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Defining Behaviour. Collecting Behavioural Data http:// behavioursupports.wikispaces.com. Which is the best definition?. A) Kyle is so defiant and oppositional. He tantrums for no reason at all. He doesn’t care about school, and has done absolutely no work this year.
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Defining Behaviour Collecting Behavioural Data http://behavioursupports.wikispaces.com
Which is the best definition? A) Kyle is so defiant and oppositional. He tantrums for no reason at all. He doesn’t care about school, and has done absolutely no work this year. B) Kyle’s behaviour is awful. He is such a nice kid, but he tantrums without warning. I feel like I can’t get him to do any work, and his behaviour is escalating.
Answer • They are both relatively equal • Both offer very little useful information about the problematic behaviour (‘B’ can only be the winner because it is nicer)
Defining Behaviour • Accurately measuring behaviour is the only way we can determine changes in behaviour • To measure accurately, we must carefully define observable behaviours
Behavioural Descriptions • What does the behaviour look like/sound like? • What would you observe that indicated the behaviour was beginning and ending? Based on your description of the target behaviour, would 2 (or more) independent observers agree when it was occurring?
Example • Kicking - defined as striking another person, or attempting to strike, making contact with the foot or leg on any part of the body, with sufficient force that the contact can be heard from at least 5 feet away, and/or the person who has been hit reports pain and/or injury. Can you find a way to ‘kick’ that wouldn’t be captured in our data using this definition?
Baseline Data • Information about the occurrence of the behaviour to be changed, under current conditions • Reveals the severity of the problem • Helps you plan interventions, and later measure behavioural change
Selected Data Collection Methods Event/Frequency Recording Records each instance of a behaviour that occurs during a specified interval of time. Good For Discrete (‘one-off’) behaviours where the duration is not important.
Selected Data Collection Methods Duration Recording Records the total time, out of a designated interval of time, a person is involved in an activity. Good For Determining the amount of time spent doing something, whether total time during a specific period, or total time of an episode (e.g., duration of tantrum, duration of crying).
Selected Data Collection Methods Interval Recording Estimates the frequency/duration of behaviour by recording the presence or absence of the behaviour during intervals of time. Partial-Interval: presence of behaviour scored if it occurs at any time during the interval. Whole-Interval: presence of behaviour scored if it occurs continuously during the interval. Momentary Time Sampling: presence of behaviour scored if it occurs at the end of the interval.
Key Points Top 5 Benefits of accurate and ongoing data recording: • Systematic and precise observation and measurement of behaviour, which will assist staff in determining the most effective way to change or alter behaviour. • An accurate determination of the effect of a behavioural intervention. • A way to analyze the success of intervention. • An objective record of behaviour that has actually occurred, which relieves us from trying to remember what has occurred or from guessing at the current severity of behaviour. • An opportunity to detect even very gradual change and progress.
Key Points Important points about collecting baseline data: • Current programming does not need to be stopped. • Collect data in environments and situations that are as natural as possible. • Use baseline data as a measure against which to compare hypotheses that test the possible communicative functions of the behaviour. • Obtain a stable baseline before beginning intervention.
