Verbal behavior

VERBAL BEHAVIOR “Monorodi” Educational Center for Autism Apollonia Foundation Gevgelija 19-20 June 2014

Tools for assessing skills in children with language and learning deficits and is most commonly used in the process of the development of a behavioral program for children in the autism spectrum. Develop curriculum guides.

ABLLS-R: ABLLS-R stands for Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills - Revised. (http://www.partingtonbehavioranalysts.com/page/a blls-r-25.html) VB-MAPP:

VB-MAPP stands for The Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Ptlacement Program (http://www.marksundberg.com/vb-mapp.htm)

VERBAL BEHAVIOUR 2

VERBAL BEHAVIOR

It’s an object of behavior analysis, because of its importance in humans

VBs play a central role in such skills as social interaction, language and cognitive development, problem solving etc.

Formal properties: language structure, including the topography of VB

Functional properties: these include the cause of a VB A full awareness of language presupposes both of these types of features

FEATURES OF LANGUAGE SKINNER,1957

Cognitive approach: language is

controlled by internal procedures of perceiving, classifying, encoding and decoding, and storing verbal information (Piaget, 1952;Bloom,1970)

Biological approach: language is

hereditary and evident since

birth. (Chomsky,1965)

LANGUAGE THEORIES

Verbal behavior is whatever behavior is reinforced through the mediation of another person� “

A learned

behavior

Maintained by

the same environmental variables that maintain other non-verbal behaviors

VERBAL BEHAVIOR

Listener and

speaker are clearly differentiated

Skinner puts

the emphasis on the speaker’s behavior

He

doesn’t uses terms like expressive or receptive language

DIFFERENCES OF APPROACHES

Analysis of verbal behavior is conducted through verbal operants analyse verbal operants taking into account MOs, SD, C, whereas classical linguistics deal with words, phrases, sentences etc.

We

BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS OF LANGUAGE

Teach all meanings of a word chocolate

Mand Tact Echoic/mimic Intraverbals Receptive FFC Textual

CLASSIFICATION OF VERBAL BEHAVIORS 9 Monorodi 2013, All rights reserved

Stimulus

Verbal behavior

Result of communication (gain)

Desire or need

Request (mand)

Demand met

I’m thirsty

“Juice”

I’m given a juice

Visual stimulus

You name it (tact)

Social reinforcement

You’re given a picture and you’re asked “what is it?”

“a hen”

“Well done”

Verbal stimulus

Verbal imitation (echoic)

Reinforcement

Say “apple”

“apple”

“bingo!”

VERBAL OPERANTS 10 Monorodi 2013, All rights reserved

Stimulus

Verbal behavior

Result of communication (gain)

Verbal stimulus

Verbal response (intraverbals)

Social reinforcement

“What’s your name?”

“My name’s Anna”

“My name’s Maria, do you want to play with me?”

Discriminative stimulus

Verbal response different from Social reinforcement the SD itself (Textual)

A text

He reads the text

“Well done”

VERBAL OPERANTS 11 Monorodi 2013, All rights reserved

How is your student communicating when he’s trying to make you understand what he wants?

1.

Does he drag you by the hand? Is he pointing? Is he standing in front of the reinforcer?

2.

Is he using one-word utterances?

3.

Does he exchange pictures (PECS)? can he use signs? Or both?

REQUESTS (MANDING) 12 Monorodi 2013, All rights reserved

Physical

imitation

Does he copy (imitate) your actions?

1.

Clapping hands?

2.

Shooting a ball?

3.

Your model for jumping?

INITIAL STAGE 13 Monorodi 2013, All rights reserved

Receptive skills

Can he understand phrases? Can he follow commands?

1.

Can he follow 5 single verbal commands pertaining to daily living actions?

2.

Can he show 10 actions upon the educator’s request? (e.g. “show me ‘sleep’!”)

3.

Can he identify 10 objects after their attributes (“show me round and red”)

INITIAL STAGE 14 Monorodi 2013, All rights reserved

Matching

Is your student able to match items, pictures, sample shapes, that you give him?

1.

Can he match 10 objects with corresponding pictures?

2.

Can he match colors with sample drawings?

3.

Can he put items on shelves by matching them with other items on the shelves?

INITIAL STAGE 15 Monorodi 2013, All rights reserved

Verbal

imitation Does your student repeat after you sounds, words, or phrases you model?

