MASP 2015 Think FBA: Helping Teachers Address Behavior Problems in Young Students

1. MASP 2015 Think FBA:Helping Teachers Address Behavior Problems in Young Students Jamie Owen-DeSchryver, Ph.D. owendesj@gvsu.edu Amy Matthews, Ph.D., BCBA matthewa@gvsu.edu Statewide Autism Resources & Training (START) project Grand Valley State University

2. Quote for the Day… Children are unpredictable. You never know what inconsistency they are going to catch you in next. Henry Ward Beecher

3. Think FBA: Helping Teachers Address Behavior Problems Foundations Why Think FBA? Thinking FBA: How to Win Friends & Influence People Thinking FBA: Applying FBA in the Classroom Putting It All Together:Designing the Plan with Purpose

4. Foundations

5. Behavior Intervention Magic? Process of thinking Ideas

6. Durand (2010) Presentation at the Association for Positive Behavior Support conference In 3-year-olds with behavior problems, what was the best predictor of future behavior problems?

7. Pessimism

8. Examples of Pessimism “I tried it. It didn’t work” “Oh no. Here we go again” Emotion contagion effect

9. Emotional contagion effect Blind observer ratings and self-report mood ratings both suggested emotional contagion Contagion for positive mood was as powerful as contagion for negative mood

10. Implications? Help school professionals see how emotional contagion may impact student behavior in the classroom

11. Optimistic Parenting (Durand, 2011) • Parents are trained in behavioral skills and strategies along with cognitive-behavioral techniques

12. Optimistic Teaching (Steed & Durand, 2013) Subjects: 21 teachers 350 children Implemented for one school year Steed, E. A., & Durand, V. M. (2013). Optimistic teaching: Improving the capacity for teachers to reduce young children’s challenging behavior. School Mental Health, 5, 15-24. Goal to improve specific PBIS skills related to teaching social skills and involving families. These two skill areas are two of the most underutilized aspects of PBIS and most resistant to teacher change. Compared the impact of two interventions to improve preschool teachers’ use of PBIS and decrease young children’s social emotional difficulties Traditional PBIS coaching Traditional PBIS + a cognitive-behavioral coaching (Optimistic Teaching)

13. Optimistic Teaching The cognitive-behavioral intervention used in the study addressed teachers’ attitudes toward their work, self-talk, and feelings about children’s challenging behavior, as well as their optimism to positively impact children’s development.

14. Optimistic Teaching • Results • Optimistic Teaching condition: teachers implemented significantly more PBIS skills related to teaching children social skills and involving families in their children’s social emotional development • Teachers in the Optimistic Teaching condition reported significantly fewer children with serious social emotional difficulties post-intervention. • Most effective for “high adopters” identified as inexperienced teachers with high self-efficacy or experienced teachers with low self-efficacy. High adopters implemented significantly more indicators associated with having predictable schedules and routines, teaching children to express emotions, and supporting children’s friendship skills. Steed, E. A., & Durand, V. M. (2013). Optimistic teaching: Improving the capacity for teachers to reduce young children’s challenging behavior. School Mental Health, 5, 15-24.

15. Why Think FBA?

16. Why Think FBA? • FBA is an evidence-based practice • NPDC; National Standards Project • IDEA (2004) • However, conducting FBAs can be time-consuming • With young children, we want to intervene quickly before behaviors become entrenched

17. Prevention-Teaching-Responding Model A B C

18. Prevention-Teaching-Responding Model A B C

19. Preventing Behavior • Meaningful, interesting activities that keep them engaged • Structure the environment to reduce problems • Use visuals to support activities (schedules, rules, first-then charts) • Incorporate student interests within activities • Incorporate choices within activities • Movement activities interspersed throughout the day

20. Preventing Behavior • Consider the length of activities • Consider timing of snacks and lunch • Present easy tasks before hard tasks (behavioral momentum) • Provide transition cues • Increase reinforcement for positive behavior • Establish expectations

21. Preventing Behavior:Student Expectations

22. Expectations “Almost 30 years of research and experience has demonstrated that the education of students with disabilities can be made more effective by having high expectations for such children and ensuring their access to the general education curriculum in the regular classroom, to the maximum extent possible” The Universally Designed Classroom (2005)

23. John Hattie 2012

24. General Expectations for Students across the School Day Expectations to and from the bus Expectations for snack time Expectations for circle time Expectations for playground/gym Expectations for lunch Expectations for bathroom

25. Expectations from the Bus Carry own backpack Walk to and from classroom Take lunch and notebook out of backpack Take folder to teacher’s desk Hang up backpack Take off outer garments and hang up

