Selecting & Defining Target Behaviors Flashcards
Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA)
A problem solving process for addressing student behavioral concerns
Aims to identify the purpose of specific behaviors so that the interventions can be selected to address why problem behavior occurs
This broader perspective offers a better understanding of the cause or function behind student behavior
Need for FBA — there is no single cause for problem behavior
- Throwing books*
- Bob, 12 year old who reads at a 2nd grade level, throws his primary reader across the room
- Alfredo, 7 year old who reads Harry Potter novels, throws his 2nd grade text and workbook on the floor when asked to complete assignment
- Jennie, 11 year old who can’t read the textbook assigned to her and her classmates, throws book into desk
- Samson, 9 year old who hears lawn equipment outside, throws reading book down on desk
Need for FBA — topography tells us little about intervention
Only identifying what the behavior is does not provide direction for intervention
Understanding underlying causes, or functions, provides direction for teaching
Reactive procedures that simply seek to stop problem behavior rarely result in long-term behavior change
Cause of problem behavior
Causes or functions of behavior
- Biological
- Environmental
- Social
- Affective factors
Functions of behavior are not usually considered inappropriate - it’s the behavior in relation to the context in which it occurs that is judged appropriate or inappropriate
Functions of behavior
Positive reinforcement (access to something desirable): object, activity, attention, social engagement, sensory feedback
Negative reinforcement (escape from something undesirable): difficult task, physical discomfort, social embarrassment
Combination of functions
Questions answered through FBA
What antecedent is occasioning the behavior?
What consequence is maintaining the behavior?
Can the student be taught in an alternative, appropriate behavior to accommodate the same function as the inappropriate behavior?
These answers lead to the functional definition of the target behavior
Approaches to gathering data
Important information
- student, peers, teachers, parents
- interviews, scales, questionnaires
- standardized tests
- behavior checklists
Direct observation
- gather data across settings; as many observation sessions as possible
Issues in assessment
What people say vs. what they do
- making bed, eating better, exercising, studying
Tolerance levels
- ignore the little things
Ecological factors
- temperature, arrangement, noise, demands
Reactivity to assessment
- behavior changes because it is being watched
Outcomes of Informant Assessments
Clear description of the problem behavior
Events, times, and situations that predict when the problem behavior will and will not occur
Consequences that maintain the problem behavior
Summary of statement(s)
Collection of direct observational data
Outcomes of Direct Observation
ABC recording (Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence)
Scatter plot assessment
- result in a correlation to the time of day, presence or absence of certain people, social setting, activities, reinforcement, physical environment, or combination of variables
Develop a hypothesis
The final result of the problem analysis is a hypothesis concerning what is occasioning and/or maintaining the target behavior
Based on the relationships between antecedents and consequences and the target behavior observed through the assessments conducted
Interventions can be based on this hypothesis
Function: Positive reinforcement
Gain access to desired objects, activities, attention:
- reinforce increased time with non-preferred object, activity, person
- teach and/or strengthen replacement behavior for gaining access to preferred object, activity, person in a socially acceptable manner at appropriate times
- hold preferred objects, activities, attention back as reinforcement for meeting behavioral expectations
Function: Positive reinforcement (cont.)
Sensory feedback or self-stimulation
- reinforce time not engaged in sensory feedback or self-stimulation
- teach and/or strengthen replacement behavior for gaining sensory feedback or stimulation through socially acceptable means, at appropriate times
- reinforce specific competing behaviors
Function: Negative reinforcement
Escape/avoid undesirable tasks, activities, social situations
- reinforce time engaged in undesirable tasks, activities, social situations
- teach and/or strengthen behavior for gaining permission to leave undesirable tasks, activities, social situations in socially acceptable manners, at appropriate times
FBA leads to behavioral goals, objectives, and definition
Identify the problem behavior in concrete terms that are observable and measurable
Use terms that are concrete (argues, leaves assigned area without permission) rather than vague (has an attitude, hyperactive)
Define the problem behavior so that you can observe its concurrence
FBA: Behavior intervention plans
BIPs are written documents, based on assessment outcomes, that identifies goals and objectives for addressing students social, emotional, and behavioral development
Components:
- goals & objectives
- targeting behaviors
- identify behavior interventions and supports
- identify roles and responsibilities of persons
Writing behavioral goals
An overall, global statement about the intended change in target behavior (Sally will improve social interactions)
Not measurable
Statement that guides the formation of behavioral objectives
Writing behavioral objectives
Identifies the learned
Identifies the target behavior
Identifies the conditions under which the behavior will occur
Identifies the criteria for acceptable performance
(During 15 minute play station time, Sally will offer one item to share with a peer, three times per week)
Are these behavioral objectives?
