+

Behavior Specific Praise (BSP)

• People who are diagnosed with Behavior Disorders

• People who are diagnosed with Emotional Disturbance

• People who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

• People who are diagnosed with

Learning Disabilities http://peelingtothecore.weebly.com/fbabsp.html

•

Behavior Specific Praise or BSP, is a positive statement intended to reinforce the desired behavior of an individual that acknowledges the individual by name, manner, or specifically describes the individuals behavior.

Using Behavior Specific Praise, is important in helping people understand what they are specifically doing right. Rather than just saying “good job” you are reinforcing a specific thing that they have done correctly, that way the behavior has a higher likelihood of reoccurring. This strategy may also help reduce attention seeking behaviors.

Who Does This Strategy Support ?

What Will This Strategy Help Student’s Overcome?

2

How and Why Does This Work?

How Do You Implement This?

Examples Of Behavior Specific Praise

Choose a positive statement and then state the behavior that was done correctly.

• “ You really handled that situation well because you…”

• “ You remembered to…. Great job” • “ You have really improved on…” • “ Great job keeping your hands to yourself”

instead of saying “don’t touch him” • Token economy: giving students a token after

good behavior, and explaining what they did

References:

Musti-Rao, S., & Haydon, T. (n.d). Strategies to Increase Behavior-Specific Teacher Praise in an Inclusive Environment. Intervention In School And Clinic, 47(2), 91-97.

Allday, R. A., Hinkson-Lee, K., Hudson, T., Neilsen-Gatti, S., Kleinke, A., & Russel, C. S. (2012).

Training General Educators to Increase Behavior-Specific Praise: Effects on Students with EBD. Behavioral Disorders, 37(2), 87-98.

Kranak, M. (2016). The Differentiated Effects of Specific Praise Rates on the On-Task Behavior of Elementary Students with Autism.

Evaluate current rates of general and behavior specific praise

Identify behaviors to reinforce

Practice delivery of BSP

Observe student behavior

Provide BSP

Monitor BSP delivery

Seek student input

Behavior Specific Praise works because it is pointing out the specific behavior in order for the person being praised to understand what they are doing right, so that they will likely do it again. Rather than just saying “good job”. When you say “good job” that allows for the person being praised to choose what behavior they think they are being praised for.