Web page maintained by Laura Deboer.
Last updated February 2006.
PRESENTED BY:
KIMBERLEY WARD & MURRAY GAETZ
Society for Treatment of Autism
February 16, 2001
CALGARY, ALBERTA
I. INTRODUCTION
II. DETERMINING WHERE TO START
(ESTABLISHING PRIORITIES)
A. Is the behaviour life threatening?
B. Does
the behaviour pose a health risk?
C. Does
the behaviour significantly interfere with learning?
D. Is
this behaviour likely to become more serious in the near future?
E. Is
this behaviour of great concern to care givers?
F. Is
this behaviour dangerous to others?
G. Has
this behaviour been a problem for some time?
H. Does
this behaviour damage materials?
I. Does
this behaviour interfere with community acceptance?
III. CONDUCTING A BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS
A. Prior to implementing a program it
is important to determine what function the behaviour serves for the individual
(i.e., playing "detective").
B. Behavioral Diagnostics
(i.e., playing detective)
1. Analyzing the ABC's
of Misbehaviour
- data
is collected over several days and then one attempts to identify trends across
the data
EXAMPLE: ABC sheet (See
Appendix)
2. Using
assessment tools such as Durand's (1990) Motivation Assessment Scale (See
Appendix)
3. Addressing
the Behavioral Diagnostic Questions outlined by Bailey and Pyles (1989) (See
Appendix)
C. Developing a Theory
- Based
on the information above, suggest possible reasons why the student might be
engaging in the problematic behaviour.
- Children misbehave
for a wide variety of reasons. These
include:
a. to escape/postpone an undesirable activity or event (i.e., task avoidance)
b. to communicate
- fear
- frustration or
displeasure
- a basic need (e.g.,
hunger, thirst)
- illness
c. to gain attention
d. to gain a tangible
reward
e. to gain sensory feedback
f. to combat boredom
g. because they are
overstimulated
h. out of habit
i. to gain control of a
situation (i.e., to gain power)
IV. HOW TO AVOID MISBEHAVIOUR (PROACTIVE
STRATEGIES)
A. Reinforce Positive
Behaviours and/or Low Rates of Negative Behaviours
1. Points to keep in
mind about reinforcement:
a. Identify effective
reinforcers (see Appendix)
b. Frequently change
reinforcers.
c. Provide only the
level or type of reinforcement necessary.
d. Novelty and surprise
can be very motivating.
e. Be as specific as
possible when praising.
f. Ensure that the
student understands if-then contingencies
g. Effort should be made
to fade the reinforcement.
- fading the type of
reinforcement given
- increasing
expectations
- decreasing the
amount of reinforcement provided
2. Specific Examples of
Reinforcement Programs
a. Reinforcement provided if child completes specific tasks without displaying the targeted behaviour(s).
b. Reinforcement provided if child refrains from engaging in the targeted behaviour(s) for a specified period of time.
c. Reinforcement
provided if the child displays a low rate of responding.
B. Other Proactive
Approaches
1. Provide transition
warnings.
2. Provide warnings
about potentially stressful situations.
3. Provide an escape
route.
4. Provide concrete cues
about the activities to be completed.
5. Avoid situations that
may provoke negative behaviours.
6. Provide choices
whenever possible.
7. Use task variation in
teaching situations.
8. Teach relaxation and
calming techniques.
9. Try to determine the
early warning signs for misbehaviour.
10. Develop concrete rules and social/behavioral scripts.
V. HOW TO DEAL WITH
NEGATIVE BEHAVIOURS
A. General Points to Keep
in Mind
1. Pick your battles
wisely.
2. Be consistent.
3. Attempt
to reduce the behaviour using less intrusive methods before employing more
intrusive ones.
4. Try to use logical
consequences.
5. Try to deal with
behaviours when they first occur.
6. Be
prepared - sometimes behaviours get worse before they get better. Try to patient and ride out the storm (or
hurricane).
