Instruction in Functional Assessment Chapter 3 Treatment Implications Based on the Functional Assessment

Chapter Treatment Implications Based on the Functional Assessment Focus Questions ' treatment and increase appropriate ?

Explain bow knowledge can impact treatment decisions . Treatment choices to decrease an individual challenging behavior are based on many factors , such as the function of behavior , practices , ethical considerations , likelihood of the desired behavior being supported by others in the natural environment , and the particulars for the case in question ( context , quality of the , severity of the problem behavior , people present , resources available , setting , level of functioning , communication skills , etc . Spencer , 2012 ) The severity and persistence of the individuals challenging behavior may treatment decisions in terms of number of components in a treatment program , reinforcer magnitude or frequency , and teacher training . A primary factor considered in the design of effective treatments is the function of the challenging behavior ( et , 2003 Repp , Barton , 1988 , Singh , Reilly , 2012 , Neal , 2012 Mueller , 2011 ) Treatments based on the function of behavior , as analyzed from FA data , are more effective than approaches to decrease individual challenging behavior ( Carr . 1985 Incorrect selection of a treatment or design of a program based on an uninformed or faulty function of behavior may not help the individual learn new desired behaviors may even make the problem worse , in some cases ( Pace , 1994 ) an ethical responsibility exists for the to make an informed decision based on all available assessment and background information , and a review of intervention strategies .

Instruction in Assessment Based on over a half century of research conducted since ABA was initiated , many interventions have been developed and evaluated . Major treatment components for a BEHAVIOR PLAN ( BIP ) or a written treatment document to address the individuals challenging behavior include Preventative efforts or TREATMENT . Actively increasing or teaching functionally equivalent replacement and other desirable behaviors Reactive procedures or , what to do when the challenging behavior occurs These treatment components should be tailored to the specific function of the challenging behavior ( tangible positive reinforcement , automatic reinforcement , negative reinforcement , attention positive reinforcement ) consider contextual factors ( eg , available assistance , history factors , etc . and ethical considerations . procedures related to these treatment components will be reviewed below and then more treatments will be noted . This review only highlights the main treatment possibilities that have received a fairly extensive empirical support and is not exhaustive of the various treatment possibilities available . Also note that to be competent in delivering treatment , additional knowledge and experience is needed ( see the Behavior Analyst for more at ) A . Prevention Efforts or based Treatment The individuals situation can be altered in ways that will eventually reduce the behavior , potentially avoiding the need for reactive strategies . Prevention efforts can entail reducing the individuals motivation for engaging in the challenging behavior and changing antecedent stimuli in the individuals natural environment . NONCONTINGENT ( is a procedure to reduce the individuals for engaging in the challenging behaviors whereby the for that behavior are provided freely according to a set time ( eg , every min ) the individual engages in that behavior ( Marcus ( 1996 , Marcus , 1995 ) is an empirically validated approach for decreasing challenging behavior ( Carr , 2009 ) and may be one of the most frequently used procedures ( et , 2011 ) For example , if a student is acting out in the classroom to gain the attention of his classmates then , at the beginning of class before he acts out , give him a classroom job that a lot of attention to foster his desirable behavior ( eg , passing out handouts ) approach may reduce the individuals motivation to engage in the undesired behavior and thereby make it less likely to occur . When using , initially the reinforcer that is controlling the challenging behavior is delivered continuously or more frequently than the average baseline occurrence of the challenging behavior . Once the challenging behavior is reduced , then the frequency of presentation of the reinforcer can be gradually decreased to typically occurring levels ( Tucker , 1998 ) 35

