Reasons Why Counting Behavior is Important

1. Reasons Why Counting Behavior is Important • It reduces the probability of teachers introducing error into the behavior management process. • Direct and continuous counting reduces the likelihood of either prematurely terminating an effective intervention or unduly continuing an ineffective intervention.

4. Reasons Why Counting Behavior is Important • To accurately evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention, we need a precount. • Counting helps in determining whether the targeted behavior is actually the one causing the problem. • Obtaining a count of the target behavior will help determine whether the problem is actually severe enough to warrant intervention. • Counting and recording behavior is a way to validate our own success.

5. Performance Standard Discrepancy

7. Pinpointing a Target Behavior To accurately count behavior, we first must decide precisely what it is we are going to observe. However, not all behaviors represent an appropriate target for assessment. There are four factors that are critical for pinpointing appropriate behaviors.

8. Stranger Test • A stranger not familiar with a student could take the definition of a behavior and accurately determine its occurrence at a level similar to that of the teacher who has daily contact with the student. • This requires the behavior to have an operational definition and a movement cycle.

9. So What Test • Is there any evidence that the student’s behavior is harmful to his, or another students, social, physical, emotional, or academic well-being? • If the answer is “yes,” then target the behavior for intervention. • If the answer is “no,” then target another behavior.

10. Fair Pair • If an inappropriate behavior is targeted to decrease, then a topographically similar incompatible behavior to increase should also be targeted. • This practice reduces the chance of symptom substitution or behavior covariation occurring.

11. Dead Man’s Test • If a dead man can do the target behavior, then we do not have a fair pair. • If a dead man cannot do the target behavior, then we do have a fair pair.

12. Techniques for Recording Behavior • Anecdotal (Continuous) Recording • Direct Measurement of Permanent Products • Frequency (Event) Recording • Duration and Latency Recording • Interval Recording • Time Sampling

16. Calculating Interobserver Reliability Permanent Product Frequency Recording Duration and Latency Recording Interval Recording and Time-Sampling