ABA Basics: Basic Techniques Used to See Change

Presenter: Kail T. Graham, M.A., BCBA

Topics of the Day

The History of ABA

What is ABA?

The ABCs of ABA

Reinforcement

Attending and Ignoring

Preview to the next session

History of ABA

Came out of the science that studies the principles of learning and behavior

Experimental Analysis of Behavior: provides the scientific foundation of ABA

Applied Behavior Analysis: utilize principles of learning to address behavior needs in all environments

Skinner – father of Behavior Analysis

BCBA vs BCaBA vs Behavior Specialists

**More information can be found at www.BACB.com**

Definitions

Behavior Analysis - A scientific approach to understanding the principles of behavior and learning and how they are affected by the environment

Applied Behavior Analysis – the use of the techniques developed from this understanding to address socially important behaviors and to bring about meaningful behavior change

ABA is backed!

United States Surgeon General “Thirty years of research demonstrated the efficacy of applied

behavioral methods in reducing inappropriate behavior and in increasing communication, learning, and appropriate social behavior. A well-designed study of a psychosocial intervention was carried out by Lovaas and colleagues (Lovaas 1987; McEachin et al., 1993). Nineteen children with autism were treated intensively with behavior therapy for 2 years and compared with two control groups. Follow-up of the experimental group in first grade, in late childhood and in early adolescence found that nearly half the experimental group but almost none of the children in the matched control group were able to participate in regular schooling. Up to this point, a number of other research groups have provided at least a partial replication of the Lovaas model (see Rogers, 1998).” -- An Excerpt of a Report of the Surgeon General on Mental Health (1999) Chapter 3.

What is ABA?

Applied Socially significant behavior changes Behavior change must be relevant to the individual in the

context of the culture

Behavior Observable Able to translate into quantifiable data

Analysis An analysis has occurred when the experimenter can

show control over a behavior change We learn what variables made changes and what

variables did not make changes

When can you use ABA?

Ideas?

Developmental Disabilities

Autism

Mental Illness

Education and Special Education

Rehabilitation

Community Psychology

Clinical/Counseling Psychology

Kids

Spouses

Businesses

Self Management

Child management/Parenting

Sports

Health psychology

Behavioral Medicine

Gerontology

Trying new foods

Pets

ABC’s of ABA

Antecedent

Something that occurs immediately before the behavior

Behavior

What the person or thing does

Consequence

What happens IMMEDIATELY after the behavior

It is all a cycle…

Antecedents

Want to recognize antecedent to change behavior

Behavioral – told to do something

Social – interactions (lack of OR too much)

Environmental – temperature, noise, lighting

Medical – medications, injury, illness, psychiatric disorder

What are other common antecedents?

Want to rule out medical issues.

The Environment is Effective!

Events around the person change their behaviors

There is always time for teaching, just need to look for the opportunities

Manipulate a conducive environment

Model appropriate behaviors

Allow for independence

Practice, practice, practice!

ABC’s of ABA

Antecedent

Something that occurs immediately before the behavior

Behavior

What the person or thing does

Consequence

What happens IMMEDIATELY after the behavior

It is all a cycle…

Which ones are behaviors?

Lying in bed

Reading

Jumping

Talking

Attacking

Crying

Being hungry

Driving

Sitting in passenger seat

Frustration

Defining Behaviors

Any thing a living organism (person, animal, mammal, etc.) does that can be defined, observed, and measured.

Examples:

- Crying - Laughing - Running - Throwing

- Pinching - Sleeping - Sharing - Cutting

Let’s try those behaviors again!

• Lying in bed

• Reading

• Jumping

• Talking

• Attacking

• Frustration

• Crying

• Being hungry

• Driving

• Sitting in passenger seat

Behaviors need to be detailed!

Define the Behavior as clear, concise, and measurable as possible.

Someone should be able to read the definition and know exactly what the behavior looks like.

Hitting:

Wrong: hitting another person

Correct: Any instance of (person) using their hand or fist forcefully against another person or thing. This does not include using an item as a weapon.

Describe Behavior Activity!

Behavior occurs all the time.

In-class activity – observe your neighbor’s behavior

What did you observe?

How do we influence a child’s behavior?

What do you observe when you work with young children?

How do you document the child’s behavior? Data collection

ABC data

Narrative

ABC’s of ABA

Antecedent

Something that occurs immediately before the behavior

Behavior

What the person or thing does

Consequence

What happens IMMEDIATELY after the behavior

It is all a cycle…

Consequence

What happens IMMEDIATELY after the behavior occurs

Did he/she get out of the demand?

