21 August This document was prepared by Alayna Haberlin, Alex Brown, and Jill Haberlin

Transcription

1 Submission 180 Submission from the Association for Behaviour Analysis Australia to the Senate inquiry into the current levels of access and attainment for students with disability in the school system and the impact on students. 21 August This document was prepared by Alayna Haberlin, Alex Brown, and Jill Haberlin

2 Behaviour Analysis Australia Background About Us ABAA is a professional organisation that looks to support the development and advancement of the field of behaviour analysis in Australia. ABAA is dedicated to promoting the theoretical, experimental, and applied analysis of behaviour across a broad range of applications within Australia. What is ABA? ABA stands for Applied Behaviour Analysis and is dedicated to the improvement of human behaviour through the method of science. It examines how the environment around a person will make it more or less likely that a particular behaviour will or will not occur. ABA is research based and this has allowed for the improvement of people s lives by developing methods to change behaviour to be more appropriate and less disruptive. A key component of ABA is data. It is an objective field and focuses on the reliable measurement and objective evaluation of observable behaviour. The data collected are the basis for assessments and can objectively determine if treatment gains have occurred in the intervention. What is a behaviour analyst? A behaviour analyst uses the principals of learning and motivation to address challenging or problematic behaviours and to teach new appropriate skills across these different settings. They can be found working in many human service sectors. It is very common to find them working with students with disabilities in home and school settings. In the field of ABA there is an internationally recognized certification, the Board Certified Behaviour Analyst or a BCBA. To become a BCBA an individual has to have a master s degree in behaviour analysis or a related field, take ABA courses, complete 1500 hours of supervised work experience and pass an exam. Behaviour analysts are expected to follow a set of ethical guidelines, codes of conduct, and maintain their certification by completing continuing education.

3 Behaviour Analysis Australia How does ABA and behaviour analysts help students with disabilities? ABA helps students with disabilities by improving a behaviour that is important to them, their teachers and/or their parents. ABA teaches social, motor, communication, academic independent living, perspective taking, reasoning, eating, toileting, and community integration skills. It also focuses on increasing appropriate behaviours and decreasing inappropriate behaviours. One of the initial steps, to assisting a student, is that a behavioural assessment is conducted to allow for the development of goals and an intervention plan based on the assessment data. This assessment includes interviews with people that know the student, observations of the student and testing of their skills. Another important aspect is monitoring the student s behaviour and what is happening in the environment during the behaviour to figure out why it is occurring. Since these observations are key to the assessment, it is imperative that the behaviour analyst is able to observe the student in school while they are in the classroom, on the playground, and interacting with others. With the information gathered from the behavioural assessment a behaviour analyst then develops a behaviour intervention plan to target skills that need increasing and problematic behaviour that needs decreasing. In the intervention, they will use techniques such as prompting, positive reinforcement and/or rewards to teach each step of the skill. By teaching in small achievable steps they can ensure that the student is motivated to learn and makes progress on a targeted skill. Areas of Concern within the Education System There is a lack of understanding of the importance of ABA in the school system There is a general lack of understanding and many misconceptions about ABA within the school system. Many educators believe that ABA is only for individuals with autism spectrum disorder or that ABA uses punishment or makes students robotic in their interactions. These are common misconceptions that BCBA and parents frequently face from school staff, which has created many problems related to access of BCBAs in the schools. School administrators, teachers and support staff need more training to understand what ABA is and how it can benefit both students and staff in the classroom.

4 Behaviour Analysis Australia Minimal or no access into the classroom When a student is experiencing difficulty in school their parent may request a behaviour analyst to go to the school to provide ABA services for extra support. However, it is common for the school to be reluctant or outright refuse to let the behaviour analyst into meetings or to conduct classroom observations. This lack of support from the school reduces the opportunity of the student to receive appropriate services and support. Additionally, when a parent wants to use these ABA services in a school they still must pay out of their own pocket without any financial support from the government. There is a lack of recognition of who is qualified to provide training and expertise in ABA Professionals who provide ABA services vary in training, experience, and certification. As stated previously, behaviour analysts are certified through the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board. Professionals with this certification have extensive training in the science of ABA and how to put that science into practice. As well, they have the most up-to-date knowledge on how to implement behaviour analytic programs in school settings. Some professionals may have experience in providing ABA interventions or services but are not formally certified. The uncertified professionals may have attended workshops or worked with a BCBA but they should still be supervised by someone who is certified. It is often assumed that a BCBA is not necessary in a school setting because it is common for schools or the Department of Education to employ a person with a title similar to Behaviour Expert. This person generally has minimal training and understanding on the needs of individuals with disabilities and the assessment and management of their challenging behaviours. This restricts students access to professionals, such as a BCBA, that are qualified in disability services. It is suggested that schools look into hiring BCBAs to fill these roles or to provide supervision to people in these roles. Minimal use of functional behaviour assessments and appropriate intervention plans for students with challenging behaviour It is very commons for teachers to have minimal or no training in their university courses on ABA. This puts them at a disadvantage when they encounter challenging behaviour, as they don t have the knowledge on how to assess the situation or intervene. This can be dangerous for all involved.

5 Behaviour Analysis Australia If a student has a challenging behaviour that interferes with their own learning or the learning of others then schools should conduct a Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA). This looks at what leads up to the behaviour, what the behaviour is and the consequences of it. After the FBA is conducted a behaviour intervention plan (BIP) is written up to address how to handle and then monitor the progress of the student s challenging behaviour in the classroom. BCBAs have extensive training in conducting FBAs and writing BIPs, which would be of great value to the students, teachers, and school systems. Lack of accountability of child progress Development of individual education plans (IEPs) is essential to providing promising educational outcomes for students with disabilities. The current use of an IEP does not support students with disabilities. Often the goals listed on an IEP are vague, generic, unclear and irrelevant to that student. Poorly written IEPs make it difficult to identify if the student has met their goals and inhibits the student s access to appropriate services. Behaviour analysts can help teachers and parents develop IEPs that focus on appropriate and functional goals and data collection that identifies if progress is occurring. Lack of training in special education The majority of school administrators and general education teachers have little or no training in special education. The lack of training can make it difficult for general education teachers to properly include students with disabilities. It can also lead to school administrators misinterpreting the behaviour of students with disabilities, which can then lead to labelling the student as problematic. This can cause children with disabilities to not receive appropriate support and services. Special education teachers have a huge responsibility to provide an appropriate education to students that have various disabilities, which impair each student in a different way. These teachers are expected to be experts not only in all of these disabilities but also in how to manage their academics, social and communications skills and challenging behaviours. To prevent teacher burnout there needs to be more specialized training and support in behaviour management and individualizing the teaching to each student. Behaviour analyst can help to support teachers in classroom management and individualized instruction for students.

6 Behaviour Analysis Australia Conclusion To adequately support the needs of students with a disability it is recommended that BCBAs be able to work collaboratively with teaching staff as needed. BCBAs will conduct thorough assessment and intervention plans tailored to the needs of each student. With the development of clear and measurable goals, student outcomes can be adequately measured. BCBAs can also be a wealth of knowledge in regards to ongoing teacher training. In addition to this, the Association for Behaviour Analysis Australia supports the inclusion of ABA in general and special education courses. ABAA appreciates the opportunity to contribute to this inquire and if any further information is required please contact us at