Applied Behavior Analysis Speech Practices for Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Applied Behavior Analysis Speech Practices for
Autism Spectrum Disorders
November 16, 2007 Douglass Developmental
Disabilities Center Renee Downing-Van Ness M.A.,
CCC-SLP Stacey Liebross M.S., CCC-SLP
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Our goals for today

• Discuss ABA and how its application is relevant
  to SLPs in the clinical setting
• Discuss a variety of teaching methods within the
  field of ABA
• Discuss effective ways to support the various
  teaching methods
• Discuss the conceptual framework of B. F.
  Skinners Verbal Behavior Theory and its
  implications for teaching language to learners on
  the Autism Spectrum

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ABA Definition

• Applied Behavior Analysis is the science in
  which procedures derived from the principles of
  behavior are systematically applied to improve
  socially significant behavior to a meaningful
  degree and to demonstrate experimentally that the
  procedures employed were responsible for the
  improvement in behavior. Cooper, Heron,
  Heward, 1987

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What does this mean??????

• ABA makes meaningful changes in peoples lives
  through use of procedures that have been
  demonstrated to work

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Core Characteristics of ABA

• Interventions based upon empirically validated
  research
• Includes direct observation
• Highly individualized instruction
• Ongoing assessment and data collection
• Data-driven decision making

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Core Characteristics of ABA

• Assessment of outcome is based on skill
  acquisition, maintenance over time, and
  generalization to real-life settings
• A humanistic approach focused on quality of life
  and meaningful change
• Utilize antecedent strategies, positive
  reinforcement, and other consequences to produce
  behavior change

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What makes ABA effective?

• Specificity of goals
• Linked to thorough assessment
• Data based decision making
• Dynamic programming
• Intensity
• Ratio
• Hours
• Number of learning opportunities

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The important role of ABA within the field of
Speech Language Pathology

• School Districts are currently moving towards
  including ABA classes
• SLPs are required to collaborate within ABA
  programs
• To collaborate effectively SLPs need to have a
  working knowledge of ABA

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The important role of a Speech Language
Pathologist within the field of ABA

• SLPs have an expertise in speech and language
  that is necessary for a comprehensive ABA program
• Anatomy and Language Disorders
• Developmental patterns and norms
• Augmentative communication

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Current practices of Speech Language Pathologists

• Establish Rapport
• Shaping
• Reinforce
• Behavior Management
• Activity-Based Instruction
• Incidental Teaching
• Data Collection

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Teaching methods implemented in the field of ABA

• Discrete Trial Instruction (DTI)
• Natural Environment Teaching
• Naturalistic Teaching Strategies
• Incidental Teaching
• Shaping
• Task Analysis/Chaining
• Fluency-Based Instruction its not stuttering

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Discrete Trial Instruction (DTI)

• The term discrete stresses the need to recognize
  each individual teaching moment as separate and
  distinct
• Each trial has a definite beginning and end
• DTI breaks down tasks into specific, focused
  instructional demands
• The format of Discrete Trial Instruction is very
  conducive to systematic data collection and
  tracking the students performance
• Relies on intensity and structure

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Discrete Trial Instruction (DTI)

• Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence
• SD
• Stimulus or setting event that occurs prior to
  the behavior of interest
• Response
• The specific instance of a particular behavior

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Discrete Trial Instruction (DTI)

• Consequence
• An environmental change (stimulus) that follows a
  given behavior in a relatively immediate temporal
  sequence and alters the future probability of
  that behavior

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The evolution of DTI

• Move from traditional block trials to task
  interspersals
• previously mastered materials interspersed with
  targets
• Errorless procedures
• prevention and interruption of errors
• antecendent strategy
• Most to least prompting

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Natural Environment Teaching

• Takes place in typical environment
• Based on Learners interest and current
  motivation
• Developed by Sundberg and Partington
• Uses Skinners Verbal Behavior to develop an
  instructional model and curricular progression

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Natural Environment Teaching

• Item chosen by child
• Variation in instructional targets every few
  trials
• Loose shaping contingencies
• Natural reinforcers
• Playful interactions

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Incidental Teaching

• The student initiates the teaching by indicating
  an interest
• Based on the interest expressed strategies are
  used to evoke a elaboration of the response
• The elaboration provides access to the item of
  interest

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Incidental Teaching

• Makes use of the natural environment
• Capitalizes on periods of high motivation to
  facilitate learning
• Makes use of naturally occurring reinforcers
• Reinforces an important class of behaviors
  (initiations)

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Shaping

• The differential reinforcement of successive
  approximations to a specified target behavior
• One member of a response class is reinforced
  while others previously emitted members of the
  same response class is not (e.g., /b/ vs. ball)

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Task Analysis/Chaining

• A specific sequence of responses each associated
  with a particular stimulus condition.
• Dirty hands
• Each response in the sequence changes the
  environment so as to produce reinforcement for
  the preceding response as well as to serve as the
  SD for the next response within the chain
• When individual responses are linked together the
  result is a behavior chain
• Washing hands

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Task Analysis/Behavior Chains

• Definition a detailed description of each
  behavior needed to accomplish a behavioral
  objective specific to the students ability
  level.
• Steps in the chain specify in order the exact
  behavior the student must perform to reach the
  behavioral objective.

