Adolescents and Behavior Problems

Depression

Stereotypy

Peer Interventions

Depression

Pervasive sadness/irritability Biological disruptions

appetite, insomnia, fatigue Psychological difficulties

low self esteem, poor concentration,hopelessness

Results from multiple factors Review S.Braaten’s “About Adolescents”

Interventions for Depression

Assessment of depressive factors E.g., if social isolation: teach social

interaction skills Cognitive restructuring

Attribution retraining Thinking, changing, rearranging

Stereotypy

Repetitive behaviors: perseveration Self-stimulation Self-injurious

Results from biological and reinforcement factors

Rules for intervention If self-injurious, treat If interferes with education, treat

Interventions for Stereotypy

Functional Analysis and assessment Social and interactive skills training Establishment of appropriate

reinforcement and scheduling.

Behavior Interventions for Adolescents

By Adults Positive attention and approval Social reinforcement Contingency Contracting

Training procedures Building “backbone” Cognitive Behavior Management

Building “backbone”

Effective teaching/schooling Intellectual stimulation Relevance

Social values training and incorporation

Development of social competence

Development of Social Competence

Prosocial behavior training or reinforcement

Assertiveness training Stress prevention Refusal skills

Peer mediated Interventions

Use of peers as behavior managers Teaching others leads to improved

learning and automaticity

Peer Intervention Strategies

Group goal setting and feedback Group Contingencies

Group goal setting and feedback

Groups discuss and decide individual student goals

Specific goals (objectives) are best

Peer Monitoring

Group Contingencies

Dependent Independent Interdependent

Dependent Group Contingencies

Individual performance of the target student determines consequences to the whole group. Appropriate when target student is being

reinforced by his/her “audience” AND the behavior of the whole group is generally good.

Independent Group Contingencies

Every individual instance of the target behavior in a group is given the same consequence E.g., everyone who turns in a complete

homework assignment receives gym instead of study hall

Interdependent Group Contingencies

Each student in a group must achieve a prescribed level of performance before anyone in the group can get a reinforcement E.g., 100% attendance on Fridays for 4

weeks = 10 points for everybody on the midterm

Self-mediated Interventions

Self-monitoring (self recording) Self-evaluation Self-instruction

Self-Monitoring

Keeping a record of one’s own behaviors Monitoring progress on self-chart

Self-Evaluation

Student assesses quality (correctness, adequacy) of self-behavior

Self-Instruction

Planned “whispering” Student whispers appropriate instructions

for a behavior to self

Guidelines for Use of Self-Management

Determine student ability to self-manage Engage student in determining accurate

recording or use of strategies Assess fidelity of the procedure Assess that adequate progress is being

made

Behavior-Related Issues for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners

Primary Considerations Language Culture Problem Behaviors vs. Cultural Differences