WELCOME!! Introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis/Verbal Behavior Presented by: Hillary Ran, M.Ed, BCBA Exceptional Learners Behavioral Services, LLC

Training created by: Hillary Ran, M.Ed, BCBA Hillary Ran, M.Ed, BCBA has given permission to Consultants for Children, Inc to use information.

What is ABA? - ABA is the science that studies environmental events that change behavior. -ABA is a discipline devoted to the understanding and improvement of human behavior. Applied-Socially significant behaviors Behavior-The behavior chosen is the behavior to improve Analysis-Functional relation between manipulated events and reliable change

Why is it Effective? Learners with developmental disabilities may have behavioral deficits or surpluses. To correct these behavioral barriers, we use ABA to increase adaptive behaviors and decrease maladaptive behaviors. This is accomplished by manipulating antecedents and consequences. Intensity One-on-one Social Validity of Goals Evidence Based Practices Uses the student’s motivation as a primary teaching tool. Programs for fluency!!!

The ABC’s of ABA Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence Antecedent-What happens immediately before the behavior. Behavior-Anything that a person does. (Must be observable and measureable) Consequence-What happens immediately following the behavior.

Antecedent SD: Discriminative Stimulus -The stimulus that is present when a particular behavior is present. Simply…the instruction or item that evokes a specific response. MO: Motivational Operations -An environmental event or biological condition that changes the value of a stimulus as a reinforcer. Simply…what is the student most interested in? Decrease response effort to increase desirable behavior!!!

Behavior Behavior is what people do. It is important that it be described in objective and measurable terms. Private Behavior: Thoughts, feelings and imagination are all thought of as private events. Private events do not cause behavior, although it often precedes it. We must analyze the cause of private behavior in the same way we analyze the cause of public behavior.

Consequence Positive Reinforcement -the addition of a stimulus makes the behavior more likely to occur. Negative Reinforcement -the removal of a stimulus makes the behavior more likely to occur. Automatic Reinforcement -Movements of the body that produce a feeling that make the behavior that produced it more likely. Extinction -The procedure in which a consequence is stopped. Positive Punishment - The addition of a stimulus following a behavior decreases the frequency of the behavior. Negative Punishment - The removal of a stimulus following a behavior decreases the frequency of the behavior.

Beware the Extinction Burst! When a learning history of engaging in a behavior has allowed a student to contact reinforcement in the past, and the reinforcement is suddenly stopped, the behavior will increase before it decreases! It is extremely important to remain consistent with the procedure during the extinction burst!

Respondent Conditioning A process in which a neutral stimulus is paired with an conditioned stimulus. The unconditioned stimulus elicits an unconditioned response. As a result of pairing the neutral stimulus with the unconditioned stimulus, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus that will elicit a response similar to the unconditioned response, called a conditioned response. Lightening (stimulus 1) + Thunder (stimulus 2) = Wince After much repetition… Lightening = Wince (in anticipation of thunder)

Operant Conditioning Operant Conditioning occurs when a behavior in a particular situation is followed by a reinforcing consequence, thus making the behavior more likely to occur in similar circumstances in the future. Simply…it focuses on the consequence part of the 3- term contingency. Antecedent Behavior Consequence Dirty dishes are present Wash dishes Get hug from mom

Stimulus Control/Discrimination Stimulus Control-A particular behavior is more likely to occur in the presence of a particular SD (antecedent) because the behavior has been reinforced only when the SD is present…The SD has stimulus control over the behavior. Stimulus Discrimination-The process of reinforcing a behavior only when a specific antecedent is present. Stimulus control develops through the process of stimulus discrimination.

Reinforcement! Always the best option! Give the student as many opportunities to contact reinforcement as possible!

Principles of Reinforcement D eprivation I mmediacy S ize C ontingency

Schedules of Reinforcement Continuous—Every response is followed by a reinforcer. Fixed Ratio—The first response after a given fixed number of responses is reinforced. Fixed Interval—The first response after a fixed amount of time is reinforced. Variable Ratio—The first response after a varying number of responses is reinforced. Variable Interval—The first response after a varying amount of time is reinforced.

Differential Reinforcement A procedure involving 2 or more physically different behaviors; one behavior is reinforced while all others are extinguished. Types of Differential Reinforcement: DRA: Alternative Behavior DRO: Other Behavior DRI: Incompatible Behavior DRL: Low Rates of Behavior

Verbal Behavior BF Skinner’s Analysis of Verbal Behavior -Language occurs under certain conditions -Language is not a cognitive process-it is behavior. You say certain words under certain conditions. -Language is split into a hierarchy of “operants.” -Verbal Behavior is defined as all of the actions of a person that are mediated by a response from a listener.

