Lecture 6: Problem Behaviours Flashcards
5 Common problem behaviours
- Non compliance
- Tantrum
- Aggression
- Self-injury
- Property destruction
Explanations for behaviours
- Attributing problem behaviours to diagnostic labels ( ADHD)
- Attributing problem behaviour to mental states (frustrated, anxious, stubborn)
Problems with common explanations
Circular reasoning
Cant help you find a solution since they cant be directly observed
Antecedents to behaviour problems
- Stimuli
- People
- Place
- Activity
- Task demands
- Time of day
Consequence of behavioural problems
- i get something i want
(tangible item, attention) - i escape/avoid something
( undesired items, unwanted attention)
Common antecedent problems
Task demands: are too easy or too difficult, too long
Environmental factions: waiting, pace, distractions, frequency of positive reinforcement
Social Factors: group vs alone
Physiological factors
ABC framework
Define problem behaviour
Determine the function of the behaviour: whats the contingency that reliably follows the behaviour
Behaviour therapist
ABC for behaviour
A - change the antecedents
B - teach new behaviours
C- change the consequences
Functions of problem behaviour
SEAT
S - sensory
E - escape
A- attention
T- tangible
Sensory or Automatic reinforcement Problem Behaviour
This is done when the child gets reinforcement from the behaviour even when they are on their own
Ex. rocking, laughing loudly, screaming by themselves
Solutions for sensory problem behaviours
They do this when there is a lack of stimulation from the activity at hand so redirect their attention to other materials
Escape/Avoidance Problem Behaviour
Need to think if the behaviour is related to the difficulty of the task
Solution for escape/avoidance behaviours
- Adjust task difficulty
- Provide more prompts
- dont stop task, follow through with extinction
- differentially reinforce on task-behaviour
Solution for attention seeing behaviour
Do not reinforce it, ignore it if possible
Differentially reinforce other behaviours “catch him being good”
Tangible Problem Behaviour
Consider if the problem occurring is happening because the child has no other way of asking what they want
Solution to Tangible Problem Behaviours
Create pictures of the items the child wants
Teach requesting skills
Put requesting via problem behaviour on extinction
What are antecedent manipulations and what do they do
They are actions made in eliminating triggers of problem behaviours (making them irrelevant)
Examples of antecedent manipulations (8)
- Use visual supports
- rule review or social story
- warning prior to removal of desired item
- giving choice
- changing physical set up
- removing potentially aversive stimuli
- behaviour momentum: interspersing easy tasks with hard task
- errorless teaching (use prompts)
What is behaviour support
Focus of intervention must be on changing problem CONTEXT not problem behaviour
What is the goal of behaviour modification
Replace problem behaviour with appropriate one
- Make it inefficient
- Make it ineffective
Behaviour Modification: Inefficient
- Want the new reinforcement to be bigger and faster
- Want the new behaviour to be of less effort or more efficient
- Behaviour typically replaced with communication
Behaviour Modification: Ineffective AKA extinction
- Want to withhold or prevent access to reinforcer that was previously a consequence to problem behaviour
- You need to know the reinforcing variable
(ex. if it was attention, withhold attention)
What is an extinction burst
A brief increase in frequency, duration or intensity before behaviour decreases
You cant ignore behaviours that put others at risk
Types of Punishments
Time out (not good for escape behaviours)
Response Cost (can be used with token system)
Reprimands
Response blocking
What are the basic guidelines for behavioural control
- Be familiar with agencies policies
- get background information
- Be proactive (have things organized so there is less waiting time)
Read clients cues (if there is a decline in response make a switch) - be respectiful
- be kind but firm
- give choices
- set up clear expectations
- ensure they understand
- provide opportunities for reinforcement
- vary tasks, materials, and activities
- Use ABC data for SLP
- Ignore the problem behaviour unless a chance the child will be hurt
Dos and Donts guidelines
- dont engage in power struggle
- do not use threats
- do not use sarcasm
- do not allow the client to repeatedly make errors
- do not allow behaviour to escalate
- do not tell them what you dont want, instead tell them what you do
7 Steps to Instructional Control
- you are in control of the good stuff
- you are fun
- say what you mean and mean what you say
- premack principle (following your directions or demonstrations happens before you allow them the reinforcement)
- Move from continuous to variable schedule
- Know childs reinforcers
- Extinction: positive reinforcement will not happen with problem behaviours
