Practical Principles Using Applied Behavior Analysis

Transcription

1 Practical Principles Using Applied Behavior Analysis Annie Baghdayan, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA May 28 th, 2014

2 The Oklahoma Autism Network The Oklahoma Autism Network Established in October 2003 First step for implementation of the Individuals with Autism and Their Families, Oklahoma Plan. Funding by: The Department of Human Services, Developmental Disabilities Services Sponsored by: The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, College of Allied Health, Department of Rehabilitation Science, Tolbert Center for Developmental Disabilities

3 Mission The Oklahoma Autism Network is a center of excellence committed to improving quality of life for individuals with autism and their families. We facilitate and implement Oklahoma s Statewide Autism Plan through research, education, and service while respecting individual preferences and promoting community inclusion.

4 Oklahoma Autism Network The Oklahoma Plan Statewide Administrative Autism Unit: Facilitate planning, financing and administration of the plan Level 1: Oklahoma System of Excellence The Oklahoma Family and Interagency Autism Council Statewide Screening Autism Networks Research, Training and Technical Assistance Level 2: Regional Hubs Level 3: Community-based Services and Supports Services State s Autism Information and Referral System Screening Training Technical Assistance Support to Parent-led Organizations Community Capacity and Systems Change Research Autism Pilot Program Autism Prevalence / Registry Applied Behavior Analysis SoonerStart M-CHAT / BDI-2

5 What is the Oklahoma Plan? Outlines a vision to improve and expand services in Oklahoma to address the needs of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders across the lifespan. Developed and published in 2002 by a working group that included state agencies, community organizations, higher education, and families. The Plan is updated on a regular basis to be relevant to the current needs in our state.

6 The Vision for Oklahoma s Systems of Services and Supports Key principles: The personal preferences and values of individuals and their family are respected; Oklahoma has a continuum of effective, integrated options for assistance; Each person with autism resides in the least restrictive environment; ideally in his/her own home; People with autism and their family have full acceptance and participation in the community; Professionals are competent and educated; and Services are effective and evidence-based

7 ABA is APPLIED The application of the theory, principles, and procedures of behaviorism to problems of human behavior in natural settings BEHAVIOR Concerned with observable phenomena ANALYSIS Deals with objective measures of intervention and change

8 What does Applied mean? ABA interventions deal with behaviors of demonstrated social significance -- behaviors that are important! When implementing ABA interventions, we are targeting behaviors that are essential to the person.

9 For Example The following list illustrates the scope of possible behaviors: Teaching social skills Generalizing reading sight words in different texts Teaching toileting skills Teaching appropriate break room behavior Teaching the bed time routine Increasing requesting desired objects Generalizing conversational skills to colleagues in the work place, and Teaching riding a bus

10 What does Behavior mean? When behavior is discussed in the context of ABA, it is generally considered in three different contexts. Behaviors that are maintained over time, such as a child who has learned to brush his teeth or the adolescent who has learned to manage a check book. Behaviors that should be increased. For the person who is unable to request something to eat or interact with a peer, teaching these skills is a priority. Behaviors that need to be decreased. Obviously, a parent wants to see a child spending less time screaming or having a tantrum, in this case, the parent would also want to see positive behaviors increase, such as communicating or asking for help.

11 What does Analysis mean? Through the use of clear definitions for behavior and systematic delivery of interventions, reliable relationships between interventions and behavior can be established. Analysis allows objective decisions to be made about future interventions. Specific intervention goals and objectives, A well-defined plan including the strategies used to meet the goals and objectives, Ongoing data collection to show the intervention was actually responsible for the behavior gains, and A plan to ensure the generalization and maintenance of treatment gains.