1. Does he imitated vocalizations after the educator?

2. Does he imitate words after the educator?

3. Does he imitate phrases after the educator?

Traditional SLT starts from this point!..

INITIAL STAGE 16 Monorodi 2013, All rights reserved

When

functional speech is too delayed, articulation cannot be a priority!

You may even never set articulation work as a goal, as other language goals may be a priority Articulation work is ineffective if your student doesn’t look at you or never imitates Articulation in such cases cannot improve global functioning or enhance development!

ARTICULATION DEFICITS 17 Monorodi 2013, All rights reserved

Labeling

Can your student name items or actions?

1.

Labels 5-10 items when so instructed by the educator

2.

Labels 30 actions when so instructed by the educator

3.

Names surrounding people

INTERMEDIATE STAGE 18 Monorodi 2013, All rights reserved

Conversational

skills (intraverbal precursors)

Does your student answer questions, or does he complete phrases with missing words?

1. Does he continues a song when the educator stops?

2. Does he complete phrases like ÂŤ1,2,3....Âť 3. Does he answer wh- questions?

ADVANCED STAGE 19 Monorodi 2013, All rights reserved

Academic

skills

Is your student able to learn how to read, write, count?

1.

Does he recognize letters? Or words?

2.

Can he do any calculations?

3.

Can he identify words he doesn’t understand in a text of 50 words?

ADVANCED STAGE 20 Monorodi 2013, All rights reserved

Eye contact (2-3 months)†

Complex sequence imitation (5-12 mo, mainly >12)

Understanding others’ attention (7-9 mo) †

Pointing / shared focus of attention (8-15 mo) † *

Joint attention as communication (9-11 mo) †

Social referencing (10-14 mo)

DEVELOPMENTAL PRECURSORS OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION

© Μονορόδι 2012

Understanding what others know (1-2 yrs)

Understanding others’ intentions (1,5-3 yrs)

Phantasy (e.g. rehearsal of situations in lonely play) [symbolic function at 2 yrs: imagines alternatives]

†

DEVELOPMENTAL PRECURSORS OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION

© Μονορόδι 2012

Body language (posture andpositioning)

Gesture

Facial expression

Eye contact

Gaze (gaze shifts)

Proxemics

Deictic gestures

Challenging behavior as communication

NON-VERBAL

Language consists of arbitrary symbols

Alternative language systems have this same feature

PECS need not be taught to communication partners, because it is not another symbolic system

PECS does not require symbolic abilities; it requires only categorical and discriminative ones

It can be taught to most language-disabled people

It incorporates several verbal operants

In moderate ASDs, you can teach morphology and syntax through PECS Advanced techniques (adaptations needed for your language)

LANGUAGE & PECS

The first thing PECS does, is teaching alternative communicative behaviors

NON-VERBAL: give the picture, take the reinforcer = deliver a message

NON-VERBAL: a deeper understanding of environment and communication: need to find the communication partner, need to gain the reinforcer through his mediation – with the help of a message

Echoic behavior is encouraged throughout PECS

PECS – Phases I and II

Students are taught to select appropriate content of message (through discrimination)

A complete manding behavior, ONLY functional (we teach only items that are meaningful to the student)

Receptive behavior is taught throughout PECS, in the teaching environment (following routines, commands, instructions)

PECS – Phase III

First syntax: sentence starter “I want”

FFC: features - Sentence enrichment: attributes

PECS – Phase IV

Tacting behavior (labeling) - Answers to “what do you want?” (more functional than just “what is this?”)

More tacts: commenting (no mand); more verbs for sharing impressions

PECS doesn’t teach intraverbals

You can teach textual behavior through PECS

PECS – Phases V & VI

Early Intensive Behavior Interventions (since 1961)

ABA-based

Developmentally sound

Start between 1 and 3 yrs of age

2 year duration

At least 20 hours/week

Use of DTT and incidental teaching

Stronger effect on IQ and prognosis

EIBI

Strongest evidence for:

ESDM (Early Start Denver Model)

PRT (Pivotal Response Training)

Nova Scotia

Traditional: Lovaas (1963, widely known after 1987)

PECS and Positve Behavior Support may be incorporated

EIBI

Koegel and Koegel, 1987, San Diego

Naturalistic training (initiations and interests)

Pivotal variables of learning: social motivation, responsivity to multiple cues, self-management, self-initiations

PRT

Davis

25-40 hours/week

Goals: imitation, discrimination, play behavior, communication, social interaction, school behavior

ESDM

A lesson plan is a detailed description of a set goal and the procedures and techniques to be implemented by educators for its achievement.

