DATA COLLECTION, BEHAVIOR REINFORCEMENT, & PROMPTING: TRAINING FOR CLASSIFIED STAFF Hillsboro Student Services Department 2013-2014 Melisa Hirata, Jenessa MacDonald & Sarah Sonnentag
DATA COLLECTION
WHAT IS DATA COLLECTION? Data collection is an objective and accurate measurement of student progress or lack of progress of a task, activity, or behavior. You must have a starting point (baseline) and ending point (criteria).
BASELINE DATA Without baseline data, we can not determine progress or lack of progress. How can we prove that the intervention worked or didn t work?
WHY COLLECT DATA? Accurate data collection allows the teacher to: Determine a student s present levels (PLAAFP) Determine meaningful adaptations or interventions Determine student progress or lack of progress (for annual goal review) Determine program modifications and supports Determine patterns of behavior Provide documentation for special education students participating in state-wide and alternate assessments
WHERE IS DATA COLLECTED? Everywhere!
PARA-PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES Participate in data collection training Collect data in environments where the teacher may not be present or during instruction Communicate with case manager regularly to review data and progress
A PARA-PROFESSIONAL DOES NOT.. Create the data collection system Solely analyze data Solely make decisions on program modification
TOOLS FOR DATA COLLECTION ON BEHAVIOR Frequency Count (Rate) Interval Recording Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence (ABC) Duration Recording Environment Analysis
FREQUENCY COUNT Number of times the behavior or skill occurred
INTERVAL RECORDING
A-B-C ANALYSIS Antecedent Behavior Consequence
DURATION RECORDING Start Stop Total Time Stop Start Total Time Start Stop Total Time Stop Start Total Time
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS Behavior or skill Hallway Group Recess Lunch Math Kicking Spitting
HELPFUL HINTS Best if you only focus on 1-2 behaviors Clearly define the behavior/skill Example: what does off task look like? Determine the data collection method Determine what environments the data will be taken, and by whom Provide training for accuracy and objectivity Make sure every data collector is documenting the same behaviors or skills
ANECDOTAL NOTES/NOTEBOOKS No, no, no!! Legal consequences Focus on data that can be quantified
WHICH DATA COLLECTION METHOD WOULD YOU USE? Student hitting repeatedly Student shuts down (exp: puts head on desk and refuses to work) Student escalates (exp: throwing items) Student does not comply with directions
REINFORCEMENT
REINFORCEMENT When the delivery of the reinforcer follows the targeted behavior, the probability has increased that the behavior/response will happen again.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT What is a reinforcer? How do you know if the item/activity is being used as an effective reinforcer?
WHY ARE REINFORCEMENT SYSTEMS IMPORTANT TO HAVE? Increases on task behavior Decreases inappropriate behavior Helps to reinforce new skills being taught
IT S TRUE Positive reinforcement always works. If a targeted behavior does not increase when it is followed by a reinforcer (item/action), then by definition, that item or action is not a positive reinforcer.
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT: WHAT IT S NOT Bribery Just for young children The same for all individuals Just handing out rewards Used for training purposes. Unlike training a dog with edibles, when you use edibles in an education setting you are shaping a behavior; TEACHING a skill that will be generalized and used over multiple environments and situations.
INEFFECTIVE TECHNIQUES WE ARE ALL GUILTY OF: False threats and bluffs Bribes Counting to three Guilt Ignoring Lectures Nagging Micro-managing
TYPES OF REINFORCERS Natural positive reinforcers be team captain, help custodian, free time to use specific equipment/ supplies, sit next to a friend Edible Reinforcement candy, ice cream, pop, pizza, Baha Chips MMMM these are so good! Material reinforcement crayons, key chains, stuffed animals, wax lips & teeth, yo-yos Social Reinforcement smile, a comment on a job well done, ATTENTION!
