3. Our Challenge..
Wrong focus: What the behavior looks like
Right focus:
What are the triggers?
What maintains the behavior?
Wrong goal: Stop the problem now
Right goals:
Make problem behavior LESS likely in the future
Increase likelihood of desired behavior
4. Tip: Consider Precursors
Does student reliably exhibit less intense
behaviors before “melting down?”
If so, Intervene when precursors occur
6. Effective Teachers Need:
Systematic strategies for
Preventing problem behavior from occurring
Teaching pro-social behavior
Reinforcing desired behavior
Decreasing future probability of problem
behavior
Also need:
Strategies to defuse a situation before it becomes
“out of control.”
7. Goals of Correction
1. Stop the problem behavior & start
desired behavior
2. Ensure correct behavior occurs in future
3. Avoid behavioral escalations
9. Malia
Malia was sitting at her desk not doing her work.
She’d had a bad attitude all day. I gave her a
reminder to get started and she began arguing
about the work. I tried to explain what I wanted
and offered to help but she wouldn’t quit arguing.
I gave her a choice of doing the work now or
doing it after school. She became very belligerent
and started shouting. I gave her a warning to
settle down or get an ODR. She stood up and I
directed her toward the office. She then swung
her arm at me and could have hit me so I called
security
10. Big Picture = Behavior Chain
Mistake: Focus on behavior that led to the
referral
11. Malia
Malia was sitting at her desk not doing her work.
She’d had a bad attitude all day. I gave her a
reminder to get started and she began arguing
about the work. I tried to explain what I wanted
and offered to help but she wouldn’t quit arguing.
I gave her a choice of doing the work now or
doing it after school. She became very belligerent
and started shouting. I gave her a warning to
settle down or get an ODR. She stood up and
threw down her book and I directed her toward
the office. She then swung her arm at me and
could have hit me so I called security
12. Big Picture = Behavior Chain
Chain—set of discrete behaviors, each
prompts the next
Behaviors to consider
Target student
Other student
Adult(s)
13. Malia
Malia was sitting at her desk not doing her work. The
teacher approached her and told her to get to work; Malia
said she’d finished it. The teacher noted that she had
barely started and that if she needed help she should ask;
otherwise get started. Malia said she had done what was
asked. The teacher pointed out that she needed to do 12
problems and only three were done. Malia said, “I am not
doing this crap twice, it isn’t fair!” The teacher told her to
quiet down and said she could do the work now or stay in
and do it during break. Maila pushed her book on the floor
and stood up. The teacher told her to go to the office and
lightly nudged her arm. Malia swung her arm backwards
very vigorously and nearly hit the teacher’s head.
14. Sitting at desk, not
working Prompt to work
Says, “I’m done”
Checks work, notes student isn’t
done and offers help or says to start
work
Says work is done
Notes that only 3 of 12 problems
are done
Yells she is done
and this is unfair
Says settle down and do it now or
later
Pushes book to
floor and stands Directs to office with nudge
Swings arm back
and almost hits Sends for help, ODR
teacher
15. Key Point
Changing student’s
successive behaviors
requires US to change our
responses
17. Belinda
Belinda has been argumentative all
morning. Her teacher has for the most
part ignored this.
The teacher tells the class to turn in their
work and Belinda says, under her breath,
“you fat ogre.”
Teacher is angry and offended
“This is no way to talk here—you need to
go to the office.”
Student reacts with even worse behavior
18. Belinda What makes sense:
Belinda has been argumentative with
Withdraw, work all
morning. Her teacher has for the most
others, return to student
part ignored this.
and address matter of
The teacher tells the class to turn in their
factly.
work and Belinda says, under her breath,
“you fat ogre.”
Teacher is angry and offended
“This is no way to talk here—you need to
go to the office.”
Student reacts with even worse behavior
19. Difficulties
Personal reactions
Establishing fluency
Responding automatically and smoothly, in
a planful way
20. The Side Conversation
Most students working on a class activity
Two students are engaged in a side
conversation
21. The Side Conversation
Most students working on a class activity
Two students are engaged in a side
conversation
22. The Side Conversation
Most students working on a class activity
Two students are engaged in a side
conversation
23. The Side Conversation
Most students working on a class activity
Two students are engaged in a side
conversation
24. The Side Conversation
FirstTeacher---Low fluency
Second Teacher—High fluency
Third teacher—Wrong response
25. The Fluency Problem
It
is one thing to know what to do &another to DO it
We often are fluent at ineffective (reactive) strategies
Goal
Let go of existing habits
Develop new habitual responses
First response is often the most crucial!
Students often expect a predictable response from the
teacher
Their response also is automatic (fluent)
26. The Fluency Problem
It
is one thing to know what to do &another to DO it
We often are fluent at ineffective (reactive) strategies
Goal
Key Point:
•If we can change our
Let go of existing habits initial
response…
Develop new habitual responses
First • Then we can often alter student
response is often the most crucial!
responses
Students often expect a predictable response from the
•And thereby….
teacher
Their response also is automatic (fluent)
DEFUSE the situation
27. Teacher is explaining problem on p. 32; Ben refuses to
open his book.
Teacher asks students to sit down and complete
worksheet. Jasmine and Toby remain out of seat
talking.
Teacher asks Satish to join the group and he glares at
her and says, “make me.”
Teacher asks Marcos to enter the room and he fiddles
with his backpack, saunters to the fountain, and then
enters the room.