Instruction in Assessment Table I of Procedure . Identify the currently maintaining the individuals challenging behavior ( positive reinforcement , negative reinforcement ) by conducting a functional . Schedule a frequent delivery of reinforcer according to time alone or independent of behavior Include an extinction component for when the problem behavior occurs . Initially use a rich schedule of reinforcement and adjust it to lean as the challenging behavior decreases Changing Antecedent Stimuli in the Natural Environment A quick method of preventing the individuals challenging behavior is to manipulate antecedent stimuli that control behavior ( prompts ) Antecedent stimuli include events , objects , or people that are present before the individuals challenging behavior occurs . Stimuli in the environment that consistently precede the behavior can either be eliminated or changed to affect the likelihood of the behavior ( Martin ( Pear , 2011 ) For example , if the individual typically resists doing chores or is then providing a choice of a variety of different chores for that person to choose from may be an effective solution ( Call , Wacker , 2004 ) If the individual is escaping from work or material because the reading level is too ( negative ment ) then provide more assistance or better instruction , or make the work easier ( Sanford ( Horner , 2013 ) Also for behavior , the demands or requests could be delivered less frequently ( presenting demands once an hour instead of 20 times ) and then , as the levels of the challenging behaviors remain low , gradually returned to typical levels ( Casey , 1995 ) There is research to support the effectiveness of this procedure for decreasing the number of requests , known as DEMAND FADiNG , for maintained challenging behaviors ( see Pace , 1993 , 2012 ) Another strategy is to add stimuli into the situation in which the challenging behavior occurs to prompt or cue the individuals desirable behaviors . For example , the likelihood of the desired behavior occurring may be increased by presenting preferred curricular ties ( 1994 ) background music ( Kennelly , 2014 ) activity choices ( et , 2013 ) or models demonstrating desired behavior ( Stokes ( Kennedy , 1980 ) Another method to change the antecedent stimuli involves an overall improvement of the quality of the individuals environment , known as ENVIRONMENTAL ENRiCHMENT EE entails increasing individuals access to preferred activities , people , or objects and providing a variety of choices available in their everyday environment . One of the liest demonstrations of how EE can decrease problem behavior was conducted by Horner ( 1980 ) More recently , in a controlled randomized experiment , it has been shown that increasing sensorimotor experiences can have a beneficial effect on children with autism 36

Instruction in Assessment ( Woo ( Leon , 2013 ) Moreover , Marcus , and ( 1997 ) showed how three children with developmental disabilities chose an enriched environment over the opportunity to engage in behavior when able to do either . Table 11 below how treatments can be geared to the function of the individuals challenging behavior . Examples antecedent treatment an individual . Preventative Efforts Challenging Behavior ( i I Or Treatments Gets attention No , Provide frequent attention Screaming don scream ( Attention before the challenging Positive Reinforcement ) behavior occurs Hitting another Child Gets ( ree access to Positive Reinforcement ) many toys Sensory consequences Spinning and rocking ( Automatic Provide access to a swing Reinforcement ) Gets out of work ( Negative Pushing work away . assistance , or provide work Reinforcement ) for less time . Actively increasing or teaching functionally equivalent replacement and other desirable behaviors A main component of any treatment an involves reinforcing a desirable behavior that serves the same purpose as the challenging behavior , called PLACEMENT . For instance , an individual vocal stereotypy that is maintained by sound may be decreased by encouraging ay with auditory toys , a functionally equivalent replacement behavior ( 2007 ) An important consideration when selecting the equivalent behavior is to ensure that the individuals social community will support it or the individual is able to recruit reinforcement from others in his or her natural ment . ING ( is an empirically validated treatment approach ( 2011 ) that involves teaching the individual to ask for stimuli , events , or people that serve the same function as the problem behavior ( Carr ( 1985 , Wacker , 2013 ) Teaching the individual to request item that typically was delivered followed his or her challenging behavior in the past can be an effective strategy to decrease that behavior ( et al . Reilly et , 2012 ) The form of the verbal behavior should be tailored to the individual and easy to perform , with including vocal , sign , 37

