ABA is the science in which procedures derived from the principles of behavior are systematically ap

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• ABA 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 of
  the behavior
• (Cooper, Heron, Heward ,1987, p. 15)

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Generally behavior principles are guided by
A B C
Antecedent
Behavior
Consequence
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In the world of ABA, everything is driven by.
DATA
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Key points related to data

• Start with measurable objectives
• Have a plan for collecting data on objectives
• Review progress on objectives (i.e. graphing)
• Make changes to intervention based on progress or
  lack of
• Data is important for measuring progress, proving
  progress, and changing intervention based on
  progress

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ABA
Discrete Trial
Structured Teaching
Incidental Teaching
These different teaching methods will be
discussed later in the presentation.
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If you say you are using ABA

• Reinforcement
• Prompting
• Modeling
• Shaping
• Chaining
• Fading
• Pairing
• Differential reinforcement
• Intermittent reinforcement
• Extinction
• Punishment
• Generalization

• Maintenance
• Discrimination training
• Errorless learning
• Transfer of stimulus control
• Task analysis
• Fluency procedures
• Contingency contracting
• Token economy
• Functional assessment
• Discrete trials
• Data collection
• Interspersal techniques

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ABA Requires

• Thinking through the process of teaching
• Thinking through why a child is struggling with a
  skill
• Breaking down skills in a simple way
• A system for data collection, specific monitoring
  of maintenance of skills, and a plan for
  generalization

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ABA Myths

• ABA is just another autism therapy.
• ABA is a related service.
• ABA Discrete Trial Training/Table Work
• ABA is just a grab bag of techniques.
• ABA is based on aversives.

Adapted from Bobby Newman, ABA International
Autism Conference, 2007
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ABA Myths continued

• ABA only teaches simple responses.
• ABA has been the same for 50 years.
• ABA is not valid due to research procedures.
• ABA is only for behavior reduction.
• ABA has been replaced by other methods.

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So, why ABA?

• Research-based
• Systematic
• Data-driven
• Many methods cater to strengths and needs of
  students with autism

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How do we change behavior?

• Increase socially significant skills
• Decrease problem behaviors
• Each REQUIRES teaching skills or behaviors

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What do we use to teach new skills or behaviors?

• Prompting
• Reinforcement
• Shaping
• Errorless teaching
• Error correction
• Task Analysis

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Key Component Prompting

• What is a prompt?
• A cue that tells the child how to respond

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Types Verbal Visual Pointing
Gestural Positional Modeling Physical
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Where do we begin?

• Know the condition under which your student
  must respond (based on goal)
• For example, is the expectation that the student
  will transition independently by following the
  natural classroom cues or when given a specific
  instruction to transition (i.e. schedule, visual,
  verbal, etc)
• Based on where your student is with the goal,
  choose a prompt level to begin with

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Rules for Prompting
Have a plan for fading prompts Use differential
reinforcement on prompted responses Always use
least intrusive and most natural prompt Make sure
child is ready for prompt
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Prompt Dependency

• Is very common in students with autism. You must
  have a plan for reducing prompts. Here are some
  signs
• May appear to lack initiative
• Might learn a task based on certain cues
• Might sit and wait for help

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Fading Prompts

• Because prompt dependency is a common problem,
  you must have a plan for fading prompts
• When teaching a new skill, you use a more
  supportive prompt level (i.e. full physical, full
  verbal prompt)
• As the child becomes more independent with the
  skill, you will fade that support

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Fading prompts

• You can decrease support by
• Using most-to-least prompting (new skill)
• Using least-to-most prompting (acquired skill)
• Using time delay (give the student opportunity to
  respond before prompting)

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Key Component Reinforcement

• The definition of a reinforcer is a consequence
  that increases the chances that the student will
  repeat the behavior

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Natural reinforcers

• Taking a bitetasty food
• Going to workpaycheck
• Scratching a biterelief from itching
• Completing homeworktime for leisure
• Ask a friend for a toyget toy

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Why do we need artificial reinforcement?

• Often students with ASD, are not intrinsically
  motivated to complete tasks
• Using artificial reinforcement (i.e. stickers,
  candy, tokens, praise) increases the likelihood
  that students with ASD will comply with classroom
  demands
• Artificial reinforcers should be faded over time

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Rules of Reinforcement
1. When teaching a new skill, reinforcement
should be provided immediately and frequently. 2.
Reinforcement should always be paired with verbal
praise, labeling the behavior if possible. (i.e.,
Good sitting! I like how you are quiet.) 3. As
the skill is learned, a plan should be set for
fading (immediacy and frequency) the
reinforcement. 4. Reinforcers should vary as
much as possible. If able, the child should be
allowed to choose what he would like to work for.
A picture choice board works well. (use
preference assessment)
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Rules continued
5. Chosen reinforcers should be used only for
work time. If a child has access to the
reinforcer at any time of the day, hell be less
likely to work for it. 6. Reinforcers must be
earned. They are not time-fillers. 7. Use
natural reinforcers if possible. For example, if
the child is working on requesting juice, his
reinforcer will be to get the juice.
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Formal reinforcement systems

• First/Then
• Token economy
• Class-wide systems
• Watch out for negative reinforcement
• School-wide systems
• What has worked for you?