WHAT IS A LESSON PLAN

Goal setting

Lesson plans

Routine setup

Alternative Communication System: PECS

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES

Goals

Success criteria for generalization

Prompts

Reinforcement

Data

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN A LESSON PLAN

Define your goal

The goal must be attainable

The goal must be measurable

Define in which situations the target-behavior shall occur (e.g. Andrei will put his jacket on before he goes out to the schoolyard for break)

Define the result, not the procedure

GOAL SETTING

SUCCESS CRITERION FOR GENERALIZATION

Certain

criteria must be met before deciding that a goal has been achieved.

Generalization:

in multiple settings, with multiple persons, or in the presence of a number of persons, with a variety of materials, with a certain rate of occurrence in a certain interval etc.

Set

percentage of success (most often 80%).

The type of lesson may be stated (sequential or discriminative), as well as the type of error correction

Putting a jacket on is a sequential lesson; error correction is done with steps backward

ERROR CORRECTION

Prompts

must direct our student to exhibit the target behavior Types of prompts: physical, verbal, modeling, pointing, gestures, pictures, written words etc.

Prompting strategies: most to least least to most graduated guidance delayed prompting shaping

PROMPTS

Steps forward

Steps backward

withdrawal within task

Prompt delay

PROMPT-FADING

EXAMPLE

Kostas will greet his classmates when entering the class in the morning, by saying “hello”. He will do this for 3 consecutive days, with a success rate of 90%, in the presence of at least 10 classmates. It’s a sequential lesson and the error correction is done with steps backward. He will be prompted by a 2nd person from behind.

EXAMPLE

Nicoletta

will recognize 10 items of daily living usage. She will do this during the lesson at school, as well as in the center, through pictures, with 2 different educators, for 3 consecutive days, with a success rate of 90%. It’s a discrimination lesson, and the error correction is done in 4 steps. She will be prompted by the presence of the corresponding item.

For any age

1.

Think of what your long-term goal is

2.

Define the short-term goals that lead to the long-term one

3.

Choose appropriate real materials according to your student’s age

CLASSROOM ORGANIZATION: FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITIES

4. Think of the setting your student will be placed in the future 5. Use real materials your student will meet in future environments, in real situations 6. Choose materials that correspond to your student’s age 7. Organize a meaningful routine

FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITIES

EXAMPLE OF FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITIES AND GOALS FOR PRESCHOOLERS

Following

a functional routine, similar to that of a kindergarten

LET’S LOOK AT AN EXAMPLE

Time

Activity

Goals

PECS/ Communication

9:00-9:20

Lesson

Visual-motor coordination, remaining seated at his table for a set amount of time, matching

Vocabulary, spontaneous use of adjectives

9:20-9:40

Painting

Fine movements, visual-motor coordination, tactile desensitization

Colors, shapes, sizes Asking for items he likes

9:40-9:45

Hand washing

DLS Teach the difficult step

Αίτηµα υλικού που λείπει για ολοκλήρωση δραστηριότητας

9:45-10:00

Snack

Receptive language (take your plate)

Αυθόρµητο αίτηµα, επιθετικοί προσδιορισµοί

10:00-10:20

Break

Play chase

ΝΑ

Time

Activity

Goals

PECS/ Communication

10:20-10:40

Tale

Sitting with the group, “listening” to the teacher, receptive language, recognition, matching

Asking for a particular tale

10:40-11:00

Music

Verbal imitation, word completion

Asking for a musical instrument Asking for a song he prefers

11:00

Dismissal

Organizing his things

ΝΑ

EXAMPLE OF FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITIES AND GOALS FOR SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN, IN A CENTER

Following a functional routine, similar to that of a school EXAMPLE

Time

Activity

Goals

PECS/ Communication

16:00-16:30

Lesson

Graphomotor skills, copying, recognition, receptive skills

Vocabulary, adjectives and attributes

16:30-16:45

Break

Games

Asking for a particular game

16:45-17:00

Painting

Fine movements, visual-motor coordination, tactile desensitization

Colors, shapes, sizes Asking for material he likes

EXAMPLE OF FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITIES AND GOALS FOR SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN, AT HOME Following a functional routine, similar to home Time

