Why behavior happens… and why it doesn’t
An Introduction to:
Applied Behavior Analysis
Joshua Plavnick, PhD, BCBA-D;
plavnick@msu.edu
2/11/15
Agenda
• Overview of applied behavior analysis
• Focus on critical components
– Prompt fading & Finding reinforcers
• Modern Exemplars
About Me
• Assistant Professor and Director
– Graduate Program in Applied Behavior Analysis
– ASD Endorsement program at MSU
• Research Interests:
– Constructing learning environments for children with ASD
– Use of technology to support instruction of children with ASD
• Applied Background
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Training Director for program serving adjudicated adolescents
Case Manager for young adults with developmental disabilities
Classroom teacher for children with ASD
ABA Home Program Consultant
• Other interesting stuff
– 3 daughters
ABA at Michigan State
• Graduate Certificate Program in Applied
Behavior Analysis
– Accepting applications through 6/1/15
– If you have or are working toward a Master’s in
Psychology, Education, or Behavior Analysis
– 6 course sequence
– 1000 hour practicum (supervised)
– Approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification
Board
What is Applied Behavior Analysis
• Applied: Real life settings and socially relevant
behaviors
• Behavior: Measurable, observable things that
people do
• Analysis: Examination of variables that change
behaviors
Applied behavior analysis is a science of learning and teaching
Myths and Misconceptions
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ABA lacks empirical support
ABA teaches kids to do things but not how or why
ABA is for training animals, or only kids with ASD
ABA uses food and toys to bribe kids to behave
ABA teaches kids to be robots
ABA is only for young children
ABA occurs at a table with one adult and one child
ABA is based on punishment
ABA is for addressing “problem behavior” and not for
teaching new skills
Applications of ABA
Education
Organizational Business Management
Treating Addiction
Treating Gambling
Crime & Delinquency
Health & Fitness
Children with Autism
Reducing Consumption
Positive Behavior Support
Rescue Animal Training
ABA is not only done
at a table
ABA is not only to
address problem
behavior
ABA does not use
toys (or food) to
bribe children
ABA is not based on
punishment
Dispelling Myths
Dispelling Myths
ABA does teach kids when,
how, and why
ABA is for everyone:
not just for kids with
ASD or animals
Reinforcement can
be delivered in many
ways
Dispelling more myths
Three term contingency
Antecedent
Behavior
Consequence
The above sequence is temporal.
That is, the antecedent comes before behavior and consequence after behavior
Behaviors
Precision
• Behaviors must be observable and measurable
• Dead person test
• Operational definition
– Clear, complete, objective
– Discriminates what is and what is not an instance
of the behavior
Nonexample: “Gets upset”
Why is “gets upset” a problem
A. It is subjective
B. It cannot be observed
C. It does not have a clear beginning and
end
D. All of the above
A better classification… crawls under table
“Crawling under table”
• The student gets on his hands and knees, moves
under a table or desk, and stays in that location
for a minimum of 3 seconds.
– Could add criteria for identifying one instance from
another
• “5 seconds must separate one instance of crawling under
the table from another instance of crawling under the table”
– Could add a nonexample to help clarify
• “It is not crawling under the table if the student moves
under the table and comes out the other side without
stopping at any time, as if the table is a bridge during a play
sequence”
Defining social behaviors: Asking a peer to play a game
Is the following definition acceptable?
• Moves to within 1-3 feet of peer, says peer’s
name and then asks “would you like to play
XXX with me?” This action must be followed
by the student engaging in the activity he or
she asks the peer about.
Let’s try one…
• Write an operational definition for “stacking
blocks”
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Did you use objective terms?
Did you use action words that are observable?
Did you provide any examples?
Did you include nonexamples?
Just remember
OBSERVABLE AND
MEASURABLE!!!
Antecedents
Environmental events that occur prior to a behavior.
There are lots of antecedents….
Seeing a highly preferred toy
A teacher presenting an instruction
Antecedents can be anything
Some of these antecedents affect behavior…
We can call them “triggers” though the scientific name is discriminative stimuli. We
need to identify and plan for these when intervening on behavior
…others are a mere coincidence
They happen to be present before the behavior,
but the presence or absence would not matter.
Changing these would be a waste of time.
Teacher asks a question
“Watch
Child answers
what you
question
are doing”
Peer drops a book
Prompts and Prompt Fading
Purpose of Prompt
• Sometimes, antecedent stimuli that should
occasion a response don’t
• We therefore need to teach the student what to
do in those situations
• Prompts are any added guidance that we provide
to make the behavior more likely
• Once the behavior occurs and contacts
reinforcement, we can gradually remove the
prompt so that the response follows the key
antecedent
Major Big Idea
• If the behavior does not contact
reinforcement, you cannot begin removing the
prompt
• This causes prompt dependence
A quick joke
• What do you call a prompt that isn’t faded?
