Welcome to the MariposaAutism Service Center.
Take Home Points
What is Autism?
Defined by behavioral deficits and excesses:
Lack of verbal skills or limited expressivecommunication
Lack of socialization or limited play skills
Excessive repetitive behaviors (stereotypy)
Principles of Behavior
You cannot change behavior withoutchanging the immediate environment.
Behavior is shaped by consequences.
Positive consequences are more effectivein shaping behavior than use of negativeconsequences.
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Complex developmental disability.
Appears within the first 3 years of life.
Affects different areas of the child’sdevelopment.
•CDC – 1:110
Incidence of autism is consistent around
the globe; it is 4 times more prevalent in
boys than girls.
Statistics
Because the Autism Spectrum Disorder isonly identifiable by certain behaviors, wecannot understand autism withoutunderstanding the
lawfulness of behavior.
Looking at Behavior
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
ABA is a science whose methodsand procedures are validated byexperimental research.
ABA uses behavioral methods tomeasure behavior, teach functionalskills, and evaluate progress.
ABA individualizes programs basedon the learner’s skill set.
Why ABA?
ABA is observable.
ABA is empirical.
ABA is replicable.
Components of ABA
Behavioral Definition
Direct Observation
Assessments (Baseline)
Interventions (Treatment)
Visual Analysis
ABA has been proven to be themost effective discipline inimproving communication, socialinteraction, cognitive skills, self-help skills, and reducinginappropriate behaviors ofchildren diagnosed with autismand other developmentaldisabilities.
Who should oversee an ABAprogram and why?
Board Certified Behavior Analysts(BCBAs) are obligated to maintainprofessional ethics.
The professional code requiresBCBAs to promote the health andwelfare of their clients and to promoteeffective services.
BCBAs use techniques that arescientifically valid.
Behavioral Concerns within the AutismSpectrum
Language
Social
Stereotypy
Problem Behaviors
Functions of BX
ABC
There are only three trends in behavior:
Behavior can increase.
Behavior can decrease.
Behavior can stay the same.
The rate of a behavior is determinedby its consequences.
Behavior is maintained by eitherpositive ornegative reinforcement.
That is, our behavior allows us to get/obtain
something we want or allows us to avoid/
escape something undesirable.
Reinforcement?
Positive Reinforcement (+)
Negative Reinforcement (–)
The consequence following abehavior either adds something toour environment, or removessomething from the environment.
Types of Positive Reinforcement
Presentation of a stimulus aftera behavior and the behaviorcontinues or reoccurs.
May be access to a desiredtangible.
May be access to attentionfrom another person.
Maybe it is automatic.
Access to Tangibles
You put away candy that your child was eating.
Your child begins to pull your pant leg.
You turn around to prompt him to stop as youcontinue cooking.
With your back turned, your child opensdifferent cabinets and starts crying.
You feel discouraged and tell yourself all youcan do is give him back the candy he waseating although it is time to have lunch.
Access to Attention
A child is in a crowded day care facility.There are 14 children and only 2 adults.The children who are quiet and follow therules get ignored and the children whoscream, cry, throw toys get yelled at...
Automatic Reinforcement
This is not delivered by anyone else. Theperson receives some sort of sensoryinput by engaging in a particular behavior.
Examples: rubbing your head when youthink, twirling your hair, humming, clickinga pen…
Making positive reinforcementmore effective:
Remember DISC
Deprivation
Immediacy
Size
Contingencies
Deprivation
How long has it been since the child last hadaccess to this type of reinforcer?
The more you get it, the less you want it.
If you become satiated, you will not work ashard to gain access to this reinforcer.
Immediacy
How quickly do you gain access to yourreinforcer following the behavior?
Children earn gold stars after everyassignment, and access to the treasure chestat the end of the week.
Adults get paid twice a month or once amonth.
Size
What is your behavior worth?
Does your child earn an allowance?
If you did a special project at work, how hardwould you work for special recognition? Thefront parking spot? A certificate? A gift card tothe movies? A cash bonus?
Contingencies
This is the relationship between atarget behavior and a specificreinforcer.
How do you earn access to thereinforcer?
Quiz
•Mother is busy in the kitchen, when her sonthrows a toy across the room at thetelevision. Mom comes in and plays with herson.
•What kind of reinforcement is this?
Answer
•Child is seeking attention from his mother sohe has learned to get her attention bythrowing a toy. This behavior has beenpositively reinforced because it leads to whatthe child wants, which is getting attention.
Negative Reinforcement
•Who remembers what negative means inbehavior analysis?
–Something undesirable is removed after abehavior occurs and the behavior continuesor reoccurs.
–Terminates or avoids an unwanted activity orinteraction with another person.