Activity

Goals

PECS/ Communication

15:00-15:10

Changing clothes

Teach a particular step

Asking for a garment that’s missing

15:10-15:15

Hand washing

Teach a particular step

ΝΑ

15:15-15:30

Meal

Making and cleaning the table; right grasp

Asking for a particular food, quantity, color of food

15:30-15:40

Rest

Occupied with computer; watching TV without standing up

Asking for a film, cartoon, computer game

15:40-16:00

Lesson

Graphomotor, copying, recognition, perception

Vocabulary, attributes

16:00-17:00

Community

Traffic training, stores, playground

Asking to buy / to order

EXAMPLE OF FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITIES AND GOALS FOR ADULTS, AT HOME Following a functional routine, similar to home Time

Activity

Goals

PECS/ Communication

8:30-8:40

Arousal

Independence

ΝΑ

8:40-8:50

Toileting

Teach a difficult step in the chain; Independence

ΝΑ

8:50-9:10

Preparing breakfast

Organization; fine movement; Independence

Asking for necessary material

9:10-9:20

Changing clothes

Orientation; independence

Asking for a garment; colors

9:20-9:30

Dish washing

Organization skills; fine and gross movement

Asking for help, missing items

Time

Activity

Goals

PECS/ Communication

9:30-10:00

Community

Walk, stores, behavior in the community

Asking for a certain place to go, something he wants to buy

10:00-10:10

Toileting

Independence

Î?Α

10:10-10:30

Computer

Age-appropriate games

Asking for help

10:30-11:00

Free time

Browsing a magazine, watching TV, listening to music; no problem behaviors

Commenting; asking for a particular program or journal

11:00-11:15

Gardening

Independence

Asking for a pot, loam etc.

11:15-11:30

Elevenses

Organization, fine motor, independence

Asking for necessary items

1.

2.

1.

2.

45 minute sessions: Include activities of 10-15 min each Choose activities that are easy for participation Sessions over 2 hours: Include activities of more than 15 minutes, especially if your student likes them Repeat certain activities if needed for goal achievement

DURATION OF SESSIONS AND FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITIES

Organize Use Put

by sort

transparent and semi-transparent boxes

labels on boxes, denoting content

Assign

numbers to boxes

Boxes

must be visible and inaccessible to students

Materials

must be accessible to educator

CLASSROOM ORGANIZATION: MATERIAL AND FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITIES

Create corners for activities, e.g.

1.

A corner for academics

2.

A corner for art and crafts

3.

A corner for music

4.

A corner for play

5.

A corner for individual teaching

6.

A corner for OT

CLASSROOM ORGANIZATION: FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITIES

How should I organize the reinforcers (individual session)

In my student’s clip board, there is a form with his reinforcers

There is a box containing my student’s reinforcers

REINFORCEMENT

REINFORCERS

How should I organize the reinforcers (group session)

There

is a board in the classroom, with a table of every student’s reinforcers ATTENTION: update the reinforcer list and the reinforcers box regularly

When

- The half-second rule Increase

the time your student is working for you

- Visual reinforcement system, “agreement” (he will know what he’s working for and for how long) Use ARRT Reinforce

when working with a group

differentially

REINFORCEMENT

Organize your agreement’s material

- Keep the reinforcement card and the tokens on the Communication Book’s last page - Keep all reinforcement cards and tokens in a box - Have reinforcers and reinforcement system in your apron for immediate use

REINFORCEMENT

Keep

your material under control

-

The educator should manipulate tokens and have the reinforcement card placed correctly

-

Place the reinforcement system in front of the student or by his side during the task

-

The educator controls the tokens; she offers them to the student

-

Tokens include stickers, coins, buttons, or small objects the student likes

REINFORCEMENT

Create

opportunities for communication during the activities, so the student could ask for reinforcers

-

Reinforcers are visible but inaccessible to student

-

Reinforcers are put in your apron for immediate use; available but not accessible

-

Sabotage mastered activities to make your student ask for something (e.g. he cannot find the towel when washing his hands)

FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION

Review your lessons, identifying items that he likes and may ask for

Playground: swing Art: paint, brush Lesson: a piece of a puzzle Snack: a biscuit, water OT: balance beam

FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION

Asking for toilet

FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION

Organize Communication books in the classroom

-

Communication books must be readily accessible to students

-

During the lesson, they may hang on their chair or lie by their side

-

Hang them on hooks, where students can find and take them

FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION

Organize -

pictures in every student’s Communication

book Pictures are arranged by categories (food, toys, colors etc.)

