Assessment of and Interventions for‌ Challenging Behaviors Using Positive Approaches
Some kids show behaviors that are oppositional and defiant towards adults and peers at school
Challenging Behaviors: Setting the Stage for Adversarial Relationships and Subversion
If oppositional and defiant behaviors begin to surface, an unhealthy communication paradigm often emerges between school and home. A phone call home, a detention slip, a suspension… THE STAGE IS SET
The Reaction Continuum
“My son wouldn’t do that!! “I will punish him.” “ What do you expect me to do?” “You guys are always kicking him out!! “ He says other kids were doing the same thing and nothing happened to them” At this point a shift begins and the parent and school are at risk for developing an adversarial relationship.
The Downward Spiral
Without evidenced-based decision making the school continues to respond in the only way they know how…punishment and exclusion.
Without proper supports, the parent becomes trapped in a dilemma. Do I blame myself, my child, or the school?
What the student learns He is becoming increasingly dis-enfranchised with school He figures out that if he tells his parent he was picked on, singled out, overly or repeatedly punished, then his parent will begin to focus on the school rather than his behaviors. It becomes increasingly probable for the student to misrepresent the school. He escapes punishment and takes the focus off of himself. By blaming the school, the parent avoid responsibility, and is relieved of the feeling of helplessness, The end result can be: a parent who rescues, defends, accuses a child who has an escape card-any time ` he wants to use it.
Working on a Behavior Solution 1. DON’T RELY ON A CONSEQUENCE AT HOME FOR A BEHAVIOR THAT OCCURS AT SCHOOL 2. WHEN YOU MEET, HAVE ALL THE PLAYERS IN THE ROOM TOGETHER 3. DESIGNATE ONE “COMMUNICATION POINT PERSON” 4. HAVE THE PLAN CLEARLY STATED 5. DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT!! 6. AGREE TO ADVOCATE, AGREE TO DISAGREE BUT NEVER EVER IN FRONT OF THE CHILD! 7. FOR THE PARENT THAT DOESN’T FOLLOW THROUGH, FOCUS ON THE POSITIVES.
A functional assessment doesn’t leave treatment selection to chance
Let’s see what I can do to get Jenny to behave!!
Ms. Jones gambles Jenny’s Education on a hunch
What is the Function of the Behavior? Obtain…
Avoid…
Peer Attention
Peer(s)
Adult Attention
Adult
Items/Activities
Task or Activity
Sensory
Sensory
What is the Function of the Behavior? Obtain…
Avoid…
Peer Attention
Peer(s)
Adult Attention
Adult
Items/Activities (tangible)
Task or Activity
Sensory (seeking)
Sensory (defensive)
An Initial Line o f Inq uiry
Stre ng ths o f s tude nt: What the student does well. Student’s strengths, gifts, & talents. Slow Triggers (Setting Events)
Fast Triggers (Antecedents)
Behavior Problem
Actual Consequences
Perceived Function
An Initial Line o f Inq uiry
Stre ng ths o f s tude nt: What the s tude nt do e s w e ll. Stude nt’s s tre ng ths , g ifts , & tale nts . Slow Triggers (Setting Events)
Fast Triggers (Antecedents)
Behavior Problem
An observable and measurable description of the behavior(s) of concern.
Actual Consequences
Perceived Function
An Initial Line o f Inq uiry
Stre ng ths o f s tude nt: What the s tude nt do e s w e ll. Stude nt’s s tre ng ths , g ifts , & tale nts . Slow Triggers (Setting Events)
Fast Triggers (Antecedents)
Behavior Problem
Events with a discrete onset and offset, that occur immediately before the challenging behavior (e.g., task demand, teacher direction, social interaction)
An observable and measurable description of the behavior(s) of concern.
Actual Consequences
Perceived Function
An Initial Line o f Inq uiry
Stre ng ths o f s tude nt: What the s tude nt do e s w e ll. Stude nt’s s tre ng ths , g ifts , & tale nts . Slow Triggers (Setting Events)
Fast Triggers (Antecedents)
Behavior Problem
Events that may occur before and/or during the targeted response that causes the student to respond to a “typical” situation in an “atypical” way. Specific conditions, events, or activities that make the problem behavior worse? (missed meds, academic failure, conflicts at home, lack of sleep, missed meals, poor interactions with peers/teacher(s), school/classroom behavioral expectations unclear…
Events with a discrete onset and offset, that occur immediately before the challenging behavior (e.g., task demand, teacher direction, social interaction). “Make it Happen”
An observable and measurable description of the behavior(s) of concern.