12 What is ABA? Applied Behavior Analysis ABA is the use of scientific principles of learning and motivation to teach effectively Applied in a systematic fashion Interested in socially significant behaviors Uses techniques derived from basic principles Interested in knowing that the intervention is what improved the behavior

13 Commonly used Principles What is a principle? Describes how behavior works Shows relationship between behavior and an immediate consequence Discovers the increase or the decrease frequency of the behavior Some examples are: Reinforcement Shaping Punishment

14 Commonly used Principle Premack Principle Use a preferred activity to motivate student to engage in a less preferred activity When you finish you can. First then.

15 Commonly used Principle Positive reinforcement: behaviors that produce a good outcome are more likely to occur in the future People are motivated by what they get out of what they do Examples: money, feeling good for helping someone, approval from others, satisfaction of a good book, etc.

16 What does positive mean? The term positive is used in conjunction with reinforcement to denote a specific form of reinforcement. It does not mean something good but instead the term positive relates more to the mathematical term of adding or addition. Positive reinforcement is the addition of something as a result of a behavior that was engaged.

17 Example Riley is asked by the teacher to get her book and start reading. Riley gets her book and starts reading. Riley s teacher says great work Riley! In the future, under similar conditions, Riley continues to get her book and read when asked to do so by her teacher.

18 More Examples A mother gives her son praise (positive stimulus) for doing homework (behavior). The little boy receives $5.00 (positive stimulus) for every A he earns on his report card (behavior). A father gives his daughter candy (positive stimulus) for cleaning up toys (behavior).

19 Positive Reinforcement The ABA approach is to identify what motivates each individual child Every child is different Teaching must use what is motivating to the child, not what we think should be motivating to the child Then we teach the child by teaching new skills in very small steps and rewarding the child with positive reinforcement when they make an effort at learning

20 Negative Reinforcement Negative reinforcement occurs when a certain stimulus (usually an aversive stimulus) is removed after a particular behavior is exhibited. The likelihood of the particular behavior occurring again in the future is increased because of removing/avoiding the negative consequence.

21 Negative Reinforcement Negative reinforcement should not be thought of as a punishment procedure. With negative reinforcement, you are increasing a behavior, whereas with punishment, you are decreasing a behavior.

22 For Example Riley is given 10 worksheets and told by her teacher to complete them all. Riley asks her teacher Can I please only complete six worksheets? The teacher agrees and removes 4 worksheets. In the future, under similar conditions, Riley continues to ask nicely to have frustrating task demands reduced.

23 More Examples Bob does the dishes (behavior) in order to avoid his mother nagging (negative stimulus). Natalie can get up from the dinner table (negative stimulus) when she eats 2 bites of her broccoli (behavior).

24 The ABCs of Behavior ANTECEDENT A BEHAVIOR B CONSEQUENCE C Any stimulus that precedes the behavior Anything an organism does Stimulus that occurs after the behavior

25 A-B-C Assessment Conducted by directly observing the student and recording data over several observation periods Information is collected on: context/activity, antecedent, target behavior, perceived function, & consequence

26 A-B-C Assessment Antecedent: Johnny is given a vocational bin and asked to assemble the parts. Behavior: Johnny throws the bin with all the parts onto the floor. Consequence: Johnny is taken to time out and the classroom aide picks up the pieces. Johnny has avoided the task, so the function of the behavior is avoidance.

27 Replacement Behavior Step 1=Choose 1 undesirable behavior to replace Step 2=Look at what is maintaining the behavior Step 3=Pick a replacement behavior that serves the same function (Alberto & Troutman, 1999)

28 Extinction Reinforcement is no longer provided for a behavior that was previously reinforced resulting in a decrease in the behavior Extinction of positive reinforcement Escape extinction Sensory extinction

29 For Example When Riley was given 10 worksheets and told by her teacher to complete them all, she crawled under her desk. Riley would continue to scream and remain under her desk until her teacher removed the worksheet and left her alone. When an extinction procedure was put in place, Riley s behavior was no longer met the removal of the worksheets

30 Continued When she screamed and crawled under the table to try and escape the worksheet, the teacher simply continued to present the task (under the table), prompting the completion of the task.