Did they get what they wanted?

Did you give them attention?

Automatic/Self Stimulatory

Results in increasing, decreasing, or no change at all

Reinforcement increases behaviors (hopefully!)

Reinforcement

Reinforcer: something that, when presented after the behavior, increases the likely hood of that behavior happening again and more often in the future.

EX: candy, toys, tickles, hugs, high fives, token boards

Note 1: What is reinforcing to one child, might not be reinforcing to another.

Note 2: Reinforcers may change from day to day!

Types of Reinforcers

Tangible/Edible - favorite item, food or drink

Activities – playing with toys, looking at books, listening to music, dancing (two-stepping)

Social – praise, eye contact, hugs, smiling

Tokens – Star chart, stickers, certificates, or penny board paired with back-up reinforcers

Sensory stimulation such as visual, auditory,

tactual, vestibular, and gustatory

Negative Reinforcers: Escape/avoidance

(Break from demands)

What types of reinforcers do you use?

Role-play use of reinforcers

Reinforcement Activity

What are examples of reinforcers you use with your children?

How do you use reinforcement daily?

Do you feel silly giving reinforcement?

Movie Clip

Phone

Token Board

Attend and Ignore

Always attend to the “good” behaviors

Ignore the “bad” behaviors as much as possible

Good behaviors can also include just hanging out and watching TV

Bad behaviors do not have to be malicious

Talking back

Tapping a pencil

Etc.

ABC Data Sheet

Antecedent Behavior Consequence

Teacher playing with Grace

Hit Grace Teacher said “stop”

Mom said “clean up room”

Threw clothes across room

Mom said “fine, I’ll do it”

Walked into grocery store Screamed for candy Mom ignored

Pulled items out of fridge Lined up items Alone in kitchen

Anecdotal Example

Kail came into the classroom and sat down

Amanda said Hi to Kail

Teacher started lesson

Kail looking for books

Kail found books

Teacher said stop making noise

Kail raises voice back to teacher “I couldn’t find my book.”

Teacher says, “go to the principal!”

NOTE: Can add time and more detail if needed!!

Functional Analysis

Behaviors Alone Play Demand Attention

Hitting 5 8 10 0

Hitting 6 8 12 2

Hitting 7 6 9 0

Hitting 2 1 15 4

Alone Condition: Child alone in room without objects

Play Condition: Child in room with one teacher playing. When behavior occurs, teacher backs

away. Demand Condition:

Child is asked to do a demand. When behavior occurs, child gets out of demand Attention Condition:

Child is ignored. When behavior occurs, child is reprimanded for the behavior

Assess social significance

Will the behavior produce reinforcement in the natural environment?

Is the behavior a prerequisite for a useful skill?

Will the behavior increase access to environments where other behaviors can be learned?

Will changing this behavior allow others to interact more with the child?

Is the behavior age appropriate?

Do you need to increase or decrease the behavior?

Is the behavior the goal, actual problem, or indirectly related?

Which behavior is the most important?

Does it pose danger to child or others? How often will this behavior occur? How long has the problem been occurring? Will the change in behavior allow more access to

reinforcement? What is the importance of the behavior to future skill

development and independence? Will changing the behavior reduce negative or unwanted

attention from others? Will the new behavior produce reinforcement for significant

others? What is the likely hood that the behavior will change? How much will it cost to change the behavior?

Measuring the Behaviors

Baseline Data What does the behavior look like before a treatment plan is put

into place?

Types of data collection

Duration – how long does the behavior occur?

Frequency – how often does the behavior occur?

Rate – how often does the behavior occur in a specified amount of time?

Percentage – the proportion of intervals or instances that the behavior occurs out of available intervals or instances.

Interresponse Time – the time between the end of one behavior to the beginning of a new behavior

Fluency – answering quickly and accurately within a time limit

Taking Baseline Data in the School

Time Sampling Data Whole Interval Recording

Did the behavior occur during the WHOLE interval?

Be Aware: gives a low estimate of behavior occurrence

Partial Interval Recording

Did the behavior occur at all within that interval?

Be Aware: gives a high estimate of behavior occurrence

Momentary Time Sampling

Did the behavior occur at a specific time while taking data?

Be Aware: gives a low estimate

Devices to use Clickers, stop watches, tallies, paper clips, tape, check marks, etc.

Functions

Attention

Escape from

Demand

Denied Access

Automatic

Attention

Behavior that is maintained by someone else's attention.

Behavior occurs in order to increase the amount of attention gained from others.

Attention becomes a reinforcer when attention is given when target behavior occurs and the target behavior increases in frequency.

