BEHAVIOR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN Student’s Name Institution Course Instructor Date
CASE OVERVIEW • This case study presents the case of *Linda, a 16-year-old autistic girl. • (*A pseudonym is used to protect the patient’s privacy) • She demonstrates avoidance behavior, which leads her to avoid non-preferred tasks. • The avoidance behavior interferes significantly with her ability to learn and socialize. • It also disrupts the classroom; thus, affecting the learning of the other students
THE FUNCTION OF LINDA’S BEHAVIOR • There are four functions of behavior. • These are: - Sensory simulation - Access to Attention - Access to Tangibles - Escape / Avoidance (Roane, Fisher, & Carr, 2016). • In Linda’s case, the function of her behavior is escaping / avoiding unpleasant situations.
TREATMENT / INTERVENTION PLAN • The specific behavior targeted by the treatment is Linda’s avoidance behavior • Linda’s intervention will be provided by the classroom staff and caregivers. • Her behavior will be observed as the Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) is implemented. • The antecedent in this case study is assigning her nonpreferred tasks in a manner that will induce her participation.
TREATMENT PLAN • An effective treatment plan helps to reduce the undesired behavior (Kearney, 2015). • In Linda’s case, the aim of the treatment is to increase her attention span and her ability to work on challenging tasks with less supervision and coercion • Her treatment plan includes the following: - Positive Reinforcement • Any behavioral improvement should be noted and reinforced.
TREATMENT PLAN (Continued) • Shortening the duration of the tasks to maintain her attention (Fisher, & Zangrillo, 2015). • Introducing a variety of interesting tasks to capture her attention for longer (O'Connor, & Daly III, 2018). • Allowing Linda to choose between two activities; for instance – between doing Math or English. • Making her part of the decision making process gives her a role in the behavior correction process, thus motivating her.
TRAINING • The first to be trained will be the classroom teaching staff. • The problem behavior is usually demonstrated during learning, therefore, training the teaching staff will be a priority. • Their training will soon be followed by training the caregivers and family. • The aspects of training that the ABA specialist will focus on are: - Effective methods of observing and recording the problem behavior. - Effective behavior correction strategies - Behavior evaluation methods.
TRAINING • The classroom staff and caregivers will be trained by the ABA specialist. • The most effective training methods are: - Behavior Skills Training (BST) - Role playing - Modeling (Walker, & Barry, 2017).
MEASUREMENT • Measurement is used to examine the cause and effects of the problematic behaviors and also access the effectiveness of the treatment. • Latency recording will be used to measure Linda’s task-avoidance behavior (Walker, & Barry, 2017). • Latency recording will be used at three points during treatment: 1. At baseline 2. During the intervention process (Fisher, & Zangrillo, 2015). 3. In the implementation and maintenance of the desired behavior
THE IMPORTANCE OF LATENCY RECORDING IN BIP • According to Fisher and Zangrillo (2015), latency recording is relevant in BIP because it analyzes three key aspects. • These are : - The tasks that the patient (Linda) prefers - It measures the time she takes to complete her tasks, - How often she refuses to perform some tasks ( the frequency of problematic behavior).
FIDELITY AND RELIABILITY CHECKS • Training is most effective when it is offered in a variety of contexts. • Training is offered by only one therapist (interventionist) to narrow the discriminative stimuli (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2014). • The data observed during the BIP process will be recorded in a latency recoding data sheet • A fidelity checklist will be used to ascertain whether the implementation is done correctly, and troubleshoot issues with the treatment plan • Biases will be reduced by ensuring that the data takers are well-trained, and also douible checking the data recorded for accuracy (Kearney, 2015). • The entire process will also be keenly observed to ensure data accuracy. • At the end of the 14-day period, a graph will be drawn to assess the behavior change trend.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
LATENCY RECORDING
DATA COLLECTION • The data will be collected primarily using the observation method • Linda’s behavior will be observed and recorded in a latency recording sheet during the course of the treatment. • The latency recording form contains the following sections: • The latency recording form contained the following sections: (Trump et al., 2020). - Date - Activity - The time the instruction was given - The time the behavior began - The duration of the behavior • At the end of the treatment, this information will be presented graphically (Vollmer et al, 2013).
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS • • • • • •
There are three ethical considerations to consider during this process: Valid Consent Capacity The principle of best interest (Cooper et al, 2014). The BIP can only be performed with the full consent of the patient’s primary caregivers; such as her parents or guardians. Coercive methods should not be used at any point during the intervention process. The intervention should consider the patient’s capacity to learn and the state of her mental health. All actions performed must be toward her best interest. Only fully-qualified ABA professionals should train the interventionists Only valid and legal BIP methods will be used in this process.
REFERENCES • Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2014). Applied Behavior Analysis (2nd Ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall • Fisher, W. W., & Zangrillo, A. N. (2015). Applied behavior analytic assessment and treatment of autism spectrum disorder. In Clinical and organizational applications of applied behavior analysis (pp. 19-45). Academic Press. • Kearney, A. J. (2015). Understanding applied behavior analysis: An introduction to ABA for parents, teachers, and other professionals. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. • O'Connor, M. A., & Daly III, E. J. (2018). Selecting effective intervention strategies for escapemaintained academic-performance problems. Journal of school psychology, 66, 41-53. • Roane, H., Ringdahl, J., & Falcomata, T. (2015). Clinical and Organizational Applications of Applied Behavior Analysis. Elsevier Science
REFERENCES • Shyman, E. (2016). The Reinforcement of Ableism: Normality, The Medical Model Of Disability, And Humanism In Applied Behavior Analysis And ASD. Intellectua And Developmental Disabilities, 54(5), 366-376. Https://Doi.Org/10.1352/1934-9556-54.5.366 • Trump, C. E., Ayres, K. M., Quinland, K. K., & Zabala, K. A. (2020). Differential Reinforcement Without Extinction: A Review Of The Literature. Behavior Analysis: Research And Practice, 20(2), 94–107. Https://Doi.Org/10.1037/Bar0000169 • Vollmer, T., Roane, H., Ringdahl, J., & Marcus, B. (2013). Evaluating Treatment Challenges With Differential Reinforcement Of Alternative Behavior. Journal Of Applied Behavior Analysis, 32(1). Https://Doi.Org/10.1901/Jaba.1999.32-9 • Walker, J. D., & Barry, C. (2017). Improving Outcomes of Behavioral Intervention Plans. Intervention in School and Clinic, 53(1), 12–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451217692566 • Welch, C., & Polatjako, H. (2016). Applied Behavior Analysis, Autism, And Occupational Therapy: A Search For Understanding. The American Journal Of Occupational Therapy, 70. Https://Doi.Org/10.5014/Ajot.2016.018689