Actual Consequences
Perceived Function
An Initial Line o f Inq uiry
Stre ng ths o f s tude nt: What the s tude nt do e s w e ll. Stude nt’s s tre ng ths , g ifts , & tale nts . Slow Triggers (Setting Events)
Fast Triggers (Antecedents)
Behavior Problem
Actual Consequences
Events that may occur before and/or during the targeted response that causes the student to respond to a “typical” situation in an “atypical” way. Specific conditions, events, or activities that make the problem behavior worse? (missed medication, history of academic failure, conflict at home, missed meals, lack of sleep, history of problems with peers…
Events with a discrete onset and offset, that occur immediately before the challenging behavior (e.g., task demand, teacher direction, social interaction)
An observable and measurable description of the behavior(s) of concern.
Those events that occur after the behavior (e.g., peer attention, escape task) or as a result of the behavior (e.g., time out, suspension, detention, …) What usually happens after the behavior occurs? (e.g., teacher’s reaction, other students’ reactions, power struggle …)
Perceived Function
An Initial Line o f Inq uiry
Stre ng ths o f s tude nt: What the s tude nt do e s w e ll. Stude nt’s s tre ng ths , g ifts , & tale nts . Slow Triggers (Setting Events)
Fast Triggers (Antecedents)
Behavior Problem
Events that may occur before and/or during the targeted response that causes the student to respond to a “typical” situation in an “atypical” way. Specific conditions, events, or activities that make the problem behavior worse? (missed medication, history of academic failure, conflict at home, missed meals, lack of sleep, history of problems with peers…
Events with a discrete onset and offset, that occur immediately before the challenging behavior (e.g., task demand, teacher direction, social interaction)
An observable and measurable description of the behavior(s) of concern.
Actual Consequences
Perceived Function
Those events that Obtain occur after the behavior (e.g., peer Escape or attention, escape task) Avoid or as a result of the behavior (e.g., time out, suspension, detention, …) What usually happens after the behavior occurs? (e.g., teacher’s reaction, other students’ reactions, power struggle …)
An Initial Line o f Inq uiry
Stre ng ths o f s tude nt: What the s tude nt do e s w e ll. Stude nt’s s tre ng ths , g ifts , & tale nts . Slow Triggers (Setting Events)
Fast Triggers (Antecedents)
Behavior Problem
Events that may occur before and/or during the targeted response that causes the student to respond to a “typical” situation in an “atypical” way. Specific conditions, events, or activities that make the problem behavior worse? (missed medication, history of academic failure, conflict at home, missed meals, lack of sleep, history of problems with peers…
Events with a discrete onset and offset, that occur immediately before the challenging behavior (e.g., task demand, teacher direction, social interaction)
An observable and measurable description of the behavior(s) of concern.
Actual Consequences
Perceived Function
Those events that Obtain occur after the behavior (e.g., peer Escape or attention, escape task) Avoid or as a result of the behavior (e.g., time out, suspension, detention, …) What usually happens after the behavior occurs? (e.g., teacher’s reaction, other students’ reactions, power struggle …)
Testable Hypothesis Setting Events
Triggering Antecedents
Problem Behavior
٭ Maintaining Consequences
When you wake up Christmas morning and realize that Santa came, but only left you a lump of coal and you begin to cry and beat up your sister, and then your dad spanks you with his new Christmas belt. Obtain sensory What function? Setting event You’ve been womping on your sister all year long
Antecedent You received a lump of coal
Response You begin to cry and hit your sister
Consequence Your dad spanks you with his new Christmas belt
Your favorite TV show is coming on in 2 minutes. It is your turn to wash the dishes. You happily oblige. After one minute, you have broken two glasses and one dish. Your significant other pushes you out of the way and says, “Just let me do them.” You sigh and go watch your TV show. Avoid activity What function? Setting event
Antecedent
You know if you pretend you can’t do something he/she will do it for you
Your TV show is coming on and it is your turn to wash dishes
Response
Consequence
You break two dishes and a glass
Your “other” takes over and washes the dishes for you.
When Sequoia misses her 12:30 medication & teachers make multiple task demands, she makes negative self-statements & writes profane language on her assignments. Teaching staff typically send her to the office with a discipline referral for being disrespectful. What function? Avoid difficult tasks Setting event Misses 12:30 medication
Antecedent
Response
Consequence
Teachers make multiple task demands
Sequoia makes negative selfstatements & writes profane language
Teacher sends Sequoia to office for being disrespectful
Fro m Hyp o the s is to Strate g ie s Given these circumstances
when this occurs…
Slow Triggers
Fast Triggers
Slow trigger Strategies
Fast trigger strategies
the person does…
Problem Behavior
Alternative/ Competing Behavior Skills:
Teaching Strategies: Long Term Desired Skills: Teaching Strategies:
in order to…
Get/Avoid
Reinforcement Strategies: Alternative Behaviors:
Long Term Skills:
Class Behavioral Expectations
because…
Function
Reduction/ Punishment Strategies
A Word About Replacement Behavior *Identify functionally equivalent replacement
behavior.