Example

No one is paying attention to Johnny.

Johnny hits the teacher.

The teacher makes eye contact with Johnny and says, “No hitting.”

Johnny begins to hit more frequently.

The teacher then gives Johnny more and more attention because Johnny is hitting more and more often.

Class examples?

Escape

Behavior that is maintained by escape.

Behavior occurs in order to decrease work.

Escape becomes a reinforcer when escape is allowed for problem behavior and problem behavior increases.

Engaging in any behavior to get out of the demand.

Example

Johnny is given a task.

Johnny knocks papers on floor.

The teacher removes the demand for the time she needs to pick up the papers

Johnny begins knock items to the floor more frequently.

The teacher then allows escape more and more often because Johnny is always knocking things to the floor.

Class examples?

Denied Access

Behavior that is maintained by access to preferred objects.

Tangibles become reinforcers when behavior is increased by access.

This becomes a problem when tangibles are provided following problem behavior.

Example

Child wants a cookie.

Child bangs repeatedly on

table and walls.

Parent gives the cookie to the child so

they will stop.

Child is more likely to bang on table and

walls in order to get a

cookie in the future.

Class examples?

Automatic

Internal stimuli make a behavior more likely to occur in the future.

Very hard to determine sometimes.

Can become a problem, especially if it leads to self injurious behavior.

Behaviors reinforced by this cannot be put on extinction without physically intervening or adding some other restrictive element.

Example

Child has toothache.

Child hits head repeatedly.

Child may relieve toothache briefly.

It might be assumed that a behaviors being reinforced automatically if there are consistently not any identifiable antecedents that could be responsible.

Class examples?

Communication Issues

How do your children communicate? Wants/needs/help/bathroom/etc

Frequent communication methods Pulling towards item

Pointing to items

Problem behaviors

Uses one word or vague words

Uses incorrect words

Uses the same sayings

Uses a full sentence

Uses sign language

Uses PECs

Uses Augmentative Communication

Role of Communication

What is communication?

The ability to express ones wants and needs and to give and receive information about the environment around you.

Why is communication important to teach?

Helps decrease problem behaviors

Replaces problem behaviors

Teaches the ability to express wants and needs

Increases language and conversation skills

Teaches a way to initiate reinforcement

Functions of Communication

Regulate another's behaviors Requesting items, objects, actions Stopping an activity

Participate in social interactions Routines Showing off Greetings

Focus Joint Attention Commenting Providing information Requesting information **Green, Morris, and Lewis: Behavior Interventions for Young Children with Autism

Forms of Communication

Verbal Language

Vocal Language

Sign Language

Picture Exchange System

Augmentative Communication Devices

Inappropriate Behaviors

NOTE: You always want to pair vocal language with another form of communication

Verbal VS Vocal Communication

Verbal Communication Using behaviors that result in communication

Pulling mom towards the door

PECS

Sign Language

Vocal Communication

Vocal Communication Uses sounds or words to express wants or needs

I want ___

May I have ___

Give ____

Let’s go to the park.

Sign Language

A form of Verbal Communication

Prerequisites

Able to imitate fine/gross motor actions

Be able to learn the signs for various mands and tacts

Be able to gain others’ attention before beginning their signs

Limitations

Limited understanding by others

May take longer to acquire the correct label for items

Persistency in gaining someone’s attention

Picture Exchange Communication System

PECS – A visual form of communication using pictures Prerequisites

Able to scan a field of pictures 2D-3D object matching Able to take the correct picture from the board and give it to the

teacher Persistency in gaining others’ attention

Limitations Having to carry around a book of pictures Cannot have a “real” conversation with PECS Difficult to communicate abstract thoughts *this is more ideal for children that do not have the fine motor skills to

do sign language

Increasing Communication Skills

Make learning fun and reinforcing!!!

Always require some sort of communication

Limit access to items around the child’s environment

Put toys on top shelves

Only have a few toys out at a time

Lock cabinets

Lock refrigerator

Block from gaining access until they ask for the item (approximation is okay, but build on that)

Manipulate the environment (games/activities/etc)

Simple tips to use while teaching

Use preferred items

Make it fun, not frustrating

Teach language while playing

Model correct language

Create multiple opportunities to learn throughout the day (more than you think you need)

Once you start, don’t stop until a response is given

Make each response better than the last

Functional and Effective Communication

Functional

The child must be able to communicate

The method is picked based on his needs/abilities

It works in all environments

Effective

Child is able to get their wants/needs met

Child is able to converse with others

Child is

For more information:

www.BACB.org

kail.graham@mhmraharris.org