Instructions for Completing the. FBA: Visual Contingency Diagram

Transcription

1 Instructions for Completing the FBA: Visual Contingency Diagram

2 Diagramming The Pre-intervention Behavioral Contingency 1. Begin by identifying the behavior you are interested in changing (i.e. the problem behavior). Write that behavior in box 1. Make sure it is a specific, observable, single action or class. 2. In box 2 write what changes occur to the environment following the behavior. Be specific, describe what actually happens. These changes should function to reinforce the behavior. Do not just label the function as escape, attention, etc. 3. Next, identify the trigger(s) that predict the behavior. In the presence of what Sd is there a higher probability of the behavior occurring? Describe the Sd in box Now diagram the desired behavior. What would the child be doing if they did not have a problem behavior? Think about the typical child; what is expected of them and what would they be doing. The desired behavior is usually maintained by a different reinforcer than the problem behavior. Describe that behavior in box 4. Again, make sure it is a specific, observable, single action or class. 5. Next write what the natural consequences are in box 5. Again, think about the typical child. What motivates the typical child s behavior in this situation? These consequences are available for all of the children, however, for the child you are interested in, this contingency is ineffective because the child does not display this desired behavior. Maybe, with a little luck you will be able to get the contingency that is naturally present to take hold, after all, this is the ultimate goal. 6. Lastly, if the child s behavior varies from day to day, you may need to look for setting events. These events are usually global in their effect. These events, like Sds, precede the behavior. However, unlike Sds, which immediately precede the behavior, they may occur long before the behavior does. They effect the child s day to day performance by altering the strength of reinforcing and/or aversive events. List these in box Next, develop your intervention plan using the Prevent, Teach and React diagrams. Note: If setting events are not relevant, write NA in box 6. 2

3 Pre-Intervention Behavior Path: FBA Visual Contingency Diagram 4 What would be the desired 5 behavior, if there wasn't any problem behavior? Desired Behavior What is the ineffective natural consequence? Current Contingency 6 What events alter the value of the motivators? (reinforcers/punishers) 3 What is the immediate Sd that elicits the BOI? 1 What is the 2 Behavior of Interest? (BOI) What is the function or change produced by the BOI? Setting Event Trigger/Sd Problem Behavior Maintaining Contingency 3

4 Diagramming The PBS Intervention Behavioral Contingency PREVENTING 1 8. If your intervention plan includes strategies to prevent the problem behavior use this diagram. In box 7 identify any added or specially arranged reinforcement-based strategies you are implementing. 9. In box 8 label any approximations (shaping procedures) of the desired behavior that you will be accepting to make sure that the child contacts the reinforcers. 10. In box 9 label any modifications to the Sd or trigger (i.e. changes to transitions, schedule/routines modifications, choice strategies, pre-corrections or pre-teaching, physical environment changes, task presentation arrangements, staff or adult changes, etc.) that will make the trigger less likely to elicit the problem behavior. You may be using fading steps to return to the original (naturally occurring level of intensity or potency) the trigger. 11. In box 10 identify the procedures (i.e. activity/routine changes etc.) you will use to neutralize the setting event. When you neutralize a setting event you minimize or reduce its impact and effect on the child s behavior. Note: You are not required to use all of the strategies, only those that are relevant and appropriate to the pre-intervention diagram. For instance, if you are not going to use a neutralizing routine write NA in box : Refer to the Behavioral Support Plan Observation Form for the strategies used when developing a Prevent, Teach and React intervention plan and list at the end of this manual. 4

5 PBS Behavior Path: PREVENT 8 What is a reasonable approximation of the desired behavior? 7 What is the added reinforcement strategy? Approximation of Desired Behavior or Other Behavior Added Reinforcers 9 How is the Sd altered to lessen the chances of eliciting the BOI? What would be the desired behavior, if there wasn't any problem behavior,? What is the ineffective natural consequence? What events alter the value of the motivators? (reinforcers/punishers) Modified Trigger Desired Behavior Current Contingency What is the immediate Sd that elicits the BOI? What is the Behavior of Interest? (BOI) What is the function or change produced by the BOI? Setting Event Trigger/Sd Problem Behavior Maintaining Contingency 10 What is the intervening routine used to minimize the effect of the setting event? Neutralizing Routine 5

