Shaping New Behaviors

Wendy Zeballos, Ed.D., BCBA-D

M y c h i l d does no t hav e t he s k i l l s t o pe r f o r m a s pec i f i c t as k . M y c h i l d has t he s k i l l , bu t he does no t pe r f o r m t he t as k . M y c h i l d c anno t t o l e r a t e c e r t a i n e l em en t s o f t he t as k ( e . g . v i s i t t o t he den t i s t ) . M y c h i l d w i l l no t f o l l ow d i r ec t i ons .

Common Problems Parents Face

Key Concept Of Shaping Behavior

Reinforcement What is it?

What exactly does it do?

How often does it occur?

How do we present it?

Why is it so IMPORTANT?

S im p le t o l ea r n and us e He lps you r c h i l d f ee l good abou t h im o r he r s e l f

B u i l ds a pos i t i v e r e l a t i ons h ip be t ween you and you r c h i l d

Cr ea t es a pos i t i v e env i r onm en t

Why We Should Use Positive Reinforcement

Behavioral Teaching Strategies

Cycle of Instruct ion

Inst ruct ion Response Consequence R e i n f o r c e a s q u i c k l y a s p o s s i b l e t o s t r e n g t h e n t h e d e s i r e d b e h a v i o r

E x a m p l e

I n s t r u c t i o n : S t a n d U p R e s p o n s e : C h i l d S t a n d s U p C o n s e q u e n c e : T a k e a b r e a k

Dec ide on a t a r ge t . Reduc e a c om p lex s k i l l ( behav io r ) i n t o s m a l l e r e l em en t s .

Us e p r om p t s and p r om p t f ad i ng t o t eac h i nd i v i dua l e l em en t s .

Us e r e i n f o r c em en t t o s t r eng t hen t he new s k i l l .

Behavioral Approach To Teaching New Skills

I m i t a t i on Tr a i n i ng S hap ing Di f f e r en t i a l Re in f o r c em en t P r om p t s

Teaching Procedures

A s s e s s i n g p r e r e q u i s i t e s k i l l s i s n e c e s s a r y p r i o r t o u s i n g a n y p r o c e d u r e . T h e g o a l o f i m i t a t i o n t r a i n i n g i s t o t e a c h c h i l d r e n t o d o w h a t t h e p e r s o n p r o v i d i n g t h e m o d e l d o e s .

To u s e t h i s t e c h n i q u e , t h e c h i l d m u s t h a v e a n i m i t a t i v e r e p e r t o i r e .

E x a m p l e : C a n m y c h i l d r e m a i n s e a t e d ? C a n m y c h i l d l o o k a t m e ? C a n m y c h i l d l o o k a t o b j e c t s ? C a n m y c h i l d k e e p h i s h a n d s i n h i s l a p ? C o o p e r , H e r o n a n d H e w a r d , 2 0 0 7

Teaching Using Imitation Training

K e e p t h e t e a c h i n g a c t i v e a n d b r i e f .

R e w a r d b o t h p r o m p t e d a n d i m i t a t i v e r e s p o n s e s .

P a i r v e r b a l p r a i s e a n d a t t e n t i o n w i t h a t a n g i b l e r e w a r d .

I f y o u r c h i l d ’ s p r o g r e s s b r e a k s d o w n , b a c k u p , a n d m o v e a h e a d s l o w l y. R e m e m b e r t o f a d e o u t v e r b a l a n d p h y s i c a l p r o m p t s .

S t o p i m i t a t i o n t r a i n i n g w h e n y o u r c h i l d c o n s i s t e n t l y i m i t a t e s o t h e r s .

Guidelines For Imitation Training

Cooper, Heron and Heward, 2007

P ar en t s ays , “ do t h i s . ” Ch i l d im i t a t es . P a r en t s ays , “ awes om e” and g i v es a t ang ib l e r ewa r d .

Imitation Training Example

S h a p i n g i s t h e r e i n f o r c e m e n t o f s u c c e s s i v e a p p r o x i m a t i o n s o f a t a r g e t b e h a v i o r.

