Tina Gunn

EPSE 590

February 2013

Training Educational Assistants to Implement the Basic Principles of ABA in a Low Incidence Classroom

OutlineAbout Me

Motivation for

Project

The Project

Case Study

What I Have

Learned

Future Directions

About Me

Williams Lake, BC

Education

Past Teaching

ExperiencesIntroduction to

Autism Spectrum Disorders Low

Incidence Classroom

Motivation for Project

What my teaching partner and I noticed

Students:Were prompt Dependent

Had slow rates of learning

Lack of data made it difficult to:Assess students’ progress

Make decisions about programs

Determine why problem behaviour was occurring

Educational Assistants (EAs):Had low knowledge and skill level for responding to problem behaviour

Had low accountability for implementing students’ programs

Have few “good” professional development opportunities

Applied for a Action Research grant through the Surrey School District

Proposal was initially declined Granted $2000 through Educational Services

Motivation for Project

Research questionMethods

ParticipantsSettingProcedure

Findings

The Project

In what ways can teachers and educational assistants (EAs) learn and implement the basic principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to improve students’ communication, social, behavioral, and academic progress?

Research Question

Participants 2 special education classroom teachers 12 educational assistants 12 students with developmental disabilities

(Grades 1-7)

Methods

Setting Community of Cloverdale

• Public library• Public swimming pool• Parks• Stores

Community school• Whole school activities (e.g., assembles, sports day, etc.)• Integrated in general education classes for some

subjects Low incidence classrooms

• Individual programs• Buddy activities with same-age peers

Methods

Procedures Scheduled meeting/planning times

• Daily morning meetings• Monthly team meetings

Arranged for guest speakers to come to the school• Dr. Richard Stock• Dr. Stephanie Jull• Dr. Pat Mirenda

Provided coaching, modeling, and corrective feedback

• Dr. Richard Stock• Dr. Stephanie Jull• Classroom Teachers

Ongoing professional development for classroom teachers

• Workshops (e.g., ACT & BC-ABA)

Methods

Pairing and Manding

Natural Environment Teaching

Introduction to Applied Behaviour Analysis

Problem Behaviour

What We Taught

http://autismhomesupport.com/howwehelp/faqshttp://autismtrainingsolutions.wordpress.com/http://www.education.txstate.edu/ci/degrees-programs/graduate/special-education/autism.htmlhttp://www.autism-community.com/visual-schedules-may-not-be-enough/

Workshop – Intensive TeachingIntroduction to discrete trial teachingErrorless teaching and learningPrompting and shapingReinforcement and ratios of reinforcementGeneralization and maintenanceData

ConsultationCollecting and presenting dataPositive Behaviour Support PlansCoaching and corrective feedback

Workshop - PromptsNatural cuesNatural correctionTypes of promptsWhen to deliver promptsConsequential vs. Errorless instructionPrompt fading procedures

https://www.capilanou.ca/abaa/diploma-post-bac/Faculty/http://educ.ubc.ca/faculty/pmirenda/index.html

Students: Are more engaged in learning activities and

are learning at an increased rate Are becoming more independent

Findings

Teachers: Data collection facilitates

• Making decisions about students’ programs• Reporting progress to parents, doctors, Behaviour

Analysts, and other professionals.

Collaborative team atmosphere• EAs are more involved in problem solving and

making decisions about students’ programs• EAs are supportive and encouraging towards each

other• EAs are receptive to corrective feedback

Findings

EAs: Are taking data daily Are thinking about behaviour in the 4-term

contingency Are successfully implementing evidence-based

strategies

Findings

Findings

EA Evaluation Checklist: Implementation of ABA strategiesLevel of students’ academic performanceLevel of students’ problem behaviourEvaluation of social validity

Findings

MichaelPrevious School

Was attending less than 1.5 hours a dayEmployee Safety Plan was reinforcing problem

behaviourNo academic program

Problem BehavioursBoltingVerbal aggression Negative self-talkPhysical aggression

Case Study

Low Incidence ProgramStarted attending in December 2012Takes the bus to and from school dailyAttends full day (8:50-2:20)Has an academic programParticipates in community outingsInteracts with same-age peersParticipates in school events

Case Study

InterventionsChecklistsSocial storiesFrequent and regular breaksChoiceCurricular modifications/adaptationsHome-school communicationSafe place to express anger/frustrationTeaching positive self-talkTeaching self-monitoring and self-management

skillsReinforcing desired and alternate behavioursPutting problem behaviour on extinction

Case Study

Follow-up Work Samples

Introduce concepts graduallyStart with the EAs that are keenTeach in small manageable chunksModel procedures/concepts frequentlyGive corrective feedbackUse positive reinforcementReview difficult concepts frequentlyUse the data the EAs takingKeep a staff communication binder

What I Have Learned

Continue to train EAs

Present workshops Collaborate with

district personnel

Future Directions

Mirenda, P. (2012, May). Seminar in Developmental Disabilities, EPSE 513. University of

British Columbia, Vancouver, BC.

Stock, R. & Jull, S. (2012, December). Effective Teaching Techniques for Learners with ASD,

Presentation Handouts. George Greenaway, Surrey, BC.

References

http://www.oprah.com/oprahs-lifeclass/Poet-David-

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