Developing Functional Behavioral Analyses in an Early Intervention Setting

1
Developing Functional Behavioral Analyses in an
Early Intervention Setting

• Brian R. Lopez, Ph.D.
• University of New Mexico, School of Medicine
• Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
• Brilopez_at_salud.unm.edu
• 272-2586

2
Objectives of Presentation

• Learn how to conduct an FBA
• Placing behavior in a context.
• How to develop a functional behavioral analysis.
• Developing positive behavioral supports that are
  contextually appropriate.
• Reduce problem behaviors by apply in
  behavioral approaches

3
Providing a Social Context
Genetics Environment
Adult
Infant

• Environment
• School setting/structure
• Home structure
• Community
• Culture

• Child
• Preferences
• Desires
• Temperament
• Abilities/Weaknesses cognitive, speech, motor,
  medical, and sensory

Behavior

• Family Peers
• Family make-up
• Parental well-being
• Peer acceptance/rejection
• Family stress

4
What is the Social Context
5
What is the Social Context?
6
Why do kids misbehave?

• Remember the social context?
• BECAUSE IT WORKS!
• Positive reinforcement from their environment.
• Negative reinforcement from their environment
  (e.g., Mommy 10000x and then he/she gets what she
  wants).
• Automatic reinforcement (i.e.,
• behaviors that emerge and persist independent of
  environmental factors).

7
Specific Reasons Why Children Misbehave

• Environmental related
• Able to avoid a task
• Able to engage in preferred activities
• Gains access to preferred object
• The task is too complex

• Child related
• They lack the social or communication skills to
  indicate their needs or wants
• They are confused (e.g., language, cognitive or
  auditory processing)
• Difficulties with sensory integration or
  emotional regulation
• Protest

8
What does a Functional Analysis tell us?

• It can provide basic information on the FUNCTION
  of problem behaviors.
• It identifies the contingencies maintaining the
  problem behavior and specific treatment
  approaches.
• The entire process increases the effectiveness of
  reinforcement-based interventions, therefore,
  decreasing maladaptive behaviors and the need for
  punishment .

9
The ABCs of Behavior

• Antecedent The Why?
• Setting events These contextual factors or
  conditions that influence behavior.
• Stimulus events are specific and discrete types
  of antecedents that influence behavior (internal
  or external stimulation).
• Behavior The What?
• The same behavior can serve multiple functions
  (i.e., noncompliance, avoidance,
  self-stimulatory, medical).
• Consequence The Result.
• Although the antecedent occurs first, they exert
  influence over behavior due to their relationship
  with consequent events.
• Positive reinforcement from their environment.
• Negative reinforcement from their environment.
• Automatic reinforcement (i.e., behaviors that
  emerge and persist independent of environmental
  factors).

10
Bumble Ball and Book
11
Book Goes Bye-Bye
12
Book? What book?
13
Difficulty with a Transition
14
Five steps to Developing Positive Behavioral
Supports
1. Gather Information
2. Brainstorming
3. Team planning
4. Implementing the Plan
5. Evaluating the Outcomes
15
ABCs of Changing Behavior
Reactive Intervention
B
C
A
Proactive Intervention
16
Throwing Chair
17
Playing with Blinds
18
I Like the Ball
19
Proactive interventions

• Behavior controlled through antecedents
• Enriching the environment
• Limiting the environment
• Simplifying the environment
• Structuring the environment
• Address the childs sensory needs
• Operant conditioning
• Differential reinforcement
• Changing the reinforcement schedule
• Teach new skills that improve communication
  socializations.

20
Example of Proactive Intervention
21
Reactive Interventions

• Changes to the reinforcement schedule
• Extinction, time out, response cost, and/or
  overcorrection
• Positive Reinforcement to gain compliance
• ONLY give reinforcers IMMEDIATELY after the
  behavior is observed.
• Be specific
• Choose a reinforcer that reinforces your child at
  that moment.
• Give verbal praise along with material
  reinforcers.
• Continuous vs. variable ratio reinforcement.
• Children will work for attention (positive
  reinforcement) and the parents/staffs attention
  can be gained by positive or negative behaviors.

22
Request for Purple Ball
23
Reactive Intervention for Running Off
24
What would you do?
25
Karens Reinforcers

• Affection from adults (e.g., hugs and kisses)
• Verbal Praise
• High-fives
• Physical activities (e.g., running, jumping,
  swimming, playing tag, jumping on a trampoline,
  and spinning in circles.).
• Listening to music
• Deep pressure

26
Behavior Intervention Plan for Karen

• Antecedents for Self-Injurious Behaviors
• Sensory processing difficulties
• Lack of functional communication
• Lack of structured activities and transitioning
  between activities
• Avoidance of tasks
• Gain access to an object
• Negative attention seeking

27
Behavior Intervention Plan for Karen

• Skill building for Self-Injurious Behaviors
  (Proactive)
• Give lot of praise when she is engaging in
  appropriate behaviors.
• Reinforce positive interactions with peers
  immediately!
• Give an alternative behavior (high fives, hugs).
• Simplify the task and increase structure.
• Provide specific sensory interventions.
• Use IfThenstatement (if you want X, then you
  need to y four more times) while using visual
  cues and gestures.
• Teach new communication skills.

28
Behavior Intervention Plan for Karen

• Consequences for Self-Injurious Behaviors
  (Reactive)
• Provide sensory input that is calming.
• Prevent SIB and substitute with similar behavior.
• Prompt functional communication.
• Reinforce other mutually exclusive behaviors.
• Loses access to a reinforcement (i.e., stop
  banging).
• Ignore the behavior and continue to redirect.
• Engage her in a similar task that is less
  difficult.
• Dont send her home, because that can be
  reinforcing.

29
Behavioral Techniques

• Be CONSISTENT!!!!
• Dont threaten a consequence that cant be
  implemented.
• Look to the function of the behavior not the
  actual behavior.
• Be specific about reinforcement and give a
  replacement behavior
• Give reinforcement immediately after the
  behavior. Catch a child being good.
• Give verbal and physical prompts during
  redirection.
• Make sure the child is looking at you.

30
Conclusion to Karens Story