Instruction in Assessment gesture , or use of assistive technology devices ( 2010 ) For example , the individual may be taught to say Stop instead of engaging in during grooming activities ( et , 1990 ) More examples of how a communication replacement behavior can be taught can be seen in the Table 12 below . 12 Examples responses related ta individuals being . Fin er Problem Screaming I II ) Grabbing Behavior For Attention Food For Visual Another Room . Stimulation Replacement Clicking on behavior that Asking for Asking to go to Asking for food tre results in the attention another room . engaging video same reinforcer display work ta manipulating events stimuli immediately after particular . Since every treatment program should include positive reinforcement , the procedures used to identify positive will be described . Then , commonly used practices schedules to administer reinforcement and extinction procedures to decrease challenging behavior will be reviewed . Identification of Effective The main ingredient for an effective behavior change program is positive ment . A positive reinforcer is an object or event that increases the behavior it follows . As reviewed in Chapter , the principle of positive reinforcement states that when a positive reinforcer is delivered immediately after a behavior , that behavior is more likely to occur in future similar situations ( Martin ( Pear , 2011 ) Without consideration of positive reinforcement , the factors responsible for the individuals challenging behavior may still maintain it , despite efforts to curtail that behavior . Additionally , programming to increase the individuals desirable behavior may result in the challenging behaviors being supplanted or since increasing one behavior will naturally eliminate the hood of engaging in other behaviors that are reinforced less or can not occur at the same time . Application of a positive reinforcement procedure is not only an effective practice but also an ethically sound step to include in any intervention program . There are several considerations when using a reinforcement procedure , including ( a ) incorporating edge of the function for the individuals challenging behavior into treatment design ( validating that the consequence is indeed a reinforcer ( positive reinforcer or negative reinforcer ) and ( maximizing the individuals motivation for that reinforcer . It is important to demonstrate that the consequence you believe acts as a reinforcer does indeed do so . The most accurate way to ensure that you have identified an effective 38

Instruction in Assessment positive reinforcer is to conduct a TEST . A reinforcer test involves tally comparing levels of the behavior in phases where the item being evaluated is delivered immediately after the behavior to that in another phase where the consequence is provided just according to a set time such as every or ( Cooper et , 2007 ) This test may entail using an research design ( Martin Pear , 2011 ) where the A phase consists of a series of sessions where noncontingent delivery of the item being tested occurs and in phase consists of a series of sessions where the consequence is provided following each occurrence of that phases are alternated in an fashion to rule out confounding variables or alternative explanations for the . If levels of the behavior are higher when the item is delivered contingently ( phase ) compared to when it is not ( phase A ) then that item has been demonstrated to function as a positive reinforcer . See the Table 13 below for an example of how the of treatment can be evaluated using an research design . Table I Example data an design demonstrating tbat tbe delivered immediately after tbe during tbe treatment ar tbat ax ta tbe delivery ar baseline . 10 Treatment Baseline Treatment i 11 13 15 17 19 21 Sessions A ASSESSMENT is an efficient method to identify a potential reinforcer by evaluating the individuals choice for a variety of objects , events , or stimuli ( Cooper et , 2007 ) One ) of preference assessment is a assessment ( Fisher et , 1992 ) A assessment involves identifying the stimulus the individual chooses most when pairs of stimuli are presented across trials ( See the Table below for the preference assessment procedure ) 39

Instruction in Assessment Example of a preference assessment procedure . Identify items that you think the individual might prefer based on interviews with that person or people in that persons life or from observations of activities that the individual engages in most frequently . Design a data sheet that lists all possible pairs of the items and alternate the sides that each item is presented on to counterbalance side preferences the individual might display , A and A . Sitting at a desk or table , present each pair of items approximately apart from each other and in front of the person , making sure the persons hands are not near either item so that a clear test of what the person selects can be made . Wait for the person to pick one . Do not provide any praise because this may affect the persons choice on subsequent trials . Allow to manipulate the item . Once all pairs have been presented , calculate the percent each item was selected by counting the number of times each item was selected by the person and dividing by the total number of times it was presented and multiplying by 100 . Rank order the items from most to least preferred and use the most preferred items for training purposes . If never item , to sample item assessment is conducted . Preferences will var time ta time and conducting a assessment every training will ensure are maximally . may vary in their effectiveness in increasing desired behavior depending on whether the individual has had recent access to them ( North , 2005 , Kennedy , 2010 ) Motivating conditions , such as ( having too much of something ) or ( having too little of something ) can alter the probability of behavior that leads to that reinforcer ( Michael , 2000 ) For example , you really liked a particular song when it came out and used to change the station to locate it , but now that it has been playing on the radio for several weeks , you no longer enjoy listening to it . Instead , you turn to another station to avoid having to listen to it one more time . Likewise , if a child , who typically is disruptive in a certain class to garner the attention of his peers is provided with ample social interaction with peers prior to that class , he may not engage in the disruptive behavior to achieve the same ends . Through use of an FA approach , the reinforcer maintaining the challenging behavior can be . Once it is known what that reinforcer is , it can be incorporated into a intervention program to increase desired behavior . However , as Carter ( 2010 ) found with an adult male being treated for escape maintained noncompliance , a highly preferred positive reinforcer may also reduce that behavior even without the use of extinction ( no longer providing the negative reinforcer ) procedures can be used to eliminate or decrease the challenging behavior . This type of reinforcement schedule , or rule when to provide reinforcement , consists of the application of both positive reinforcement and extinction 40

