Chapter 7

motivation assessment scale

-16 items correlated to four functions -individuals are asked to indicate the frequency with which an individual is likely to exhibit an operationalized target behavior -i.e. sensory reinforcement, escape, attention, tangible

behavior engaged in to escape from attention or interactions

-a behavior can serve the function of getting away from a situation one finds unpleasant or aversive -i.e. asking a teacher a question when bored to get him/her distracted and off topic

the behavior support plan

-a plan that details an agreed-upon set of procedures for changing inappropriate behavior is the behavior support plan -replacing an inappropriate behavior with an appropriate behavior that serves the same function -first step is to form a hypothesis as to what function the behavior serves -to form the hypothesis, we try to identify relationships among the behavior, antecedents, change resulting in the environment, and the reinforcement that the environmental change provides -seeks to understand how behavior serves a function for a student by understanding the components and relationships -relationships between behavior and the environmental events that influence it -understand the pattern of variables that precedes the behavior's occurrence -the pattern of variables that follow the behavior -new behavior must serve the same function as the original one and thus continue to provide reinforcement to the student -must be appropriate to the student's age and contextually appropriate in the environment in which the student will use the behavior

functional assessment/functional analysis

-a set of information-gathering strategies and instruments -based on what precede the behavior and what follows it, patterns are identified that lead to the hypothesis -functional analysis is a strategy of manipulating the student's environment and observing the effect on the student's behavior -what are the setting events? -setting events can include environmental factors, social factors, or physiological factors -classroom settings as well -setting events influence the occurrence of the behavior and the value of the contingencies -they can monetarily change either value of reinforcers and punishers in an environment and therefore change the way a students responds to events and situations in the environment

brief functional analysis

-adaptations to functional behavior analysis has been investigated to make it more practical and efficient for use in schools with students -involving as many as 50 to 60 sessions of up to 30 minutes each to identify and verify the function of behavior -now wanting to shorten it to 5-10 minutes -shortened sessions have been found to yield the same interpretations -behavior must occur at a high frequency if sufficient information is to be captured in shorter and fewer sessions

positive behavior support

-an application and extension of basic elements of applied behavior analysis -uses these elements increase appropriate behaviors in a students repertoire and applies stems-change methods to redesign environments in which the student functions in order to assure generalization and maintenance -goal of PBS is to apply applied behavior analysis's at scales of social significance in contexts of classrooms, schools, family, etc -employs a three-tiered prevention model -primary tier focuses on all students within the environment -purpose is to provide a foundation of behavior support for all students by teaching and reinforcing appropriate behaviors -second tier focuses on students for whom the procedures of the first tier were not adequate to address their behavior needs -these students are identified as requiring additional behavioral supports based on data -third tier focuses on students for whom both the universal and targeted tiers were not successful, and for students whose data reflect chronic behavioral problems

scatter plot analysis

-an assessment tool found to be easy and useful by classroom teachers -can be helpful in identifying a relationship between an environmental condition and behavior that is frequent, seemingly random, but steady over long periods of time -teacher prepares a grid -on grid A, days or observation periods are plotted along the horizontal and time is on the vertical -as the scatter grid is filled in, each cell contains a designation indicating whether the behavior occurred at a high, low, or zero rate -a cell is left blank of a behavior didn't occur during the interval -cell has a slash through it to indicate a low rate of occurrence -patterns are considered to occur when three or more adjacent intervals across days contained either a low-or high-frequency occurrence of the behavior -need to chose steady value for low or high rates of occurrence -a scatter plot will detect only environmental conditions that are related to behavior on a time-cyclical bases so may not include other events affecting behavior

classroom

-arranging a supportive classroom context within which the intervention resulting from a functional assessment will operate is a use of preventive strategies -systems of positive behavioral support should not be static; they should be subject to ongoing evaluation