6 Diagramming The PBS Intervention Behavioral Contingency TEACHING Not only is the child you are interested in not motivated by the naturally occurring consequences he or she may also lack the skills that the typical child uses to access those reinforcers. In this case, your intervention plan may include strategies to teach a replacement behavior (i.e. functional communication training, etc.). List that behavior in box 11. Remember the replacement behavior must lead to the same outcome (reinforcer), that is, it must cause or result in the same change to the environment as the problem behavior. This is what is meant by functionally equivalent consequence. When choosing a replacement behavior it is important that it be less effortful, more reliable and/or work more quickly than the problem behavior that it is replacing. 1 : Refer to the Behavioral Support Plan Observation Form for the strategies used when developing a Prevent, Teach and React intervention plan and list at the end of this manual. 6

7 Diagramming The PBS Intervention Behavioral Contingency Desired Behavior or Replacement Behavior Differentiating between Desired vs. Replacement can be confusing: there may be occasions when you think the desired behavior and the replacement behavior are the same. For example, when Donny, no doubt a future linebacker, sees something he wants, lets keep it simple, say, a plate of donut holes, he becomes upset, yelling, screaming, and carrying on until he gets a donut hole in his hot little hand. In this situation a desired behavior may be for Donny to use his words and ask politely for the donut hole. In this case, asking, appears to be the desired behavior and also the replacement behavior. So we might conclude they are one in the same. But, lets take a little closer look. Donny is attending Little Growth Preschool. Snack time is scheduled for ten o clock following advanced block building. The expectation and the real desired behavior for the children is to complete their assignments and wait patiently until the donut holes are offered up at snack time. Any child who crosses the line DEMANDING a donut hole early will be subjected to the attitude adjustment lecture from Miss Holler. Those who ask politely will only be mildly rebuffed and avoid the lecture. But, still no donut hole! Miss Holler is pretty rigid with her schedule so this complicates matters for us. We may not be able or want to teach a replacement behavior in this situation. The replacement behavior of asking probably wouldn t be very effective for Donny. We know from experience Miss Holler won t give up her donut holes early. So the replacement behavior of asking will only work when donut holes are available, at snack time. Sure there is some advantage to using your words and asking politely, thereby avoiding the attitude adjustment lecture from Miss Holler, but, if we taught Donny to ask for donut holes we would have to teach him to accept a denial or a delay and to wait for requested reinforcers. Wow a whole new set of problems and desired behaviors. Instead, we might want to focus on prevention strategies, including strengthening the desired behavior. In this situation, any behavior other than requesting a donut hole would be accepted as a desired behavior. It sure can get complicated. Read on. 7

8 Diagramming The PBS Intervention Behavioral Contingency Desired Behavior or Replacement Behavior The desired behavior you identified in the pre-intervention contingency will usually be maintained by a different reinforcer than the problem behavior. The replacement behavior, on the other hand, must always result in the same reinforcer as the problem behavior. The desired behavior does not replace the problem behavior, it crowds it out. If you are engaged in the desired behavior there isn't room for the problem behavior. You can not be engaged in the desired behavior and the problem behavior at the same time. If Donny stays busy playing with his blocks and completing his assignments for Ms Holler he wont have time to demand a donut hole. In order for this to occur, the reinforcer for the desired behavior must be more powerful than the reinforcer for the problem behavior. We would need to arrange a reinforcer for Donny s play behavior that can successfully compete with those donut holes. So, be careful, thoughtful and most of all, be real with your analysis! replacement behavior with the desired behavior. Don t confuse the 8

9 PBS Behavior Path: TEACH What would be the desired behavior, if there wasn't any problem behavior,? What is the ineffective natural consequence? Desired Behavior Current Contingency What events alter the value of the motivators? (reinforcers/punishers) What is the immediate Sd that elicits the BOI? What is the Behavior of Interest? (BOI) What is the function or change produced by the BOI? Setting Event Trigger/Sd Problem Behavior Maintaining Contingency 11 What is an acceptable alternative behavior for the problem behavior? Replacement Behavior 9

10 Diagramming The PBS Intervention Behavioral Contingency REACTING Lastly in box 12 describe how you are going to react to the problem behavior (i.e. interrupt and redirect, sit and watch, planned ignoring etc.). You need something in this box that will discourage the problem behavior by withholding the reinforcer. Do not confuse this with the crisis plan (the crisis plan is not intended to change behavior only to insure safety and minimize reinforcement of the problem behavior) 1 : Refer to the Behavioral Support Plan Observation Form for the strategies used when developing a Prevent, Teach and React intervention plan and list at the end of this manual. 10

