1. Teaching a Different Way of Behaving: Positive Behavior Supports
by Cathy Pratt
Chapter 7

2. Crisis Management
When a student with an ASD engages in dangerous behaviors, an expert is often called in to provide a “quick fix” that will have an immediate impact on the situation

3. The Problem with Crisis Management
Short-term solution with no long-term educational benefit
Addresses the immediate behavior, but not the underlying cause

4. Dangers of a Crisis Management Approach
Our response could potentially escalate the behavior
Restraining a student who craves deep pressure would reinforce the behavior
If behavior is related to stress or anxiety, confrontation may make it worse
If the student is looking for attention or excitement, an emotional response may provide it

5. An Appropriate Crisis Management Plan
If student is at risk, a plan is vital
Each person involved with student in crisis must know how to respond:
Keep everyone safe
Minimize the situation
Don’t lecture; keep words to a minimum, and don’t show emotion

6. After the Crisis
After the immediate crisis has passed, team should review what part of plan worked and what should happen next time
Once student is out of crisis, need to start work on a real plan for behavior change

7. How Behavioral Perspectives Are Changing
In the past, focus was solely on manipulating consequences to change behavior
Today, behavioral support plans focus on teaching students socially valid ways of responding

8. Underlying Assumptions of a Positive Behavioral Support Approach
Behavior is:
Influenced or governed by setting
Functional, purposeful, and meaningful to the individual
Affected by internal events, including emotional and medical issues
Influenced by factors outside the immediate environment

9. Underlying Assumptions of a Positive Behavioral Support Approach
Behaviors will change as people mature and develop new competencies.
Puberty demonstrates that not all maturation improves behavior.
Behavioral supports are guided by a strong value base
Are you more focused on the student’s quality of life and teaching him self-control?
Or are you more focused on controlling the situation, with a more punitive approach?

10. The Goal of a Positive Behavior Support Plan
The Goal is…
LONG-TERM CHANGE

11. Functional Behavioral Assessment
The process of gathering information necessary to understanding the function of a behavior
Long considered best practice, it is now articulated under IDEA

12. The Behavior Support Team
Should include members from all environments in which the student interacts, including:
Family
Teachers
Paraprofessionals
Therapists
Doctors
Student himself

13. Responsibilities of the Team
Decisions impacting the student must be made within the team structure
Decisions made in isolation fragment the team, and lead to ineffectual planning and poor outcomes

14. 6 Steps to Positive Behavior Support
Steps include:
Defining the behavior of concern
Gathering info
Developing hypotheses
Creating the behavioral support plan
Implementing interventions
Monitoring implementation and outcomes

15. Step 1: Defining the Behavior of Concern
Behavior must be described and written in a measurable and observable format
Poor descriptors:
“Aggressive”
“Destructive”
Measurable/observable descriptors
Pushes other students off swing on playground
Tears instructional materials when presented

16. Are you choosing the right behavior to target?
Is it truly a problem or just an annoyance to someone?
Measures such as frequency, duration, and intensity can help determine significance of a behavior
Also look at the long-term impact of a behavior on a child’s adult options

17. Step 2: Gathering Behavioral Information
One person may guide the process, but data gathering must be conducted by multiple people in multiple situations

18. A-B-C: Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence
Focus on identifying antecedents and consequences that maintain the behavior
antecedent = what happens before the behavior occurs
consequence = what happens after the behavior

19. 2 Types of Antecedents Slow triggers (setting events)
Fast triggers (immediate antecedents)
Immediate antecedents are easier to identify, but setting events play a critical role in increasing the likelihood that a behavior will occur

20. Slow Triggers/Setting Events
Can “chip away” at a student’s tolerance and ability to perform/cope
Slow triggers may explain why a student can handle a task one day, but not the next

21. Examples of Slow Triggers
Schedule changes
Medication changes
Problems at home
Skill deficits
Lack of sleep
Missed meals
Too hot/cold
Problems on school bus
Medical problems
Uncomfortable clothes
Worries/fears
Missed meal
What else???

22. Fast Triggers
Events that are directly related to the challenging behavior or immediately precede
Easier to spot, but not always immediately obvious

23. Examples of Fast Triggers
Being asked to perform a non-preferred task
Behavior of others
A certain noise (e.g., vacuum, hand dryer in bathroom)
Unstructured setting
Being interrupted during a preferred activity or routine
Being bullied
Fire drill
Can’t access preferred item
What else???

24. Consequences
Responses that follow a behavior and make it more likely to occur again
Keep in mind that some “punishments” could be a reinforcing consequence for a student with ASDs
Missing recess
Making teacher yell
Sitting in corner by self

25. Data Collection Methods may include: Formal and informal instruments
Motivation Assessment Scale
Functional Behavior Assessment Form
Scatter plots
Video taping

26. 12 Questions That Help Identify the True Function of the Behavior
What is the history of the behavior?
When is the student most successful?
What are the student’s strengths? Are they being reinforced?
What type of curriculum is the student enrolled in? Is it a good match (i.e., engaging and meaningful for him)?