All students in my class will appreciate poetry. NO
Given an array of 3 objects in the environment and verbal cue “Give me the…..” Aaron will hand the teacher the named object 9 out of 10 times.
YES
Bailey will decrease out of seat behavior.
NO
On each occasion, Taylor will name the day of the week correctly when asked.
YES
Uses of behavioral objectives
Facilitate communication between people involved in the behavior change program
Describe an expected level of performance
Statements that communicate the proposed changes in behavior
Facilitate effective programming
Serve as a basis for evaluating progress towards goals
Choosing behaviors to strengthen
Behaviors to be targeted are those socially acceptable behaviors that will serve the same function as the undesirable behavior
Consider the following when determining the appropriateness of the target behavior:
Will addressing the behavior result in higher levels of reinforcement for the student?
Will addressing the behavior positively impact the student’s skill development and independence?
Will addressing the behavior reduce the negative attention the student receives?
Consideration of behaviors
Is the problem behavior a result of a skill deficit?
Does the student understand the behavioral expectations for the situation?
Does the student realize that he/she is engaging in unacceptable behavior or is it a “habit?”
Is it within the student’s power to control the behavior or does he/she need support?
Does the student have the skills necessary to perform expected, new behaviors?
Consideration of behaviors (cont.)
Does the student have the skill, but, for some reason, does not perform it in an acceptable manner or at appropriate times?
Is it possible that the student is uncertain about the appropriateness of the behavior?
Does the student find value in engaging in the appropriate behavior?
Is the behavior problem associated with certain social or environmental conditions?
- avoiding low interest or demanding tasks
- considering rules, routines, expectations irrelevant
Evaluating the Social Significance of Potential Target Behaviors
Will changing this behavior lead to reinforcement for the student?
- Habilitation
- Relevance of behavior rule
Is changing this behavior necessary before the student can learn more advanced skills?
- Behavioral cusp
- Pivotal behavior
Will changing this behavior gain the student access to other environments?
Will changing this behavior be age appropriate?
Defining the target behavior
List concerns - Generate a list of behaviors that are either:
- too disruptive (tantrums, talking out)
- not frequent enough (functional, communication)
Include specific examples of behaviors (interrupts during class vs. being inappropriate)
Focus on behaviors that are going to help the child experience the most success across a variety of settings/people/social circumstances
Defining the target behavior (cont.)
Place behaviors in categories/domains - this can help narrow down to a class of behaviors
Prioritize
- always start with dangerous behaviors
- considering focusing on social behaviors
- target behaviors that occur in multiple settings, with a variety of individuals
Defining the target behavior (cont.)
Operationalize/Define (topography-based)
- use clear concrete observable terms
- stranger test (can someone else see it?)
- dead man’s test (does it involve action?)
- must lend to data collection
- does it make sense to operationalize both the target behavior and a replacement behavior?
- doing so may aid in data collection, goal setting, and outcome analysis
Defining the target behavior (cont.)
Final definition (topography-based definition)
- objective
- observable
- clear
- concise
- complete
- inclusionary criteria
- exclusionary criteria
Questions to test the behavioral definition
Can you count the # of times the behavior happened in a given time frame?
Have you described the behavior so that someone who is unfamiliar with what you are doing will know exactly what to look for?
Have you broken the behavior down into its smallest component parts?
From generality to specificity
The big idea: GOAL
The path to get to the goal: OBJECTIVE
The tiny parts that make up the objective: BEHAVIOR
Teaching behavior
Analyze why behavior occurs (the function of behavior)
Approach the behavior as you would an academic task
- is it a skill deficit?
(break it down into small pieces; recognize successive approximations of the behavior)
- is it a performance deficit?
(provide opportunity for the behavior to happen; recognize the behavior)
Task analysis
Break the skill down into its smallest components
- provides a series of sequentially ordered steps (this helps define the behavior and the objectives)
- provides teachable steps (this creates the teaching plan)
Not everyone has to always go through the same steps (or in the same order) to arrive at the final behavior - individualize according to skill being taught and person’s needs
Validating a task analysis
Methods of validating
- develop task analysis after watching others do the behavior; then use those steps to teach the behavior
- consult with experts/persons who are skilled at performing the behavior
- perform the behavior yourself
Edit task analysis according to results
Assessing Mastery Level
Where to start teaching with a task analysis? What does the person know how to do?
Single opportunity method:
- check off steps of the analysis in the sequential order that the person completes independently - stop recording when an error occurs
Multiple opportunity method:
- check off all steps that can be completed independently (even if an error occurs)
- teacher performs tasks that are not independently completed to see if next step can be completed)