11 PBS Behavior Path: REACT What would be the desired behavior, if there wasn't any problem behavior,? Desired Behavior What is the ineffective natural consequence? Current Contingency What events alter the value of the motivators? (reinforcers/punishers) What is the immediate Sd that elicits the BOI What is the Behavior of Interest (BOI) What is the function or change produced by the BOI Setting Event Trigger/Sd Problem Behavior Maintaining Contingency 12 What are the planned consequences when the PB occurs Added Reduction Contingency 11

12 THE STORY OF JOSH AND SARA A Story Problem Example of Diagramming the Behavioral Contingency & Support Plan 12

13 Story Problem (page 1): Josh is eight years old and was diagnosed with PDD-NOS at age 3. He has become increasingly difficult to mange because of his behavior problems. Specifically, he acts out during activities or tasks that he finds difficult. He has no way of knowing when the task will end, how to terminate the task or how to indicate he needs help when he is having difficulty. As a result, when Josh gets stuck, he bites his arm and hits whoever is near. In the past, when he became upset, people have tried to figure out what it is that he wants and then give it to him, hoping they can get him to calm down. Consequently, he has learned an effective means (biting and hitting) to control the activities and the people around him. These behaviors occur both at home, in the community, and at school. Sarah, the IBI student who is working with Josh and his parents at home, has conducted several interviews, completed a Functional Assessment on Josh s behavior and reviewed other components of his Comprehensive Assessment. She has determined that when Josh is unable to complete a task, makes errors or is asked to repeat a step he hasn t performed correctly that this will reliably predict acting out. She concluded that if a task or activity is too difficult for Josh it prevents the delivery of the reinforcer and leads to more work because he is required to fix his mistakes or work harder to complete the task. If he acts up when he is presented with something that is difficult and she helps him complete the task or terminates the task, he calms right down. She has determined the function of the behavior(s) is to escape task difficulty. At this point, he has learned, when faced with even the hint of a difficult or effortful task, to act out immediately and intensely to get it removed quickly. 13

14 Story Problem (page 2): Sara also thinks that this behavior may be complicated by attention. She wonders if the additional attention he receives following escape may function as a reinforcer. When his behavior does escalate he receives a good bit of attention, judging from the reaction he gets from the people around him. She observed attention as a reinforcer in other situations when she was working with him. Also, she remembers from the interview that his parents reported that they have tried to scold him when he misbehaves but this only seemed to make his behavior worse. He either ignores them, leading to more scolding or acts in ways to get them to increase their reaction. They are at their wits end! Sara determines that when he is presented a difficult task escape is a more powerful reinforcer than attention, however, once he has escaped from the aversive condition attention may be in play. Josh is complicated! Therefore, one of the objectives on Josh s Behavior Support Plan is to create a functional communication response so he can ask for help. Asking for help is specified on the Behavior Support Plan as the replacement behavior for his problem behavior of hitting and biting. If he asks for and gets help, he can reduce the difficulty, complete the activity and ultimately achieve the reinforcer. 14

15 Story Problem (page 3): Since Josh is non-verbal, Sara has decided to teach him to sign help. She believes he can learn the sign quickly and it has the benefit of being portable so that it can be used in a variety of situations. Sara used a discrete trial format consisting of three short 10 minute sessions conducted daily. She began by teaching him to form the sign for help. She used imitation and physical prompting to teach Josh to make the sign. Once he could form the sign correctly, without physical assistance, she began the next phase. Sara wanted to stage and create repeated opportunities for Josh to ask for help when the Sd of task difficulty was present, so, during this phase she taught Josh to open a container and then reach in and retrieve a preferred item. She collected a variety of containers with lids (some with pop off lids, flip lids and screw lids). She also identified five different items that Josh preferred or were identified as reliable reinforcers (e.g., several small toys, a variety of small treats, etc.). She would place one of these items in a container with the lid secured in such a manner that it was easy for Josh to open. Sara then presented it to Josh. She would then prompt him to open the container and retrieve the item. After he was able to open the container and retrieve the item without assistance, she began the next phase. This phase was designed to teach him to sign help when he was presented with a difficult task. Sticking with a discrete trial format, she introduced the container with the lid attached so tightly that Josh could not open it by himself (e.g., screwed on too tight). After Josh tried to open it, but before he became upset, she would prompt him to sign help. After he signed help, she would immediately loosen the top of the container for him and he would retriever the reinforcer. 15