7. Try to be
neutral.
8. Don't take it
personally.
B. Therapist/Parent/Teacher
Variables
1. Limit verbal
communication (direct and concise).
2. Voice tone and vocal
nuance.
3. Body language and
stance.
4. Personal space.
5. Eye contact.
6. Limit number of
people involved.
7. Dress/Appearance.
8. Use the environment
to your advantage.
9. Plan ahead.
C. Specific Strategies/Techniques
1. Neutral Approaches
a. Planned Ignoring (Using attention Selectively)
b. Redirection/Distraction
2. Mildly Aversive/Intrusive Approaches
a. Verbal Reprimand
b. Response Cost
c. Time Out
(Non-Exclusionary)
d. Overcorrection
e. Negative Practice
f. Positive Practice
3. Aversive/Intrusive
Approaches
a. Time Out (Exclusionary)
b. Time Out (Confinement)
D. The Use of Physical
Restraints
- should not be utilized as a consequence or form of
punishment
- should be used only in
emergency situations to ensure safety
- ensure all parties have
received adequate training
E. Dealing with
Behaviours in Public
VI. DETERMINING
WHICH STRATEGY TO EMPLOY
A. SENSORY MOTIVATED MISBEHAVIOUR
- teach
student more appropriate ways to gain sensory feedback or gradually desensitize
the student to the sensory experience which "sets them off"
- teach
student relaxation skills
- teach
student to communicate desire for sensory input or to request that a sensory
experience be terminated
- employ
redirection/distraction to direct the student's attention away from the sensory
feedback
- employ
a response-cost procedure (however the "prize" must be more
reinforcing to the student than the sensory experience)
B. ATTENTION
SEEKING MISBEHAVIOUR
- employ
planned ignoring
- reinforce
appropriate attention seeking
- teach
student to seek attention in more appropriate fashion (e.g., calling name,
taking adult by hand, tapping adult on shoulder, producing a specific sign,
grabbing picture symbol)
- use
redirection when warning signs are observed
- employ
response cost procedure
employ time out
procedure (should be last resort)
C. ESCAPE-RELATED
MISBEHAVIOUR
- teach
student to indicate their desire to end an activity (e.g., asking for a
"break", saying/signing no, using picture symbol)
- employ
task variation to ensure that the student is not expected to engage in
relatively difficult or non-preferred tasks for extended periods of time
- utilize picture schedules so that
student knows when preferred activities will be presented
- provide
choices whenever possible
- provide
reinforcement for task completion
- continue
to redirect student back to the task at hand and consistently expect task
completion (regardless of behaviours displayed)
- employ
time out (last resort) until student is calm and then return to the task at
hand
D. MISBEHAVIOUR MOTIVATED BY TANGIBLE
REWARDS
- ensure that the student is no longer
reinforced for misbehaving(i.e.,extinction)
- provide the desired tangible reward
when the student engages in appropriate behaviour
-
teach student to communicate their desire for specific items or
activities
VII. QUESTIONS
REFERENCES
Bailey,
J.S., & Pyles, D.A. (1989).
Behavioral Diagnostics. In E.
Cipani (Ed.), The treatment of severe behavior disorders. Washington:
American Association on Mental Retardation.
Carr,
E. (1994). Communication-based
intervention for problem behavior: A
user's guide for producing positive change. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
Durand,
V.M. (1990). Severe behavior
problems: A functional communication
training approach. New York: The Guilford Press.
Gray,
C., & Garand, J. (1993). Social
stories: Improving responses of
students with autism with accurate social information. Focus on Autistic Behavior, 8, 1-10.
Hall,
R. V., & Hall, M. C. (1980). How
to use time out. Austin: Pro-Ed.
Howlin,
P., & Rutter, M. (1987). Treatment
of Autistic Children. New York:
John Wiley & Sons.
Leuchter,
S. (1994). Autism and PDD: Using a social stories strategy for
practical problem solving. Communication
Exchange,5, 8-11.