Skinner’s Verbal Operants 1.Mand 2.Imitation 3.Echoic 4.Receptive 5.Tact 6.Receptive: Feature, Function, Class 7.Intraverbal

Manding A Request-the response is controlled by the motivational or aversive condition which determined the behavior. The mand is the only form of verbal behavior that benefits the speaker directly. The learner begins to realize, “I talk = I get.” Manding should be taught extensively with early learners. Example-”What do you want?” Child replies, “Cookie.”

Manding Sequence 1. One word mands 2. Spontaneous manding 3. Mands for others actions 4. Mands with carrier phrases 5. Mands for others to start/stop an activity and help 6. Mands for others attention 7. Mands for information 8. Mands for future events 9. Mands using adjectives, prepositions, adverbs and pronouns

Imitation The antecedent is someone else’s motor movement. Imitation is very important component skill to build a social skills repertoire AND so we can effectively use errorless learning prompting procedures. You say/do it, I say/do it Strengthening non-verbal imitation skills can help strengthen verbal imitation skills because they are included in the same response class. Example-”Do This” (clap your hands)

Echoic Immediately repeating what is heard. The antecedent is someone else’s verbal behavior. A strong echoic repertoire is critical for teaching other verbal behavior and for shaping articulation. Echoic prompt dependency can create echolalia. Be sure to fade prompts as soon as possible. Example-”Say, ‘Bye Bye.’”

Tact Synonymous with expressive labeling Strengthened by social reinforcement-I say, I get something else Tacts do not automatically transfer to mands or intraverbals Tacts benefit the listener as mands benefit the speaker Example-”What’s this?” Child replies, “Apple.”

Receptive Receptively identifying a stimulus when given its name-’I hear, I do.’ Receptive language also includes following directions Examples- ”Point to the cat.” “Where’s your nose?”

Feature, Function, Class Receptively or expressively identifying a stimulus by its description (feature, function or class), not by its name Examples- Feature ”What’s something that is hot?” Function “What’s something that we eat?” Class “Which one is a farm animal?”

Intraverbal Verbal behavior under the control of other verbal behavior that is strengthened by social reinforcement; similar to tacting except that there is no visual stimulus present-You say something, I say something related, but different Examples- ”Name some shapes.” “What’s your name?” “Tell me a story.”

Motivative Operations Some events make a particular consequence reinforcing more at some times than at other times. MO’s have the power to change the value of a reinforcer. Examples: -A child may love candy but be less likely to eat M&M’s after eating an entire happy meal. -A child may have a favorite video that is used as a reinforcer during therapy sessions only. Deprivation makes the video more valuable.

Teaching Language using MO’s -Give the student salty foods (MO for a drink is high) followed by an empty cup. -Give the student a toy without batteries. -Give the student a coloring book with no crayons. -Put the student in a swing and step back. -Tell the student to get a toy that is in sight but out of reach. -Hide the last piece needed to complete a puzzle. -Give a desired toy to someone else in the room/house.

Natural Environment Training Language should be functional and be used naturalistically in order to program for generalization. Contrive MO’s to teach language. Give the student as many opportunities as possible to contact reinforcement…catch the student being “good” and reinforce! Stop, Block, Redirect maladaptive behaviors while heavily reinforcing adaptive behaviors. Be specific with praise. Effective teaching of language includes teaching in all settings, across persons and circumstances throughout the day.

ABLLS Protocol Assessment of Basic Language and Learning SKills An assessment tool developed by Dr Partington and Dr Sundberg to help identify language and other critical life skills. Advantages-Visual analysis, comprehensive guide to curriculum, easily completed Disadvantages-Sequence of skills, objectivity of assessor, missing pieces (Relational Frame Theory)

ABLLS cont. A: Learner CooperationN: Classroom Routines B: Visual PerformanceP: Generalized Responding C: Receptive LanguageQ: Reading D: ImitationR: Math E: EchoicS: Writing F: MandingT: Spelling G: TactingU: Dressing H: IntraverbalV: Eating I: Spontaneous VocalizationsW: Grooming J: Syntax and GrammarX: Toileting K: Play and LeisureY: Gross Motor M: Group InstructionZ: Fine Motor

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