• Facilitated communication
Instructional Considerations
Types of Prompts
Physical
Verbal
Written
Gestural
Verbal and Gestural are
harder to fade
Fading Programs
Most to least
Least to most
Stick with one type of
prompt (e.g., physical)
and fade along that
dimension
Most to Least Fading
• Example
– Immediate physical guidance
at hand
– Immediate physical guidance
at forearm
– Immediate physical guidance
at shoulder/elbow
– Wait 2-s, physical guidance at
shoulder or elbow
– Wait 5-s, physical guidance at
shoulder or elbow
– Independent
• Non Example
– Immediate physical guidance
at hand
– Immediate physical guidance
at forearm
– Immediate physical guidance
at shoulder/elbow
– Immediate gesture
– Wait 2-s, gesture
– Wait 5-s, gesture
Graduated Guidance Example
Least to Most Fading
• If student has vocal speech
Teacher attention – wait 3-5 seconds for a target response after
student initiates interaction before prompting
Teacher asks for a response (“what do you want?”, “I don’t
understand”)
Provides a verbal cue if no response to teacher attention
Full model of target response
• If student is non or minimally vocal
Student requests an item by walking to it, grabbing for it,
etc…
Teacher holds item-wait 3-5 seconds for a response
Teacher gives expectant look
Provide a less intrusive physical prompt if no response
Provide a full physical prompt if no response
Selecting a fading program
• Most to least: new skills, structured
teaching, minimal errors
• Least to most: acquired skill in new
environment, natural environment
training, assessing
Within Stimulus Prompt
Key
Stimulus Fading
Key
Key
Key
Stimulus Fading
Key
Key
Key
Prompt Fading Activity
Consequences
Environmental events that occur after a behavior
Similar to antecedents
» Some consequences influence behavior
» Others don’t, no matter how hard we look
Example Video
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA96FbaWHk
Consequences that influence behavior
Some are called reinforcers.
A reinforcer always follows a behavior
and increases the future probability
of the behavior occurring under
similar conditions!
Others are called punishers.
A punisher always follows a behavior
and decreases the future probability
of the behavior occurring under
similar conditions
There are two types of each
Reinforcers
Punishers
Positive punishment:
The presentation of an
aversive stimulus that
decreases the future
probability of the
response
Positive reinforcement:
The presentation of a
stimulus that increases
the future likelihood of
the behavior (typically a
preferred stimulus, like
chocolate )
Negative reinforcement:
The removal of an
aversive stimulus that
increases the future
likelihood of the
behavior (think: hitting
the snooze button)
Negative punishment:
The removal of a
preferred stimulus that
decreases the future
probability of the
response (taking away
computer time)
Let’s go over it one more time
Behavior
Increases
Positive
Reinforcement
Positive
Punishment
Negative
Reinforcement
Negative
Punishment
Stimulus
Presented
Stimulus
Removed
Behavior
Decreases
Positive Reinforcement
• Stimulus presented, behavior increases
– Many, many, many stimuli can function as
reinforcers
• Smiles, high fives, pats on back, acknowledgment,
gratitude, time and attention can all become very
potent reinforcers
– I don’t get to tell you what your reinforcers are
– Many children with ASD have some unique
reinforcers
– Reinforcers change, often from moment to
moment
A few more things you need to know about reinforcement
You can reinforce every
instance of behavior
Or reinforce some instances
You can also withhold
reinforcement
Continuous reinforcement:
good for teaching new skills
Intermittent reinforcement:
good for maintaining skills
Extinction: behavior stops, but
this procedure can produce an
extinction burst
Considerations for Applying
Reinforcement
• CONTINGENT: Deliver the reinforcer after the target behavior
(and only after the target behavior!)
• IMMEDIATE: Reinforce immediately after the desired
behavior.
• INDIVIDUALIZED: Ensure that the reinforcer is a preferred
item (i.e., pair with behavior specific praise
• CLEAR: Tell the child specifically what is being reinforced.
• ENTHUSIATIC: Change in the tone or volume of voice (in
contrast to any instruction or prompt).
Activity: Use reinforcement to
shape behavior
Selecting Potential Reinforcers
• Preference assessments provide a
systematic data-based way to evaluate
potential reinforcers for an individual.
Why conduct preference assessments?
• Because kids will love you!
Why Conduct Preference Assessments?