16 Story Problem (page 4): Once he reliably asked for or signed help she introduced the discrimination phase. During this phase she would present some trials with the lid attached loosely so that Josh could open the container himself. On other presentations she would attach the lid tightly so he could not open it and would be required to use his sign for help. This would teach Josh the discrimination of asking for help when he needed help and continuing independently when he could do it himself. Once Josh was successful, she would begin to generalize the use of the request for help to more natural situations by interspersing the containers within his daily activities. Once he reliably used the help sign across the day with a variety of people, she introduced more typical tasks. Sara had interviewed Josh s parents and combined with her observation she was able to create a list situations and tasks that reliably caused Josh trouble. She began by presenting tasks from this list and prompting him to sign "help" in a discrete trial format. Gradually, she would fade from staged examples to more natural presentations interspersed throughout the day, with a variety of people to generalize the skill across people, task/activities and time of day. During her interview Sara also learned that Josh had a sleep disorder. Josh is struggling! His parents had difficulty putting him to bed at night. Even after they got him to bed, usually, one day out of seven,he would wake up early. He would wake up at four in the morning and he wouldn t go back to sleep. He would go into the family room and watch QVC. His parents would wake up and find him in front of the TV watching the home shopping network. They knew this meant a bad day! Josh was less tolerant of requests on these days. When expectations were placed upon him, if he had woken up early, he was quicker to become upset and when he was upset, he was more intense and it was difficult to get him to calm down. If Josh was made to continue or if he was confronted he only got worse. The best strategy was to just leave him alone. 16

17 Story Problem (page 5): Sara thought she would tackle his sleep problems with a reinforcement strategy later, but for now she chose to neutralize the effects of the setting event using a three part approach. First, she told the parents to reduce their expectations in the morning before school, making no requests that were effortful or difficult. In fact, she told them to dress Josh and give him plenty of help during his morning routine. She also talked with the school about his sleep problems. They set up a communication log so that the parents could notify the school when Josh woke up early. At school, they agreed they would develop an alternate schedule, made up of tasks that he was most successful with and were reinforcing for him. They would reduce their expectations (modify the Sds/triggers) as well to reduce the likelihood of problem behaviors. When he came home after school, the parents had him lay down for a 20 minute rest or nap. They did not want it to be for too long, since a long nap might interfere with him going to bed at night, but, it needed to be long enough so that he would be rested and remove his tiredness and neutralize the effects of having less than nine hours of sleep the night before. 17

18 Story Problem (page 6): Based upon the FBA, Sara has developed the following Behavior Support Plan for Josh. She has incorporated the replacement skill of asking for help taught earlier. It is the centerpiece of her Support Plan for Josh. Prevent: 1) Pre-correct by reminding him to ask for "help" before they begin the activity ( Josh, remember to ask for help ). 2) Change the presentation of requests by intermixing easy requests throughout the activity. 3) Alter the activity by adjusting the level of difficulty or providing assistance so that Josh can be successful 80% to 90% of the time. 4) When a setting event occurs, dress him in the morning and reduce expectations. Notify the school, so that they can present his alternate schedule of activities and when he comes home from school provide a brief rest or nap. Teach: 1) Prompt a replacement behavior; the sign help after one error. 2) Present several difficult tasks in the context of a natural routine or activity to give Josh an opportunity to ask for help. 18

19 Story Problem (page 6): React: 1) Reinforce with praise and points when Josh is presented with a trigger and he asks for help. 2) Reinforce with contingent help if Josh continues working or persists at the task even after he makes an error. 3) Ignore acting out and work through the task or interrupt and redirect to the replacement behavior (see teach strategy 1, signing help ) if he acts out. 4) Implement a sit and watch contingency for 15 seconds if the behavior escalates and cannot be ignored (bites or hits) to avoid escalation of the behavior and accidentally reinforcing an escalated behavior with attention. Following the brief sit and watch, return to the task where he left off. The following is the Crisis Plan in case things get out of control. This part of the plan is not meant to change Josh s behavior but to keep people safe and try to minimize the opportunity for reinforcement during his acting out episodes. Crisis: 1) Walk away from Josh neutrally (do not act mad and do not say anything, use your best poker face) take any task materials with you. 2) If he pursues you, get out of his way and neutrally redirect him to another area. 3) Do not engage Josh for at least 10 minutes. Only approach him once he is calm with something that is easy and non threatening. Eventually return to the task after he is responding successfully to easy tasks and requests. Follow a low to high pressure or easy to more difficult approach. 19