Schopler.
E. & Mesibov, G. (Eds.) (1994).
Behavioral issues in autism. New
York: Plenum Press.
Swaggart,
B., Gagnon, E., Jones-Bock, S., Earles, T., Quinn, C., Myles, B., & Simpson,
R. (1995). Using social stories to
teach social and behavioral skills to children with autism. Focus on Autistic Behavior, 10, 1-16.
APPENDIX A: BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS “A.B.C.’s”
CHILD’S NAME
MONTH AND YEAR
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DATE/TIME/T.I. |
ANTECEDANT - THE CIRCUMSTANCES PRIOR TO THE BEHAVIOR
(IN DETAIL) |
BEHAVIOR - WHAT DID THE CHILD DO? |
NATURAL CONSEQUENCE - WHAT DID THE CHILD ACCOMPLISH? |
IMPOSED CONSEQUENCE -
WHAT THE THERAPIST DID AND ITS PERCEIVED EFFECTIVENESS |
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APPENDIX B:
MOTIVATION ASSESSMENT SCALE
FROM:
Durand,
V.M. (1990)
Severe Behavior
Problems: A Functional Communication Training Approach
New
York: Guilford Press
Name: Rater:
Date:
Behavior Description:
Setting Description:
Instruction: The Motivation
Assessment Scale is a questionnaire designed to identify those situations in
which an individual is likely to behave in certain ways. From this information,
more informed decisions can be made concerning the selection of appropriate
reinforcers and treatments. To complete the Motivation Assessment Scale, select
one behavior that is of particular interest. It is important that you identify
the behavior very specifically. Aggressive,
for example, is not as good a description as hits his sister. Once you
have specified the behavior to be rated, read each question carefully and
circle the one number that best describes your observations of this behavior.
|
QUESTIONS |
Never |
Almost
Never |
Seldom |
Half
the time |
Usually |
Almost Always |
Always |
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1. Would the behavior occur
continuously, over and over, if this person was left alone for long periods?
(For example, several hours) |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
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2. Does the behavior occur
following a request to perform a difficult task? |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
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3. Does the behavior seem to occur in
response to your talking to other persons in the room? |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
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4. Does the behavior ever occur
to get a toy, food, or activity that this person has been told that he or she
can’t have? |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
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5. Would the behavior occur repeatedly, in
the same way, for very long periods of time, if no one was around? (For
example, rocking back and forth for over an hour) |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
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6. Does the
behavior occur when any request is made of this person? |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
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7. Does the
behavior occur whenever you stop attending to this person? |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
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8. Does the behavior occur when you take away
a favorite toy, food, or activity? |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
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9. Does it appear
to you that this person enjoys performing the behavior? (It feels, tastes,
looks, smells, and/or sounds pleasing) |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
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10. Does this person seem to do the behavior
to upset or annoy you when you are trying to get him or her to do what you
ask? |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
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11. Does this person seem to do the behavior
to upset or annoy you when you are not paying attention to him or her? (For
example, if you are sitting in a separate room, interacting with another person). |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
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12. Does the behavior stop occurring shortly
after you give this person the toy, food, or activity he or she has
requested? |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
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13. When the
behavior is occurring, does this person seem calm and unaware of anything
else going on around him or her? |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
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14. Does the behavior stop occurring shortly
after (one to five minutes) you stop working or making demands of this
person? |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
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15. Does this person seem to do the behavior
to get you to spend time with him or her? |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
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16. Does the
behavior seem to occur when this person has been told that he or she can=t do
something he or she had wanted to do? |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
Sensory Escape Attention Tangible
1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6. 7. 8.
9. 10. 11. 12.
13. 14. 15. 16.
Total Score =
Mean Score =
Relative Ranking =
APPENDIX C: BASIC BEHAVIORAL DIAGNOSTIC QUESTIONS:
1. Are there any circumstances under which
the behaviour does not occur?
