Thinking Functionally About

Behavior Assessment and

InterventionsThe Role of Antecedents

A Presentation by David Alberti

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Summary of IssuesTo Be Addressed:

This presentation will address (1) why students engage in problem behaviors and (II) how behavior assessment procedures could be employed to inform intervention strategies.The research for this presentation specifically focuses on (III) antecedent intervention techniques. A case study demonstrating assessment procedures and intervention strategies is embedded throughout this presentation to illustrate the application of research in this area.

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I. Why students engage in problem behaviors

The four term contingency (handout 1) provides a systematic understanding of environmental factors - Motivating Operations: Events that make

the antecedent more likely to trigger the behavior

- Antecedent Events: Events that happen just before the behavior

- Behavior

- Maintaining Consequences: The reinforcement or punishment that occurs as a result of the behavior Scott et. al, 2011

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For a behavioral intervention to be successful, the elements of the four term contingency must be considered

The consequence or antecedent element of the four term contingency can be manipulated to functionally understand the problem behavior

Problem behaviors arise in environments where individual needs are not being met.

Operant science of behavior

- Analyzing the four term contingency allows the instructor to assess environmental

features

Kern and Clemens, 2007Scott, 2011 11

- Lawful- Functional- Contextual

Using The Four Term Contingency

O’Neill, 1997

Collect data

Develop a hypothesis

Verify hypothesis

Implement treatment and keep data

- FBA Interview, Motivational Assessment Scale,Functional Analysis Scale, Etc.

- Conditional Probability Analysis, Diagram Summary Statement

- Functional Behavior Analysis,

Structural Analysis

Dunlap et al., 1993 12

II. How Behavior Assessment Procedures Could Be Employed To Inform

Intervention Strategies

Informant Methods

Direct observation

Functional Analysis

There are three forms of data collection:

- Interviews - Social Skills Interview, Functional Assessment Interview, Student Directed Functional Assessment Interview, questionnaires, rating scales

- ABC data, Functional Assessment Observation Form

- Structural Analysis, Experimental Functional Analysis

O’Neill, 1997 Scott, et al., 200513

Informant methods

Sitchter et. al, 2009

Social Skills Interview to parents, teachers and support staff could examine communication style, behavior and antecedents that are likely to predict behavior.Functional Assessment Interview (FAI - handout 2) - examines maintaining consequences of behavior in relation to behavior function

Rating scales - Motivation rating scale, Problem behavior questionnaire

O’Neill, 1997 14

Introducing Bobby: Bobby’s FAI

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Bobby’s FAI (Cont.)

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Bobby’s data

Isolates variables of the four term contingency for analysis

Problem behavior is often a form of communication

Identify patterns

Assessment procedure informs intervention strategy

O’Neill, 1997 17

Direct Observation - ABC data (handout 3)

Activity1: Use ABC data (handout 3 supplement) to hypothesize about the environmental context of the problem

behavior. Write a short summary about how the environment could be

changed to prevent the problem behavior.

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Functional Analysis “An important component of the functional assessment process in which the identified variables are manipulated in order to verify

or clarify the hypothesized relationship.”

Structural analysis – alternating instructional or environmental antecedents to collect data

Experimental Functional Analysis - manipulating consequences or antecedents in a controlled setting

Stichter et al., 200919

Dunlap et al. 1993. p 275 - 276

Intervention strategies should relate to at least one of the four

functions identified during assessment

Bambara and Kern, 2005 O’Neil, 1997 20

Attention

Escape

Tangible

Sensory

- Plot data on the Functional Behavior Observation Form

- Develop summary statements for each type of situation

Bobby’s Functional Assessment Observation Form

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Bobby’s Graphed data

Y axis: # of incidents

X axis: times

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Bobby’s Summary Statements

• Information for the Summary Statement(s) should be taken from assessment procedures used during informant methods and direct observation

• Summary statement(s) should consider antecedents, behavior, function.

1. Bobby engages in attention-seeking behavior by calling out when he is alone.2. Bobby engages in attention-seeking behavior by calling out during difficult

tasks.

O’Neil, 199723

Activity 2: Plot data on a Functional Behavior

Observation Form (handout 4) based on informal

observation data (handout 4 supplement).

i.e. Missy engages in escape-driven behavior when tasks

become more challenging for her.

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The Competing Behavior Paths form (handout 5) is designed to make the behavior irrelevant, inefficient and ineffective

Teach replacement behaviors that meet the same function as problem behaviors by using Antecedent or Consequence strategiesThe reason why the environment differentially

inspires some behaviors and not others is probably that the functions of one type of behavior have been

satisfied under those (or similar conditions) previously in the person’s experience- Understanding

The Environmental Determinants of Problem Behaviors, Dunlap et. al. (p 30.)Dwyer et al., 2011 O’Neil,

199725

Competing Behavior Paths

Bobby’s Competing Behavior Paths form

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Data from the FBA is used to create the Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP).

The Behavior objective addressed on the BIP should be observable and measurable

Summary statements should be included with all relevant data

A replacement behavior is derived from functional assessment data

Identify how data will be collected and summarized

O’Neil, 199727

Bobby’s goal (Specific, Smart, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic- SMART): During Math and English, Bobby will demonstrate appropriate behavior by raising his hand and waiting to be called on, not correcting other students during instruction, and taking turns on four out of five instances by February 14 (16 weeks of intervention).

Bobby was progress monitored once a week using frequency recording data (handout 6) for 4 months. After class was in session for 15 minutes, I would record frequency data on his first five opportunities to perform appropriate behavior.

