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Principles of
Applied Behavior Analysis:
Evidence‐Based Early Intervention
Teaching Practices
Day 1
Applied Behavior Analysis
- ABA is a discipline devoted to the understanding and improvement of human behavior.
- ABA focuses on objectively defined, observable behavior of social significance, and seeks to improve the behavior while demonstrating a reliable relationship between the procedures employed and the behavioral improvement. ( Cooper and Heward, 1987)
Some Applications of ABA
- Discrete Trial Training
- Pivotal Response Treatment
- Incidental Teaching
- Applied Verbal Behavior
Focus on Teaching Techniques
- Instructional strategies to increase behavior is the focus of this session
- ABA can be applied to identify the function of challenging behaviors and strategies to increase alternative behaviors.
- This introduction to and application of ABA principles will be focused on increasing children’s skill acquisition
7 Dimensions of ABA
- Applied… The intervention is designed to have a meaningful, positive impact on the life of the child.
- Behavioral…The goal can be directly observed and measured. The objective is defined so clearly that different people can measure the behavior in the same way.
- Analytic… Data shows that the intervention is responsible for the improvement in behavior.
Dimensions cont’d
- Conceptual… Interventions utilize research‐based behavioral teaching strategies
- Technological…The teaching procedures are written so explicitly that different individuals can implement them in the same manner.
- Effective…The intervention results in significant improvements in behavior.
- Generality…The skills learned can be maintained over time and utilized in different settings and contexts.
Behavior‐ what is involved
When we emit a behavior what factors are in place? Shout out some behaviors that we do everyday…
ABA basics in action
Thinking about any behavior
- Motivation
- Initiation
- Cue/expectation
- Result/response
Components of Teaching
A‐B‐C
Behavior
- Definition
- Operationalizing a target behavior
- Selecting and defining a target behavior‐ a skill or a developmental goal
2 Types of Consequences Reinforcement Punishment Reinforcement
Punishment
- Positive punishment : Something is added that decreases the likelihood of the behavior occurring again.
- Negative punishment : Something is taken away that decreases the likelihood of the behavior occurring again. It is important to note that negative reinforcement is not the same as punishment. The difference between the two is that negative reinforcement is used to increase the target behavior, whereas punishment is used to decrease a behavior.
Small Group Activity Read your scenario and label the Antecedent, Behavior and Consequence. Determine if your scenario is an example of Positive Reinforcement or Negative Reinforcement. Create a new example of reinforcement. If your scenario was Positive Reinforcement, then create an example of Negative Reinforcement. Be prepared to share with the group. "Positive reinforcement is the most important and most widely applied principle of behavior analysis." Cooper, Heron and Heward (2007, p.257)
Natural reinforcers are ordinary results of a behavior and occur naturally in the environment. EXAMPLES : getting milk after asking for it, and having more friends as a result of good social skills
Motivation
● Changes from day to day, moment to moment, it can change quickly ● Alters the value of reinforcement ● Varies considerably from child to child
How do we know what is reinforcing for an individual? Reinforcers can be identified by: ‐ Conducting reinforcer/preference assessments; ‐ Creating preference lists (e.g., reinforcer checklists, reinforcer menus) ‐ Interviewing the learner ‐ Interviewing family members ‐ Interviewing other teachers/practitioners Basic principles for implementing reinforcement
- Reinforce immediately following the target behavior.
- Reinforcement must fit the target behavior and be meaningful to the learner.
- Multiple reinforcers are more effective than a single reinforcer (Alberto & Troutman, 2008).
Components of Teaching
A‐B‐C
Antecedent based Intervention Strategies
- Positive Reinforcement
- Task Analysis/Chaining
- Prompting/Fading Procedure
- Shaping
- Modeling/Request Imitation
Task Analysis
- the process of breaking a skill down into smaller, more manageable steps in order to teach a targeted skill.
- as the smaller steps are mastered, the learner becomes increasingly independent in his or her ability to perform the larger skill.
- can be used in a number of settings, including: school, community and home
- can be used for a variety of behaviors AIM - Task Analysis Task Analysis: Step-by-Step Instructions
- Identify the target skill
- Break the skill into components
- Confirm the steps
- Determine how the skill will be taught
- Implement the intervention and monitor progress AIM - Task Analysis http://www.autisminternetmodules.org/mod_doc.php?mod_id=48&up_doc_cat_id=
Step 3: Confirm the steps Have someone else follow the steps exactly to perform the skill. AIM - Task Analysis
Activity
Task Analysis: Step-by-Step Instructions
- Identify the target skill - Brushing Teeth
- Break the skill into components
- be prepared to share with group
Step 4: Determine how the skill will be taught ● A backward chain ● A forward chain ● A total task AIM - Task Analysis Backward Chaining
- Steps at the end of the behavioral chain are mastered first.
- Assistance provided through the initial steps of the task analysis until the learner gets to the last step.
- On the last step the instructor prompts the learner to perform the step, and then reinforces the learner.
- After the last step in the task analysis is mastered, each previous step in the chain is added one at a time.
- Advantage: targeted skill leads immediately to reinforcement. AIM - Task Analysis
