Teaching individuals with autism: Programming for success Nona Melvin, M.S., BCBA A. Hunter Williams, M.S., BCBA Eb Blakely, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Teaching individuals with autism: Programming for success
Nona Melvin, M.S., BCBA A. Hunter Williams, M.S., BCBA Eb Blakely, Ph.D., BCBA-D
What is reinforcement? • “Reinforcement” is the process by which a behavior is
strengthened by presenting or removing an item or activity following that behavior. That behavior occurs more frequently in the future.
• A “reinforcer” is that item or activity that is presented or removed following a behavior, which increases the future frequency of that behavior.
• A reinforcer can be: • something pleasant that is given
• Example: A child wants to blow bubbles and says “bubbles”. Her mom blows bubbles for her. In the future, she is more likely to say “bubbles” when she wants bubbles.
• something unpleasant that is removed • Example: A child is asked to do his homework. He doesn’t want to do
his homework and begins to cry. His mom then removes his homework. In the future, he cries more often when presented with his homework.
Preference Assessments
• What are preference assessments? • Procedures used to determine the items or activities a person prefers and the
relative value (high versus low preference) of those things
• Why do we use preference assessments? • To help us identify potential reinforcers • Examples:
• Tangibles • Toys/Games/Activities • Snacks
• Attention • Verbal (praise) • Physical (hugs, squeezes, etc.)
• Escape • From task • From aversive situations
How do we conduct preference assessments?
• Three possible ways: • Interviews
• Observation
• Formal Assessments
Behavioral Contracts
A statement of the behavioral expectations and the consequences
(It can be as simple as “First __, then __.”)
“First brush your teeth, then you can play Legos.”
“First do five math problems, then you can play on the computer.”
When to make a behavioral contract?
• Contracts should be made
when the child is behaving appropriately.
• If the child is engaging in unwanted behavior, creating a contract for reinforcers to be earned could potentially reinforce that problem behavior!
Physical Prompts • What are they? Physical guidance to guide the learner’s movements to
the correct response • Example: Therapist says “Tie your shoe please” – then physically guides
the Learner to tie his/her shoe
Ties Shoe “Good!”
Model/Imitation Prompts • What are they? Give an identical example of what the desired response
should look like • Example: Therapist says “Hey lets do a puzzle – watch me!” – then
models how to do the puzzle
But…
Learner should know how to imitate!
Does puzzle
Gestural Prompts • What are they? Use a movement (e.g., pointing) to guide the desired
behavior.
• Example: During a matching task, Mom points to the correct answer on a worksheet.
Correct Matching Great!”
Verbal Prompts • What are they? Instruct the Learner on what to do.
• Example: When teaching the Learner to name something, Therapist says “Take this toy to your toy box”
But…
Learners can rely on them
Takes toy to toy box “Wow! That’s good!”
Picture Prompts • What are they? Visual representation is used to get the desired
response. • Example: Therapist says “We eat with a _____” and holds up a picture
of a spoon.
“We eat with a _______” “Spoon” “Yes!”
But… Learners must be able to identify
or react to the picture
Picture Prompts • Example: Pictures can be used to schedule a Learner’s
time and alert him/her to what the future brings…
Timing of Prompts: When are they given?
• Simultaneous Prompts: The same time as, or just after, an instruction or cue. This prevents mistakes.
“Pick up the soap” Gets Soap Praise
Gestural Prompt to soap
“Please sit down” Sits down Praise Gentle physical guidance
“Say Table” “Table” Snack Show picture of table
Timing of Prompts: When are they given?
• Delayed Prompts: After the Learner has a chance to perform the skill – but does not.
“Pick up the soap” No response Gets soap Praise
Gesture to Soap
“Sit at the table” Continues playing Sits at table Praise
Guidance to table
Most-to-Least
• Highest amount of help then fade to a lesser prompt
– Fade = gradually use less and less over time
• Used when teaching new skills
Most-to-Least
• Most to least = MTL
• Sample prompt fading steps in MTL for putting on socks task:
Full physical prompt
Light touch on hands
Gesture
No prompt
Puts on socks “Good!”