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Direct observation of Bobby: pre - post intervention

X axis: # of appropriate behaviorsY axis: Dates

Pre- intervention: 10/2 - 10/23

Post- intervention:11/2 - 2/14

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In 2011, Karen Callan conducted a study where she compared teachers who received FBA training with teachers who did not receive FBA training. - Teachers who received FBA training

were more likely to use changes in environments, give choices and use learning centers.

- Children in the experimental teachers’ groups demonstrated less challenging behaviors than the children of teachers in the control group.

30Karen Callan, 2011

Activity 3: Use the Diagram Summary Statement (Handout 5) in

conjunction with the information from activity 2 to describe the

student and situation in observable and measurable terms. Write your own behavior goal that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic

and Time-bound (SMART).

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- A study by Dunlap et. al (1993) suggests that problem behavior has an empirically observable relationship to the environment- Antecedent Interventions are structured around information that pertains to the environment that the behavior occurs in- By modifying the environment, preventive approaches can be taken

Kern and Clemens, 2007 Dunlap, 1993 32

III. Antecedent Intervention Techniques

Establishing classroom routines makes classroom management easier by making the environment more predictable.

When used before problem behaviors become routine forms of communication, FBA is more effective.

No-Fail Routines provide explicit means to influence behavior by modifying the environment

Jackson, 2015 Kern and Clemens, 2007 Scott et al. , 2011 33

Classroom management is for everyone!

If instructors use their classroom management skills, behavior management will become less of an issue.

- Behavior management is for specific people.

Preventive Strategies

Give choices

Proximity

Have students work towards a valued outcome

Praise - huge reinforcer

Schedule attention before problem behavior occurs

Revise the curriculum to reflect student interests

Dwyer, 2011 Kern and Clemens, 2007

- Behaviors that may seem undesirable function as approximations of the behavior desired. Find Positives!

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Preventive strategies (Cont.)

Behavioral momentum

Modify instruction to promote engagement

Use a high probability command sequence (HPCS)

- consider the sequence of tasks- task interspersal

Kern and Clemens,2007 Dwyer , 2011 Belifore, 2008

A study by Belifore et. al (2008) contends that HPCS increases the

chances of students responding to low probability tasks.

Difficulty of task could function as an antecedent 35

Increase response opportunities

Preventive strategies (Cont.)

Activity 4: Use the Functional Observation Form (handout 4) to derive

antecedent solutions that match the function.

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Summation:

FBA pertains to functions of behavior, and is comprehensive by isolating the variables of

behavior to analyze relationships between them. Every behavior has an antecedent, and though antecedents are not indicative of function, they

provide positive strategies to support hypotheses.

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ReferencesBambara, L. M., & Kern, L. (Eds.). (2005). Individualized supports for students with problem behaviors: Designing positive behavior plans. Guilford Press.

Belfiore, P. J., Basile, S. P., & Lee, D. L. (2008). Using a high probability command sequence to increase classroom compliance: The role of behavioral momentum. Journal of behavioral Education, 17(2), 160-171.

Dunlap, G., Kern, L., dePerczel, M., Clarke, S., Wilson, D., Childs, K. E., ... & Falk, G. D. (1993). Functional analysis of classroom variables for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Behavioral Disorders, 275-291.

Dwyer, K., Rozewski, D., & Simonsen, B. (2011). A comparison of function-based replacement behaviors for escape-motivated students. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 1063426610387432.

Erickson, Marcia J., Scott A. Stage, and J. Ron Nelson. "Naturalistic study of the behavior of students with EBD referred for functional behavioral assessment." Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders 14.1 (2006): 31-40.

Flora, S. R. (2000). Praise's magic reinforcement ratio: Five to one gets the job done. The Behavior Analyst Today, 1(4), 64.

Haydon, Todd. (2012). Using Functional Behavior Assessment to Match Task Difficulty for a 5th Grade Student: A Case Study. Education and Treatment of Children, (3), 459-476.

Kern, L., & Clemens, N. H. (2007). Antecedent strategies to promote appropriate classroom behavior. Psychology in the Schools, 44(1), 65-75.

O'Neill, R. E., Horner, R. H., Albin, R. W., Sprague, J. R., Storey, K., & Newton, J. S. (1997). Functional assessment and program development for problem behavior . Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks.

Sterling-Turner, H. E., Robinson, S. L., & Wilczynski, S. M. (2001). Functional assessment of distracting and disruptive behaviors in the school setting. School Psychology Review, 30(2), 211.

Jackson, Jill.(2015). Five No-Fail Instructional Routines that X-out Classroom Management Frustrations. Personal Collection of Jackson Consulting.

Scott, T. M., Anderson, C. M., & Alter, P. (2011). Managing classroom behavior using positive behavior supports. Pearson Higher Ed.

Scott, Terrance M., Liaupsin, Carl, Nelson, C. Michael, & McIntyre, Julianna. (2005). Team-Based Functional Behavior Assessment as a Proactive Public School Process: A Descriptive Analysis of Current Barriers. Journal of Behavioral Education, 14(1), 57-71.

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References (Cont.)Shumate, E. D., & Wills, H. P. (2010). Classroom-based functional analysis and intervention for disruptive and off-task behaviors. Education and Treatment of Children, 33(1), 23-48.

Stichter, J. P., Randolph, J. K., Kay, D., & Gage, N. (2009). The use of structural analysis to develop antecedent-based interventions for students with autism. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 39(6), 883-896.

Stoiber, K. C., & Gettinger, M. (2011). Functional assessment and positive support strategies for promoting resilience: Effects on teachers and high‐risk children. Psychology in the Schools, 48(7), 686-706.

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