Wednesday, May 28. 2008
The Language of Applied Behavior Analysis and Children
Posted under: Research
In my last post, I referred to some amazing feats of children (such as learning to talk) as “another step in the ongoing chain of more complex behavior.” I’m well aware that some people are offended by such descriptions. This is unfortunate. Behavioral language is not meant to diminish the accomplishments of humanity any more than scientific language diminishes the incredible beauty of the universe. Every behavioral consultant I have ever known has had tears come to their eyes on at least one occasion after witnessing a child learn something new, do something others would have once thought impossible. When this has happened to me, I am also fully aware that it is precisely because of the objective language of behavior that procedures were developed which made the incredible accomplishment for which I am about to cry, quite possible.
I’m interested in any moments others would like to share that they have been able to celebrate because of the use of behavioral treatment.
By Vince LaMarca, M.A., BCBA, Editor
Lovaas Institute - Indianapolis
Comments
I HAVE A 5 YEAR OLD SON THATS AUTISTIC THATS ALWAYS HAD STRANGE HABITS, AND RECENTLY HAS PICKED UP ON NEW NASTY HABITS, OF MAKING HIMSELF VOMIT, CAN ANYONE HELP ME HERE?
Thank you for your question. We frequently receive requests for information and requests for advice on how to contend with a particular issue. While we would like to respond to each request individually, professionally and ethically we know that no one can competently advise via email or over the phone. Of greatest benefit to your family and your child will be establishing a long-term professional connection. Meanwhile, you may want to take a look at the Spring '08 "Meeting Point" article on “Behavior Plans in School Settings.” The article discusses six key steps to determining an effective behavior intervention. The steps are relevant in many situations beyond the school setting.
Here is a link to the article:
http://www.lovaas.com/meetingpoint-2008-04-article-02.php
Sincerely,
The Lovaas Team
As a teacher of an integrated preschool class, I struggle with the needs of the individual children with ASD and how to best incorporate ABA into the daily schedule.
The question of how to successfully integrate students with disabilities, including those with autism, into the classroom is an excellent one. With many school districts moving toward full inclusion, teachers face the additional challenge of truly “including” and incorporating students with disabilities both academically and socially. So how do we achieve this? Of course, successful integration depends on the grade, the individual child’s skill level and abilities, and the structure of the classroom, but perhaps there are some universal strategies that may be beneficial for teachers.
While it is not expected that any teacher would structure their classroom routines or daily schedules around the needs of one or two students, it should be noted that most students, especially those with disabilities, greatly benefit from predictable routines and structured activities. Important principles of ABA include setting up clear contingencies, providing proactive strategies to keep the child successful, and providing reinforcement for appropriate behavior (i.e., “catch them being good”).
Here are some suggestions that I hope will be applicable and helpful for your classroom:
1. Post a visual (written/picture) schedule on the whiteboard or on the student’s desk, so that they may understand and prepare for transitions. Incorporate preferred activities and choice breaks into the schedule, when possible.
2. Understand a child’s strengths and areas of deficit, and try to use their strengths to improve their skills in deficit. For example, if your student has strong imitation skills, prompt him to observe his peers and do what they do. Or, if your student can read, use written prompts to teach her something new.
3. Break down complex tasks into smaller steps.
4. Understand that a student may not be able to attend/sit for the duration of a particular activity. If you provide breaks, I would recommend doing so prior to his exhibiting inappropriate behavior. For example, if you know that Jimmy can sit appropriately for 3 minutes, plan to give him a break at 3 minutes for appropriate sitting, instead of waiting until he becomes disruptive. After a short break, have him rejoin the activity, and provide additional breaks proactively as necessary, depending on the duration of the activity.
5. Provide reinforcement in the form of verbal praise, pats on the back, stickers, class points, a private signal you develop with the student, etc. for appropriate behavior. Reinforcing a group as opposed to calling out the individual child may keep the student from standing out too much.
6. It’s preferable to provide attention for the good things rather than pointing out the bad things. Try to remind students of fun, preferred prizes/activities contingent upon appropriate behavior, as opposed to reminding them when they are whining or off-task. For example, don’t say, “Mikey, if you stop ---, you can do ----“ or “Jenny, don’t ---- or you won’t get to ----.” Instead, capitalize on opportunities when the student is doing the right thing and say, “Wow, I love the way you’re ----, next you’re going to get to ----!”
7. Set up a fun, reinforcing activity for completion of a less preferred activity. For example, if you know that Sam doesn’t care for the coloring center, let him know (before he starts the coloring task) that once he is finished, he can choose his next center.
8. Reinforce other students around the child for demonstrating the appropriate behavior. For example, if Lizzie hasn’t started her worksheet, praise the other students at her table for writing their names on their papers and getting to work.
9. Some students with disabilities really struggle to learn from a group setting and greatly benefit from one-to-one instruction. In these instances, while the student may not be learning the actual material presented in a group lesson, he may still benefit from being around the other students. Take the opportunity to teach and reinforce responding to instructions and appropriate sitting, eye contact, attention, and social interaction.
10. When pairing/matching students in small groups, include appropriate peer models so that the peers may provide good examples of language, socialization, behavior, etc.
I hope this has been somewhat helpful. All teachers, especially those of students with disabilities, have such a difficult job! Try not to feel overwhelmed if you can’t focus on and incorporate these strategies for a single student – we understand you have an entire class to consider. Thanks to all of the teachers and paraprofessionals out there who are working so hard to help students with disabilities achieve success in general and special education classrooms! Your efforts are so greatly appreciated!
Vince LaMarca also wrote a posting on our blog with some recommendations for teachers. Here is the link: http://www.lovaas.com/blog/archives/6-5-Important-Recommendations-for-Teachers.html.
Original Posting:
Soy mama de Andres,tiene seis anos, yo tengo a mi hijo en Mexico, la razon por la que lo tengo es porque esta en una escuela regular y va con sombra. En realidad academicamente no ha aprendido mucho todo se lo ensenamos en su terapia ABA, mas bien lo que queremos es que aprenda a jugar con ninos,socializar recibir instrucciones de otras personas. Mi pegunta es ya es tiempo de que lo cambie a EUA a una escuela especial donde le van a ensenar a leer y todo lo academico,pero en el recreo no va a tener apoyo porque es muy dificil que le pongan sombra? Lo academico le pudiera ayudar para que el hablara mas, ya que su lenguaje es de frases y solo para pedir lo que quiere?
Our translation:
I am the mother to Andres. Andres is 6 years old and lives with me in Mexico. He is in Mexico because he is able to attend a typical classroom with a shadow here. In reality, he has not learned much academically at school, he has learned everything through his home ABA treatment. What we want most is for him to learn to play with other children, to socialize, and to be able to respond to instructions from other people. My question is, is it time to change him from a typical placement to a specialized placement where they can teach him to read and other academics? My concern is that during social activities, like recess, he will not have the support he needs because it is difficult to get a shadow assigned. The academics could potentially help him speak more; right now he only speaks in limited phrases and it is only to ask for what he wants.
I'm glad it's not intended to be offensive, but the only ones who can decide if it's offensive or not are the people being described that way. Just because you don't intend to be offensive doesn't necessarily mean it isn't offensive.
My son is now asking "WH" and "How" questions fluently. I had no idea how we would possibly get him to do this, but we were able to teach him with ABA techniques. It's my shining example to the schools as to how you can progress from a repetitive drill to a novel behavior that generalizes. I think that many there believe that ABA is almost an insult to a child's individuality, or an assault on his creativity. Instead, I see it as a vehicle to full realization of his amazing potential.
Posted by: Laura 2008-06-11 07:09