DIMENSIONS GRIDS Steve Ward, MA, BCBA Whole Child Consulting, LLC

My student can’t/won’t _______, unless: -

“My student can’t/won’t ______, …and we have to work on grade level and we have to work for the 90 minute block and he can’t have any supports that the other students don’t have.”

If consequences are truly working You don’t need to be such an antecedent magician, and you probably shouldn’t be If escape extinction, wait outs, or punishment are truly working, schools should almost never need them by Halloween. *Some on-going reactive measures may be necessary as you continue to “raise your bar”, but it these should be of minimal duration and of decreasing intrusion.

Reading and group responding My student is behind in reading and doesn’t attend well in group

Your first dimensions grid (simple) EasierHarder 1:1 or 1:2Larger groups Easy content (phonics, easy sight words, language) Harder content (blending, rhyming, “silent e”)

You might develop 2 separate types of programming (prescribed dimensions are in bold) EasierHarder 1:1 or 1:2Larger group Easy content (phonics, easy sight words, language) Harder content (blending, rhyming, “silent e”) EasierHarder 1:1 or 1:2Larger group Easy content (phonics, easy sight words, language) Harder content (blending, rhyming, “silent e”)

Another simple example of split programming EasierHarder Match-to-sampleListener responding (e.g., “give me ____” No travel requiredTravel required (walks 10 feet) EasierHarder Match-to-sampleListener responding (e.g., “give me ____” No travel requiredTravel required (walks 10 feet)

A more complicated example (“Come here”) EasierHarder Short distancesLong distances Can see potential reinforcerCannot see potential reinforcer Is engaged in activity of modest interest Is engaged in high-interest activity Reinforcement for each successOccasional reinforcement Powerful reinforcerWeak reinforcer

What would you do next? I’d remove the contract. EasierHarder Short distancesLong distances Can see potential reinforcerCannot see potential reinforcer Is engaged in activity of modest interest Is engaged in high-interest activity Reinforcement for each successOccasional reinforcement Powerful reinforcerWeak reinforcer

Then, I’d probably start to thin the schedule of reinforcement EasierHarder Short distancesLong distances Can see potential reinforcerCannot see potential reinforcer Is engaged in activity of modest interest Is engaged in high-interest activity Reinforcement for each successOccasional reinforcement Powerful reinforcerWeak reinforcer

Speaking with sufficient volume EasierHarder With an echoic promptWithout an echoic prompt With recent prompts and/or reinforcement Without recent prompts and/or reinforcement With easy material (confident)With harder material (less confident) With familiar peopleWith less familiar people With one personWith a group of people In a mand contextSpeaking for uninteresting reasons

In case you’re not familiar

Meet Alex-at intake, in April, 2015, Alex: -was 9 and had received ABA programming for 6 yrs. -loved drawing, painting, blocks, and especially Legos. He was extremely rigid and controlling with these activities. -was capable of manding “help” and manding attention, but did each infrequently -was usually cooperative with Heidi, as long as she taught the way he liked -DEMANDED confirmation of accuracy -was intolerant of corrections

Dimensions Grid for correction tolerance EasierHarder Task completed with at least 90% accuracy A lot of errors made Thick reinforcement for tolerance of corrections Little/no reinforcement for tolerance of corrections Efficient progress following correction Full correction procedure (inefficient for student) Calm, positive teacher attitudeDisappointed, frustrated, or cold teacher attitude

Do you remember the first slides (i.e., “My student can’t/won’t _____ unless…”)? Dimensions Grids are also relevant to the other end of training (i.e., mastery). So, having seen Alex’s first video and first Dimensions Grid for tolerating corrections, would you say our job is done? Has he mastered tolerance of corrections?

Dimensions Grid for correction tolerance (Bold for Phase 2) EasierHarder Task completed with at least 90% accuracy A lot of errors made Thick reinforcement for tolerance of corrections Little/no reinforcement for tolerance of corrections Efficient progress following correction Full correction procedure Calm, positive teacher attitudeDisappointed, frustrated, or cold teacher attitude

Dimensions Grid for correction tolerance (Bold for Phase 3) EasierHarder Task completed with at least 90% accuracy A lot of errors made Thick reinforcement for tolerance of corrections Little/no reinforcement for tolerance of corrections Efficient progress following correctionFull correction procedure (less efficient) Calm, positive teacher attitudeDisappointed, frustrated, or cold teacher attitude

Credit Heidi

Aggressive Behavior Episodes Count and minutes Calendar months

What would you like to target? EasierHarder