27. 12 Questions That Help Identify the True Function of the Behavior
Is student actively engaged in instruction or other activities for at least 80% of the school day?
Time spent waiting for instruction to begin, waiting for others to finish, or transitioning between activities does not count as being actively engaged!
Problem behaviors are more likely to occur during unstructured time

28. 12 Questions That Help Identify the True Function of the Behavior
When is the student more likely to engage in problem behaviors?
During certain activities or classes?
With specific instructors?
At certain times of day?

29. 12 Questions That Help Identify the True Function of the Behavior
Are varied instructional approaches being used in the classrooms?
Several shortened activities within a lesson?
Various modalities?
Lecture
Group activity
Hands-on instruction

30. 12 Questions That Help Identify the True Function of the Behavior
Does the behavior serve a purpose for the student?
Escape?
Attention?
Fulfillment of a physiological or sensory need?

31. 12 Questions That Help Identify the True Function of the Behavior
What is the student’s primary means of communication?
Research shows a direct link between inability to communicate and occurrence of problem behavior
Nonverbal student needs augmentative communication system in place and readily available
Highly verbal student may still need help expressing frustrations, needs, etc.

32. 12 Questions That Help Identify the True Function of the Behavior
Could there be a medical explanation for student’s behavior?
Acute or chronic illness/condition?
Medication problem?
Substance abuse?
Is the student having any issues with eating or sleeping?

33. 12 Questions That Help Identify the True Function of the Behavior
What is the student’s life like outside school?
Participating in a range of activities?
Stressful events/conditions that could be troubling him?

34. Developing Hypothesis Statements
Informed guesses about the underlying causes of behavior
Based on information gathered through FBA process
Can be illustrated as a Problem Behavior Pathway

35. Hypothesis Statement as Problem Behavior Pathway
Setting Events
Maintaining Consequence
Fast Trigger
Problem Behavior
Nonverbal
Social Skills
Deficit
Sees
classmates
on swing
Pushes
classmate
off swing
Briefly gets
swing.
Brief
interaction
with
classmate.

36. Step 4: Creating a Behavior Support Plan
Should evolve from hypotheses developed through FBA
Must:
Be clearly written
Define how environment will be altered in an effort to change behavior
Spell out how the student will be taught an alternative way of responding

37. Positive Behavior Supports
Goals should be written in the positive:
Wait turn quietly
Respond to adults in a respectful manner
NOT in the negative
Stop interrupting
Will not curse

38. Step 5: Implementing Interventions
It’s the team’s job to design an instructional program that both supports and teaches the student

39. Curricular Considerations
Students are more willing to learn skills and engage in activities that relate to their lives, interests, and strengths
For many students w/ ASDs, the high school curriculum should focus on preparation for employment

40. Curricular Considerations
Identify alternative or replacement behaviors that will serve the same function as the challenging behavior
Be specific in writing goals
“Will handle any teasing in the hallway by …” as opposed to “Will behave appropriately”

41. Recommendations for Classroom Management and Instruction
Minimize free/unstructured time
Develop a schedule that includes varying tasks to minimize boredom and frustration
Build in time downtime or physical activity as needed
Get student engaged as soon as he enters the classroom

42. Recommendations for Classroom Management and Instruction
Intersperse easy and difficult tasks
Embed opportunities for choice
Allow student to preview/rehearse new materials or activities
Clearly articulate and visually demonstrate expectations for instruction and interaction

43. Recommendations for Classroom Management and Instruction
Make sure the majority of your interactions with the student are positive ones (not corrections or reprimands)
Establish rapport
Establish routines, but build in changes to prevent rigidity
Consider the student’s learning style

44. Recommendations for Classroom Management and Instruction
Teach strategies for coping and negotiating the stress of daily life

45. How Does ABA Fit In?
The technology of positive behavior support includes, and is an extension of, applied behavior analysis
Shaping: reinforcement of successive approximations of preferred behavior

46. How does ABA fit in?
Redirection: Sometimes better to redirect student to a preferred behavior when challenging behavior is starting
Consequences: Should be assessed in terms of what motivates the individual
Planned Ignoring: Don’t use unless you will be able to ignore the behavior no matter how much it escalates

47. Step 6: Monitoring Implementation and Outcomes
The main reason why behavior support plans aren’t successful is that they are not implemented!
Once a plan is developed, it should include a procedure for continually monitoring and improving upon the plan
Are positive behaviors increasing and negative behaviors decreasing?

48. Conclusions
There is no single intervention or approach that will work with all students
Even if your district adopts a model behavioral program or treatment package, it may not be appropriate for students with ASDs
Develop a plan based on a thorough assessment of each student’s behavior

49. Conclusions Learning a new way of responding takes
Repetition
Patience
Flexibility
Consistency
Commitment by all
Don’t give up if change doesn’t happen quickly!

50. Conclusion The hardest fact for some to swallow:
Often it is the behavior of the professionals and/or the family that needs to change in order to eliminate or decrease the student’s problem behaviors
If our behavior doesn’t change, it is unlikely that the student’s will