Using Measures of Social and

Emotional Behavior

KEY WORDS OF CHAPTER

internalizing problems externalizing problems acquisition deficit performance deficit multiple gating peer-acceptance nomination scales sociometric ranking Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders functional behavioral assessment Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2)

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING

•. When students either lack or fail to demonstrate a certain repertoire of expected behavioral, coping, and social skills, their academic learning can be hindered.

•School experiences can impact student social-emotional well-being and related behaviors.

•students need to engage in positive social behaviors, such as turn taking and responding appropriately to criticism.

•behaviors, such as name calling and uttering self-deprecating remarks, can denote underlying social and emotional problems.

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING• The appropriateness of social and emotional

behavior is dependent on societal expectations, which vary by age of child, the setting in which behavior occurs, the frequency or duration and the intensity of the behavior.

• EX:, it is not uncommon for preschool students to cry in front of other children when their on the first day of school.

• the same behavior would be a typical if exhibited by an eleventh grader. even more problematic if the eleventh grader cried every day in front of her peers at school.

• Some behaviors are of concern even when they occur infrequently, or very intense.

• example, setting fire to an animal is significant even if it occurs rarely

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING

• social and emotional problems that students experience are clearly apparent

• Externalized problems- disruption in classroom routines, Excessive shouting, hitting or pushing of classmates, and talking back to the teacher

• Internalized problems- anxiety and depression, are less readily identified. might be manifested in the form of social isolation, excessive fatigue, or self-destructive behavior.

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING• In assessing externalizing and internalizing

problems, • identify both behavioral excesses (for

instance, out-of-seat behavior or interrupting) and

• deficits (such as sharing, positive self-talk, and other coping skills) that can then become targets for intervention.

• students fail to behave in expected ways because they do not have the required coping or social skills; or students may have necessary skills but fail to demonstrate them under certain conditions.

Ways of Assessing Problem Behavior • Four methods are commonly used, alone or in

combination, to gather information about social and emotional functioning:

• observational procedures• interview techniques• situational measures • rating scales. Direct observation of social and emotional behavior is

often preferred, given that the results using this method are generally quite accurate.

However, obtaining useful observational data across multiple settings can be time-consuming, particularly when the behavior is v limited in frequency or duration. Furthermore, internal

Ways of Assessing Problem Behavior

Direct observation of social and emotional behavior is often preferred

• the results using this method are generally quite accurate.

• obtaining useful observational data across multiple settings can be time-consuming when the behavior is limited in frequency or duration.

Ways of Assessing Problem Behavior

• internalized problems can go undetected unless specific questions are put forward, given that the associated behaviors may be less readily detected

• The use of rating scales and interview allow for more efficient data collecting across multiple settings and informants, which is important in the assessment of social and emotional behavior.

• Observational

Ways of Assessing Problem Behavior

Observation

• The process of gaining information through one’s senses –visual, auditory used to assess and individuals behavior, and record data observed.

Interview Techniques

• Interviews are most often used by experienced professionals to gain information about student's as well as to gain further insight into a student's overall patterns of thinking and behaving

• self-reports of "aspirations, anxieties, feelings of self-worth, attributions about the causes of behavior, and attitudes about school are [important] regardless of the theoretical orientation of the psychologist

Interview Techniques

variations on the interview method• structured to unstructured or from formal to informal • most interviews probe for information in one or more

of the following areas of functioning and development:

• medical/developmental history• social-emotional functioning educational progress • community involvement. The interviewers focus

should be to take notice of home environment factors that may be having an impact on the student

Situational Measures • Situational measures of SEB include nearly any reasonable

activity • Two methods

1. peer-acceptance nomination scales 2. sociometric ranking techniques.

• Both types provide • indication of an individual's social status

• help describe the attitude of a particular group (such as the class,)

• Peer nomination techniques require that students identify other students whom they prefer on some set of criteria

• (such as students they would like to have as study partners).

• From these measurements, sociograms, pictorial representations of the results, can be created.

• sociometric techniques provide a contemporary point of reference for comparisons of a student's status among members of a specified group.

Rating Scales • There are several types of rating scales; generally a parent, teacher,

peer, or "significant other“

• Raters are often asked to determine the presence or absence of a particular behavior and may be asked to quantify the amount, intensity, or frequency of the behavior.

• Rating scales are easy to administer and useful in providing basic information about a student's level of functioning.

• They bring structure to an assessment or evaluate and can used in any environment to gather data from any source.

• rating scales provide an index of someone's perception of a student's behavior. Different raters have different perceptions of the same student's behavior and are likely to provide different ratings ,views unacceptable expectations and standards.