20 The Following is the FBA: Visual Contingency Diagram Based Upon the Events of the Story Problem 20

21 Pre-Intervention Behavior Path: FBA Visual Contingency Diagram 4 Continues Working & 5 Persisting At Task Until Completed Desired Behavior Task Completion & Big Good Job Current Contingency 6 Wakes up early (less than 9 hours of sleep) 3 Presentation of a Difficult Task 1 2 Josh Bites & Hits Gets Help to Make Task Easier or Task Removed/Completed for Josh Setting Event Trigger/Sd Problem Behavior Maintaining Contingency 21

22 PBS Behavior Path: PREVENT 8 Makes attempt to Complete Task or Correct Mistake Approximation of Desired Behavior or Other Behavior 7 1. Point on Card (Traded for Favorite treats/activities) 2. Provide Assistance Added Reinforcers 9 1. Prompt to ask help 2.Intermix Easy Tasks 3.Modify Task Difficulty Continues Working & Persisting At Task Until Completed Task Completion & Big Good Job Wakes up early (less than 9 hours of sleep) Modified Trigger Desired Behavior Current Contingency Presentation of Slightly Difficult Task or >95% Correct Josh Bites & Hits Gets Help to Make Task Easier or Task Removed/Completed for Josh Setting Event Trigger/Sd Problem Behavior Maintaining Contingency Reduce expectations in am 2. Present alternate schedule at school minute rest time at 3 pm Neutralizing Routine 22

23 PBS Behavior Path: TEACH Continues Working & Persisting At Task Until Completed Desired Behavior Task Completion & Big Good Job Current Contingency Presentation of a Difficult Task or >50% Correct Josh Bites & Hits Gets Help to Make Task Easier or Task Removed/Completed for Josh Trigger/Sd Problem Behavior Maintaining Contingency 11 Josh Signs Help Replacement Behavior 23

24 PBS Behavior Path: REACT Continues Working & Persisting At Task Until Completed Desired Behavior Task Completion & Big Good Job Current Contingency Wakes up early (less than 9 hours of sleep) Presentation of a Difficult Task Josh Bites & Hits Gets Help to Make Task Easier or Task Removed/Completed for Josh Setting Event Trigger/Sd Problem Behavior Maintaining Contingency Work Through Task 2. Sit & Watch and Return to Task Added Reduction Contingency 24

25 Behavior Support Plan 25

26 Behavior Support Plan Participant s Name: Interventionist: Sara Josh Mom & Dad Josh will increase his participation in difficult tasks at home. Other individuals to implement plan: Goal: Start Date: 2/1/10 Objective # 1: Given difficult tasks or demands, Josh will participate in the task, without episodes of biting or hitting, asking for help when presented with difficults task with his parents and therapist for 5 days across 10 staged opportunities distributed throughout the day. 1. Strategies to prevent problem behavior from occurring: a. Modification to distant setting events: When a setting event occurs (sleep disruption w/ less than 9 hours of sleep) reduce demands and expectations, notify the school so that they can switch to the alternate schedule with low demand activities and give 20 minute nap/rest at 3:00 pm. b. Modification to immediate antecedent triggers Sds: Prompt the "help" request, Josh, remember to ask for help before beginning task presentation. c. Modification to immediate antecedent motivating events: Modify activity and tasks or provide assistance to increase correct responses to 80%, intersperse easy/simple tasks with more difficult tasks to maintain momentum of responding. 26