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Key Component Shaping

• Reinforcing approximations of the desired
  behavior
• Improvements
• Longer periods of performance or participation
• Helps a child feel success while you continue to
  work on the desired behavior

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Shaping Examples
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Key Component Errorless Learning

• Probe what student knows already and use
  errorless for unknown skills (50 or less)
• Preventing a child from making a mistake during
  teaching session to increase success level
• Good for acquisition of new skills
• Three ways
• Prompt immediately
• Watch what child does, then prompt
• Set up materials for success (positional prompts)

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When to move on

• Allow approximately 3 sessions of errorless
  teaching
• Watch for signs that student is beginning to
  respond independently
• Use time delay to test student response
• When student is responding to time delay then
  move to error correction procedures

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Key Component Error Correction

• How will you tell the child they have made a
  mistake?
• Helps child know how to improve/change answer
• Needs to be clear
• Needs to be consistent across people

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Using error correction

• Example
• Teacher What letter? (A)
• Student G
• Teacher No.
• Teacher What letter? ..A
• Student A
• Teacher Yes, thats A!
• Receptive ID of coins
• Sorting colors/shapes
• Sight word recognition on smart board or computer

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Key component Task Analysis

• Breaks down step-by-step all of the components of
  a single activity
• Examples
• Handwashing
• Toileting
• Putting materials at arrival time
• Gathering materials for departure
• Going through lunch line
• Activity pick one as a group and write it out

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Things to consider.

• Task analysis should be individualized for each
  child and level of detail will vary
• First step is to observe what child can do
  independently
• Teaching begins at emerging skills
• Must take data!! (task analysis data sheet)
• To know how child is progressing
• To know what steps are missing

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How will you teach? Chaining

• Linking simple behaviors to form a more complex
  behavior
• Forward chaining- skills taught in order (more
  natural)
• Backward chaining- start with last step or end of
  sequence trainer completes earlier steps (when
  last step is reinforcing)
• Total task presentation- each step taught each
  session (not as efficient)

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With all teaching strategies.

• Plan for
• Discrimination
• Maintenance
• Generalization

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Key Component Discrimination

• Discriminate stimulus (child must pay attention
  to stimulus)
• What? vs Who?
• red vs green
• Discriminate response (child must give different
  responses)
• Clap hands vs stomp feet
• reading the word cat vs dog
• Quiet vs loud
• Confirms that child really knows the skill
• Should be able to mix up skills

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Key Component Maintenance

• Two parts
• Retaining skills over time
• Ensuring learned skills are not lost
• Must be part of overall program
• Schedule times to check skills (monthly)
• Monitor learned skills
• Can use maintenance skills to intersperse with
  new skills
• Can build behavioral momentum

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Key Component Generalization

• Purpose of generalization make sure child can use
  skills across a variety of different settings,
  people, and materials
• WEAKNESS for students with autism!!
• Should plan from the beginning!
• Teach loosely
• Teach in natural setting
• Teach with a variety of stimuli
• Teach with different teachers

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Generalization Example Skill Teaching Colors

• Materials- crayons, balls, food items
• People- PE teacher, cafeteria lady
• Settings- lunchroom, gym, playground
• Responses- point to, name, match
• Instructions- Show me (color), What color?,
  Find (color)

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ABA
Discrete Trial
Structured Teaching
Incidental Teaching
There are additional ABA teaching methods. We
will focus on these three today
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Discrete Trial Training

• A common intervention used to teach a child new
  skills which involves a three-part process a
  presentation by a teacher the child's response
  and a consequence. These programs are adult-led
  and requires direct instruction.

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Features of Discrete Trial Training

• Activities are adult directed
• Involves one-on-one teaching
• Is based on operant conditioning principles
• Emphasizes repetition
• Controlled environment allows for easy data
  collection

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Teaching Components of Discrete Trial Training
SD The Instruction
R The Response
SR The Feedback
Build this
Correct
Good job!
Touch nose
Prompted
Try again
Line up
Nice try
No response
What letter?
Good working
Incorrect
all feedback may be paired with social or
tangible reinforcement
Slide designed by Martha Iroff, Knox County
Schools
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How/when will I use this?

