1. Understanding and Treating Problem Behavior: From Functional Assessment to Intervention
Frank R. Cicero PhD, BCBA
Seton Hall University
Presented for SPLASH
April 17, 2018

2. Have you ever heard….? “His behavior has no purpose, he just does it.”
“His tantrum behavior is totally maladaptive.”
“Well of course he’s going to be aggressive, he has autism.”
“She just screams all the time.”
“She just gets so angry that she lashes out.”
“Its like he becomes a different person.”

3. Misconceptions Challenging behavior is not functional
If the behavior is undesirable for us it must be maladaptive for the student
Challenging behavior happens out of the blue

4. Challenging behavior occurs because the child “has __________.”
Challenging behavior occurs because the child is bored, angry, sad etc.
Challenging behavior comes from the home

5. Behavioral Framework
According to the principles of ABA, challenging behaviors are:
Learned from past and present experiences with the environment.
Controlled by the situation.
Learned and maintained in the same way as appropriate behavior.
Voluntary and adaptive
Treated through the systematic manipulation of the environment.

6. How are behaviors learned?
Challenging behavior, as well as appropriate behavior, is learned over time as an individual gains experience with environmental contingencies.
The basic learning principle:
SD R SR
(trigger) (response) (reinforcer)

7. Examples of the learning principleSD R SR
About to exit a store
Scream and drop to the floor
Parent purchases a small toy
Child sees the ice cream truck
Asks for ice cream
Gets ice cream
“clap hands”
Hits teacher
Given a break because he is tired

8. Understanding Behavior
Before you can treat a behavior, you have to understand it.
Randomly chosen treatments will lead to a “revolving door” effect.
Why the child engages in the behavior is more important to designing a treatment than what the behavior is that you are treating.
Remember that according to the principles of ABA, all behavior serves a purpose.
Behaviors occur because they are reinforced by others and by the environment

9. Functions of Behavior Escape/Avoidance Attention Access to Tangibles
Sensory/Internal

10. Topography v. Function X Escape Attention Access Sensory Screaming
Falling to floor
Self injury
Doing work quickly

11. Importance of Function
If you DO NOT look at the function of the challenging behavior before designing a treatment three things could happen:
You might get lucky and reduce the behavior
You might develop a plan that has no effect
You might make the behavior worse through your “treatment”

12. How do you find out the function of a behavior?
Figuring out the function of a behavior is a carefully done process.
It is usually the most time consuming part of behavior plan development
Guessing or assuming are not acceptable methods.
You need to be objective about what is happening in the environment.

13. Indirect Functional Assessment
Indirect methods involve gathering information from people who have direct contact with the child and the situations in which challenging behavior is observed.
Usually involve parent or teacher interviews.
Advantage is that you can gather information quickly and easily.
Disadvantage is that you might be obtaining subjective and incorrect information.

14. Interviews “Why did you just do that?”
“Why do you usually scream when you see John in the hallway?”
“When does Alyssa usually tantrum?”
“When does Alyssa never tantrum?”
“How do you usually respond to Alyssa’s tantrums?”

15. Motivation Assessment Scale (MAS)
Paper and pencil assessment tool (Durand & Crimmins, 1992).
Similar to a standardized interview.
Divides into four functions of behavior.
Likert scale rating system.
Administer to several raters independently.
Although subjective, the MAS can provide you with some preliminary information in order to make a preliminary hypothesis about function.

16. Direct Functional Assessment
ABC Assessment
Antecedent = What happened before the behavior?
Behavior = What behavior was displayed?
Consequence = What happened after the behavior?

17. ABC and the Learning Principle
SD R SR
Antecedent Behavior Consequence
Trigger Behavior Reinforcer

19. ABC Assessment
Collected for several days to several weeks depending on the baseline rates of the behavior.
ABC recordings must be objective. Only observable behavior and situations are recorded.
Patterns in the ABC records will tell you the function of the behavior.
The antecedents tell you the common triggers to the behavior.
The consequences tell you why the behavior is being maintained.
Treatment will involve the manipulation of both the antecedents and the consequences.

