Antecedents

BEFORE CONDITIONS AND DISCRIMINATIVE STIMULI(ANTECEDENTS)

PSY 3570: Practicum with Special Populations

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Before the Trial

In many cases, what happens before the behavior is just as important as what happens after

Finding strong reinforcers, obtaining the child’s attention, and delivering the SD all are crucial aspects of the learning opportunity

We will review why these things are important and give you a few tips to improve your skills

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Monitoring Criteria

Determine correct procedure and phase Develop rapport/positive mood Gather materials Preference Assessment Arrange Materials Appropriately Attending SD as written Intonation These are the areas listed on the monitoring form,

however, supervisors may give warnings or deduct points for other actions or inactions during the before condition

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Preference Assessments

If you do not have an effective reinforcer, you will probably not see good performance

Just because a reinforcer has been working for a few minutes doesn’t mean it will continue working

Therefore, it is crucial to frequently identify and consistently use strong reinforcers

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Reinforcer assessment versus Preference assessment A reinforcer assessment is when reinforcers are

selected in the playroom (WoodsEdge specific) A preference assessment can be as simple as

“which one” before a trial begins Mix up the choices frequently

Even if your child is performing well, you should still do a preference assessment every 4-5 trials

Using PECS or a choice board to perform preference assessments can help you to identify strong reinforcers

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For token economies Typically, one preference assessment per set

of trials will be sufficient However, your child’s preferences may

change, and it is OK to switch icons during a procedure

What to watch out for Too many preference assessments in a row Escape/attention/tangible maintained behavior Running a preference assessment after

problem behavior has occurred

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To be an effective tutor: Use an effective reinforcer at all times

If your child actively playing with the reinforcer or just sitting there with it?

Run preference assessments every 4-5 trials Be careful of running them too frequently or too

infrequently

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Attending

If the child does not attend to the SD, then unfortunately, it is a missed learning opportunity An SD signals the availability of reinforcement or

punishment for a certain response, but it can’t be a signal if the organism doesn’t notice it

Several things that the child may have to attend to Materials Auditory stimuli Comparison/sample stimuli Models

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Attending

How to gain the child’s attention Establishing Reinforcers Reinforcing eye contact and other

appropriate behaviors when they occur ELOs Reducing extraneous distractions

What NOT to do Blinders Excessive attention/showing reinforcers

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Attending

Tips for effective teaching Make sure the child is attending when you

deliver the SD Keep a fast pace Keep the amount of time with the reinforcer to

5 seconds (generally – use the smallest amount that is reinforcing)

Make sure the inter-trial interval is 3-5 seconds Deliver the tangible/edible reinforcer about

every 3 trials Refrain from reinforcing behaviors that are

incompatible with attending

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SD as Written

Consistency is important when running discrete trials

With up to three different tutors on any given day, it is important that the child is exposed to consistent instructions

It is important to be familiar with each phase of each procedure when running them BE CAREFUL! The SD may change from

phase to phase

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SD as Written

Tips: Use the correct topography of the SD

Words Prompts

Refrain from delivering the SD at the wrong time i.e. The child is not attending

Refrain from delivering the SD too many or too few times

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Intonation

We try to deliver the SD in a neutral tone This should make it easier for the

children to discriminate between an SD

and social reinforcement The SD should not be too fast or too slow,

too high pitched or too low pitched

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Intonation

REMEMBER: Make the SD clear Use a neutral tone of voice Refrain from presenting the SD as a

question

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Supervisor’s Discretion

There are many other behaviors that happen before the child’s response which you may receive feedback on that may fall into this category

Your supervisor will warn you on the first occurrence, and take points off for any additional occurrences

Education

Antecedents