BehaviorBehavior

Historical Mistakes In Behavior Historical Mistakes In Behavior Management: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 BehaviorBeliefs 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 AssessmentFunctional 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…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 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:In a nutshell, FBA:

• Attempts to discover the reasons (s) problem behavior occurs and keeps occurring.

How Do You Identify The Target How Do You Identify The Target Behavior?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 antecedentsHow 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)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)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 TriggersFast 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=responseConsequence=response

• Actual response that follows behavior

Planned consequences (response)*Distinguish actual response from

intended purposeNaturally occurring consequences (responses)

*Adults, peers, tasks/activity status/ stimulation

What is the Consequence of the What is the Consequence of the Behavior?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 DevelopmentHypotheses Development

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

Linking hypothesis to Behavior Linking hypothesis to Behavior Intervention PlanIntervention 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: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 SkillsReplacement 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 Consequences to Reinforce Replacement or New SkillsReplacement 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 ConsequencesReduction 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