Autism and Behavior Training

1. Autism and Behavior Training Jane Veverka, M.Ed., BCBA

2. Introduction to Autism

3. Autism Facts • 1 in 110 children diagnosed with autism • Four times more likely to occur in boys than in girls • ASDs can sometimes be detected at 18 months or younger • By age 2, a diagnosis by an experienced professional can be considered very reliable • - Recent studies have estimated that the lifetime cost to care for an individual with an ASD is $3.2 million http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html

4. What Causes Autism? • Definite causes are unknown • Genetic risk factors • Children who have a sibling or parent with an ASD are at a higher risk of also having an ASD. • Comorbid with other medical conditions: seizure disorder, chromosomal disorders, autoimmune disorders, etc. • Once common belief that poor parenting practices (refrigerator mothers) cause ASDs is not true.

5. What is Autism? • Neurological disorder that involves 3 domains: * Language delay/impairments * Impairments in social skills * Repetitive, restricted, stereotyped behaviors • Begins at birth or within first three years of life • Spectrum disorder

6. What are the Treatments? • Individualized: everyone is affected differently • 2009 National Standards Report (over 700 research studies) to determine the most effective treatments. • 11 established treatments, most of which include behavioral methodology • 20+ emerging treatments • Symptoms are treated, not disorder

7. Introduction to Behavioral Intervention

8. Applied Behavior Analysis Multi-method strategy that consists of: 1. Observing behavior 2. Identifying target behavior 3. Identifying possible causes for behavior 4. Selection of behavior treatments 5. Implementation of treatments and treatment evaluations - Goal: to decrease undesirable behavior while increasing desirable behavior

9. Applied • Important to change • Socially relevant • Age appropriate • Prerequisites met

10. Behavior • Anything a person does that can be described in observable and measurable terms

11. Analysis -Observation and measurement of behavior to determine function -Development of behavior change procedure -Analysis of the effects of behavior change procedures

12. The ABCs of ABA -Antecedent: events that precede an act -Behavior: anything a person does -Consequence: events that follow the behavior, the results of a behavior

13. The ABCs of ABA

14. Reinforcement • The Basis of Behavioral Intervention

15. Reinforcement -Used to increase desired behaviors -Reinforcer is anything that increases a behavior -Increases the future probability of the behavior

16. Reinforcement -Two types: -Primary reinforcement = biological -Secondary reinforcement becomes reinforcing through pairing

17. Reinforcement - Four Categories: -Social -Edible -Tangible -Activities *Generalized Reinforcers (token economy)

18. Rules of Reinforcement Rule Number 1: Catch the student being good!

19. Rules of Reinforcement Rule Number 2: Vary your reinforcement

20. Rules of Reinforcement Rule Number 3: Reinforcement must be contingent on behavior

21. Rules of Reinforcement Rule Number 4: Reinforcement must be delivered immediately after the desired behavior

22. Rules of Reinforcement Rule Number 5: The size or amount of reinforcement must be appropriate * The Matching Law

23. Rules of Reinforcement Rule Number 6: The reinforcement must be motivating for the student (satiation, deprivation)

24. Rules of Reinforcement Rule Number 7: The value of a reinforcer depends on competing reinforcers that are available for other behaviors.

25. Negative Reinforcement - Increase in behavior by removing something from the environment

26. Punishment - Decreases behavior - Type I: Something is added to the environment to decrease behavior - Type II: Something is taken away from the environment - Temporary fix - Last resort!!

27. Extinction -To extinguish or decrease undesirable behaviors -Reinforcement is no longer delivered after the behavior -Extinction burst: The behavior may get worse before it gets better. * vending machine example

28. Differential Reinforcement -Commonly used with extinction -Goal is to increase one behavior while decreasing another

29. The Difference Between Reinforcement and Bribery - Reinforcement is proactive. - Reinforcement is initially presented before a behavior occurs.

30. Understanding Behavior

31. Function -Every behavior has a function -Function must be determined to appropriately replace behavior -ABC data can often show patterns in behavior -Four basic functions: attention, escape, tangible, automatic -Rule out possible physiological causes

32. What is the Function?

33. What is the Function?

34. What is the Function?

35. What is the Function?

36. Choosing an Intervention - After function is determined, an appropriate intervention can be put in place - Two types of approaches: proactive and reactive

37. Proactive Approach - Manipulating antecedent events (the environment) to make behavior less likely to occur.

38. Proactive Approach -For attention seeking behaviors: -Catch the student being good! -Provide reinforcement for desirable behavior

39. Proactive Approach -For escape behaviors: -Make tasks more fun to decrease motivation to escape -Teach appropriate language to ask for a break -Schedule in regular breaks -First/Then chart or picture schedule

40. Proactive Approach -For behavior that functions to access tangibles: -Provide access to tangible reinforcement for desirable behaviors -Use a first/then chart

41. Proactive Approach -For behaviors that serve a self-stimulatory function: -Make sure the student is constantly engaged in activities -Sensory diet

42. Reactive Approach -For attention seeking behaviors: -Provide NO attention -Turn away -Neutral expression -Monotone voice -Replace with appropriate language if possible

43. Reactive Approach -For escape behaviors: -Behavioral momentum -Never allow a student to “get out of it” by exhibiting behavior

44. Reactive Approach -For behaviors that function as access to tangibles: -Do NOT provide tangible items after the inappropriate behavior -Use behavioral momentum -Replace with appropriate language

45. Reactive Approach -For behaviors that serve a self-stimulatory function: -Replace the behavior with something more appropriate -Redirect to a different, appropriate activity

46. Tips for Working Through Behavior Behavior cannot be expected to simply stop. It needs to be replaced.

47. Replacement Behaviors

48. Tips for Working Through Behavior Do not reprimand the student. Tell them what to do instead.

49. Tips for Working Through Behavior Remember the importance of a proactive approach. Catch the student being good!

50. Simulations What does it feel like to have an Autism Spectrum Disorder?