PBS in larger contexts

-broadening the perspective and application of behavioral principles to social change -strives to impact larger contexts in which the student must function once provided with appropriate behavior in order to assure practical and lasting value to the student and those around him or her who share the setting -seeks to prevent the recurrence of problem behavior by strengthening communicative competence, self management skill, etc

settings for conducting functional analysis

-can be done in education classrooms, community setting, and community-vocational settings -an analog setting: an environment outside the classroom where very controlled presentation of the conditions can be managed

functional analysis screening tool

-comprised of 18 items -items are correlated to four likely maintaining function -FAST be administered to several individuals who interact frequently with the target individual -yes or no questions i.e. social reinforcement (attention/preferred items), social reinforcement (escape), automatic reinforcement (sensory stimulation), automatic reinforcement (pain attenuation)

questions about behavior functioning

-comprised of 25 items correlated to five functions -informant is asked to rate how often each specifically targeted behavior occurs 1. attention 2. escape 3. nonsocial 4.physical 5.tangible

data collecting

-data collector makes notes of each occurrence of the behavior in the column labeled "target behavior" -notes the antecedent, time of occurrence, and the context

descriptive assessment

-direct observation strategies are ways of describing behavior that is directly observed -more reliable than informant assessment -anecdotal reports, scatter plot analysis, A_B_C descriptive analysis

behavior engaged in to escape from internal stimulation that is painful or uncomfortable

-escape from internal pain or discomfort is a function of behavior -people who do not have the communication skills or cognitive ability to relate that they are uncomfortable or in pain may engage in what others view as inappropriate behavior in an attempt to reduce discomfort or pain -if engaging in the behavior results in the removal of or distraction from pain or discomfort, that increases the future rate or probability that the person will engage in the behavior again -this is automatic negative reinforcement; the act of engaging in the behavior itself provides the desired environmental change-escape from discomfort

behavior engaged in to escape from tasks

-getting out of doing a task is a function of behavior -due to the tasks either being too hard or too easy -when the student has a tantrum and the frustrated teacher or parent just stops the task and walks away, the student learns that having a tantrum is an effective way to escape aversive tasks

behavior engaged in to get attention

-getting the attention of an adult or peer in order to engage in social interaction is a function of behavior -receiving the desired result increases the future rate or probability of the student's engaging in the behavior again: positive reinforcement

behavior engaged in to gain a tangible

-getting the attention of an adult or peer in order to get assistance in obtaining some tangible object, activity, or event is a function of behavior -if the student repeatedly gets the tangible object, activity, or event by engaging in inappropriate behavior, she learns to use that behavior to achieve her desired outcome. This increases the future rate or probability that she will perform the challenging behavior again which is also an example of positive reinforcement

behavior engaged in to gain sensory stimulation

-if students aren't able to provide themselves with appropriate sensory experiences or to ask others to provide them, they may engage in self-injurious or stereotypic behaviors such as humming, blowing saliva bubbles, slapping their ears.etc -then sensory input received by engaging in the behavior increases the future rate or probability of the students' engaging in the behavior again -this is automatic positive reinforcement-the act of engaging in the behavior itself provides the desired environmental change

PBS with individual students

-improve the lives of individual students with severe behaviors -use of functional analysis for determining the purpose of socially significant behaviors thereby facilitating intervention planning

behavior rating scales

-instruments designed to obtain more quantitative information from informants. Informants are asked to respond to items describing behavior with a rating -i.e. access to peer attention, access to teacher attention,escape/avoid peer attention, escape/avoid teacher attention, setting events

schoolwide

-large-scale implementation and expanding the unit of analysis from the individual student to the school -evidence-based practices for establishing the social culture and individual behavior supports needed for schools to achieve both social and academic success while preventing problem behavior -1. focus on preventing the development and occurrence of problem behaviors 2. teach appropriate social behavior and skills 3. acknowledge appropriate behavior 4. collect ongoing data about student behavior and use it to guide behavior support decisions 5. follow a continuum of intensive, individual interventions

data analysis

-occurs daily and weekly -at the end of each day or observation period, the data collector reviews that day's data for confirmation of the occurrence of the target behavior, validity of the operational definitions, occurrences of new inappropriate behaviors, antecedents, or consequences. consistent relationships emerging between particular behaviors and consequences, when the student terminates the behavior, and emerging functions -in depth analysis of the data occurs following at least 5 days of data collection