• Self-report is also part of rating scale systems. rating scales are inexact and should be supplemented by other data collection methods.

Rating Scales

• multiple gating incorporates multiple methods in the assessment of social and emotional behavior

• Multiple gating may help limit the number of undetected problems, as well as target time-consuming assessment methods toward the most severe problems.

• This procedure is evident in the Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders

• systematic screening of all students using brief rating scales.

• Screening is followed by the use of more extensive rating scales,

• interviews, and Observations

Why Do We Assess Problem Behavior? • There are two major reasons for assessing problem

behavior: (1) identification and classification: For example, (IDEA) defines the types of

inappropriate behavior that are indicative of emotional disturbance and autism. To classify a pupil as having a disability and in need of special education, educators need to assess social and emotional behavior.

• (2) intervention. assessment of problem behavior may lead to appropriate intervention. For students whose disabilities are defined by behavior problems, the need for intervention is obvious. However, the development and demonstration of social and coping skills, and the reduction of problem behavior, are worthwhile goals for any student. Both during and after intervention, behaviors are monitore and assessed to learn whether the treatment has been successful and the desire behavior has generalized.

Why Do We Assess Problem Behavior?

• (2) intervention.

• For students whose disabilities are defined by behavior problems, the need for intervention is obvious. However, the development and demonstration of social and coping skills, and the reduction of problem behavior, are worthwhile goals for any student.

• during and after intervention, behaviors are

monitored and assessed to learn whether the treatment has been successful and the desire behavior has generalized

Why Do We Assess Problem Behavior?

• (2) intervention. assessment of problem behavior may lead to appropriate intervention.

• For students whose disabilities are defined by behavior problems, the need for intervention is obvious. However,

• the development and demonstration of social and coping skills, and reduction of problem behavior, are worthwhile goals for any student.

• During and after intervention, behaviors are monitored and assessed to learn whether the treatment has been successful and behavior generalized.

Functional Behavioral Assessment and

Analysis • Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) has become more commonly

used

• FBA a set of assessment procedures used to identify the function of a students problematic behavior, as well as the various conditions under which it occurs.

• Those who conduct FBAs may use different assessment methods and tools (for example, interviews, observations, and rating scale depending on the nature of the student's behavioral difficulties.

• Next a behavior intervention plan can be developed that has high likelihood of reducing the problem behavior. IDEA says. FBA must be conducted for any student undergoing special education evaluation for behavior problem

• FBAs are to be reviewed or conducted by trained individual following a manifestation determination review if suspended because of disability

Steps for Completing a Functional

Behavior Assessment

• Certain steps are essential to the process. • Defining the behavior for the purpose of conducting a

functional behavioral assessment, it • is important to narrow in on just one or two the most

problematic behaviors.• Ex: excessive crying, self-mutilation and noncompliance with

teacher directions,• A support team decides to focus on her self-mutilation

behavior, given that it is, intense and harmful to her body.• It is important to define the behavior that it is observable,

measurable, and specific .• A review of records, interviews with; teachers and caregivers,

and direct observations may help in defining the behavior of concern.

Identifying the conditions under which behavior is manifested.

• Once the behavior has been carefully defined, it is necessary to identify any patterns associated with occurrences of the behavior.

Identifying the conditions under which behavior is manifested

• Antecedents: These represent events that occur immediately before the problem behavior.

EX.

• being asked to complete a particular task

• particularly disliked person enter the room, or receiving a bad grade.

Identifying the conditions under which behavior is manifested

• Setting events: These represent events where the student is particularly sensitive to the antecedents and consequences associated with the problem behavior.

• ex:, a setting event might include not having gotten enough sleep the night before school,

• student gets sensitive after teacher's request to finish work quickly

• acts out in response to the teacher's request.

(1)Identifying the conditions under which behavior is manifested

• Consequences: These represent what happens as a result of the behavior.

• For example, the consequence for a student tearing up paper that he/she does not want to work on or hits another student

• consequence may be that he is sent to the office, and his parents are called to pick him up and take him home.

(2)Developing a hypothesis about the function of the behavior.

• Using collected information about antecedents, setting events, and consequences through record review, interview, and observation,

• develop hypotheses about the function of the behavior.

• different functions of behavior, • (1) social attention/communication; • (2) access to tangibles or preferred activities; • (3) escape, delay, reduction, or avoidance of

aversive tasks or activities; • (4) escape or avoidance of other individuals; and • (5) internal stimulation

(3)Testing the hypothesized function of the behavior.

• It is important to verify that your hypothesis is correct.

Otherwise • The associated intervention plan may not work. By

manipulating the antecedents and consequences, one can determine whether the function is correct.