Your child may engage in inappropriatebehaviors when he/she does not have theappropriate way to tell you that he/she doesnot want to do something.
Inappropriate Behavior that AllowsEscape
Automatic Negative Reinforcement
This is not delivered by anyone else.The person receives some sort ofsensory input by engaging in aparticular behavior.
Examples: scratching a bug bite,chewing off finger nails, popping zits
Example of Negative Reinforcement
•A wife nags her husband to do the dishes, whenhe complies, the nagging stops.
–the removal of the nagging is what strengthens the compliance.
•A child is given math problems at his desk, hepushes the material off his desk and yells. He issent out of the room.
–the removal of the material is what strengthens the behavior tooccur, because it removes something that is undesirable.
Punishment Is NOT Advised
Just as in a reinforcement procedure,punishment can be positive or negative.
Punishment is less effective in long lastingbehavioral changes
Other ways to manage behavior
Teach incompatible replacement behaviors thatCAN BE REINFORCED
Punishment Disadvantages
Emotional response
Escape/avoidance
Aggression
Modeling
Perpetuation of punishment (continued useeven when ineffective)
No establishment of alternate behavior
Punishment is reinforcing. (It negativelyreinforces the punisher’s behavior.)
How to reduce behavior withoutpunishment:
Change the contingencies in theenvironment.
Rearrange the behavior/ consequencerelationship.
If a person’s behavior has a history ofgaining access to a certain reinforcer, you caneliminate that reinforcer, or require newbehaviors to obtain the same reinforcer.
This is known as Extinction!
Extinction:
Technique used to reduce the occurrence ofundesired behavior.
Refers to stopping a reinforcing event thatfollows a behavior, resulting in a decrease inthe behavior.
When an extinction procedure is used, thebehavior may initially and temporarilyincrease or become more severe – the personwill try harder to gain access to the desiredreinforcer.
This is known as an Extinction Burst.
Game Time!
We need a volunteer.
Goal
The goal is to motivate the person using avariety of strategies and positivereinforcement to ensure sessions areenjoyable and productive.
We want the learner to achieve highestlevel of independence.
Language and Communication
Communication:
Expressing needs to others.
Children learn to communicate from an early age
Early communication is non-verbal.
Non-verbal communication includes pointing,reaching, leading, showing, smiling, making eyecontact, crying and laughing.
Language and Communication
•Positive Reinforcement: if a newborn getsfood and attention when she cries, she willlearn to communicate her needs by crying.
•Negative Reinforcement: if a newborn getsa diaper change when she cries, she willlearn to communicate her needs by crying
Language and Communication
Reasons children communicate:
•Requesting: child wants an item or action.
•Commenting: child is telling you aboutsomething.
•Asking questions: child might want access toinformation.
•Social interaction: child wants attention.
Language and Communication
•As children grow, they learn verbalcommunication: babbling, making sounds,using words, combining words withgestures, and short phrases.
•This is shaping a small prerequisitebehavior into a much more difficult andcomplex skill.
Language and Communication
Skills for children to learn to talk:
Observing
Imitating others
Listening
Repeating what they hear
Language and Communication
Delays in verbal communication:
Non verbal behaviors may continue
Inappropriate behaviors may develop
Example: a child may continue crying or startthrowing tantrums to get what he/she needs.It is important to teach children an appropriateway of communication.
Language and Communication
Eye contact or smiling can initiateinteractions and start communication.
We share, engage others and take turns;we try to make the other person feelsuccessful so they will engage incommunication with us the next time thereis an opportunity to do so.
Play Skills
Children learn and develop importantskills through play.
Play can be used to promotecognitive, physical, andcommunication skills.
Example: Playing with toys with buttonsteaches children that their actions (e.g.,pushing a button) have an effect (e.g.,producing sounds or movements.) In thiscase, children learn the concept of causeand effect.
Play Skills
Delay in play skills may result in adelay in the development of importantbehaviors.
It may necessary to teach childrenhow to play.
To learn to play, the child has to beable to imitate the actions of others.
Self-Help Skills
Developing self-help skills (e.g., usinga spoon to feed, taking off shoes,bathing) promotes self-esteem andindependence.
When children become moreinterested in activities they are morelikely to continue independently.
Social praise and positivereinforcement is very important indeveloping self-help skills.
Motor Skills
Gross motor milestones within the firstyear: sitting, crawling, standing, walking.
Fine motor skills develop in early years :small muscle movements
For instance, eye-hand coordination is usedto pick up items or hold onto toys.
If delayed in these areas, it can affectcognitive, play, and social/emotional skills.
Problem Behavior
Causes of Problem Behavior
1.Receive attention, as when a child worksto be the best in his/her class.
