Understanding Challenging Behaviours Georgina Robinson POPARD

1. Understanding Challenging BehavioursGeorgina RobinsonPOPARD

2. Learning Outcomes • Identify the differences between Traditional Behaviour Management and Positive Behaviour Support

3. Learning Outcomes…2 2. Identify the steps involved in a functional behavior assessment

4. Learning Outcomes…3 • Understand the relationship between a functional behavior assessment and a positive behavior support plan

5. Part One: Understanding Challenging Behaviours

6. Traditional Behaviour Managementversus Positive Behavioural Support

7. Past versus Current Understanding of Behavior:

8. Traditional Behaviour Management vs.Positive Behaviour Support What is Traditional Behaviour Management? • Views the problem as within the child. Does not address how the environment impacts the child’s behaviour • Focus is on reducing behavior through reactive plans (punishment focus), don’t teach the child what to do only what not to do. • Philosophy of expecting positive behavior regardless of the environment

9. ADHD? BEHAVIOR DISORDER? OPPOSITIONAL DEFIANT DISORDER? DISRUPTIVE, RUDE AND AGGRESSIVE How can I stop him from doing that? What should I do when he does that? I don’t know how to deal with this! I can’t control this child! Can a child like this change?

10. Positive Behaviour Support What is Positive Behaviour Support? “Process for understanding the purpose of challenging behaviours and developing a plan that promotes the development of new skills while reducing the individual’s need to engage in challenging behaviour.” Dunlap, Vaughn, & O’Neill, 1998

11. Why is he doing this? What is he trying to communicate? I wonder what sets off the behavior? Let’s look at the activities and the schedule? What is the function of this behavior? Does he want attention? Does he want to avoid something? Does he get something when he does this? I can help the teacher understand what’s going on…She’ll be able to handle this.

12. Step One:The Functional Behavioral Assessment

13. The Six Phases of a Functional Behaviour Assessment PHASE 1: Collecting Historical and Background Data PHASE 2: Determining the Target Behaviour PHASE 3: Conducting Direct Observations PHASE 4: Generating a Hypothesis PHASE 5: Verifying the Hypothesis PHASE 6: Determining the Function of the Behaviour Source: “Functional Behavioral Assessment: An Interactive Training Module” (2000) Liaupsin, C.J., T.M. Scott et al.

14. Phase 1: Collecting Historical and Background Information Two methods for collecting the student’s historical and background information include: • Records or File Review • Structured Interviews

15. Phase 1: Collecting Historical and Background Information Record or File Reviews Include: • Diagnostic/medical records • Psychological reports • Reports from other specialists (OT, PT, and Speech Language Pathologists) • Developmental Profiles • Behavior or Educational Support Plans • Incident Reports

16. Phase 1: Collecting Historical and Background Information Structured Interviews may examine: • Further historical information; • Settings, events and persons where the behaviour occurs; • Settings, events and persons where the behaviour DOES NOT occur; • Potential Reinforcers • What the Problem Behaviour Looks Like.

17. Phase 2:Determining the Target Behaviour Defining the target Challenging Behaviour consists of two parts: • A General Category of Behaviour • Specific Descriptors Based upon the work of: Liaupsin, C.J., T.M. Scott et al. (2000)

18. Phase 2:Determining the Target BehaviourStatement of Target Behavior: Examples General Category + Specific Descriptors Physical Aggression: pushing, pinching, hitting; Verbal Aggression: loud voice, swearing, insulting comments to peers and adults Disruptions: vocalizations (e.g. “eeee…” or other repetitive noises); singing; interrupting the teacher

19. Phase 2:Determining the Target BehaviourStatement of Target Behavior…2 Unclear definitions include: • Terms that are judgmental (e.g. intimidating, rude, annoying etc.); • Statements that are too general (e.g. physical aggression); • Terms that are not observable or measurable (e.g. always, never)

20. Phase 2:Determining the Target BehaviourStatement of Target Behaviour…3 Group Activity Write a Statement of Target Behaviour for a Student of Choice

21. Phase 2:Determining the Target Behavior Statement of Target Behaviour…4

22. Phase 3:Conducting Direct Observations Direct Observations may help to: • Describe the behaviour; • Identify antecedents of the behavior • Identify consequences of the behavior • Suggest functions of the behavior; • Suggest further questions

23. Functional Behavioral Assessment • What do the problem behaviors look like? (Behavior) • What appears to set off the problem behavior? (antecedent or trigger) • What function does the behavior serve? (consequence or function) • What are the setting events for the behavior? (setting events)

24. What happens BEFORE the behavior occurs? Setting Events • Conditions, events, or sensations that increase the probability that a problem will occur (sick, tired, drugs, diet.) Antecedents or triggers • Elicit a specific condition or lead directly to the occurrence of the behaviour (e.g., teacher asks student to come to circle)

25. Possible Setting Events or Antecedents • Curriculum/Instructional: • Unpredictable schedule or changes in routine; • Difficult tasks (too easy or too hard); • Curriculum is not meaningful; • Little or no reinforcement in the setting; • Slow pace of instruction; • Lack of choice-making: • Lack of task variation; • High rate errors.