Leave the front page free of pictures; this will facilitate teaching new skills Sentence starters are placed on the first page, left top 9CCS pictrures are placed on the first page, right top

FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION

ERRORS AND PROBLEMS WITH PECS LESSONS

Which are the most common difficulties we face when implementing phases I to V of PECS in Greece (the greek language has a very similar structure!)

Suggestions to overcome difficulties

WORKSHOP

PROBLEMS FOR DISCUSSION

Difficulties to coordinate with family

Difficulties with generalization

Problem behaviors during lessons

Student doesn’t look at pictures

Student refuses to communicate

Student grabs everything

I cannot find something he will like

1.

Present new items every time

2.

Observe what he’s doing in your classroom (without your interference); if possible, observe him at home (without parent’s interference)

3.

No need to use expensive items; any simple objects will do (bottle caps, laces and strings, and so on)

4.

Ask his family about things he likes

5.

Ask them what he does when alone

GENERAL ISSUES: 1. REINFORCERS

He likes only 1-2 things Start with them and try to find more (as said) He has only food reinforcers His reinforcers are not acceptable Observe what he’s doing and try to find equivalent items that are acceptable He only uses his reinforcers for stereotypies Accept this in the beginning; while he masters the first phases of PECS, show him what else he could do

Don’t associate PECS only with reinforcing things; introduce a variety of activities

REINFORCERS

REINFORCER ASSESSMENT

1.

2.

I have no time for preparing sessions at work Ask the family to help you Ask your employer to provide you with a trainee from a technical school

3.

Explain the need for time to your employer

4.

Ask a colleague to help you Give your personal time

5.

GENERAL ISSUES: 2. TIME FOR PREPARING SESSIONS

How is it possible for me to do 40 exchanges according to the protocol in just 45 minutes?

1.

40 exchanges are expected during a day

2.

Ask the school to collaborate

3.

Ask the family to participate, so they can train the student at home

4.

Introduce a new skill during session – train the parent – ask him to implement this at home

GENERAL ISSUES: 3. 45-MINUTE SESSIONS

The family must have an active role in training.

How can I do that?

1.

Explain to the family what PECS is about

2.

Invite the parent to your session and explain to her what you’re doing during each phase

3.

Show the parent what she could do at home

4.

If possible, set up a session at their place and implement PECS together with the parents

GENERAL ISSUES: 4. THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY

Why keep data?

1.

To illustrate progress

2.

Easier to inform the family on student’s progress

3.

To identify which point does the student find difficult, and to search for solutions through the protocol

DATA

1.

2.

3.

4.

Do I have to record data from every exchange?

Yes, if you are conducting a research Choose activities from which data on student’s performance are most desirable Keep data during the first 10 minutes of each activity, or during 10 minutes in the middle of it, or in the end Keep data whenever you see your student doesn’t make progress

DATA

EXAMPLE: A GRAPH FROM DATA

Phase 1 120% 100% 80%

PICK UP

60%

REACH

40%

RELEASE

20% 0% 15/6/2011

16/6/2011

17/6/2011

18/6/2011 Date

6/20/2011 (Phase 1)

21/6/2011

THE PYRAMID APPROACH TO EDUCATION BONDY AND SULZER-AZAROFF, 2002

The ‘how’ of teaching

Data Functional Communication

The ‘why’ of behavior A science on learning Functional Activities

Phase I overview Communication partner

entices

Physical guide

waits for initiation, then prompts

Guides student to pick, to come close, to release Reinforces in half a sec (label the item)

“Tactile defensiveness” - doesn’t want to be touched (and guided) - doesn’t want to touch pictures

1.

2.

3.

4.

Put the picture on something else (e.g. a building block) to facilitate the student taking the picture Reduce the distance from student to teacher to educator Gradually desensitize your student If possible, get an experienced physical guide

STUDENT’S DIFFICULTIES AT PHASE I

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Student is hyperactive Keep your material well organized Respond quickly to student’s behaviors Allow student to exchange pictures while standing Student throws pictures away Correct errors with backward steps Have the physical guide practice more (to be quicker) Don’t react if you don’t want to reinforce behavior Do not reinforce

STUDENT’S DIFFICULTIES AT PHASE I

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

3.

Student puts pictures into his mouth Correct errors with backward steps Have the physical guide block behavior Don’t talk to student during or right after the mouthing behavior Student won’t let reinforcer Prefer consumable reinforcers Have a bigger amount of identical reinforcers Use a variety of reinforcers

STUDENT’S DIFFICULTIES AT PHASE I

Student doesn’t progress

1.