2.Receive access to objects or things(tangibles), as when a child says “cookie”to get a snack.
3.Escape or avoid negative events aswhen the child says “no” if mom says“let’s take a bath.”
4.Receive internal stimulation (as when thechild sucks his/her thumb).
Inappropriate Behavior
Sometimes children have difficulties usingappropriate behavior (for instance,appropriate communication) to obtainattention, tangibles, and escape fromrequests by complying. Childrensometimes learn that it can be moreeffective to use inappropriate behavior toget what they want.
Causes of Problem Behavior
In order to eliminate a behavior it is necessaryto know the cause of the problem behavior orits function.
To identify the function is not alwayseasy…
How do we find the function of abehavior?
We need to know:
What happens before the behavior(antecedents).
The specific behavior that occurs.
What happens after the behavior(consequences).
This is called the ABC (antecedent,behavior, consequence) analysis.
ABC Form
Parents can easily track behavior
Analyze the environment thatproduces behavior
Determine the possible function(s)of a behavior
ABC Analysis
Antecedent
Behavior
Consequence
ABC Analysis
Antecedent
Mom on thephone. Childplaying byhimself. Hassome difficultywith one of thepieces.
Behavior
Child whines.
Consequence
Mother helpsChild with thepuzzle.
ABC Analysis
The next time the child needs help,what is he likely to do to get the help?
Whining has been reinforced: the childknows that he needs to whine in orderto get help and he will whine everytime he needs to obtain something thathe wants…
The ABC analysis has told us that theinappropriate behavior is maintainedby access to tangibles (the puzzle).
Quick Quiz
•Describe the components of the ABCanalysis.
•Why is the ABC analysis important?
•What does the ABC analysis tell me?
Self-stimulation (stereotypy)
•The child may engage in inappropriatebehaviors that may provide him/her withautomatic reinforcement. For instance,he/she scratches his/her skin because ofhow it feels.
•When you do not see that theinappropriate behavior occurs in order toget attention, tangibles or to escape, thenthe behavior may be maintained byautomatic reinforcement.
Functions of Behavior
When we know the function of aninappropriate behavior we are readyto start an intervention. The followingsection explains the behavioralstrategies to reduce inappropriatebehavior and to increase appropriatebehavior.
Behavioral Strategies
When we know the function ofinappropriate behaviors, we canbegin intervention strategies.
There are numerous strategies youcan use to correct inappropriatebehavior.
Behavioral Strategies: ImportantConsiderations
Collect data on inappropriate behavior.
Decide what you would like your child todo in place of the inappropriate behavior.
The replacement has to serve the samefunction as the inappropriate behavior.
Provide opportunities for the replacementand reinforce the use of replacementbehavior.
Selecting Alternative Behaviors
Talking back: Positive response such as “ok”or “yes” or “I have a question.”
Being off-task: Any on-task behavior such aslooking at a book, writing, looking at a teacher.
Talking out: Raising hand and waiting quietly.
Hitting, pinching, kicking, pushing: Usingverbal expression of anger.
Inappropriate use of materials: Holdingmaterials appropriately.
Behavioral Strategies
The following slides will show you how tointervene for different inappropriatebehaviors.
We are going to use the examples ofinappropriate behaviors that aremaintained by getting attention,tangibles, automatic reinforcement andescape.
Antecedent Interventions
State what you want your child to do (walk instore and get three items).
Modify which aisle you choose to walk through.
Engage your child in the process of shopping(have him put items into cart or count the items).
Set up a daily schedule where you spend acertain amount of time playing (e.g., one hour).
Verbal and physical distraction.
Tell, show, guide (prompt).
Consequence Interventions
Reinforce him with praise for helping you.
If appropriate behavior in store, offer him achoice of candy.
Use extinction for attention seekingbehaviors,
And use redirection (from verbal to fullphysical prompts), and never withdraw thedemand when the behavior is beingexhibited to avoid or escape a demand.
Now what?
Now you have some tools.
Helping your child learnbehavior requires you tochange your behavior first.
How do you change yourown behavior?
We offer 1:1 Sessions
–Objective assessment of skills
–Behavioral plan developed
–Individualized 1:1 intervention at homeor in the community
–Data! Data! Data!
–Analysis of progress
–Progression of programs
Other in-home services that we offer
•Functional Behavior Assessment
•Parent Training Classes
–We will be offering a series ofeducational classes for parents. This willbe an 8 week course – 2 hours a week(16 total hours)
•Team meetings
– collaboration with teachers,occupational therapists and speechtherapists
Thank You!
Autism is a growing epidemic, and themore awareness we have as a community,then we can better advocate for necessaryservices to help individualism with adiagnosis.
Your time and attention are appreciated.
Questions?
