Instructional Changes that Facilitate Positive Behavior

Is there a Link Between Instruction and Behavior?

Problem behaviors are often a result of the child not knowing HOW to do the task or perform skill (social competence). What is the solution?

Problem behaviors can be maintained by variables related to instructional delivery and curriculum are known to influence appropriate behavior.

Instructional Interactions We tend to: engage non-problem children more than children with behavior problems. give children tasks associated with low rates of problem behavior (we know will not cause problems). ask children to engage in tasks in which they have not been provided instruction. assign tasks based on inaccurate skill-level assessment results.

Interaction and Instructional Guidelines Is the ratio of attention positive behavior to negative behavior statements at least 4 to 1? Are the directions or cues to which the child is to respond clear and consistent? Does instruction occur immediately prior to requesting the child to perform a new or not yet mastered task? Is the difficulty of the task set slightly above the child’s assessed skill level? Does the instruction provide an adequate rate of success? Are the tasks age-appropriate and functional? Is the environment set up to facilitate appropriate interactions?

Considerations Child factors Child’s skills and behaviors (academic and social) Performance versus skill deficits Response style Activities and Curriculum Curriculum (scope and sequence) Task presentation Teaching new skills (including replacement behaviors) Teacher responses to behaviors

Setting up activities to promote positive behavior Curricular Content Task Difficulty Preference Age Appropriate Activities Functional and Meaningful Activities Presentation Length of Task Varied Activities Choice Materials

Content: Task Difficulty Adjust difficulty level of materials or tasks to insure children experience an adequate rate of success (slightly above the assessed skill level). Provide adequate instruction immediately prior to asking the child to perform a task. Teach children a skill using errorless learning. Intersperse mastered tasks/items with tasks that are new and have not yet been acquired.

Content: Task Difficulty Provide unsolicited assistance. Allow the child to complete only half of the task (e.g., cleaning up, painting) Teach replacement skills (e.g., ask for help, raise your hand, take a break).

Content: Task Preference Preferences influence the aversiveness of the a particular task or activity. Provide the child with some choices. Schedule preferred tasks after non-preferred tasks (first---, then---) Modify tasks to incorporate preferred activities to meet the same educational objective.

Content: Task Preference Example  Jack prefers manipulative activities over activities that require writing  Manipulative activity incorporated into math algorithms activity  Jack works on a number line or counts groups of objects rather than working an independent worksheet.

Content: Task Meaningfulness Adapt the curriculum to include activities that are meaningful, socially relevant, and have functional value to the child. Example Child learns to identify colors in order to ask for balloon at Applebee’s

Presentation?

Presentation: Task Length Length of activity should be based on the estimated time that the children participating will be able to attend. Activities requiring attentive listening or focused attention should be brief.

Presentation: Task Length Strategies Shorten activity and then gradually lengthen. Break task into parts and complete over time Example- Quintalis is asked to clean up the crayons, glue sticks, markers, scissors, and paper. His teacher first asks him to clean up the crayons then gives him a break. She may ask him to clean up another item and then go outside. The next time she will ask him to clean up three items.

Presentation: Task Variation Children loose interest in tasks that are repeated or consist of a lot of opportunities for the same type of materials. Strategies Intersperse: tasks they can do with tasks they are learning preferred with unpreferred novel with familiar teacher directed with independent

Presentation: Choice Individual selects preference from among 2 or more options Choice strategies: (adapted from Fredda Brown) Between tasks Within tasks Where When With Whom Rejection Termination

Presentation: Materials Amount: Too many materials may be too distracting Too few materials may promote battles Provide materials that address the preferred modality of the learner (i.e., large-print materials, add pictures) Rotation: Rotate no more than every two weeks Consider rotating from one choice area to another