31 Function of Behavior Extinction Procedure Example Other Procedures Useful in Conjunction with Extinction To gain attention Planned ignoring Learner is calling out to get the teacher s attention, and the teacher does not respond to the calls. To escape/ avoid demands or interaction Deny opportunity for breaks Learner screams whenever he is asked to complete a new task to avoid the demand. The teacher/practitione r continues with task even though the learner is screaming. Functional Communication Training(FCT) Differential reinforcement Non-contingent reinforcement Functional Communication Training(FCT) Differential reinforcement Non-contingent reinforcement To gain sensory stimulation or to avoid unwanted stimulation To gain tangible items Interrupt and redirect the behavior OR change the consequence (from the sensory behavior) so it is no longer reinforcing Deny access to materials Learner bangs his head on a desk so the teacher puts a soft pillow to block the reinforcing sensation. Learner screams to get time on a computer and is Response interruption/redirection Functional Communication Training(FCT) Differential reinforcement Non-contingent reinforcement Functional Communication Training(FCT) Differential reinforcement

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33 Time-Out Loss of access to positive reinforcers for a specified period of time contingent on a behavior Non-exclusion time-out Remove a positive reinforcer Sit and watch Time out ribbon Exclusion time-out (Cooper, Heron, Heward, 2007)

34 Using Time-Out Effectively Implement immediately & consistently Make time-in rewarding Define behaviors that lead to time-out Select duration Keep records Do not use with escape maintained behaviors (Cooper, Heron, Heward, 2007)

35 Teaching New Skills: Shaping Reinforce small steps to a target behavior Rate Form Intensity Duration Approximations Target

36 Teaching New Skills: Shaping Placing glasses in their proper position Picking up glasses Putting glasses up to his face Picking up glasses Putting glasses up to his face Picking up glasses Touching glasses Touching glasses Touching glasses Touching glasses First day of training Time Last day of training From How to Use Shaping by M. Panyan (1980)

37 Myths about ABA ABA only uses punishment techniques and aversive controls. ABA is only for animal trainers. ABA is inhumane because it takes away from the individual's freedom of choice

38 More Myths ABA is only token reinforcement ABA is M&M s and Tootsie rolls ABA is when you ignore all student misbehavior and only reward good behavior ABA is equivalent to bribery ABA reinforcement programs undermine intrinsic motivation

39 Effectiveness of ABA ABA assumes that if an individual is not learning, it is NOT the individual s fault, it is our fault We must change the way we are teaching We must continue to try different ways of teaching until we find one that works ABA is the best method for finding what works We do not blame the child if learning does not happen We believe it s our responsibility to figure out how to teach whatever the child needs to learn

40 Effectiveness of ABA Is consistent with general principles of learning: Task analysis: Breaks complex material into smaller, more teachable units. Provides numerous structured opportunities for a child to learn a new skill before advancing to the next skill Stimulus Control: Highlights relevant stimuli while simultaneously minimizing extraneous stimuli Prompting and prompt fading procedures Errors are minimized while correct responses are maximized

41 Effectiveness of ABA Is consistent with general principles of learning: Reinforcement All students have an individualized motivational system Generalization Promotes skills across settings, instructors, and situations Maintenance Skills are functional and therefore continually used by students

42 References Catania, C. (2007) Learning, Fourth Interim Edition. Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY: Sloan Publishing. Cooper, J., Heron, T., & Heward, W. (2007) Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Lovaas, O. I. (1987). Behavioral treatment and normal educational and intellectual functioning in young autistic children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55(1), 3-9. Simpson, R. L. (1999). Early intervention with children with autism: The search for best practices. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 24, Simpson, R. L. (2001). ABA and students with autism spectrum disorders: Issues and considerations for effective practice. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 16(2),

43 Contact Us Address: Phone: Oklahoma Autism Network University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center College of Allied Health 1200 North stonewall Avenue Oklahoma City, OK or AUTISM ( ) Fax: Web: okautism.org