S h a p i n g i s a wa y o f a d d i n g a n e w b e h a v i o r t o a c h i l d ’ s r e p e r t o i r e . S h a p i n g i s u s e d wh e n t h e t a r g e t b e h a v i o r d o e s n o t e x i s t . I n s h a p i n g , yo u a r e r e wa r d i n g a n y b e h a v i o r t h a t i s a c l o s e r a p p r o x i m a t i o n o f t h e t a r g e t b e h a v i o r t h a n t h e b e h a v i o r yo u r e wa r d e d l a s t . C o o p e r , H e r o n & H e w a r d , 2 0 0 7

Definition of Shaping

S hap ing s ha r es c e r t a i n f ea t u r es o f t he gam e “ ho t & c o l d . ”

In playing “hot & cold,” you reward any movement that takes the child closer to the prize. Each of those successive movements is a closer approximation of the desired behavior. If the prize is under the couch, and the child is moving toward the couch, every time the child takes a step toward the couch you are yelling, “hotter,” and you are rewarding the behavior. If the child moves away from the couch, you would yell, “colder” (non-rewarding).

M o r g a n , 1 9 7 4

Shaping

D i f f e r e n t i a l r e i n f o r c e m e n t r e w a r d s o n l y t h e a p p r o p r i a t e r e s p o n s e s a n d d i s c o n t i n u e s r e w a r d s f o r a l l o t h e r r e s p o n s e s .

T h e b a s i c p r i n c i p l e o f d i f f e r e n t i a l r e i n f o r c e m e n t i s d i s c r i m i n a t i o n .

E x a m p l e :

R e w a r d y o u r c h i l d f o r c l e a n i n g h i s o r h e r r o o m b e f o r e b e d t i m e , a n d w i t h h o l d

t h e r e w a r d w h e n y o u r c h i l d d o e s n o t c l e a n h i s o r h e r r o o m .

C o o p e r , H e r o n & H e w a r d , 2 0 0 7

Shaping Behaviors

S h a p i n g b e g i n s w i t h r e w a r d i n g r e s p o n s e s t h a t w i l l l e a d t o t h e t a r g e t b e h a v i o r .

I f a n e w a p p r o x i m a t i o n t o t h e t a r g e t b e h a v i o r d o e s n o t o c c u r , y o u r e w a r d t h e l a s t a p p r o x i m a t i o n a g a i n .

I f a n a p p r o x i m a t i o n i s r e p e a t e d a n d r e w a r d e d t h r e e t i m e s , y o u c a n w i t h h o l d t h e r e w a r d t h e n e x t t i m e t h a t b e h a v i o r a p p e a r s . I f n o n e w a p p r o x i m a t i o n t o t h e t a r g e t b e h a v i o r a p p e a r s , y o u h a v e t o g o b a c k t o a p r e v i o u s l y r e w a r d e d b e h a v i o r .

Successive Approximations

S hap ing c an be s im i l a r t o he l p i ng you r c h i l d up a s t a i r c as e .

E v e r y s o o f t en , p r og r es s i s e f f o r t l es s and goes qu i c k l y ; o t he r t im es i t i s s l ow and d i f f i c u l t .

A t t im es , you r c h i l d m ay l eap ov e r t he nex t s t ep ; t hen , he m ay t u r n and go down t he s t a i r s a f ew s t eps , and you hav e t o he lp h im up t hos e s am e s t eps aga in . B B B A u t i s m , 2 0 0 2

The Shaping Process

Steps Of A Shaping Process

Step 1

•Select the target behavior.

Step 2

•Select the initial behavior that your child currently performs and that resembles the target behavior in some way.

Step 3

•Select powerful rewards with which to reinforce the initial behavior, the successive approximations of the target behavior, and the target behavior.

Step 4

•Reward the initial behavior until it occurs frequently.

Step 5

•Reward successive approximations of the target behavior each time they occur.

Step 6

•Reward the target behavior each time it occurs.

Step 7

•Reinforce the target behavior on an intermittent schedule of reinforcement.