Instruction in Assessment procedures . Extinction refers to the removal of the usual reinforcer following the behavior , which decreases future occurrences of that behavior ( Martin Pear , 2011 ) REINFORCEMENT OF ZERO RATES ( involves providing a reinforcer when no instances of the challenging behavior occur during a period of time . For instance , to decrease thumb sucking , every 10 min when the child does not engage in thumb sucking , he gets his favorite toy . OF involves reinforcing a desired behavior that can not occur at the same time as the challenging behavior ( Martin Pear , 2011 ) For instance , the therapist can provide a reinforcer when the person speaks in normal conversation level and does not scream . If a incompatible behavior that the individual performs can not be readily , REINFORCEMENT OF ( may be used where a desirable behavior displayed by the individual is reinforced . For example , turning pages of a magazine could be reinforced to decrease the likelihood of an individual engaging in by hitting her head with her hand . Both turning pages and could be done at the same time , but that is unlikely to occur . There are also differential reinforcement schedules to reduce , but not necessarily eliminate a behavior altogether , that can be used when some amount of behavior is alright . OF LOW ( responding ) entails providing the reinforcer after a period of time when no instances of the challenging behavior have occurred and then the behavior occurs . For instance , to slow down someone rate of eating , she could be allowed to take a bite after of the previous bite . REINFORCEMENT OF LOW ( is when the challenging behavior is less than a amount following a set time period ( Martin Pear , 2011 ) A child in the classroom may excessively raise her hand to ask to use the restroom every half hour where instead , once after two hours of not asking is reinforced . Table I A summary ta Schedule Procedure Noncontingent Noncontingent delivery of reinforcer , delivering positive Reinforcement attention every min when no instances of ( maintained challenging behavior have occurred . Reinforcer is provided only if the behavior has not occurred Reinforcement of . within a period . delivering a reinforcer if no Zero Responding th ( ins aggression occur our . Reinforcer is provided for a behavior that is incompatible , ent or that can not occur at the same time as the behavior to . Res , rein in sea ( RI ) Reinforcer is provided for a desirable behavior that is not Reinforcement . necessarily incompatible with the behavior to be decreased . of Alternative Behavior ( reinforcing completion of puzzle to reduce head hitting . 41

Instruction in Assessment Following an interval in which the behavior does not occur , Spaced and instance of the behavior is required for reinforcement . Responding , making cookies once a week since more frequently would neither be healthy nor desirable . Reinforcer is delivered provided that the of behaviors that occurred was some maximum . delivering a reinforcer when or less instances of throat clearing occur in an hour . Differential reinforcement has been shown to be a highly useful treatment choice . reinforcement may be just as effective as in decreasing challenging behavior ( Allison et , 2012 ) and can be applied in the classroom ( Mercer , Sterling , 2013 ) Differential reinforcement , in conjunction with other treatments , has been effectively used to decrease a variety of behaviors , such as sensory reinforced eye brow plucking ( 2013 ) and pica , or the ingestion of nonedible substances ( Rivet , Clark , 2011 ) Differential reinforcement has been shown to be as effective as a punishment procedure ( response cost ) in reducing tics of children with Tourette syndrome and , as such , would ethically be the preferred treatment ( Brandt , 2012 ) See the Table 16 below for the steps involved in conducting a differential reinforcement procedure . Table I ta a . the problem behavior . Conduct baseline assessment to measure levels of the challenging behavior . Identify the function of the problem behavior through functional assessment . Identify reinforcer . Select type of differential reinforcement ( DRI , the behavior to be reinforced . Set reinforcement schedule based on baseline rate of the problem behavior to ensure a high rate of reinforcement . Set criterion to fade reinforcement or regress to previous steps . Wean the individual from the program by gradually removing the procedures See Steps for more information 42