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Fluency Based Instruction

• Definition The fluid combination of accuracy
  plus speed that characterizes competent
  performance (Binder, 1966)
• Fluency is achieved by procedures such as
  ratebuilding/precision teaching

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Fluency Based Instruction

• SEAR checks
• stability (in distraction)
• endurance (over longer periods of time)
• application (with novel materials or
  instructors)
• retention of the skill over time

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Best Practices within the Field of ABA

• Motivational Operations
• Pairing
• Manding
• Pace of instruction
• Latency
• Behavioral Momentum
• Errorless Learning
• Data Collection

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Motivational Operations

• What is It?
• What is wanted
• Whats its importance?
• An Sd will not evoke a particular response (and
  subsequently access reinforcment) if there is no
  MO in effect for the reinforcement

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Motivational Operations

• How do I contrive and capture MOs?
• Create a rich environment
• Organize the environment so that items are not
  easily accessible to the student
• Observe behavior to see if MO continues to be
  effective
• Knowledge of Deprivation and Satiation

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Pairing

• The process of making the person working with the
  student a conditioned reinforcer by pairing
  themselves with delivery of reinforcement

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Pairing

• Pairing can be achieved by
• Limiting free access to rewards
• Embedding self into highly preferred activities
  to improve the quality of the reinforcment
• Limiting demands placed on student

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Pairing

• Pairing should be done
• During first interaction with the student
• When the student becomes satiated on current MO
• Should be ongoing

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REMEMBER!!!!

• Identifying the MO and pairing lay the foundation
  for instructional control in the future

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Pace of Instruction

• Rate of demands per minute
• High rates of demand
• Decrease opportunity for challenging behavior
• Capitalize on behavioral momentum
• Relates to fluency
• Helps student maintain attention
• Variables that effect pace
• Data collection
• Setting up next trial

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Latency

• Time between the SD and the initiation of the
  response
• Short latency
• Strengthens SD-R relationship
• Promotes fluency
• Promote short latencies by
• prompting quickly
• training to fluency
• differentially reinforcing shorter latency

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Behavioral Momentum

• The increase of the future probability of correct
  responding by establishing a high rate of
  successful responding
• Behavioral momentum will
• lower error rate
• reduce learner frustration
• Promote behavioral momentum by
• individualizing the ratio of demands to
  reinforcement
• Task interpersals-mixing mastered skills with
  more difficult skills (80-20)

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Errorless Learning

• Goal of errorless learning is to establish the
  relationship of the response and the natural
  stimulus by minimizing the execution of errors
• Accomplished through the fading of prompts
• Prompt is an extra stimulus presented
  simultaneously with the SD or immediately after
  the SD to facilitate a correct response from the
  student
• Systematically used to promote skills
• For skill acquisition prompts go from most to
  least
• For acquired skills prompts go from least to most
  

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Errorless Learning

• For non-verbal responses
• full physical
• partial physical
• shadowing
• spatial fading
• stimulus fading
• For verbal responses
• verbal models
• full
• faded

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Error Correction Procedure

• Error correction consists of a controlling prompt
  paired with a natural stimulus
• Pairing the SD with controlling prompts maintains
  the relationship between the SD and the correct
  response which prevents errors from becoming part
  of the response chain

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Error Correction Procedure

• General Error Correction Flow
• Student responds incorrectly
• Staff represents SD with a controlling prompt
• Intersperse with acquired skills
• Staff represents SD with a controlling prompt
• Intersperse with acquired skills
• Staff tests effectiveness of prompts (allows
  opportunity to respond without prompt)
• If prompt not successful, staff repeats SD again
  with a different controlling prompt or teaching
  strategy
• Prompts are faded as quickly as possible

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Data Collection

• Data collection provides information for program
  planning and decision making for analyzing the
  effects of environmental arrangements on behavior

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Data Collection

• Percentage data
• Data is collected for every learning opportunity
• Total is calculated at the end of the session
• Staff can still mix trials in this format

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Data Collection

• First trial data
• Interested in first learning opportunity of a
  session (twice a day, twice a week, etc)
• Recently associated with verbal behavior

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Data Displays Graphing

• Provide visual picture of student performance
• Organizes results
• Allows for communication of progress
• Aids in data-based decision making

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Verbal Behavior Introduction

• Where are we now?
• ABA is empirically validated as an effective
  treatment for students with ASD
• Within ABA, Skinners analysis of verbal behavior
  has received increased attention over the past
  several years
• With respect to VB, professionals have become
  educated in regards to its history, conceptual
  framework, terminology and implementation into
  curriculum
• VB is a conceptual language framework, NOT an
  instructional framework