Check with the protocol for phase I

2.

Keep detailed data of exchanges in order to identify at which point mistakes occur

3.

Seek consultation from supervisor

STUDENT’S DIFFICULTIES AT PHASE I

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

3.

No 2nd person available Involve a family member in your session; explain the importance of her presence Ask a colleague to help you for a while Ask the secretary to help you for a while The physical guide doesn’t react on time Have her practice more Provide your team with PECS supervision Practice together with guide

EDUCATOR’S DIFFICULTIES AT PHASE I

Who records data?

EDUCATOR’S DIFFICULTIES AT PHASE I

PHASE II OVERVIEW Travel and persistence Goal: to travel the distance to the Communication book and to the Communication partner; to communicate with different people in a variety of settings

1.

2.

If your student faces motor disabilities‌ Teach him to use a bell whenever he needs something If he’s on a wheelchair, he approaches the communication partner with the help of the physical guide Your student is dyspraxic Modify pictures in a manner that your student feels the picture better; by stimulating his brain more, we increase the likelihood of him doing the expected move (e.g. putting a picture on a block or box)

PHASE II DIFFICULTIES

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

Student gets distracted Remove some of the environmental stimuli (not all!)

The guide prompts him to complete the exchange successfully Increase the distance between student – communication partner – communication book very gradually Student makes requests to adults only Create situations under which siblings or classmates make requests to the student Organize a very reinforcing activity (e.g. snack) and take a classmate as communication partner in order to strengthen the student’s motivation to make requests

PHASE II DIFFICULTIES

1.

2.

3.

4.

Student has been taught to remain seated all the time Gradually remove chair The guide prompts the student to get off his chair During the first exchanges, use powerful reinforcers to strengthen student’s motivation Remove his chair and table from classroom – make exchanges on the floor!

PHASE II DIFFICULTIES

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

3.

Student has been taught to remain in the classroom Let the door open The guide leads the student through the door The communication partner waits out of the classroom holding the reinforcer Student doesn’t carry his CB independently NEVER give verbal prompts (‘take your book’, ‘you’ve forgotten something’ etc.)

Physically prompt student to take his book Gradually fade prompting with steps backward

PHASE II DIFFICULTIES

Student

reacts negatively when prompted to carry his Communication book 1. Initially, ask him to hold it for a few seconds.

2. Gradually increase this interval 3. Transfer the holding point from hand to elbow, gradually increasing intervals 4. Transfer holding from elbow to shoulder, gradually increasing intervals 5. In the end, teach student to pass the strap over his head (transfer holding to neck) 6. During the above steps, reinforce every successful trial!!

PHASE II DIFFICULTIES

Phase ΙΙ

WHO’S FIT TO BE A COMMUNICATION PARTNER?

Discrimination Goal: the student chooses pictures from the front page or from inside the CB IIIA- simple discrimination

Among pictures of high- and low-preference items

IIIB- conditional discrimination

Among pictures of at least 2 reinforcers

Looks

into the CB

PHASE III OVERVIEW

1.

2.

1.

2.

3.

I cannot identify any non-preferred item Ask parents, other carers, and family Offer your student various items, especially food he might not like Student picks both pictures Be quicker than your students, don’t allow him to pick both pictures Correct with steps backward (entice again, don’t give item) Check reinforcers once more

DIFFICULTIES AT PHASE IIIA

Student does exchanges without having looked at the pics

1.

Raise the CB at student’s eyes level

2.

Move the CB until student detects it by gaze

3.

Put the CB on a brace

4.

Suddenly block access to pics with guide’s hand; this may make the student look at the CB; at this moment the guide removes his hand

5.

Check student’s vision (ophthalmologist)

DIFFICULTIES AT PHASE IIIA

1.

2.

3.

4.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Student is too quick; after 4-step correction he may choose the non-preferred picture as well Practice all the time, become quicker than your student Do not allow him to pick non-preferred pics: move the CB at a greater distance from him Interrupt error correction, entice again Begin error correction from the beginning Student does many mistakes Check with the PECS protocol Correct errors systematically with 4-step correction After 2 or 3 consecutive errors, move to previous phase, have the student do the exchange successfully Systematically record detailed data Check student’s vision

DIFFICULTIES AT PHASE IIIA

DIFFICULTIES AT PHASE IIIA

1.