2. Are
there any circumstances under which the behaviour always occurs?
3. Does
the behaviour occur at certain times of day?
4. Does
the behaviour occur only with certain people?
5. Could
the behaviour be related to a skill deficit?
6. Does
the behaviour occur during certain seasons of the year?
7. Could
the behaviour be the result of any form of discomfort?
8. Could
the client be signalling some deprivation condition?
9. Could
the behaviour be a side effect of medication?
10. Could the behaviour be caused by
allergies?
11. Does the behaviour allow the individual to
gain attention?
12. Does the behaviour allow the client to
escape from a specific situation?
13. Does the behaviour occur to compete with
loneliness or boredom?
14. Does the behaviour provide
self-stimulatory activity?
15. Does the occur collaterally with any other
behaviour as part of a chain?
16. Does the behaviour occur as a result of a
having another ongoing behaviour terminated.
17. Does the client have any identified
stressors?
18. Does
the behaviour pose a threat to self or others?
19. Does
the behaviour interfere with education/programming?
APPENDIX D: REINFORCEMENT INVENTORY
Student: Teacher: Date:
Instructions: Circle the reinforcers that are most effective in the
classroom with this student.
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MATERIAL REINFORCERS |
ACTIVITY REINFORCERS |
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Points Tokens Food Toys |
(including stickers and stars)
pretzels popcorn candy cookies soft drinks fruit marshmallows crackers chips juices raisins cake ice cream other preferred foods Badges, pins, ribbons Books Cards (letter, flash, picture) Magazines Puzzles kaleidoscope flashlight playground equipment balloons punching bag toys commercial games marbles playdough jacks plastic toys (animal, people) yo-yo |
Household inexpensives (pots, coffee cans, boxes, plastic jugs) Twirlers or fans bean bags silly putty slinky toys sand pictures toy musical instruments whistles dolls make up kits stuffed animals or fuzzy toys cars, trains, trucks, etc. construction toys (tinker, etc) beads party toys Computer games Radio Tape recorder TV Filmstrips/movies Photo albums Class pictures Maps Globes Vibrator/massager Golf counter/timer Calendars Paints and related art equipment Money for classroom bank and store Subject-matter accessories |
Deliver messages run
errands in building Custodian helper Teacher helper Take specific equipment to recess Free-time, student-selected activity Work with older students in building Help in lunchroom Water classroom plants Feed classroom animals Sharpen pencils Flag raiser Visit principal or other building staff Any classroom clean-up activity Recess Operate classroom equipment Visit other classes Distribute and collect classroom materials Take part in a school play or assembly Help other students Mainstreamed activity classes Display student work Free time with no contingencies Self-graphing |
Climbing and locomotor activities Type Read a book or magazine Walk to a designated community location Field trips Select location for field trip Turn lights on/off Decorate “own’ bulletin brd Read a wall map Read subject matter of interest Engage in self-stimulatory activity Select reinforcers Plan daily schedules Puppet Show Participation Musical chairs game Make material reinforcers Cook edible reinforcers Organize eating area (setting table, getting juice
from icebox etc.) “Show and tell” Listen to music Bounce on bounceboard Parties Skating Watch filmstrips/movies Listen to tapes/records Play musical instruments Play a game with adults or peers |
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SOCIAL REINFORCERS |
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Verbal praise (specific to student) Smiles Laughter Tickling Winks Head nods Approval signs (OK gesture, etc.) Any positive peer adult activities (social) Any positive interactions with adults “Goof-off” periods |
Being responsible for other students Attention when talking Hugs, handshakes Physical contact (pat on back or shoulder; quick squeezes, touching arm, etc.) Wrestling Parties, recess, free time Special seating privileges Helper privileges Sitting in bean bag chair with peers. |
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From: Simpson, R., & Regan, M (1986) Management of Autistic Behavior Austin, TX Pro-Ed |
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