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Verbal Behavior Introduction

• Incorporate concepts of VB with empirically
  validated teaching strategies to create a
  comprehensive ABA program

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Advantages of using Verbal Behavior
Classifications

• Verbal Behaviors teaches us about the functions
  of language
• When all functions are addressed, language
  programming is more comprehensive
• Research indicates skills do not transfer across
  functions (i.e., a child may be able to label but
  not request for an item)

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Verbal Behavior

• Language is Behavior
• It is influenced by reinforcement, motivation,
  extinction, and punishment
• Concerned with the behavior of the speaker
• Listener is the mediator of reinforcement for the
  speakers behavior

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Verbal Behavior

• It is social
• It involves more than one person, not just the
  learner and the environment
• Any response form that involves a social
  interaction between speaker and listener is
  verbal behavior
• Crying
• Clapping for attention
• Gestures
• Writing

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Verbal Behavior

• Verbal operant types or parts of language
  defined by their function
• Echoic/Mimetic (sign)
• Mand
• Tact
• Intraverbal

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Verbal Behavior

• It is what determines or controls the response or
  behavior
• What is the antecedent?
• What is the consequence?
• What is the form of the response?

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Brief descriptions of Skinners expressive
behaviors

• Echoic verbal imitation
• Mand request
• Tact label
• Intraverbal to and fro conversational exchange,
  answering questions, filling in missing words of
  songs and phrase

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Echoics

• Matches what the person hears
• Echoing sounds, words and phrases without prompts
  with strong reinforcers

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Echoic
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Manding

• A mand names its reinforcer
• A mand benefits the speaker by satisfying MOs by
  obtaining specific reinforcement
• A mand allows the learner to effect his or her
  environment

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Importance of manding

• Mand training enables the instructor to know what
  functions as a reinforcer
• Mand training enables the instructor to establish
  oneself as an agent of reinforcement
• Manding has traditionally received little
  attention in DTI programs

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Elements of manding

• Can be verbal, sign language, PECS or ACS
• Increase learners vocabulary
• Increase mean length of utterance
• Use carrier phrases
• Teach attributes, actions, etc.
• Increase use of advanced mands
• Asking wh questions

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Manding
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Tacting

• The ability to label common items and actions
• Communicates what the person sees, hears,
  tastes, and smells
• Involves child as speaker vs. child as listener
• Involves coming up with correct words and
  pronouncing it correctly

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Tacting
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Intraverbals

• Allows the speaker to talk about objects and
  events even though those objects and events are
  not present
• Includes conversations (answering questions,
  participating in reciprocal conversation)
• Early intraverbals include filling in the blanks
  and finishing song lines and association pairs

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Intraverbals
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Skinners receptive behaviors

• Receptive
• Imitation - Copying someones motor movements
• RFFC

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Skinners receptive behaviors

• Receptive
• The ability to understand and act upon specific
  words
• Following instructions or complying with the
  mands of others
• Daily routine
• Doing actions
• Touching items

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Skinners receptive behaviors

• Receptive by function, feature and class
• Identifies the ability to react to an object not
  by name, but when told something about the object
  (its feature, function or class) or when given a
  verbal instruction that varies from the
  specifically trained instruction
• Learners must be able to respond to the many
  variations in verbal instructions that are
  related to everyday objects and actions in the
  environment

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Activity

• Verbal Operant activity
• Read the example and identify the verbal operant
• Teacher asks the student, What is your name?
  and the student exchanges an icon that has a
  picture of him and the name, Michael underneath
  it.
• ____________________________
• During snack time, child walks up to their parent
  and signs, more chips
• ____________________________
• While walking outside with the babysitter, the
  child hears fire engines in the distance and says
  to the babysitter, a firetruck!
• ____________________________
• Teacher says to the student, ball and the
  student responds, ball.
• ____________________________
• At home, the parent is setting the table. They
  turn to their child and say, go to the kitchen
  and get something to eat with.
• ____________________________
• Give an example for the following verbal
  operants
• Tact
• Echoic/Mand
• Expressive ID of an item by feature, function, or
  class

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Why is this important in Autism?

• Deficits in all functions of language are common
• Manding is important to increase spontaneity and
  balance other teacher directed ABA teaching
  methods
• Intraverbals build reciprocity and the foundation
  of social interaction
• Echoics can address issues of articulation,
  intelligibility and pacing
• Tacting can increase commenting skills

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Sample Lesson Plan for Snack

• Manding - child requests napkin, snack, drink
  from adults as well as peers
• Receptive - child points to, giving peers objects
  either by label or by feature, function or class
• Tact - child labels objects, actions, or people.
• Intraverbals - WH questions (What are some things
  you drink?)

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References

• Sundberg, M.L, Partington, J.W. (1998).
  Teaching Language to Children with Autism or
  Other Developmental Disabilities. Behavior
  Analysts, Inc.