28. Prerequisite Conditions
Instruction is given by someone with
recognized authority
Following instructions is taught explicitly
Explicit and implicit instructions
Instruction following is acknowledged
Students understand the direction
Students must have skills to follow the
instruction
Tone of instruction delivery is positive
Student attention is secured before delivery
of direction
29. Steps to Defuse a Situation
1. Assess the situation
2. Maintain instruction
3. Attend to students who are on-task
4. Redirect students privately
5. Focus on student decision-making
6. Follow through
7. Debrief
30. Assess the Situation
Continue if behavior is not a threat to
safety and is minimally disruptive
Are prerequisites met?
32. 3. Repeat Instruction Privately
Rationale: Maybe student did not hear or
understand instruction
Private repetition
Ensure full attention of student
Student does not have audience
33. 4. Disengage
Immediately after repeating instruction…
Withdraw and go to other students,
acknowledge cooperation
Monitor student discreetly
Rationale
Staying with the student may result in a
power struggle
Student focus is on teacher not the request
34. 4. Disengage
Immediately after repeating instruction…
Withdraw and go to other students,
acknowledge cooperation
Monitor student discreetly
Rationale
Staying with the student may result in a
power struggle
Student focus is on teacher not the request
35. 5. Focus on Student Decision
Making
Goal: Deliver a planned response to
avoid a power struggle
Steps
1. Plan ahead for these moments
2. Non-confrontational delivery
3. Present request as a statement
4. Follow through
36. 5. Focus on Student Decision
Making
1. Plan ahead for these moments
Review classroom management several times
per year
Have several consequences “at your
fingertips”
Examples: ODR, detention, loss of privilege
2. Non-confrontational delivery
Maintain calmness and respect
Consider body language, tone of voice, and
words
37. 5. Focus on Student Decision
Making
1. Plan ahead for these moments
2. Non-confrontational delivery
3. Request as a statement
Student learns that a decision must be
made; follow request or face a
consequence
Provide student time (1 min or less) to
decide
Withdraw and attend to others
38. Mia has not started working after having the
instruction clarified privately.
Ms. Johnson says, “Mia, I asked you to get started
on your science worksheet. You need to get
started or you will have to do it during break. You
have a few seconds to decide.”
(Ms. Johnson then moves toward other students)
39. 6. Follow Through Based on
Student’s Decision
Possible outcomes
1. Student follows request satisfactorily
Brief acknowledgement and continue lesson
2. Student continues to be noncompliant
Deliver negative consequence
3. Student tests limits
(most likely when student knows your
procedure)
Student doesn’t comply until you state
consequence
Critical: follow through with consequence!
40. 7. Debrief With Student Later
Occurs after student is engaged and
negative consequence has occurred
Plan
Review events leading up to
noncompliance
Review what student could have done
differently
Encourage student to ask for help or what is
needed to follow instructions
41. 7. Debrief With Student Later
Occurs after student is engaged and
negative consequence has occurred
Plan Are there times when
debriefing is contra-
Review events leading up
indicated? to
noncompliance
Review what student could have done
differently
Encourage student to ask for help or what is
needed to follow instructions
43. Outcomes of a Functional Behavior
Assessment
Testablehypothesis
Function-based intervention
44. Testable hypothesis
Focused on a functional routine
Consists of observable behavior, antecedents, &
consequences
Relevant environmental features identified
Affect
behavior
Can be altered
45. 45
Problem Maintaining
Trigger
Behavior Consequence
46. FBA leads to a Behavior
Support Plan
Support plan is a roadmap for how to:
Teach new skills
Adapt the setting
Adjust consequences for desired and undesired
behavior
Requirements
Strong hypothesis statement
Key players involved in decision-making
47. Components of a Support Plan
Practices—what will occur to
Teach & reinforce appropriate behavior
Prevent inappropriate behavior
Minimize reinforcement of problem
behavior
Systems—what will be done to support
implementation
Measurement—how will outcomes be
monitored?
54. Skill-building interventions
Goal:Increase pro-social behavior
Considerations
Do you need to teach a new skill?
Consequences: Do you need to increase
reinforcement for an existing skill?
Antecedents: Do you need to change the
environment to evoke the desired
behavior?
55. 55
Function-Based Support
Problem Maintaining
Setting Event Trigger
Behavior Consequence
Goal: Make problem behavior ineffective
56. Multi-component Interventions
Depend on Function
Obtain
Teacher attention
Peer attention
Desired activities
Avoid
Peer attention
Adult attention
Activities/tasks
Sensory function
60. Incentive-Based Interventions
Skill-building
Teach in target environment or program for
generalization
Teach relevant skills
Ensure skill will pay off more often than problem
behavior
Incentives for desired behavior
It is tempting to go into crisis mode—focus on stopping the behavior in the short run. \\
Maybe, just maybe the intervention to address this—swinging her arm at a teacher– (e.g., counseling, suspension, parent conference) worked and averted future occurrences however this means that other behaviors in the chain were not addressed and thus will keep occurring!We therefore need a more detailed analysis of what occurred…include teacher behavior
We don’t know what prompted or set off each of Malia’s behaviors. We assume Malia’s behavior set off her next behavior abut chains don’t usually happen in this way. Additional prompts usually occur that set the occasion for the next behavior
Teacher’s response, in large measure, determiens what the student may do next. Situations can most often be escalated or defused depending on kind of response we make
Relevant—if you stop or start doing X it WILL affect the behavaior
Relevant—if you stop or start doing X it WILL affect the behavaior
Increase: frequency, duration, intensity, pair natural consequence with arbitrary reinforcer, etc.
Extra attention at start of activityCheck-in frequently (check work, point card with positive feedback)Teachers helperConsider setting phone to vibrate every X min
Extra attention from teacher (e.g., teacher’s helper)