2.

3.

4.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Student changes preference with respect to reinforcers Maintain full control over reinforcers, don’t give free access Limit reinforcers to a number you can control Practice again and again the manipulation of similar students Seek supervision Student does tantrums or goes away during 4-step error correction.

Implement 4-step correction at a faster pace DO NOT allow the student avoid error correction Check your data for error rate, tantrum rate, escape rate Seek supervision

Problems with vision

1.

Implement a behavior intervention by a more experienced colleague to teach the student to wear his glasses

2.

Use bigger pictures

3.

Make colors on pictures more intense

4.

Try black and white pictures

DIFFICULTIES AT PHASE IIIA

11-07-15, ΙΙΙΑ, καθυστέρηση ενίσχυσης στη σωστή διάκριση.MOV

Στάδιο11-09-16, σήκωµα βιβλίου επικοινωνίας µη αποδοτικό & δυσκολία οργάνωσης χώρου.MOV

PHASE IIIA

Student makes no progress

1.

Correspondence check (be precise)

2.

4-step procedure (be precise)

3.

Detailed data recording

4.

Try an intermediate step

Non-preferred + blank + preferred

2 (different) non-preferred + 1 preferred

Preferred items of various categories

DIFFICULTIES AT PHASE IIIB

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Student makes consecutive mistakes Check with the PECS protocol Correct systematically with 4-step error correction After 2 or 3 consecutive errors, move to previous phase, have the student do the exchange successfully Systematically record detailed data Check student’s vision

DIFFICULTIES AT PHASE IIIB

Sentence structure Goal: to build and exchange a sentence; to maintain manding

PHASE IV OVERVIEW

1.

2.

3.

4.

Student makes no progress Check your data: has your student stayed on single picture exchange for too long ?

Check your data: has the ‘want’ picture stayed on the sentence strip for too long?

Be a more systematic communication partner: reinforce in half a second Check your data with the protocol: identify potential mistakes during phase IV

PHASE IV DIFFICULTIES

Student

arranges pictures on sentence strip not in the right

order 1. Think

of student’s chronological age

2. Correct

with steps backward

3. If

errors are systematic, prevent them (check with phase IV protocol)

PHASE IV DIFFICULTIES

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

Student doesn’t complete exchange Try to provide with a physical guide prompting your student to complete exchanges successfully Ask parents about student’s behavior at home Check reinforcers’ power and student’s motivation Student doesn’t initiate Check reinforcers’ power and student’s motivation Try to provide with a physical guide

PHASE IV DIFFICULTIES

1.

2.

3.

Student has begun to speak, reducing communication by means of PECS Record very detailed data of picture exchanges and verbal communication Assess verbal communication: is speech comprehensible?

If verbal behavior is insufficient, physically prompt student to use PECS, or problem behaviors will arise

PHASE IV DIFFICULTIES

Never

demand speech!

From the very beginning, introduce functional imitation activities alongside PECS phase I Teach functional verbal imitation in separate sessions (or echolalia may be induced) Time delay to ‘encourage’ speech, and differential reinforcement Never retain the requested item, if student doesn’t speak!

SPEECH: FAMILY’S DISTRESS

Responding to ‘what do you want?’

Goal: responding to questions about a request; maintaining spontaneous dialogue

PHASE V OVERVIEW

1.

2.

3.

1.

Student doesn’t respond Do you make questions once, or repeat them many times?

Do you keep reliable data?

Do you present questions at the right moment?

Student ceases to make spontaneous requests During activities, create a blend of opportunities for spontaneous requests and responses

PHASE V DIFFICULTIES

Students This

quit PECS by themselves

is a long phase, may last for months

Criteria 1. Spoken vocabulary has to be as rich 2. Utterance length and structure corresponds to those with PECS 3. Speech has to be comprehensible to an unfamiliar listener 4. Rate of spontaneous functional speech must be equivalent to spontaneous initiations through PECS

ENDING PECS

Unacceptable modifications!

Only one educator for phase I

Verbal prompts

Insistence on speech

Skipping phase II

Withdrawal of PECS (and no or little speech)

Removal of pictures

IS IT PECS?

Welcomed

modifications!

Adapt pictures

Allow the student to ‘call’ communication partner if the student cannot move

Create new techniques to teach discrimination

Stop at phase III, if sentence structure is not to be taught

Two educators after phase III

IS IT PECS?