Evidence Based Instruction for Students with ASD and Other Developmental Disabilities

Applied Behavior Analysis and Direct InstructionPenny Williams, M.Ed., BCBApennywilliams12@gmail.com

Why is school so challenging for students with ASD?

• Groups• Sometimes inconsistent

Classrooms

Classroom Challenges• Insistence on sameness/difficulty with changes in routines

• Difficulty learning in large groups

•Poor organization skills•Poor writing skills

•Poor concentration•Vocab usually good, comprehension poor

Classroom Challenges•Inability to make friends•Difficulty with reciprocal language

•Low frustration tolerance•Poor coping strategies

•Emotional vulnerability•Problem solving abilities tend to be poor

Adjust Environment To:

Make communication easier

Meet a needAdd a preference

Remove some distracters

ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis)Systematic instruction using

principles (i.e. reinforcement)

Breaks complex tasks into small discrete tasks

Gives systematic, repeated practice

of skills across people/places

Uses data to make instructional

decisions

Individualized

Teaching Tools

Instruction Visual Supports

What is it that motivates a student to try when something is hard?

What is t

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of rei

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How to keep it as natural as possible.

It begins and ends

with motivation

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What is Reinforcement?

Something that immediately follows a behavior and increases the likelihood that that behavior will happen again.

A reinforcer is a stimulus that increases likelihood of behavior occurring again, and is presented AFTER behavior occurs

A bribe does not guarantee the increase of behavior and is presented DURING a behavior or as a “carrot”

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Reinforcement is not a bribe!

•Reinforcers are individual

•Use natural reinforcers whenever you can

Choosing Reinforcers

Get out of Homework Pass Name____________ Date____________ Good for one subject on any day.

15 Minute Free Time Card Name_________________ Date__________________ Good for one use only. When time is up, I will go back to work.

Schedules of Reinforcement

Goal:Natural

Less available over time Thick to Thin

Variable Interval Variable amount of time (i.e. after an average of 3 minutes)

Fixed interval• S

et amount of time (i.e. after a minute)

Variable ratio• V

ariable amount of responses (i.e. after an average of 3 correct responses)

Fixed ratio• S

et amount of responses (i.e. after each correct response)

Schedules of Reinforcement

The first step toward understanding more remote contingencies

Motivational Systems Give Students:

Nick earns a trip to the computer room if he earns six periods of great work.

Great work means using nice words and following his teacher’s directions.

A period of great work is for 5 minutes.If Nick doesn’t have great work for a period, he can

try again.Time:______ Time for computer:_________

Period/Class

Circle all that apply

Comments

Science Assignment A-Okay Behavior Concern Test

Participated in group work

Math Assignment A-Okay Behavior Concern Test

Attended to instruction

English Assignment A-Okay Behavior Concern Test

Raised voice volume during group work

Reward? Did I earn my reward time?I need 2+ A-Okay’s

10 min computer

Lunch Assignment A-Okay Behavior Concern Test

PE Assignment A-Okay Behavior Concern Test

I am working on

I am working on: keeping my hands to myself (not touching others) Did I do it?

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

I am earning: 15 minutes on computer

I am working on: keeping my hands to myself (not touching others) Did I do it?

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

I am earning: 15 minutes on computer

5

5

My Contract: Name: Date: These are my goals: 1. 2. 3. These are my consequences if I don’t meet my goals: These are my rewards/reinforcers if I meet my goals: My contract will be reviewed on______________________________ Signatures:

Following Classroom or School Rules

Student: Teacher:

Date:

Class or School Rules

Time Period 1: Time Period 2: Time Period 3: Time Period 4:

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Student: Teacher:

Date:

Class or School Rules

Time Period 1: Time Period 2: Time Period 3: Time Period 4:

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Rating Scale: 1 = Needs Work 2 = OK 3 = Good 4 = Excellent Circle the number that reflects your performance If the teacher disagress he/she will place a line through the circle If the teacher agress she will leave the circle as it is

Teaching Tools

Instruction Visual Supports

Something that occurs before a response and increases the likelihood of a correct response

Prompting before a response minimizes errors

Prompting—What is it?

Verbal

Pictorial

Environmental

Physical

Gestural

Model

Types of Prompts

1• Use the least amount necessary to ensure a correct

response

2• A prompt is only a “good” prompt if it results in a

child’s correct response

3• Prompts must be faded systematically

4• Any prompt that is added must be faded

Guidelines for using Prompts

Discrete Trial Training

One form of teaching using principles of ABA

Repeated practice at discrete responses

Systematic procedures to shape correct

responses

Emphasis on 1:1 teaching

A Discrete Trial(Teaching Loop)

Instruction or Discrimitive Stimulus (SD)

Student’s Response

Consequence

Prompt if

necessary

Inter-trial Interval

Antecedent

Behavior

Consequence

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Discrete Trial: The Instruction

Keep instruction concise.Give when student is attending.

Doesn’t have to be verbal. Text as prompt

Be sure and give the student time to respond (at least 5 seconds)

Make sure that if you give a direction, that you are there to follow through.

Instruction

Child’s Response

Consequence

Prompt if

necessary

Inter-trial Interval

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Discrete Trial: The Prompt

What is it?Something the teacher does that increases the likelihood of correct responding.

Auditory Prompt

Mixed Prompt (Model, gestural & physical)

Prompting happens BEFORE the child’s response

Allows you to get responses that you can reinforce.

Instruction

Child’s Response

Consequence

Prompt if necessary

Inter-trial Interval

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Discrete Trial: The Child’s Response

Four possibilities:• Independent Correct• Prompted Correct• Error• No Response

Feature, function, class DTT

Labeling Gestures DTT

Instruction

Child’s Response

Consequence

Prompt if necessary

Inter-trial Interval

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Discrete Trial: The Consequence

What is it?

Clear feedback to the student about his response.

Correct response= reinforcement

Incorrect response=feedback

that response was incorrect.

For the teaching loop to work, the child always needs a clear consequence for his response.

Instruction

Child’s Response

Consequence

Prompt if

necessary

Inter-trial Interval

Teaching Tools

Instruction

Visual Support

s

Visual

Supports

Verbal info

A strategy that really works….

Provide the following

info:

•Change in activities or new activities•When events will happen •When it is time to move to next activity

Help:•Establish concept of being finished•Set expectations•Decrease “surprises”- reduce anxiety•Establish routines

Schedules may………..

How was my day?Great Okay Will work on it (2 points) (1 point) (no points)

Followed directions Completed WorkKept it togetherTotal Points:____________

First Then Scheduler

Visual Schedule Planner

Student: Alexander Date: September 14th

1. Get pencil 2. Get folder 3. Open folder 4. Take out worksheet 1 5. Complete worksheet 1 6. Take out worksheet 2 7. Complete worksheet 2 8. Put worksheets in folder 9. Close folder 10. Put folder away

How to Look Like a Student at My Desk

Sit at my desk with my mouth and feet quiet.

If I need to I can sit on my feet

or stand at my desk.

My hands can be doing school work by writing or reading.

I can do my writing with my pencil and

I can read the books in my desk.

I can ask for help if I need to.

I will follow my teachers’ directions.

When my teachers ask me to do something

I will listen and follow their direction.

If something is hard I need to try,

but I can ask for help.