A-B-C descriptive analysis

-provides a structure for noting behavior and the environmental events that surround it, as it is being observed -two step-anecdotal report process of writing what is observed and then restructuring the notes from top to bottom they are 1. identification information- name of student, day of observation, location of observation, beginning and ending time of observation period, name of person making the observations, page number 2. columns and rows for data collection-time/duration, context/activity, antecedent, target behavior, consequences, student reaction, perceived function, comments 3. lists of recording codes-listing various common codes needed for this particular student. Derived from information gathered earlier and from at least one opportunity for informal observation 4. operational definitions of target behaviors-operational definition of each target behavior is provided at the bottom of the data sheet

development of a behavior support plan

-sequence begins with the teacher's recognizing and documenting an ongoing challenging behavior, progresses through the use of functional assessment or functional analysis procedures, and results in the implementation and monitoring of a set of intervention procedures -teacher prepares an operational definition of the inappropriate behavior targeted for reduction -teacher collects initial data and then graphs the data -teacher notifies the members of the IEP committee of her concern and initial actions -discussing the behavior with team members will provide the teacher with ideas she has overlooked and enable her to manage the behavior quickly and simply -teacher and IEP committee may request that screening tests be conducted that provide insight into the cause of the behavior problem and a direct solution -based on information from screenings, the members can make recommendations that may terminate the behavior -functional assessment is a set of information-gathering strategies used to formulate a hypothesis about the function of an inappropriate behavior -indirect assessment procedures involve questioning a person familiar with the student about the behavior and the circumstances surrounding its occurrence -behavioral interview is to get a complete a picture as possible of the problem behavior and the environmental conditions and events surrounding it

behavior support plan

-summarizes the information generated, presents the hypothesis of function, and details agree-upon procedures for behavior change and support -most state education and school districts have a specific form for writing BSPs; some incorporate it as part of the IEP document -component 1: lists the behavior-management team, those primarily responsible for the BSP -component 2: lists the operational definitions of the target behaviors -component 3: includes documentation of unsuccessful strategies previously used in an attempt to alter the student's behavior -components 4,5,6: represent the activities for developing a hypothesis of function -component 4: lists the types of screening examinations that were conducted, their results, and any resulting intervention -component 5: provides information about the functional assessment. records the indirect and direct methods of information gathering that were used and the resulting hypothesis -component 6: provides information about the functional analysis -component 7: details the elements of the resulting intervention. One set delineates the strategies for teaching and supporting more appropriate behaviors to replace the target behavior and one set to support that implementation -component 8 lists an operation definition of the alternative behavior selected to replace the inappropriate behavior -one the intervention has been successful, you need a plan for maintenance and ongoing support for the new behavior and for its generalization into other settings at school, in the home, and in the community -overall purpose of the BSP, is a plan for long-lasting behavior change that systematically provides the student alternative behaviors with which to interact with those in the environment

behavior and its function

-what function the behavior serves for the student-what her purpose is for doing what she is doing -function of a behavior is to make a desired change in the environment -this relationship between the purpose of behavior-desirable outcomes or consequences-and the maintenance of behavior is the nature of reinforcement -little information about the factors controlling the behavior -teachers often find that an intervention eliminates an inappropriate behavior for a short time but that the behavior soon reappears. Sometimes a new, equally or even more inappropriate behavior replaces it -a need for function-based intervention does not assumed some internal motive for a student's behavior but focuses on the purpose of that behavior as defined by environmental events that occasion and maintain it -engaging in behavior to gain attention, to gain a tangible, to gain sensory stimulation, to escape from tasks and interactions, and to escape from internal pain or discomfort

anecdotal reports

-written to provide as complete a description as possible of a student's behavior and the events surrounding it -attempts to record each occurrence of a target behavior and the context, activities, and interactions within which it occurs -done over several days -clearly identifies and labels instances of the target behavior, the immediate antecedent, and the consequence

conditions and functions for functional analysis of behavior

1. attention condition 2. tangible condition 3. demand condition 4. alone condition 5. play condition

conduct functional analysis of behavior

a functional analysis is conducted for one of the following reasons: 1. to verify a hypothesis resulting from a functional assessment 2. to refine the hypothesis resulting form a functional assessment 3. to clarify uncertain results of a functional assessment 4. to serve as the initial step in the development of a hypothesis of function