Understanding Behavioral Function 8-19-13

1. Understanding Behavioral Function 8-19-13

2. Think about behaviors you typically engage in and WHY you engage in them. What do you “get out of” the behavior? Why do you repeat the behavior? What events might result in you not repeating the behavior?

3. Focus on What We Can Do (environment) • Explain the relationship of human behavior to immediate environmental events • Help explain: • The way behavior functions • The environmental factors that influence it • How to use this information to design interventions

4. About Challenging Behavior(s)Demchak & Bossert (1996) • Behaviors… • Serve a specific purpose or function for the individual • Have communicative intent • Are directly related to events in the environment that influence or reinforce such behaviors • A single challenging behavior can serve multiple functions

5. Principles of ABA(Glenn Latham, Ph.D.) 1. Behavior is largely a product of its immediate environment. 2. Behavior is shaped/ maintained by consequences. 3. Behavior is shaped better by positive (reinforcement) than negative (punitive) consequences. 4. Past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. 5. Whether a behavior has been punished or reinforced is known only by the course of that behavior in the future.

6. Consequences can affect behavior in three ways: • Strengthen—increase the frequency or likelihood that the behavior will occur • Weaken—decrease the frequency or likelihood that the behavior will occur • Maintain—do not change the frequency or likelihood that the behavior will occur • Neutral consequences have no effect on the behavior

7. Reinforcement • Basic and pervasive principle of behavior • “Positive” and “negative” do not mean “good” and “bad” • Positive refers to addition of (+) events or stimuli • Negative refers to removal of (-) events or stimul • Both always result in an increase in the future frequency of a behavior (reinforcement) • Negative reinforcement is not punishment

8. Reinforcement Defined • Positive Reinforcement • Presentation of a stimulus, behavior occurs more often in the future • Negative Reinforcement • Termination of certain stimuli, future probability of a behavior is increased

9. Examples of SR+/- • You are standing outside when it begins to storm. You see a taxi without passengers and you hail the taxi, which stops to pick you up. Once inside the taxi you are no longer cold and wet. Your behavior of hailing a cab is maintained by….

11. Elements of Behavioral Support • Function-based • Prevention (antecedent manipulations) • Comprehensive intervention • Multiple elements • Person-centered planning • Systems change • Intervention at “whole school” level Horner, District Implementation of Effective Practices: www.pbis.org)

12. Behavior Support • Behavior Support Plans (PBSP’s): • ANALYZE • PREVENT • TEACH • REINFORCE • Use “Natural Consequences” where needed as part of overall teaching approach to problems Grau (2008)

13. Sources of Reinforcement for Problem Behavior • Positive Reinforcement • Social (attention, access to tangible materials) • Automatic (sensory stimulation) • Negative Reinforcement • Social (escape from task demands) • Automatic (pain attenuation) Iwata, 2009

14. Problem behavior Get object/activity/ Sensation (SR+) Avoid object/activity/ Sensation (SR-) Social/object or activity/ physiological Social/object or activity/ physiological Maintaining Consequences www.pbis.org

15. Defining Antecedents & Consequences • Antecedent events – • What happens immediately before the behavior • Consequent Events – • What happens immediately following the behavior • May be programmed or naturally occurring (does not imply punishment)

16. Sample Problematic Antecedents • Materials too complex / difficult • Curriculum lacking in appropriate adaptations • Student has lack of functional vocabulary to communicate • Meaningless repetition beyond criterion (understimulation) • Nonfunctional activity • Pacing too slow / too fast • Physical environment: For example, number of students, noise • Rate of physical prompting or verbalizations Alberto & TroutmanApplied Behavior Analysis for Teachers, 7e

17. Examples of Common Classroom Consequences Praise Reprimands / corrective feedback Change of activity, peers, seating Awards Time-out / removal Redirection JGCP-U of Kansas

18. Probable Functions of Specific Behavior Disorders Positive Negative ReinforcementReinforcement Behavior DisorderSocialAutomaticSocialAutomatic Aggression + Ø + Ø Tantrums + Ø + Ø Noncompliance + Ø + Ø Property Destruction + ? + Ø "Stereotypies" ? + ? ? SIB + + + + Iwata, 2009

19. References • Alberto & Troutman (2006, 2009). Applied Behavior Analysis for Teachers. • Durand, V.M. (1988). The Motivation Assessment Scale. In M. Hersen & A.S. Bellack (Eds.), Dictionary of behavioral assessment techniques. New York: Pergamon Press. • Fox, J., Hales, C., & Blevins, L. (2001).Challenges in Developing Interventions for Persons with Behavior Challenges in Schools and Other Applied Settings: Functional Behavior Assessment to Effective Intervention. Presentation at Tennessee Association for Behavior Analysis - October 13, 2001. • Grau (2008). The Nuts and Bolts of FBA’s. Retrieved October 13, 2008 from http://www.cqcapd.state.ny.us/Presentations/FBAsAlbLaw5-9-08

20. References • Horner, R. District Implementation of Effective Practices: Using and RTI Model to Implement Functional Behavioral Assessment. Retrieved September 2008 from www.pbis.org. • Iwata, B. (2009). Pennstate Autism Conference • Kerr & Nelson (2006). Strategies For Addressing Behavior Problems in the Classroom. • Lewis, Scott, & Sugai (1994). Problem Behavior Questionnaire. • O’Neill, R.E., Horner, R. H., Albin, R. W., Sprague, J. R., Storey, K., & Newton, J. S. (1997). Functional Assessment and Program Development for Problem Behavior. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing.

21. References • OSEP PBIS site – www.pbis.org • PATTAN www.pattan.k12.pa.us • Sugai, G., Lewis-Palmer, T., & Hagan-Burke, S. (1999-2000). Overview of the functional behavioral assessment process. Exceptionality, 8, 149-160.