27 2. Strategies to teach new behaviors (see Skill Building Plan if there is a related objective): a. Teach alternative/replacement behaviors: Prompt the "help sign following one error. b. Teach competing behaviors: Reinforce asking for signing "help with praise/points. 3. Strategies to reinforce appropriate behavior: Intermittently reinforce with praise/points for continuing to work or persist at a difficult task or a accept correction, remove task demands with contingent help or remove task for persisting with the difficult task. If he works on task that is difficult, use contingent escape as a reinforcer. 4. Strategies to minimize reinforcement for problem behavior. Ignore low levels of problem behavior and continue using escape extinction. 5. Strategies to react to problem behaviors: a. Events following a problem behavior to weaken it: Ignore low levels of problem behavior. If behavior escalates, direct to sit away chair for 15 seconds. Following sit away return to the task where you left off; the point at which the problem behavior began or a little before it. b. Crisis Plan/Safety procedures (if needed) to prevent a dangerous situation: Walk away, remove the materials. Do not attend to Josh for the next 10 minutes. When, re-engaging begin with easy requests and tasks. If he pursues you, redirect him to other area. 27

28 6. Data Collection Procedures and Measures (who will collect, what will be measured, how frequently will data be collected, how data will be summarized): Therapist will count the number of episodes, rating each episode as to its intensity and severity - 1: low level attempts that are ignored 2: hitting and biting episodes requiring sit away 3: high level behaviors requiring the session to be stopped and the crisis plan to be implemented and lastly the duration of each episode. The length of the session will be held constant at 30 minutes. The frequency of the episodes will be graphed as frequency per 30 minute interval or session. In addition, the total number of Sd s presented and requests for "help" will be recorded and graphed as, the percent of asking for "help", to Sds per 20 opportunities. 7. Generalization plan and/or Transfer plan to less structured/natural setting: When Josh asks for "help" reliably in the presence of a trigger on 90% of the opportunities, the parents will be taught to implement the plan using the Model/Lead/Test technique. Once they are able to implement the plan, a list of activities throughout the day will be identified where he would likely use the request. These will gradually be added to his day. 28

29 Skill Building Plan 29

30 Skill Building Plan Participant s Name: Interventionist: Sara Josh Mom & Dad Josh will sign help when presented with a task he cannot complete. Other individuals to implement plan: Goal: Start Date: 2/1/10 Objective # 2: Given staged and naturally occurring opportunities throughout the day of difficult tasks (e.g. containers he cannot open), Josh will sign help,& of easy tasks (e.g. containers he can open), he will continue to complete the task on 90% of the presentations, without prompting, across 3 sessions of 15 trials each. 1. Preparation: a. Setting: Therapy will take place in Josh s home in a variety of rooms. b. Materials: 5 different containers and 5-7 small reinforcers and point card reinforcers. c. Other: The session will initially last approximately 10 minutes. Intermix easy requests of direction following (i.e. those he is most likely to follow) every 3rd or 4th trial. Eventually, embed in naturally occurring daily routines. 30

31 2. Correct Response: Signs "help" within 3 seconds of attempting a difficult task presentation. Steps: 1) imitate help sign 2) sign help when presented with a container that he cannot open after attempting to open it (Sd ) 3) open the container when presented with a container that he can open (S ) 4) sign "help" when presented with a container that he cannot open, after attempting to open it and open container when presented with a container that he can open (Sd vs. S ) 5) repeat step 4 distributed throughout the day embedded in a variety of naturally occurring activities & routines 6) repeat step 4 & 5 with mom an dad making the presentation 7) sign help after attempting a difficult task, to a variety of naturally occurring tasks (e.g. zipping his coat, opening the wrapper on a Ho-Ho, putting on his pants, during typical language training tasks, etc.) presented in a discrete format by the therapist 8) sign help after attempting a difficult task, to a variety of naturally occurring tasks throughout the day by the therapist 9) sign help after attempting a difficult task, to a variety of naturally occurring tasks throughout the day presented by mom or dad. 31

32 3. Cues: a. Start Cue (Sd): Here you go Josh, look what s inside you can have it, hand Josh the container he cannot open (S container he can open). For natural tasks, there is no start cue; the Sd is difficulty. b. Assistance/Prompts: Do this, model "help" sign. Fade by providing a partial model. 4. Events following a correct response. Assist Josh to open the container and to get the item in the container. Give praise and point. Give double reinforcer for unprompted responses and better approximations. 5. Events following error or no response: Interrupt error, pause 1-2 seconds, represent the Sd with a prompt, praise, then represent the Sd without a prompt. (Correction will have to be tweaked for each step). 6. Data Collection Procedures and Measures (who will collect, what will be measured, how frequently will data be collected, how data will be summarized, criterion): Record corrects and errors. Corrects will be graphed as percent of total opportunities with a criterion of 90%. 7. Generalization plan and/or Transfer plan : Generalization and transfer are included in the task analysis, beginning with staged opportunities and moving to more naturally occurring tasks with gradual removal of point system. 32