26. A Closer Look at Possible“Setting Events”…2 • Environment: • Uncomfortable temperature (hot or cold); • Inappropriate lighting; • Noisy environment; • Number of people present; • Inadequate space around the child; • Uncomfortable seating; • Arrangement of toys and materials

27. A Closer Look at Possible“Setting Events”…3 • Biological/Medical/Personal Variables: • Sickness; • Allergies; • Medications (effects and side effects); • Fatigue; • Hunger/Thirst • Mood (e.g. angry, anxious) • Time of day

28. A Closer Look at Possible“Setting Events”…4 • Social: • Presence of staff & amount of staff attention; • Presence of peers & amount of peer attention; • Presence of particular staff (preferred and non-preferred; • Changes in staff; • Disagreements with family, staff, or peers; • Proximity of family, staff, or peers.

29. Antecedents or Triggers • What is happening right before the behaviour occurs? What ‘sets off’ the behaviour? • What activities, classes (e.g., music, circle, free play) and school settings • What time of day or day of week • Observable events (e.g. what the teacher or peer says or does) • Sensory Issues (not necessarily observed)

30. CONSEQUENCE/OUTCOME • The consequent events or reactions of others that happen directly after the behaviour occurs. THE OUTCOME Looking through the lens of the child: “What happens after I engage in the challenging behaviour? What did I gain? What did I avoid?”

31. Behaviour as Functional Behaviour serves a Purpose GET/OBTAIN Or ESCAPE/AVOID

32. Identifying the function • One problem behavior can serve multiple purposes • Function is more important than form • For lasting change to occur, the intent or purpose of the behavior needs to be understood and acknowledged

33. Function: Obtain

34. Function: Avoid

35. Phase 4:Generating the HypothesisThe Hypothesis Statement • The Person Does ….. (challenging behaviour) • When….. (trigger) • Which Results In… (outcome) • This is Most Likely to Occur When….. (setting events) (Seip, J., C.F. Lester, & A. Krueger, 2001)

36. Phase 4:Generating the HypothesisThe Hypothesis Statement…Example Joe begins to tell jokes and throw spitballs (challenging behaviour) when he is in circle time with his peers (trigger). Joe’s teacher becomes frustrated, which delights his peers and they continue to giggle (consequence), Joe gets attention from his peers (outcome).This is more likely to occur when Joe’s dad is out of town working (setting event).

37. Phase 5:Verifying the Hypothesis Joe tells jokes and throws spitballs (challenging behaviour) when he is in class with his peers (trigger). This happens even when participating in group Math activities (liked activity). Joe’s teacher becomes frustrated and his classmates start to giggle and pay attention to him (consequence). Antecedentclose proximity to peers Behaviour telling jokes and throwing spitballs TEST teach in an isolated setting teach in group setting

38. Phase 6:Determining the Function of the Behaviour • Does the behaviour help the person GET or OBTAIN something? • Does the behaviour help the person ESCAPE or AVOID something? Verified by testing the hypothesis

39. FBA: Joe What function does the behavior serve? Gets Attention From peers What are the setting events for The behavior? When dad is out of town working What appears to set off the behavior? Surrounded by peers who are not paying attention to him What do the Problem Behaviors look Like? Telling jokes & throwing Spitballs

40. Case Study “Hands On” Thomas

41. Functional Behavioral Assessment • What do the problem behaviors look like? • What appears to set off the problem behavior? • What function does the behavior serve? • What are the setting events for the behavior?

42. What do the problem behaviors look like? • Disruptions: yelling and screaming • Physical aggression: hitting, biting • Disruptions: rolling around on the map during nap time

43. What appears to set off the problem behavior? • Clean up song, especially CD • Teacher requests to clean up, especially when he hasn’t finished setting up the train set • Teacher grabbing toys and putting them in the bucket • Hand-over hand approach • Teacher threats • Teacher holding and rocking

44. What function does the behavior serve? • Escape or avoid tearing down of train set • Escape or avoid aversive music and touch • Escape teacher reprimands

45. What are the setting events for the behavior? • Tired, difficulty getting to sleep at night at home • Coming down with illness • Sensitivity to noise, touch & proximity of adults • Changes in routine

46. Part Two: Building the Plan

47. Positive Behavior Support Plan Setting Event Strategies Antecedent or trigger Strategies Teaching Strategies Consequence Strategies

48. Setting Event & Trigger Strategies Change the Context to Make the Behaviour Unnecessary • Environmental Considerations • Visual Supports • Physical • Time • Materials • People & social issues • Sensory • Curricular & task adaptations • Biological (e.g. hunger, thirst, sleep)

49. Environmental Considerations Visual Supports • Sensory Issues • Visual: • Lighting Auditory: • Ambient sound Gustatory & Olfactory: • Personal care products • Odours Tactile: • Clothing • Place in line • Touching Vestibular: • Need for movement Proprioceptive: • Positioning/postural support Physical • Room arrangement • Personal work space • Sound, lighting, and other distractions • Seating arrangements • Time • Premacking • Scheduling • People/Social • How we talk • Accessibility of typical peers • # of people • Attitudes • Materials • Labeling/colour coding • Where is it stored? • Accessible or not? • Interesting to the student • Functional

50. Teaching StrategiesWhat does he need to learn to do? • Communication • Social • Coping • Relaxation • Self-Monitoring