk or white board

Points marked Points marked on a point cardon a point card

StarsStars

Holes punched in a cardHoles punched in a card

StickersStickers

Paper Paper clipsclips

Beans in Beans in a jara jar

Happy Happy FacesFaces

Play Play MoneyMoney

Point CardPoint Card

Tyler TealTyler Teal

How to Build a Token Economy?

1. Pinpoint behaviors to be changed1. Pinpoint behaviors to be changed2. Build the token economy2. Build the token economy

• Select tokensSelect tokens (Must be easily dispensed, difficult to counterfeit, • and safe to use)

• Select reinforcersSelect reinforcers (Must get input from student or students)

• Set token valuesSet token values In assigned area =1 Raise hand = 1

On time = 1 Follow directions = 2 Kept Hands, Body & Objects to Self = 2

• Set reinforcer costSet reinforcer cost• Construct a bankConstruct a bank• Arrange business hours to exchangeArrange business hours to exchange