Extending Intervention Effects Chapter Twelve Extending Intervention Effects

OBJECTIVES Describe the relationship between the restrictiveness of treatment settings and the extent to which intervention effects generalize to other environments. Identify and describe obstacles to the maintenance and generalization of treatment effects. Describe strategies for achieving the maintenance and generalization of specific behaviors. Describe procedures for assessing the expectations and tolerances of less restrictive settings for desired and maladaptive behaviors. Indicate factors to consider when planning for the transition of students to other environments. Suggest strategies for accomplishing the successful transition of students to these other settings. Explain the role of the special education teacher in working with families and other professionals.

Principles of Maintenance and Generalization

Let’s review the opening case. What do you think of Eileen’s plans for her life after high school? Are they realistic? How does the transition plan that she and her transition team developed fit her strengths, needs, and aspirations? Why was it important to include Eileen?

Generality is based on 3 outcomes: response maintenance, the continuation or durability of behavior in treatment settings after the intervention has been withdrawn. Example? stimulus generalization, the transfer of behaviors that have been learned in one setting or in the presence of specific discriminative stimuli to settings or stimuli in the presence of which they have not been taught. response generalization involves changes that occur in behaviors that were not targeted for intervention but are related to those behaviors that were.

Let’s unpack Table 12–1: Principles and strategies for the maintenance and generalization of behavior 1. Antecedent strategies a. Train loosely b. Use multiple stimulus exemplars c. Use common stimuli 2. Behavior strategies a. Teach relevant behaviors b. Use sufficient response exemplars 3. Consequent strategies a. Mediate and reinforce unprompted generalization b. Introduce to naturally maintaining contingencies c. Recruit natural communities of reinforcement d. Use indiscriminable contingencies e. Modify environments supporting maladaptive behaviors

Working with Building Staff Why is collaboration essential for a student moving to a less restrictive environment? What happens when staff don’t work together?

Help Marjorie in Language Arts It’s Your Turn! Help Marjorie in Language Arts

Marjorie You just took a job as a learning support teacher. Your first case is Marjorie, who is not adjusting well to her general fifth grade classes.She is academically struggling in the language arts areas.

While you are observing Marjorie in language arts. . . What accommodations can you envision for her in spelling? How about penmanship? Literature (reading)? Comprehension (how students show how they understand a story)? Grammar and punctuation?

Transition Planning

Help Nathan transition to a new school It’s Your Turn! Help Nathan transition to a new school

Nathan Nathan is a mess when it comes to organization. Yet, he is bright enough to handle the general education classroom. Your job is to prepare him to return to the general education program in his ninth grade. Please answer these questions. . .

You decide to do some observations in the 9th grade classes Nathan will attend: List the types of classroom situations you will observe. What rules and routines could you imagine for each situation? Write them down. What are the naturally occurring contingencies in a typical 9th grade classroom?

Preparing Nathan For each of the behaviors you listed, how will you teach relevant behaviors to help Nathan meet the expectations? Specifically, how could you. . . train loosely? use sufficient stimulus exemplars? identify others in your school to be common social stimuli with whom he can practice?

Preparing Nathan What transition activities will you use to introduce him to his new classes? How will you schedule his reintegration?

How can you convince the language arts teacher to try these accommodations?

Case #3: A restrictive environment You are a behavior specialist in a major psychiatric hospital, assisting a first-year teacher with a classroom of 8 students. They are 10-15 years old, in class from 9-12 in the morning and from 1-3 in the afternoon. The teacher has each student self-monitoring, with fun activities prizes for those who control their behavior.

Step #1: Self-monitoring The teacher finds herself getting into verbal battles, because the rules are not clear. You need to redesign the students’ self-monitoring form. Include in the behaviors they monitor 4 “earners” and 2 losers.” Figure out a scoring system for each student to “score” each behavior every period. Be sure the form is one the students could use when they leave the hospital, too. Think of the behavioral expectations in their home schools.

Step #2: Teacher assessment Things are getting better, but the teacher needs a way to check student behavior along with the students. This is a check on their “inflating” their scores (which are turned in for reinforcers). Yep, you get to make the teacher’s form, too!

Step #3: The students leave the hospital How would you explain the self-monitoring form to a public school special education teacher receiving a student discharged from the hospital?

Let’s review Did your plan address each of these steps?