26. Helping Students Meet Expectations Independently

27. Expectations for Circle time Sit in chair Raise hand for a turn Wait for your turn to be called on Motor imitation on request Greet and identify peers Pass items to peers on request

29. Expectations data sheet

30. Teaching Alternative Behaviors What does every child need to know? • Ask for help • Wait • Ask for food or drink • Choice making (yes/no) • Request a break

31. Teaching Alternative Behaviors • Teach Functional Communication: • “I need help” • “I need a break” • “I want to be alone” • “I want _______” • “Play with me” • “Look at me” • “What’s next?” • “I need predictability. What’s going on?” • “It’s too loud/ I’m over-stimulated” • “I’m under-stimulated/ bored”

33. Teach Calming/Coping Skills: Relaxation (count to 10) Teaching Alternative Behaviors

34. Counting to Calm Down

35. Responding to Behavior • Have a set plan (e.g., “thinking spot”), written plans are more likely to be implemented • Use a quiet, calm voice but provide minimal verbal directions (use visual supports, if needed) • Do NOT offer the child preferred items following the behavior • Do NOT provide sensory feedback following the behavior (hugs, squeezes, rubbing the back, etc.) • Quietly praise calming behavior (“that’s good calming down”) • After the student is calm, follow through on the initial demand (whenever possible)

36. Thinking FBA: How to Win Friends and Influence People FBA

37. Thinking FBA My friend says, “You should join my belly-dancing class with me; It’s on Tuesday nights and it’s only $100 for a ten-week session”

38. Do you have a guess what myresponse was?

39. In order to change my behavior (in this case, to get me to say “yes”)my friend needs to understand why I said “no” My friend needs to… “Think FBA”

40. The Goal • Figure out the real meaning behind my behavior in order to identify and implement the RIGHT intervention to change my behavior

41. My behavior (saying, “no”) might mean many things…

42. Understanding the Purpose of Behavior in order to Develop Intervention So, if my “no” means: ANXIETY I’m a bit anxious about the idea of belly-dancing, I don’t have any idea of what to expect at a class. What if I’m not good enough? Then here’s a “Thinking FBA” intervention: Reduce anxiety/ Pre-teach skills: My friend teaches me some moves ahead of time, or I watch a class before I sign up; this reduces my anxiety

43. Understanding the Purpose of Behavior in order to Develop Intervention So, if my “no” means: COST/ EFFORT $100 is too much money, there are many other things I would rather spend that money on Then here’s a “Thinking FBA” intervention: Accom./Mod to Reduce Effort: My friend offers to pay half the cost of the class for me

44. Understanding the Purpose of Behavior in order to Develop Intervention So, if my “no” means: COST/ EFFORT It might be fun, but I really don’t have time for this. I can’t give up another evening of work time to go to belly-dancing class Then here’s a “Thinking FBA” intervention: Provide Supports: My friend offers to watch my children another evening so that I can complete the work I would miss during Tuesday night belly-dancing sessions

45. Understanding the Purpose of Behavior in order to Develop Intervention So, if my “no” means: SETTING EVENT/MOOD I still have some bad feelings after our disagreement last week, and the last thing I want to do is join a class with you right now Then here’s a “Thinking FBA” intervention: Increase Positive Mood/Pairing: My friend asks me to go out for dinner at San Chez so that we can talk through and resolve our differences

46. Understanding the Purpose of Behavior in order to Develop Intervention So, if my “no” means: LOW MOTIVATION I have no desire to ever belly-dance. That’s just a ridiculous past-time! Why would I want to do that? Then here’s a “Thinking FBA” intervention: Increase Rewards: My friend assures me that it’s not about the belly-dancing, it’s about having drinks and dinner after each class. She says, “It’s a social event, not belly-dancing.”

47. Understanding the Purpose of Behavior in order to Develop Intervention So, if my “no” means: EMBARRASSMENT Are you kidding me? Maybe if I looked like but you’re asking me to put THIS body in a belly-dancer outfit– NO WAY! Then here’s a “Thinking FBA” intervention: Reduce embarrassment: My friend says that the instructor will set up a private screen behind which I can hide and participate, but I will not be visible to anyone else

48. And this is the intervention: My friend offers to pay half the cost of the belly-dancing lessons The purpose of the behavior has to be matched to the intervention If this is the purpose of my “no”: • Are you kidding me? Put this body in a belly-dancer outfit– NO WAY! How likely will I be to attend belly-dancing classes?

49. The Importance of Matching • This is why it’s important to think FBA when we develop interventions • A reward alone may not be enough • This is also why an intervention that worked fabulously for Child A, doesn’t work so well for Child B…

50. So…. What will make Jamie decide to take the belly dancing class?A multicomponent intervention $100, plus dinner & drinks, PLUS the screen