Instruction in Assessment Reactive procedures or what to do when the challenging behavior occurs An procedure involves no longer providing the reinforcer maintaining the challenging behavior such that the behavior is less likely in future similar situations ( Martin . Pear , 2011 ) The reinforcer maintaining the individuals challenging behavior must be identified and no longer , when the individuals challenging behavior is being maintained by attention then attention extinction should be used . For behavior , escape extinction , or not removing the task or demand ( and , possibly , using guided assistance for the individual to engage in the task ) is employed . An FA to determine what is maintaining the individuals challenging behavior is essential to be able to accurately remove the reinforcer maintaining the challenging behavior and thereby effectively use an extinction procedure . Pace , and ( 1994 ) describe how not correctly removing the reinforcer maintaining the individuals challenging behavior can actually worsen it . A known phenomenon that occurs when implementing an extinction procedure is BURST whereby the behavior being extinguished gets worse before it gets That is , emotional behaviors and aggression , in addition to an increase in severity of the challenging behavior may occur ( Martin . Pear , 2011 ) It is important to inform others about this phenomenon to ensure that they continue implementing the program and do not inadvertently reinforce the individuals problem behavior and make it worse ( TREATMENT is maintained ) An effective and ethical approach is to combine extinction with positive intervention strategies ( differential reinforcement ) Out of a sample of 42 cases of treatment for individuals with challenging behavior , and Wallace ( 1999 ) counted the number in which an extinction burst was identified and examined whether positive included in the treatment package lessened the likelihood of extinction bursts . The researchers found substantially fewer cases of extinction burst ( 15 ) when positive procedures were incorporated as compared to when only an extinction procedure was used ( 62 ) Although there are ethical concerns with using any procedure , sometimes extinction must be used to effectively decrease the individuals problem behavior . In a study by et al . 2002 ) two types of differential reinforcement procedures were not tive until escape extinction was added with three children receiving treatment for feeding disorders . See Table 17 below for methods to increase the effectiveness of an extinction procedure . 43

Instruction in Functional Assessment Table I Steps to increase tbe of an extinction procedure . Assess the of the problem behavior and do not provide that reinforcer following the problem behavior . Combine extinction with a differential reinforcement procedure and use the reinforcer that was maintaining the problem behavior to increase a desirable behavior . Inform others involved in the program about the possibility of extinction burst and how not to provide a reinforcer following the behavior . Table 18 summarizes in example format the three main treatment approaches used for each main environmental reason for challenging behavior . Table I Summary of treatment strategies based on function Tangible Attention Automatic . Automatic . Negative Social . Positive Positive Positive Reinforcement Negative Reinforcement Reinforcement Reinforcement Reinforcement . Exam le Grabbing away a . at schoo such . others when Too much lem others food at Thumb sucking . that teachers try they come too noise Behavior mealtimes to catch close Reinforcement Use tangible Use attention Use sensory . Use escape Use escape for Desired . reinforcer reinforcer Behavior preferred foo praise soft fur to touch Please take ' A . A I lik , em at me this ( swag . or signing more waving hello shaking ead . up pushing motion Increase . Prevention Enriched , Enriched , aSk Reduce , rules , Enriched demand Teach desirable Teach desirable Teach desirable Teach desirable Teach desirable behavior , behavior , behavior , behavior , behavior , differential differential Instruction reinforcement , reinforcement , reinforcement , reinforcement , reinforcement , functional functional functional functional functional communication communication communication communication communication training training training training training Automatic Escape . Tan Attention extinction , Esca extinction , extinction extinction response extinction response blocking blocking 44