GOLDEN RULES FOR SELECTING REINFORCERS Inexpensive Do not take a lot of staff time Should be natural whenever possible
HOW TO MAKE REINFORCERS MORE EFFECTIVE Immediate Frequent Enthusiasm (Enthusiasm in delivery of the reinforcer) Eye Contact/ Body position Describe the Behavior (the student may not know why reinforcement is being delivered or think it is for some other behavior) Anticipation (building excitement and anticipation for the earning of the reinforcer can motivate student to try their very best) Variety (avoid satiation of a reinforcer)
POSITIVE REINFORCERS Reinforcement is individual! Must be something the student values or wants (not what we think they should value or want). Five ways of identifying reinforcers preference scales preference lists (e.g., reinforcer checklist, reinforcer menu) interview with the child interview with the parent or teacher direct observation
DETERMINING A KID SPECIFIC REINFORCER Reinforcer survey (see handout) at the very beginning of working to determine the child s motivation Attend to student desires throughout the day: what items/activities is the student drawn to that you can use as a reinforcement for task completion? Ask parents
INITIAL STEPS TO CREATING A REINFORCEMENT SYSTEM Ask student what they are working for (give choices) Set expectations (determine what behavior you are targeting for reinforcement) Explicitly define expectations (sitting quietly during circle time with quiet hands and voice) Determine and define methods for rewarding appropriate behavior (If you make good choices for 2 minutes you will get a sticker. After 5 stickers you will get ipad for 2 minutes)
TOKEN BOARD EXAMPLE
WHEN DO YOU DELIVER THE REINFORCER? ALWAYS take into consideration their behavior & the difficulty of the task (if it s easy, require more; if it s hard require less). When you are ready to reinforce them, do so quickly. Allow the child to have their reinforcer for a predetermined amount of time. Only provide access to reinforcers when the child has earned them. Do not allow the child to have free, uncontrolled access to the reinforcers.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IT S WORKING? DATA! Reinforcement is a data driven system The academic, behavior, or general data you collect will show you if a reinforcement system is working or needs to be tweaked.
BE AWARE OF. Boredom- when the same reinforcer is repeatedly used to the point where it loses some or all of its motivational effect. We may love ice cream and get excited when someone offers us a bowl but if you ate a bowl for breakfast, lunch and dinner you would soon tire of it and not be nearly as excited at the next offer of another bowl.
PROMPTING
PROMPT HIERARCHY Full physical Partial physical Verbal prompt Visual prompt Modeling Natural teacher prompt/cue
GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE PROMPTING Do not provide a prompt for a skill that a student currently performs independently Gain student attention Prompt a desired response initially Use the least intrusive effective prompt Prompt from behind when using full physical prompts Avoid verbal prompts whenever possible Avoid unplanned prompts (e.g. facial expressions, eye contact)
MORE GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE PROMPTING Use prompts in conjunction with reinforcement All prompts need to be faded over time (Refer to Fade Plan) After a student masters a skill, discontinue using the prompt Continue providing reinforcement when the student exhibits the desired response/behavior Fading prompts are needed to avoid Prompt Dependency
FADING PROMPTS Fading prompts: Allows students to change from responding to instructional prompts to responding to natural cues in the environment. Fade prompts to allow responses to occur independently! Reduce the intensity or magnitude of a particular type of prompt over time while maintaining the reward contingency. Prompts can be faded in terms of: Intensity Location
FADING PROMPT INTENSITY Verbal prompt: Gradual decrease in volume (quietly) Verbal prompt: Saying less of the word (Bob B ) Visual prompts: Decrease highlighting or coloration to become lighter and lighter until they disappear Physical prompt: Reduction of tight hand-overhand to shadowing
FADING PROMPT LOCATION Location: Full physical hand-over-hand to wrist, to the elbow, to the shoulder, to next to (within 1 foot, to 3 feet, to 5 feet away, etc.) Proximity to student: next to student, within line of vision within the classroom, etc.
QUESTIONS