20. Four Component Treatment
Noncontigent Reinforcement Functional Communication Training Extinction Differential Reinforcement

21. Treatment Considerations
Treatments must be practical and feasible in natural settings.
Treatment strategies should not be too numerous or confusing.
Plan must be customized to the individual child, behavior and function.
Consider the ability of the caregivers to implement the plan consistently in non-school settings.
Program for generalization and maintenance.
Program for success, not failure.

22. Reduce Motivation
Challenging behavior will not decrease if motivation to get a need met stays high
Function is never wrong….the topography of the behavior is inappropriate
Punishment might suppress a particular behavior but, in isolation, will lead to symptom substitution
You have to satisfy the need in order to reduce the motivation

23. The Four Term Contingency
EO SD R SR
Establishing operations act upon all three elements of the three term contingency.
Deprivation first makes specific stimuli more reinforcing to the organism
The organism is then “driven” to display responses that will result in those stimuli
Finally, discriminative stimuli in the environment that are associated with the reinforcing stimuli will become more evocative

24. The Establishing Operation
An establishing operation is something that makes a particular stimulus more reinforcing to an individual at a given moment in time.
For example, liquids are most reinforcing when you are thirsty. Money is most reinforcing when you need to pay bills.
The establishing operation can be found through your functional assessment data or another system.
Treating the establishing operation will reduce a child’s motivation to engage in the target behavior.

25. Noncontingent Reinforcement Schedules
Offering the functional reinforcer on a fixed time schedule regardless of behavior
Noncontingent breaks from work
Noncontingent attention from others
Noncontingent access to a desired item or activity
Noncontingent specific sensory input

26. Communication Training
Teach the child some communicative response that serves the same function for them as the challenging behavior
Must conduct a functional assessment first
The new response should be reinforced, while the challenging behavior is not
Understand the environment (ex. Teaching going to the bathroom as an escape from work instead of asking for a break)

27. Fading
Begin by reinforcing each occurrence of the communicative response
Gradually and systematically build in tolerance
Do not fade to zero…remember the function isn’t wrong
Think of alternate strategies in situations where communication cannot be honored (ex. Escape from airplane, asking for a hug)

28. Learning to Explain and Bargain
Three exchange strategy
Provide an directive and rationale
Listen to their perspective and either give in or repeat directive and rationale
Listen again to their perspective and either give in (with explanation) or give direction last time (without rationale)
Ensure follow through

29. “John turn off the computer its time to go to math”
John gets off the computer
Thank you John that was very good listening
“I don’t want to get off now.”
“Ok, you can stay on a few more minutes because we are not leaving right now anyway”
“We have math now, you have to turn off the computer.”
“I will just finish this one thing then I will get off”
“Ok, I have to take attendance anyway, you can finish up that one thing”
“Turn off the computer”
And enforce

30. Extinction
Definition: A procedure in which the reinforcer that is maintaining a behavior is systematically and consistently withheld
A functional assessment must be conducted. The type of extinction plan that is used is based on the function of the challenging behavior
Without extinction of challenging behavior, almost no treatment plan will be successful
Extinction is not “ignoring the student”

31. Antecedent -------Behavior-------Consequence
Extinction
Challenging Behavior
Antecedent Behavior Consequence
Extinction

32. Types of Extinction (based on function of challenging behavior)
Escape Extinction “You have to finish your work”
Attention Extinction “I will speak with you when you stop”
Access Extinction “Sorry, no more chips today”
Sensory Extinction (having a child where earphones so they can’t hear their own screaming)

33. Issues with Extinction
Consistency is needed
Extinction bursts
Spontaneous recovery
Practical/safety issues may be involved

34. Differential Reinforcement
Systematic reinforcement of one behavior, but not another
Include:
DRA (reinforce ALTERNATE behavior)
DRO (reinforce OMISSION of behavior)

35. Compliance Training 3 steps Give a directive (wait)
Give a directive with a contingency (wait)
Prompt compliance or not allow compliance if you cannot prompt

36. Data Collection
In order to make objective decisions about the effectiveness of a behavioral intervention, data must be collected.

37. Why Collect Data?
If you do not collect data, the following errors in treatment are likely:
1. Ineffective programs may be wrongly continued
2. Effective programs may be wrongly discontinued

38. Data Should be... Objective Accurate Based on observable events
Able to be replicated
Recorded or graphed
Saved for a period of time
Analyzed

39. Thank You…
Questions? Comments?