Instruction in Assessment Generalization Maintenance of Treatment Effects GENERALiZATiON and of treatment effects is an essential component to address once ( a ) the individuals desired behavior is occurring at desired levels ( the problem has been reduced and ( treatment has been removed . There are three tant types of generalization or effects that occur once treatment or training has ended ( Martin ( Pear , 2011 ) is the extent to which the desired behaviors occur across stimuli , setting , and people . For example , after successfully learning how to ask for help when faced with a task at work , the individual is now able to do likewise when at home . Response generalization is the extent to which behaviors other than the taught behavior occur . For example , after the resident of a group home has been taught to greet visitors with a Hello and a handshake ( instead of a hug ) she also has begun appropriately asking visitors to enter the house and to sit in the living room . Lastly , response maintenance is when the desired behaviors taught occur long after the training has been completed ( weeks , months , or years ) Stokes and ( 1977 ) wrote their pivotal review of the published research examining generalization and concluded that generalization needs to be planned for during tion to ensure that it occurs . Although much research on ways to promote generalization of treatment gains has occurred over the years , more remains to be done ( Wacker , 2013 . A review of methods to is be ond the of this book . The reader is encouraged to consult other sources such ( 1981 ) or and Martens ( 2000 ) for more information . Evaluation of Treatment Effectiveness A comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment for a particular student case should include the following ' behavior change in the desired direction compared to baseline ' An increase in or enriched experiences for the individual , such as more community experiences and a less restrictive environment for the individual ' Generalization of desired behaviors and continued reduction of challenging behaviors across time ( response maintenance ) SOCIAL or the treatment is acceptable to the individual and significant others in terms of goals , procedures , and outcome ( Wolf , 1978 ) or whether the benefits associated with treatment ment outweigh the costs 45

Instruction in Assessment Designing a Behavior Intervention Plan ( BIP ) To put it all together , it is useful to carefully consider the components of a behavior intervention plan . and Thomas ( 2001 ) detail the characteristics and content for a , behavior intervention plan and describe many of the following as essential components . A statement of the objectives and goals of the program Behavior definition of the challenging behavior and any desired behavior that will be reinforced Assessment procedures used ( functional assessment , assessment of adaptive , reinforcer or preference assessments ) with a brief description of the findings Data collection and analysis procedures ( eg , the behavior recording and sampling procedures used and graphical analyses included ) Functional hypothesis or maintaining variable ( for the challenging behavior should be described with the following noted Antecedent . setting events for the problem behavior Maintaining variables for the challenging behavior ( eg , attention positive ment , escape from demands ) Functional replacement behavior and procedures used to increase or teach it A plan of how and when the following procedures will be performed and by whom . interventions . interventions ( differential reinforcement of incompatible alternative other behavior ) Generalization . maintenance Emergency procedures Plan revision information Treatment integrity checks or procedures used to ensure the behavior intervention plan or BIP is being implemented as intended and to provide reinforcer to those individual who are implementing it correctly . Training procedures ( how will be taught to implement the BIP ) Informed consent from the guardian and the individual ( or assent ) et al . 2001 ) also recommend that the BIP should be written at a grade level to ensure that it is understood by all involved . 46