Shaping To Teach Wearing Glasses

Cooper, Heron and Heward, 2007

K a i t a n t r u m s e v e r y t i m e h e i s a s k e d t o w r i t e h i s s p e l l i n g w o r d s . S t e p 1 : K a i w i l l w r i t e h i s n a m e a t t h e t o p o f t h e s p e l l i n g w o r k s h e e t . S t e p 2 : K a i w i l l w r i t e o n e s p e l l i n g w o r d o f h i s c h o i c e . S t e p 3 : K a i w i l l w r i t e t h r e e s p e l l i n g w o r d s o f h i s c h o i c e . S t e p 4 : K a i w i l l w r i t e e i t h e r a l l o f t h e o d d n u m b e r e d w o r d s o r a l l e v e n n u m b e r e d w o r d s . S t e p 5 : K a i w i l l w r i t e a l l s p e l l i n g w o r d s e x c e p t o n e . S t e p 6 : K a i w i l l w r i t e a l l s p e l l i n g w o r d s .

Shaping To Increase Academics

I den t i f y t he f i r s t behav io r t o r ewa r d .

P r oc eed i n s m a l l s t eps .

S e t a l im i t o f app r ox im a t i ons t ha t w i l l be r ewa r ded a t eac h l ev e l .

Con t i nue t o r ewa r d un t i l you r eac h t he t a r ge t behav io r. C o o p e r , H e r o n a n d H e w a r d , 2 0 0 7

Guidelines For Using Shaping

W h y p ro mp t s a re an i mp o r t an t p a r t o f t each i n g n ew sk i l l s .

T h e f u n c t i o n o f a p r o m p t i s t o p r o d u c e t h e o c c u r r e n c e o f a b e h a v i o r , s o i t m a y b e r e i n f o r c e d .

T h e y h e l p c h i l d r e n p e r f o r m a c o r r e c t r e s p o n s e , s o t h a t t h e b e h a v i o r c a n b e r e i n f o r c e d a n d s t r e n g t h e n e d . P r o m p t s m a k e t e a c h i n g m o r e e f f i c i e n t .

P r o m p t s i n c r e a s e t h e c h a n c e s t h a t a c o r r e c t r e s p o n s e w i l l o c c u r .

Teaching New Skills Using Prompts

The Three Common Response Prompts

Verbal Instruction • Vocal verbal instruction • Non verbal instruction

Modeling • Demonstrate the desired

behavior • Easy and practical to use

Physical Guidance • Is effective but intrusive • Requires direct physical

involvement between parent and child

Least to Most

Most to Least

Cooper, Heron and Heward, 2007

Ta r ge t behav io r : S ay ing t hank you Ve r ba l i ns t r uc t i on : A nd wha t do you s ay?

Verbal Prompt

Ta r ge t B ehav io r : Ra i s e a r m s M ode l : P a r en t r a i s es a r m s t o s how t he c h i l d

Modeling Prompt

Ta r ge t B ehav io r : Ty i ng s hoe P hys i c a l : G u ide t hem us ing hand - ov e r - hand

Physical Prompt

E f f ec t i v e p r om p t s f oc us t he c h i l d ’s a t t en t i on t o t he i n s t r uc t i on .

T hey s hou ld be as weak as pos s i b l e .

Rem ov e as qu i c k l y as pos s i b l e .

Effective Prompting

Cr ea t e oppo r t un i t i es i n t he env i r onm en t f o r t he behav io r you wan t t o oc c u r. Do no t s e t expec t a t i ons t oo h i gh .

Us e t h i ngs you r c h i l d en j oys as r ewa r ds .

A l l ow c ho i c es when pos s i b l e .

B e c ons i s t en t .

Helping Your Child Achieve His Or Her Potential

C o o p e r, J . , H e r o n , T. , & H e wa r d , W. ( 2 0 0 7 ) A p p l i e d B e h a v i o r A n a l y s i s ( 2 n d e d ) . N e w J e r s e y : P e a r s o n E d u c a t i o n G r a n t , L . , & E v a n s , A . , ( 1 9 9 4 ) P r i n c i p l e s o f B e h a v i o r A n a l y s i s . N e w Yo r k , N Y. H a r p e r C o l l i n s M o r g a n , W. , ( 1 9 7 4 ) T h e S h a p i n g G a m e . B e h a v i o r T h e r a p y, 5 , 2 7 1 - 2 7 2 S h a p i n g a n d C h a i n i n g ( 2 0 0 2 ) . R e t r i e v e d F r o m h t t p : / / ww w. b b b a u t i s m . c o m / a b a _ s h a p i n g _ a n d _ c h a i n i n g . h t m

References