Behavior Therapy

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Behavior Therapy
SPED 835- Dr. Kasik- Spring 2001
Presented by
Patrick Lovelace
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Behavior Therapy

• The systematic application of the principles
  of learning to the direct modification of
  behaviors.

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Key Figures

• John Broadus Watson (1878-1958) considered the
  founder of American behaviorism stated that If
  psychology is to be a natural science, it must
  limit itself to observable, measurable events.
• Ivan Pavlov, a Russian scientist, discovered that
  dogs would salivate at the sound of a bell due to
  the fact that the sounding of the bell was
  associated with feeding time.

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B. F. Skinner

• Introduced the concept of Reinforcement.
• Organisms learn to behave in certain ways
  because they have been reinforced (rewarded) to
  do so and so was born the idea of Operant
  Conditioning.

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What is Behavior Therapy ?

• The systematic application of the principles of
  learning to the direct modification of behavior.
• The terms Behavior Therapy and Behavior
  Modification are often used interchangeably.
  However, in a practical sense they are different.
• Question Are teachers therapist?

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What is the difference?

• Behavior Modification can be practiced by
  teachers, parents, or anyone else properly
  trained in the basic principles and techniques.
• Behavior Therapy should only be offered by a
  licensed psychologist with a background in
  behaviorism.

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How is behavior modification used ?

• Behavior modification techniques are utilized
  in the treatment of a wide variety of behavioral
  conditions.
• Drug and alcohol addictions.
• Social maladjustment disorders.
• Eating disorders.
• Phobia
• ADHD and Conduct disorder

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Categories of Behavior Modification
Techniques

• Behavior modification techniques can be
  generally grouped into 4 categories.
• Fear Reduction
• Aversion Conditioning
• Operant Conditioning
• Self monitoring / Self control
• Operant Conditioning and Self Monitoring are the
  techniques most commonly used in the classroom.

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Token Economy

• Students are allowed to earn tokens or points
  in exchange for positive behavior. Students are
  then allowed to use these tokens or points to
  buy treats or privileges within the classroom.

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Successive Approximation

• The student learns to achieve goalsone step
  at a time. The teacher rewards (reinforces) the
  students success at the completion of each task
  until the overall goal has been achieved.
• In the case of Behavior Shaping, the
  student is encouraged to maintain positive
  behavior in gradually increasing increments of
  time.

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Social Skills Training

• The student learns and practices appropriate
  social behavior to replace negative behaviors in
  social situations. When the student uses the
  new skills, the student is given feedback
  (reinforcement or corrective action) to let the
  student know how he or she has done. The student
  also verbalizes how he or she feels after
  demonstrating appropriate skills.

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Functional Analysis

• The student is encouraged to keep a journal
  of his or her behavior. The entries are
  discussed with the teacher or therapist in order
  to identify patterns or triggers that will help
  the student better understand and alter
  troublesome behaviors.

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Programmed Learning

• A complex task is broken down into smaller
  tasks. Each task should be created to eliminate
  student error.
• The goal is to teach the student the correct
  behavior (action) chain to successfully complete
  the task.
• This method requires that the teacher do a
  complete task analysis on the targeted task to
  insure that each prerequisite task is covered.

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Planned Ignoring

• This method requires that the teacher
  purposely ignores negative behaviors, and
  promptly rewards positive behavior.

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Time Out

• Time Out requires that the student be placed
  in a drab, restrictive environment for a
  specified time period. The student is not to be
  allowed any attention from peers or teachers.
  (unless positive peer culture is used in
  conjunction)
• Time out is less effective with older students

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Positive Peer Culture

• Students are taught to regulate and reinforce
  the behavior of their peers. Students give each
  other honest feedback about how they feel
  regarding the behavior of their peers. This
  method also allows for the peer group to create
  disciplinary measures for inappropriate behaviors.

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Tough Love

• Tough Love is defined as the use of strict
  disciplinary measures and limitations on freedoms
  or privileges, as by a parent or guardian, as a
  means of fostering responsibility and expressing
  care or concern.
• Tough Love is not mean spirited or demeaning. It
  is meant to be administered with compassion and
  consideration.

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Tough Love is

• Giving children clear, concise rules with
  reasonable limits
• .
• Allowing children to experience the natural
  consequences of their choices.
• Not rescuing children from the repercussions of
  their own poor decisions.
• Sticking to the rules and expectations set forth

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Modeling

• Modeling is simply giving the students a positive
  role model to demonstrate the kinds of behavior
  expected from the student. Surround the student
  with positive influences. Be the kind of person
  we want the child to become.

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Assessment Tools

• Behavior Rating Profile (Brown Hammill, 1990)
• Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (Sparrow, Balla,
  Cicchetti, 2000)
• AAMD Adaptive Behavior Scale School
  Edition(Lambert, Windmiller, Tharinger, Cole,
  1993)
• Devereux Adolescent Behavior Rating Scale
  (Spivack, Spotts, Haimes, 1967)

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Final Thoughts

• It is important to remember that, as
  teachers, we are not therapist. We can only hope
  to create positive learning environments for our
  students by maintaining the rules of behavior we
  have set forth in our classrooms. If behavior
  modification is our method of choice, we must be
  sure to have solid understanding of the basic
  principles and techniques. Like any other
  method, it must be tailored to the individual
  needs of the students. Remember, MODELING is one
  of the best forms of Behavior modification.

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Bibliography

• Gilbert, Sara. What Happens In Therapy ?,
  Lothrop, Lee Shepard Books, New York., 1992.
• Lingren, Herbert G., PH.D Tough Love With
  Teens. University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2001
• Rathus, Spencer A., Psychology in the New
  Millennium. 6th Edition, Harcourt Brace, 1996.
• Schloss, Patrick J., Smith, Maureen A., Schloss,
  Cynthia N., Instructional Methods for Secondary
  Students with Learning and Behavior Problems. 3rd
  Edition, 2000
• Weisberg, Lynne W., MD, PH.D, Greenberg, Rosalie
  MD., When Acting Out Isnt Acting-Out,
  Understanding Child and Adolescent Temper, Anger,
  and Behavior Disorders, 1988