Instruction in Assessment Table I Example Plan ( BIP ) Student Date January , 2014 Background The problem concerns the high rate of behavior of a male with autism spectrum disorder . No previous BIP . Teacher made the referral . behavior has been occurring for past challenging behavior interferes with learning and that of other children in the classroom . Past strategies Teacher talked to him about his behavior , sending him to the principal , separating him from other of these were ineffective at decreasing problem behavior . Behavioral behavior as talking with peers , walking around room , or engaging in activities other than those that have been assigned ( singing stead of reading , playing with objects in his desk when he should be completing a written assignment ) Behavioral Objective To increase behavior to 90 of intervals during periods ( reading , math , social studies ) for consecutive days . Assessments Baseline Data Observations occurred during two observations in the room where during every 30 , the presence or absence of the challenging behavior is noted ( known as an interval recording procedure ) engaged in behavior during 20 and 27 of observed intervals , respectively . Function of the Behavior During classroom instruction and individual assignments , engages in behavior to gain peer attention ( attention positive reinforcement ) and escape task demands ( negative ) Past Research Differential reinforcement procedures has been successfully used to crease desirable behavior for children in the classroom ( Kodak , 2003 , 2005 Vance , Dart , 2012 ) Intervention Procedure The intervention procedures for will consist of changing the antecedent conditions by providing with positive reinforcement for and attention extinction for behavior . Preventative . will be moved further from the group of students with whom he usually during class . When he enters the classroom , teacher will remind him of the consequences of staying . teacher and teachers aide will provide attention ( Wow , you are sitting nice ) every min ( noncontingent reinforcement ) 47

Instruction in Assessment Positive reinforcement for behavior ( replacement behavior ) and his teacher will prepare a written plan ( known as a behavior contract ) fying that Toby will earn extra min to interact with peers when his behavior during a class period is at or above 80 of observed intervals . When is , teacher will provide verbal praise ( quietly and ) at least four times during each class session ( DRI ) Reactive is , he will have no access to socializing with peers during individual assignments , and he will be redirected to complete his assignments ( attention extinction and escape extinction ) Planning for Generalization Once meets the behavioral objective , the forcement schedule will be weaned by successively increasing the requirement to 85 and then 90 , of intervals of behavior . Reminders will also be delivered less and less . Evaluation of Effectiveness percent behavior during intervention was 85 of the intervals compared to 27 during baseline . Resources References for Procedures in this BIP Kodak , 2003 ) A comparison of differential reinforcement and noncontingent reinforcement for the treatment of a childs multiply controlled problem behavior . 18 ( 2005 ) Treatment of multiply controlled problem behavior with procedural variations of differential reinforcement . 13 ( Vance , Dart , 2012 ) Relative effectiveness and in a general education classroom . 28 ( A best practice when designing a behavior intervention plan to address an individual challenging behavior is to use current assessment practices and to guide the approach selected . The ACT ( 2004 ) and ethical practices require that professionals who work with students with disabilities maintain currency with assessments and interventions . As the progresses new and more effective procedures are discovered and revealed to better care for the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities . As one resource to consult , the What Works Clearinghouse serves as an online review of interventions in education as evaluated by the Institute of Education Science ( In this resource , published research concerning common intervention approaches are reviewed according to a standard and report outcomes ( effect size ) in relation to the strength of the evidence so that informed selections about treatment practices can be made . 48

Instruction in Assessment Special Education Perspective Positive Behavioral Support and Response to Intervention SUPPORT ( is generally the first and most appropriate choice at a level for intervention in schools for children with challenging behaviors . has long been recognized as a prevention approach to undesirable behaviors ( Vaughn . 2009 ) is often taught in teacher education training programs as the preferred treatment approach in public school classrooms , rather than the use of punishment . simply , is a focus on the desired behavior , rather than focusing on the undesirable or challenging behavior . requires the teacher and other related professionals to look for positive behavior . This is generally accomplished with the use of social , tangible , or verbal specific to the desired behavior , such as saying when Mary has her head down and is quietly reading the passage , Thank you for your attention to the task , Teachers in the classroom can use such positive to encourage positive behavior and to focus attention on a model of appropriate behavior . As another example , a TOKEN ECONOMY in the classroom can be employed where children can accumulate points or tickets for desirable behavior that can be turned in for free time , a special lunch with a friend , a free pass on one homework assignment , or other positive . Other approaches include teaching children resolution and interpersonal problem solving . Some curricula include aspects of character education and principles for teaching social skills ( Vaughn ( 2009 ) Within recent years , professionals in public school settings have also used an approach called RESPONSE TO ( was mandated by federal law ( 2004 ) as a means of not allowing children to fail either or academically without access to a variety of interventions individualized for that particular child . requires all professionals to monitor academic and social skills on an ongoing basis , collecting data on performance of every child , and reviewing that data with a team of lated professionals . The intent of is to prevent problems or to quickly intervene before a child loses skills . Monitoring occurs at three levels or tiers . Those tiers are Tier screen for behavior problems , introduce interventions , convey expectations Tier provide supports and feedback for students with similar behavior problems Tier provide more specific and intense interventions for students whose behavior has not improved ( Vaughn . 2009 ) and work in conjunction with one another and the focus of both approaches is on prevention of problems or preventing the severity of a problem existing without search based responses individualized to the child . Completing an FA will assist in identifying the function of the students challenging behavior resulting in the design of the best treatment for that situation . The knowledge gained by implementing an FA will provide the basis for an effective behavior intervention plan which is an essential component ofthe student iNDiViDUALiZED EDUCATiON PROGRAM 49

