Understanding Behaviour Response Interventions

Getting re-connected

A simplified way of framing the assessment and intervention process Antecedent Behaviour Consequence Proactive Teach Response You

A-B-C James is a seventh-grade student with difficulties in oral reading. In social studies class, each student is expected to take a turn reading part of the chapter out loud. When it is James’s turn, he responds by throwing his books on the floor and swearing at the teacher. His teacher responds by sending him to the vice-principal’s office. This behaviour continues and worsens over the Fall.

A-B-C Michael, a second-grade student, pushes the other children in line when he is told to stand at the end of the line. When the teacher lets him hold the door, he stops pushing. This happens every time the students line up for lunch. This behaviour continues on a daily basis.

A-B-C Lisa is a fifth-grade student who loves to be the center of attention. She frequently makes loud inappropriate jokes in the class that cause her classmates to laugh. This behaviour continues even though the teacher interrupts each incident by giving Lisa a long lecture about appropriate fifth-grade behaviour.

Consequences Responses used by educators when the student engages in challenging behaviour Maintaining consequences need to be eliminated Selected procedures need to make the challenging behaviour ineffective and less useful to the student Reinforcement is given to encourage / teach / increase frequency of the use of replacement behaviours

Consequences Reinforcement is withheld to ensure that the behaviour won’t work for the student Positive consequences (increase replacement behaviours) are effective when they target a specific behaviour and are applied immediately, with eye contact and genuine enthusiasm

Response Interventions Discontinue reinforcement of challenging behaviour Peers and educators respond to appropriate behaviours Increase ratio of “+” to “-” responses

Response Interventions Ignore Redirect Interrupt the student’s movement into the next activity Home-to-school reinforcement system Crisis Intervention

Alba During recess Alba will steal equipment, and push to the front of lines when not actively included in a game (especially with “wall ball” and “4 square”). This pattern is most likely when Alba has been working without peer collaboration in previous class period.

Bruce Triggers: walking to car from house, demand is placed to go to next activity, change in routine Setting event: tired Target Behaviour: throws self onto ground, cries Maintaining Consequences: verbal coaxing, allowed to continue what he was doing prior to the request, physically helped after a bit of his behaviour

Responses Apply consistently Use the power of proximity Make direct eye contact Use a soft voice Be firm and anger-free Link the response to the expected behaviour Never accept excuses, bargaining or whining Be educative, not vindictive

Monitoring Regular meetings with minutes about decisions to change the intervention plan Keep data about the target behaviour Data will inform decisions for ongoing planning and reporting

Monitoring & Evaluation Ensure all educators who have implementation responsibilities know about the plan and how to put the plan into action How will everyone know positive changes are taking place?

Timeout By definition a punisher as it is intended to decrease behaviour Can be reinforcing to avoid / escape behaviours Usually doesn’t result in long term change as not educative in nature Often done out of frustration

Timeout If used should be part of the plan and follow all ethical procedures If used should follow appropriate procedures for physical and emotional factors If a regular response, then needs to be examined or plan revised If used, document (frequency, time, who implemented, description of the incident, where, etc)

Functional Behaviour Assessment Steps Decide if a intervention is warranted Develop a personal profile Define the target behaviour Conduct a functional behaviour interview Conduct direct observations Use setting events checklist Form hypothesis Design an support plan (prevent, teach and respond) Evaluate plan

Last session Crisis Intervention