Most-to-Least
• Sample prompt fading steps in MTL for requesting “Cracker”: Therapist prompts with…
“Cracker”
“Cra…”
“Cr…”
“C…”
No prompt
“Cracker” Gets cracker
Most-to-Least
• Sample prompt fading steps in MTL for requesting “Doll”: Therapist prompts with a card that says…
Doll
Do__
D___
No prompt
“Doll”
Least-to-Most (LTM)
• Gives opportunity to perform response with least amount of assistance on each trial
• Use more assistance until behavior is performed
Least-to-Most: After incorrect and increasing in degree of guidance
Finally…”Truck” Third…”Tru…” Second…”Tr…” First…”T…” “Say ‘Truck’” “Candy” “Truck” Praise
Finally…Full physical Second…Light touch First…Gesture “Pick up the soap” No response Gets soap Praise
Least-to-Most
Finally…Full physical Third…Light touch Second…Gesture First…Model “Take plate to the sink” Sits at table Puts plate in sink Praise
Finally…Card with “Help” Second…Card with “He_ _” First…Card with “H_ _ _ “ Difficult task Can’t get started Completes task Break
Finally: Reinforcement and Prompts
• Fading from Physical to Light Touch:
– Physical prompt small reinforcer
– Light touch prompt big one!
Reinforcement and Prompts
• Fading from light touch to independent:
– Light touch prompt small reinforcer
– Independent big one!
Overview
• What is a behavior chain
• Why teach behavior chains
• Case scenario
• How to teach a behavior chain
• Different applications
What is a behavior chain?
• A sequence of responses that are linked together, whereas, the completion
of each “step” in the chain serves as a conditioned reinforcer for the
previous step and signals to begin the subsequent step
Different components of a Behavior
Chain
1. It involves the performance of a specific set of discrete responses
2. Each response in the chain serves two functions
1. Conditioned reinforcer
2. Sd (signal) to start the subsequent response
3. Responses within the chain are performed in a specific sequence,
typically close together in time
Why teach behavior chains?
• To develop larger skills that are critical to increase an individual’s
independence, allowing him/her to live in a less restrictive environment.
Why teach behavior chains?
To build more complex and adaptive repertoires by combining chaining with
other teaching procedures
• Daily Living Skills
• Completing a morning routine
• Preparing meals
• Shopping for groceries
• Employment
• Vocational training
• Leisure activities
• Daily Living Skills
• Getting dressed
• Tying shoes
• Brushing teeth
• Bathing
• Washing hands
• Feeding
• Completing independent work
How to teach a behavior chain?
• Develop a Task Analysis
• The process of breaking a larger, complex skill into smaller, teachable units, resulting in
a series of sequentially ordered steps
• Watch an individual perform the task to establish the different steps
• Watch the individual you are teaching complete the task to establish areas for
improvement
• Perform the task yourself
Steps to create a task analysis
1. Select target behavior to be broken into smaller steps
2. Identify and define each smaller step
3. Place steps in sequential order that is necessary to facilitate acquisition of the target behavior
4. Determine learner’s criterion for success for each step
5. Using chaining methods to teach the learner each component in correct order to mastery
Scenario – Washing Hands
• Different steps to hand washing
1. Walk to the sink
2. Turn on the water
3. We hands
4. Get the soap
5. Rub hands together
6. Rinse off the soap
7. Turn the water off
8. Get paper towel
9. Dry hands
10. Throw away the paper towel
Multiple methods to teaching behavior chains
• Forward chaining
• Teaching a sequence of responses by initially training the first response of the chain, then the second, etc.
• Backward chaining
• Teaching a sequence of responses by initially training the last response of the chain.
• Total-task chaining
• When an entire task is trained at once, instead of implementing a chaining procedure. Usually includes graduated guidance.
Ways to help the child learn each task
• Graduated guidance
• Graduated Guidance- Give prompts were they are needed but fade as person performs the response
• Most-to-least
• Present the SD and prompt at the same time and then gradually use a less intense prompt. Start with most intrusive(e.g.. Full physical, partial physical, light touch, gestural)
• Least-to-most
• Give SD and then wait for response to be performed. If it is not, give the least intrusive prompt first, then more intrusive.
Linking
• Some skills might be more difficult for the learner to master. If this occurs, it
is possible to pull out certain steps; then, you can practice these steps in
isolation.