DNE: Lecture 3***

• ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis)


  A therapy that helps increase appropriate behavior and reduce inappropriate behaviors of children with ASD
• Discrete Trial Training


  1. Break down skills into small "discrete" components

  2. One to one training

  3. Presenting a stimulus

  4. Asking for a response

  5. Rewarding (reinforcing) a response
• Applied Behavior Analysis


  1. Direct behavioral observation

  2. Record behavior

  3. Analyze antecedence and consequence (include time & environment)

  4. Make a hypothesis

  5. Establish priorities, goals and objectives

  6. Implement educational procedures

  7. Intervene in Antecedence e.g. remove stimulus

  8. Intervene in Consequence e.g. punishment

  9. Positive behaviors replace problematic behaviors
• ABC Data


  • Antecedent: things that happen before the behavior
  • Behavior: anything that the child does
  • Consequence: anything that occurs immediately following the behavior
• Concepts in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

  • Positive Reinforcement
  • Negative Reinforcement
  • Punishment
  • Extinction
  • Overcorrection
  • Response cost
  • Time out
  • Stimulus Control
  • Modeling
  • Shaping
  • Chaining
• Positive Reinforcement


  Occurs when a behavior is followed by a consequence that in turn results in an increase in the rate at which the behavior occurs
• Positive Reinforcers


  • Primary reinforcers (e.g. food/drinks)
  • Activity reinforcers (e.g. extra recess time)
  • Tangible reinforcers (points/stamps)
  • Social reinforcers (e.g. thumbs-up/high five)
• Negative Reinforcement


  Occurs when a behavior is followed by the removal or prevention of an unpleasant event or condition
• Punishment


  • The imposition of a penalty for undesired behaviors
  • Aims to decrease rates of undesired behaviors
• Extinction


  • Figure out what the reinforcement for the behavior is, then withholds the reinforcement
  • Extinction Burst: when extinction begins, the undesired behavior will often increase in rates before it decreases
• Overcorrection


  • Involves "restitution" and "positive practice"
  • A child has to restore the environment to what it was before the display of the "bad" behaviour, and makes it even better
• Response Cost


  • A form of negative punishment
  • Aims for decreasing undesired behaviour
  • Something (e.g. sth the child enjoys or prefers) is taken away as the consequence of behavior
• Time Out


  • Temporarily separate a child from an environment where unacceptable behavior occurs
  • Remove a child from all reinforcements that may encourage misbehavior, e.g. adult attention
  • Teach children to manage their emotions in a positive way, but it should be used as a consequence and not a punishment
• Stimulus Control


  A situation in which a behavior is triggered, e.g. the presence or absence of stimulus
• Modeling


  Showing the students what he/she can do
• Shaping


  Reinforcing successive approximations toward the target behavior
• Chaining


  • Breaking a task into small steps
  • Forward chaining - first step first
  • Backward chaining - last step first
• Differential reinforcement consists of two components: Reinforcing the appropriate behavior and Withholding reinforcement of the inappropriate behavior (i.e. applying extinction)
• Types of Differential Reinforcement

  • Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behaviors (DRA) -replace the problem behavior with a more appropriate behavior.
  • Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behaviors (DRI) -involves reinforcing a behavior that is incompatible with the problem behavior.
  • Differential Reinforcement of Other Behaviors (DRO) -involves reinforcing the absence or reduction of the problem behavior during specific time intervals.
  • Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates (DRL) -reduce the frequency of a behavior without eliminating it entirely.
• Token economy involves giving a token (e.g. a sticker) to a child following appropriate behaviors, and after collecting a predetermined number of tokens, the tokens can be traded in for a back-up reinforcer (e.g. a candy)
• Behavioral Contract


  An agreement between a teacher and a student that mentions clearly what the student is expected to behave, rewards for meeting those expectations, consequences of not meeting them, and the timeframe for the contract to be valid
• Tips to create and implement an effective behavioral contract

  • Prepare related document (e.g. a point sheet/a behavioural progress report/monitoring sheet and a behavioural contract etc.)
  • Identify target behaviour
  • Identify reinforcers
  • Establish a schedule of reinforcement - Start with more frequent reinforcement and fade over time
  • Set an attainable goal
  • Write down the agreed-upon goal and have everyone involved in the development of the contract to sign it
  • Monitor the child's performance by using the point sheet/behavioural progress report
  • Modify the contractual goal as needed

  
• Other strategies in behavioral treatment

  • Structures/routines
  • Clear rules/expectations
  • Effective commands
  • Planned ignoring
• Need to address cross-situational impairments - Poor generalization from treatment setting to real-world, Implement treatments in all setting in which child shows impairment
• School behavior - Academic interventions needed in addition to behavioral interventions
• Environmental contingencies must be delivered consistently, which is difficult to maintain
• Parental psychopathology can interfere with implementation