Instruction in Assessment ( The Individualized Education Program ( serves as the foundation of the plan for each student with disabilities . The is a strategic planning document that should be far reaching in its educational impact . An identifies a student unique strengths and needs and how the school will strategically address those needs ( New York State Department of Education , 2010 , It is a legal document , designed and agreed upon by all members of the educational team , including the family of the student with key components of the rest upon the concept of individualization . As stated in the COUNCiL FOR EXCEPTiONAL CHiLDREN ( professional standards . educators are active and resourceful in seeking to understand how primary language , culture , and familial backgrounds interact with the individuals exceptional condition to impact the individuals academic and social abilities , attitudes , values , and career options . The understanding of these learning differences and their possible interactions provide the foundation upon which special educators instruction to provide meaningful and challenging learning for individuals with exceptional learning needs . CE , 20 , Content , Standard One essential component of the is listing the positive behavioral supports needed by the child . A careful FA analysis is critical to identifying those positive behavioral ports that will help guide the professional to developing the child desirable behaviors in the classroom , clinics , in social environments , and at home . Summary The design of effective intervention is based on identification of the maintaining for the individuals problem behavior as gathered from a core of a treatment package should include preventative measures , teaching a replacement behavior that serves the same function as the challenging behavior , reinforcing desirable behavior , and a dure in place for when that behavior does occur . A behavior intervention plan provides a written form of the treatment for others in the individuals natural environment to follow to assist the individual with learning desirable behaviors . Discussion Questions . What factors must be considered when designing an effective intervention ?

50 Instruction in Assessment . Explain how treatment is designed based on the function of the challenging behavior . Give examples for how treatments will differ when an individual challenging behavior is maintained by attention positive reinforcement versus negative reinforcement . What are ways to determine if intervention is effective ?

51 Instruction in Assessment Exercise Complete the Behavior Intervention Plan ( BIP ) Instructions Read the teachers referral below and complete a BIP based on the . You can add details as needed to fully address the components of the BIP . Speculate on the function of Juan challenging behavior and design a plausible treatment based on that function . Teacher Referral Report Juan is a boy with cerebral palsy and intellectual disability . He is in an to classroom . His communication skills are very basic . When he does talk , he whispers . Almost all of his speech repeats what was just said to him ( Even when he engages in echolalia his intelligibility is poor because he whispers . Occasionally he will kick me or other adults at a table ( during groups ) but it is lightly and infrequent . He will sometimes also throw things but this has only happened about three times this year . I am most concerned about his lack of any participation in any class ties or conversations . When he is asked to do something he will often just sit there and , less often , he will sometimes rock and hum during the morning meeting when it is his turn to come to the front of the class to review the day , he will come to the front of the classroom , but will then just stand there . Student Date Background Past strategies Behavioral Behavioral Objective Assessments Baseline Data 52

Instruction in Functional Assessment Function of the Behavior Past Research Intervention Procedure Preventative Positive reinforcer Reactive Planning for Generalization Evaluation of Effectiveness Resources References for Procedures in this BIP 53