Behavior

Historical Mistakes In Behavior Management: Crisis management at the risk of proactive long term treatment. Behavioral Interventions: Narrow focus, identify behavior of concern Apply consequences to reduce or eliminate behavior

Beliefs About Behavior Behavior is related to and governed by its context. Behavior can be interpreted as functional (often communicative), purposeful and meaningful to the individual. Behavior is affected by internal events. Behavior is influenced by factors outside the immediate context, including relationships, activity patterns and lifestyle issues. Behavior changes as people mature and develop new competencies. Most behavior is learned. This is great, because we can teach new behaviors!

“If a student doesn’t know how to read, we….” “If a student doesn’t know how to write a paragraph we….” “If a student doesn’t know their math facts we….” “If a student doesn’t know how to behave, we…..”

The typical response is to punish. If we see behavior as a deficit area we can seize the opportunity to teach.

Functional Behavior Assessment A process for identifying clear, predictive relationships between events in a person’s environment and occurrences of a target behavior that occurs frequently.

FBA… Gather information about the behavior. Synthesize information and develop hypotheses regarding the variables that precipitate and maintain the behavior. Establish a foundation for development and implementation of comprehensive behavior support strategies.

A Functional Behavior Is NOT: A form/ single instrument A one time event A record of consequences Documentation for suspension/Expulsion Simply to define behaviors and identify techniques for elimination.

In a nutshell, FBA: Attempts to discover the reasons (s) problem behavior occurs and keeps occurring.

How Do You Identify The Target Behavior? The description needs to include: Frequency Duration Intensity Location We need some measure of baseline. This is best determined by observations.

How to describe antecedents Antecedents are events that happen before the behavior. There are two types of antecedents: Slow triggers (setting events) Fast triggers (immediate antecedents)

Slow Triggers (Setting Events) May happen in or out of the classroom. Are conditions that increase the likelihood that behavior will occur. Examples: Oversleeping No breakfast Forgotten medication Conflict with… History of negative relationships Skill deficits

Antecedents (Fast Triggers) Events that immediately precede behavior. Activities Places Consider where, when, with whom behavior does not happen Presence of particular people or combination of people

Fast Triggers Examples: Assignment too difficult/easy Teasing/scarism Challenged by other May be consistent-when anyone asks him t sit down May be unique to one situation-when Mr. Smith asks him to sit down Types of variables: curricular/instructional Environmental Social/emotional

Consequence=response Actual response that follows behavior Planned consequences (response) *Distinguish actual response from intended purpose Naturally occurring consequences (responses) *Adults, peers, tasks/activity status/ stimulation

What is the Consequence of the Behavior? What is the pay-off? What does the student get? What does the student avoid? What might be the student be trying to communicate?

Hypotheses Development “When this occurs (describe context) then the student does (describe the behavior) to access or avoid (describe the function)”

Linking hypothesis to Behavior Intervention Plan Prevent problem behaviors from occurring by manipulating setting vents/antecedents. Increase desired behaviors by teaching replacement skills which achieve the same function. Planning our responses to problem behavior.

Prevention Strategies: Increase attention before problem behavior Provide additional support or structure Increase supervision Remind and prompt specific behaviors Remove antecedents Provide limited choices Etc….

Replacement Skills Teach socially acceptable alternatives that achieve the same function as the target behavior Teach new skills that increase competence of: Problem solving Conflict resolution Responding to a confrontation Ignoring Tolerance for delay

Consequences to Reinforce Replacement or New Skills Maximize reinforcement for alternative or new skill and all attempts at appropriate request for attention. Use shaping strategies to reinforce successive approximations. Ensure that the planned responses are immediate. Decide if tangible

Reduction Oriented Consequences In non-crisis mode, prompt the student to use alternative skill. Ignore problem behavior and redirect to task at hand. Always respond with neutral affect Defer to routines, schedules, prompts Use logical consequences that are planned Say what you mean and mean what you say