• To teach new skills
• During 11 time with teacher or asst.
• During any structured teaching time, even in the
  gen ed room

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Discrete Trial Data

• Trial by trial
• Color ID
• Stimulus (red/blue/etc..)
• Student response (/-/P)
• Multiplication tables
• Stimulus (2s/ 2x4) dependent on student level
• Student response (/-/P)
• Summary level data
• Frequency correct or percentage correct

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Incidental Teaching

• Is a method of instruction that is employed in
  naturalistic settings and is child directed with
  the goal of strengthening functional social and
  communication skills.

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Features of Incidental Teaching

• Activities are child-directed
• Occurs in the natural social environment
• Occurs within the context of ongoing activities
• Employs natural reinforcers
• Emphasizes generalization of functional skills
  across settings, people, and activities
• Peers may be involved as intervention partners

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Steps in Incidental Teaching
If the child has lost interest or moved on to
another activity, STOP TEACHING EPISODE
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Common Mistakes!

• Using uninteresting toys
• Increasing childs frustrations
• Not waiting for initiation

• Forgetting reinforcement
• Not following childs interest

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How/when will I use this?

• During natural teaching times
• Recess, lunch, centers, etc.

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Incidental Teaching Data

• Event Recording
• Frequency of child targets
• You may also be interested in mean length of
  utterance (MLU), vocabulary, opportunities
• Language samples may be used

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Structured Teaching

Is an instructional approach developed
specifically for students with autism. It
employs methods designed to clarify expectations
and establish predictability, in order to promote
skill acquisition and foster independent
functioning.
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Features of Structured Teaching

• Instructional strategies are specialized for
  autism
• Involves individualized assessment of skills and
  interests
• Uses developmentally-appropriate activities
• Emphasizes physical organization, visual clarity,
  and independence
• Focuses on prevention of problem behaviors

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Components of ST
Visual Structure of the Task
Routines Strategies
Work System
Individual Schedule
Physical Structure
Borrowed from T.E.A.C.C.H.
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Physical Structure

• Clear visual and physical boundaries in the
  classroom
• Minimize auditory and visual distraction
• Develop basic teaching areas

Borrowed from T.E.A.C.C.H.
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Individual Schedules

• Be individualized to the child
• Provide a sequence of events and/or location of
  events
• Provide predictability
• Support the students level of understanding
• Promote independence
• Ease transitions

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The work system answers four questions for the
student

• How much work?
• Have tasks clearly organized (i.e. baskets, clear
  bins, binders, notebooks, folders, etc.)
• What work?
• Tasks that the student already knows how to
  do-idea is to be independent!
• Tasks with a clear beginning and end
• How will I know I am finished?
• Teach what will happen when finished (i.e. put in
  finished box/binder/tray, put back in box)
• What happens next?
• Have a visual that indicates what their reward or
  next activity is
• Have visual schedule readily available to tell
  them what to do when they are finished

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Individual Work Systems

• The work system gives the student a systematic
  way to approach the work that needs to be
  completed
• Work system builds independent work skills.
• Idea is not necessarily the task, but working
  through a sequence of tasks.
• Can be adapted for all ages and settings from
  preschool to adult and from classroom to the
  workplace

Borrowed from T.E.A.C.C.H.
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Routines Strategies

• Teach classroom routines
• Use visuals to support student in following
  classroom routines (i.e., first/then,
  visual/written directions)

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Structured Teaching Data

• Mostly task analysis following a visual
  schedule, completing a multi-step work task
• Responses will still be , -, or P for each step

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Functional Communication Training

Involves teaching alternative methods of
communication to express needs and desires and to
decrease problem behaviors
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Features of Functional Communication Training

• Helps child initiate spontaneous communication
• Interprets problematic behaviors as communication
  and teaches functional communication to replace
  the behaviors
• Uses universally understood symbols (pictures)

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Two Steps for Successful FCT
Identify the function of the behavior (including
antecedents and consequences that might maintain
the behavior).
Provide POTENT reinforcers for appropriate
communication behaviors.
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Examples of using FCT

• Student yells out to gain attention-we teach
  raising hand as replacement bx
• Hitting a peer to initiate interaction-we teach
  asking the peer to play
• Student throws cup when empty-we teach requesting
  more drink
• Student fidgets/gets loud because they are
  frustrated-we teach asking for a break

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Functional Communication Training Sequence

• Child engages in inappropriate behavior.
• Teacher models or provides alternative
  communicative behavior.
• Child follows model or prompt.
• Teacher reinforces child for more appropriate
  behavior

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How/when will I use this?

• Anytime you have a child engaging in
  inappropriate behavior that is serving a
  communicative function
• Throughout the day
• All staff should use it!