*Replacement Behavior may need to be
taught and then maintained.
Consider… •Is the replacement behavior effective and efficient for the student to use? •The Response Effort: how difficult is it for the person to perform the behavior? (physically and/or cognitively)
Replacement Behavior Replacement Behavior ď ąIdentify a plan for instruction in the replacement behavior ď ąIdentify plan for systematically adjusting the use of the replacement behavior requirements over time (based on data and reliant upon instruction)
Horner and Sugai, 2006
Reinforcement History ď Ž
ď Ž
Has reinforcement been used as a means of acknowledging approximations of desired behavior? Has reinforcement been used as a means of control, leading to resentment, and loss of motivation?
Preferred Activities and Reinforcers
Activities the student has identified, or demonstrated to be highly motivating Items the student actively seeks out and/or are known to be reinforcing Involve the student in reinforcer identification FOR THE OPPOSITIONAL STUDENT, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT HE TAKES PART IN DEVELOPING THE PLAN!!!
Behavior Mantra: “ It is easier to prevent a behavior from occurring than to deal with it after it has happened.�
If you’ve told a child a thousand times and he/she still doesn’t understand, then it is not the CHILD who is the slow learner!
Anonymous
31
Barriers to Successful BIPS
not including all team members (including parents and the student) in the development, implementation and evaluation of the plan having too vague a definition of a target behavior incomplete measurement or data collection an inaccurate hypothesis inappropriate interventions a lack of skill or support to carry out the interventions failing to take into account other issues (like environment, culture, mental health, physical health, drug use, out of school activities, etc.) that are affecting the student's behavior.
Why don’t we handle difficult behavior better? When WE experience challenging situations with students, we select interventions that produce immediate (rather than sustained) relief. We tend to focus on OUR concerns, not the student’s. Discuss this statement with a partner.
Traditional Approaches to Dealing with Difficult Behavior
Punishment
Exclusion
We Make Poor Decisions
Research on Coercion ♦ Coercive interchanges are much more frequent in the families of aggressive children.
♦ The aversive behavior of one person is usually responded to with aversive behavior of the other person.
♦ The mother is the focus for the majority of coercive behaviors. ♦ When mothers give in or comply with the child’s coercive behavior, such behavior immediately decreases.
♦ Mothers of children with behavior problems are more likely to provide attention following deviant behavior.
♦ Mothers of problem children are more likely to provide commands.
♦ Mothers of problem children administer more frequent punishment.
♦ Parents of problem children utilize more punishment than parents of non-problem children.
Kazdin, 1985
According to Research, the MOST EFFECTIVE responses to problem behavior are:
• Social skills training • Academic and curricular restructuring • Behavioral interventions
(Gottfredson, 1997; Lipsey,
1991, 1992; Lipsey & Wilson, 1993; Tolan & Guerra, 1994)
Three Ways to Prevent Challenging Behaviors
1. Environmental Enhancements 2. Teaching Students Replacement Skills 3. Enhancing Your OwnCompetencies and Approach Strategies
The 1-7%
We take them home with us every day. Our family knows them without ever having met them. We dream about them. They learn how to push our buttons. They can take us down a road we don’t want to travel. They make us think that maybe we should have gone into marketing or real estate. They are extremely difficult to like at times…
Our most challenging children…
May not respond to traditional consequences Will require more support and change on OUR part Will need a “significant positive relationship” at school. You are the best candidate for this! Will need another way to find acceptance in the school environment May be resistant to strategies to develop self control
What does “Positive” mean? Climate of Mutual Respect Relationship Driven Teaching and Guidance Developing Self Control Clear Expectations Focus on Prevention Acknowledge Desired Behaviors
Ratio of Corrective Feedback 5 to 7 : 1 Positives Negative
Strategies for Defiance The I-ASSIST MODEL
I-Isolate the young person A- Actively listen S-Speak Calmly S-Statements of Understanding proceed requests I- Invite student to consider positive outcomes and behaviors S- Space reduces pressure T-Time helps students to respond to requests
Cornell University. 2006
OTHER DIFFUSION STRATEGIES
Turn to your elbow partner and generate at least three more strategies you could use to diffuse a situation with a challenging student. Share your ideas with the whole group.
Establishing a Relationship-Based Approach‌
Reinforcement should be a celebration of effort