• Ex: if it is assumed that escape from difficult tasks is a function of the student's problematic behavior of tearing up assignments,

• One could provide tasks that the student finds easy, and enjoys, and examine whether he or she tears up the paper.

• If not, this would provide evidence that the function of the behavior may be to escape from a difficult task.

(4)Developing a behavioral intervention plan.

• Comes after the actual FBA

• It is important to know how to use the assessment data collected for the intervention plan. :

• A behavior intervention plan will involve the following:

Developing a behavioral intervention plan.

• Identifying: identify a behavior that the student can use to

address the identified function in an appropriate manner.

• Ex: if the function of a problematic behavior (such as tearing up work) is escape from a difficult task,

• Teaching: the student might be taught how to request a break

from the difficult task, some might think teaching replacement behaviors results in a lowering of standards,

• the student asking for a break is socially appropriate behavior, it is a step in the right direction

• Reinforcing: include a reward for when the student initially

makes appropriate use of the replacement behavior .

Developing a behavioral intervention plan.

• Appropriately addressing setting events, antecedents, and consequences.

• Behavior intervention plans may include an alteration of the conditions surrounding antecedents and/or a change in consequence

• Ex: Function of a behavior- escape from difficult items presented on a worksheet,

• Antecedent- presentation of those difficult items, • the teacher might set up a task beginning with very

easy tasks, followed by a medium task, and more easy tasks, one difficult task at the end.

RATING SCALES

• Once a behavior intervention plan is developed, it is important to also create a

• Method for measuring implementation integrity

• Monitoring strategy to determine whether the behavioral intervention plan is appropriately addressing the student's problem behavior.

BACS-2

• Administration: Administration Time: 10-20 minutes (TRS and PRS), 30 minutes (SRP)

• Scores: Scores/Interpretation: T scores and percentiles, for a general population and clinical populations

• Qualification level: C,Q1,Q2-Level• Ages : 2:0 through 21:11 (TRS and PRS); • Grades: 6:0 through college age (SRP)

BACS-2• A comprehensive set of rating scales

includes the • Teacher Rating Scales (TRS), • Parent Rating Scales (PRS), • Self-Report of Personality (SRP), • Student Observation System (SOS), • Structured Developmental History (SDH). • Together, they help understand the

behaviors and emotions of children and adolescents.

BACS-2

• Benefits• Uses a multidimensional approach for conducting a

comprehensive assessment • Strong base of theory and research gives you a

thorough set of highly interpretable scales • Ideally suited for use in identifying behavior

problems as required by IDEA, and for developing FBAs, BIPs, and IEPs

• Enhanced computer scoring and interpretation provide efficient, extensive reports

• Norms based on current U.S. Census population characteristics

• Differentiates between hyperactivity and attention problems with one efficient instrument

BACS-2• An effective way to measure behavior• Help children thrive in their school and home

environments with effective behavior assessment. • The Behavior Assessment System for Children

(BASC) provides a complete picture of a child’s behavior.

• School and clinical psychologists have depended on BASC for over a decade.

• BASC-2 provides a comprehensive set of rating scales.

• you receive the most extensive view of adaptive and maladaptive behavior.

BACS-2

• BASC-2 applies a triangulation method for gathering information.

• By analyzing the child’s behavior from three perspectives

• Self, Teacher, and Parent

BACS-2

BACS-2

• Self Perspective • Self-Report of Personality (SRP) • Teacher Perspectives

– Teacher Rating Scales (TRS) – Student Observation System (SOS) – BASC-2 Portable Observation Program (POP)

• Parent Perspectives – Parent Rating Scales (PRS) – Structured Developmental History (SDH)

– Parenting Relationship Questionnaire (PRQ)

BACS-2• Teacher Rating Scales • Teacher Rating Scales (TRS) measure adaptive and

problem behaviors in the preschool or school setting. Teachers or other qualified observers can complete forms at three age levels—preschool, child ,and adolescent in 10–20 minutes.

• The forms describe specific behaviors that are rated on a four-point scale of frequency, ranging from “Never” to “Almost Always.”

• The TRS contains 100-139 items. All clinical and adaptive scales are listed

• Validity and response set indexes used to help judge the quality of completed forms are also available.

BACS-2Parent Rating Scales

• Use the Parent Rating Scales (PRS) to measure both adaptive and problem behaviors in the community and home setting.

preschool (ages 2 to 5), child (ages 6 to 11), adolescent (ages 12 to 21)in 10–20 minutes.

• The PRS contains 134-160 items and uses a four-choice response format.

• Validity and response set indexes to help judge the quality of completed forms

• This form requires a fourth-grade reading level for completion and offers a Spanish version.

BACS-2

BACS-2