33 This concludes the story of Josh and Sarah, we hope you have enjoyed it. We wish them well and hope there is a happy ending. Note: We used Josh s story because it demonstrated and required the use of all the components of the Prevent, Teach, React diagram. If your child s behavior is less complicated, you may not need to use all of the components. Simpler is always better and easier. To see a more complete list of possible interventions you should review the Prevent, Teach, React Suggested Strategies on the following pages. If you have any questions about these, you should contact your supervisor or instructor for more a detailed explanation. 33

34 Prevent, Teach, React Suggested Strategies 34

35 k Prevent Transition Procedures: These techniques decrease the probability of problem behavior by minimizing the aversive features of transitioning from one activity to the next (i.e. adding visual or object markers, allowing closure, using behavioral momentum - pretask requests, warning of change, etc.). Schedule/Routine Modifications: These techniques involve rearranging the child s schedule to decrease aversive features of the schedule (i.e. low preference activity followed by high preference activity, activities altered to increase reinforcing value or aversive activities removed, increased predictability etc.). Choice Presentation: These types of interventions increase the natural opportunity for choice making and teaching of choice making skills for preferred objects or activities and/or to increase control. Pre-teaching/Pre-correcting: These types of techniques involve preview, rehearsal, or teaching of activities to some level of competence prior to their natural occurrence and/or presenting a good behavior prompt preceding the activity the child is likely to have difficulty with. Physical Setting Modifications: These techniques involve increasing independence and removing or modifying of S d s (i.e. triggers) for competing problem behavior by rearranging the physical environment. Demand/Task Presentation: These techniques decrease the aversive features of interactions by maximizing the child s success and interspersing easy and difficulty demands interspersed trials etc. Curricula/Activity Modification: These types of interventions modify the task content, presentation or the method by which the task is completed to diminish the aversive characteristics of the task. Routine/Staff Changes: These techniques involve removing less staff effective or switching staff to increase interest, or previewing changes or altering routines based upon distant setting events (i.e. neutralizing routines etc) or repair of disrupted routine strategies (i.e. rescheduling techniques for loss of expected activity etc.). Reinforcement Interventions: This involves crowding out problem behavior with added performance management reinforcers (i.e. labeled praise, activities, objects, points, tokens etc.) for competing behaviors or creating functionally equivalent behavior, obtaining the same reinforcer that is maintaining the problem behavior with a replacement behavior (i.e. flip the reinforcer) and withholding reinforcers for problem behaviors (i.e. differential reinforcement) or applying functional non-contingent reinforcement, delivering the reinforcer maintaining the problem behavior on a timed dependent schedule, independent of behavioral events. 35

36 Teach Prompt/Reinforce Alt Behavior: This strategy involves presenting a prompt for the alternative behavior in the presence of the S d for problem behavior and increasing reinforcement for the alternative or an approximation (i.e. functional communication training, replacement behavior training, reinforcer delay training, alternative reinforcer acceptance training or reinforcer denial or loss training, desensitization training etc.). Stage Opportunities: This strategy involves creating frequent opportunities for replacement behavior within naturally occurring context (i.e. distributed practice by presentation of single level difficulty opportunities or graduated level difficulty by presenting low pressure S d s with high levels of reinforcement for alternate behavior while gradually increasing the pressure of the S d to its naturally occurring level while maintaining and reinforcing the alternative behavior, etc.). React Planned Ignoring : This involves withholding the reinforcer (i.e. attention, escape etc.) for problem behaviors. Interrupt & Redirect: This strategy involves interrupting a problem behavior early in the escalation sequence and prompting the child to a more appropriate alternative (i.e. communication, replacement etc.) Response Cost: This involves removing some portion of the reinforcer contingent upon or immediately following a problem behavior (i.e. penalty, fine or loss of item etc.) Sit & Watch: This technique involves removing a child from receiving attention and other reinforcers by having them sit away for a period of time. Crisis Plan: This plan specifies the crisis-level and how staff should respond to minimize the reinforcers for the problem behavior and to protect the safety of the child and the staff. 36

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