• Identifying student preferences is a critical
step to teaching new skills
• Reinforcers are needed for behavior
change
• Preferences can change over time
• Although PA take time up front, they can
decrease time and effort required to
change a behavior in the long run
Ways to Identify Potential Reinforcers
• Interviews
• Preference inventories/surveys
• Observations
Types of Preference Assessments
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Single item presentation
Paired item choice presentation
Multiple item presentation
Free choice
Single Item Presentation
1. Place an item in front of the student
2. If the student approaches within 5s, allow the student
30s with the item (or let them consume). Mark a + on
the data sheet.
3. If the student does not approach within 5s, prompt
him/her to engage with the item and present it again.
4. If the student does not respond, present the next
item.
5. Continue until each item has been presented 5 times.
(Items approached 80% of the time are considered
preferred)
Single Item Presentation
• http://mand.framewelder.com/page/?templat
e=conducting_assessment
Single Item Presentation
• Advantages
– Quick and easy
• Disadvantages
– Not as reliable
Paired Item Assessment
1. Identify 6 potential reinforcers
2. Place two items in front of the student
3. Tell the student to pick one and allow 5-10 s
for student to choose
4. Allow student to interact with or consume
item for 5-10 s
5. Continue presenting sets of reinforcers until
all choices have been paired with one
another
Paired Item Assessment
Paired Item Assessment
• Advantages
– Can rank order reinforcers
• Disadvantages
– Can be time consuming
Multiple Item Assessment
1. Lay out 5 preferred items in front of student
2. If student picks an item within 5 s, then allow
student 30 s to interact with item. Record a “1”
on the data sheet next to the chosen item.
3. Remove item chosen. Take the item from the left
and place it on the right. Re-center the
remaining items.
4. Repeat this process until only one item remains
or no item is selected during the 5 s.
5. Complete the entire process three times.
Multiple Item Assessment
Multiple Item Assessment
• Advantages
– Faster than paired item assessment
– Rank order of preferences
• Disadvantages
– Can be time consuming
– There are a lot of items to manipulate
Practice Multi-item, if time 
Free Choice Assessment
• Watching what the student chooses to
interact with when they can play with
anything
• Arrange the environment so preferred items
are available
• Record how long the student interacts with
each item
Free Choice Assessment
Free Choice Assessment
• Advantages
– More natural
– Easy
• Disadvantages
– Do not necessarily get a rank order of preferences
– Data collection can be difficult
Big Ideas
• The better the reinforcers, the more likely you
will see positive changes in behavior
• Preferences can change over time
• Students will enjoy preference assessments
AND you are collecting valuable data at the
same time!
Video Modeling to Teach Initial Speech
• Many children with ASD have deficits in spoken
language that limit ability to make simple requests
– Provide request training by prompting response
• Children with autism tend to demonstrate dependence
on verbal prompts
• Video modeling offers a method for teaching requests
that alters the temporal sequencing of the prompt
Contrive Motivation Prompt  Request  Reinforce
Prompt  Contrive Motivation  Request  Reinforce
Early Video-based Instructional Program
• Training conducted in therapy space where
each student received 1:1 instruction within a
small partitioned space
• Items used during request training selected
from paired stimulus preference assessment
• Videos shown on iPad
– Clips depict a young girl (4 or 5 years old) ask for a
preferred item or activity
Target Behaviors
• Requests Acquired
– Defined as the participant emitting an independent
request for three consecutive contrived trials
• Requests Mastered
– Defined as the participant emitting an independent
request on the first trial of the day for three
consecutive days
• Request pairs: matched based on preference and
ease of pronunciation then assigned to each
condition
Example of Mand Pairings
Participant
Traditional
Mand Targets
Video-based
Mand Targets
Trish
House
Crayon
Cards
Shoes
Paper
Box
Paula
Pony
Top
Barn
Dora
Ball
Sand
Marcus
Wand
Crayon
Track
Book
Tower
Plane
Corey
Ball
Rice
Plane (“pane”)
Top
Car
Book
Procedural Comparison
Traditional Mand Training
Video-based Mand Training
Contrive trial – prompt – response- reinforce
Prompt – contrive trial – response – reinforce
Individual Results
Number of requests acquired/mastered
Acquired
TMT
16
VMT
Mastered
16
14
14
12
12
10
10
8
8
6
6
4
4
2
2
0
0
Corey
Trish
Marcus Paula
Corey
TMT
VMT
Trish
Marcus Paula
Group Results
Cumulative requests acquired/mastered
Acquired
Mastered
50
50
45
45
Videobased
40
40
35
35
30
30
25
25
20
20
Traditional
training
15
15
10
10
5
5
0
0
1
3
5
7
9 11 13 15 17
Weeks
1
3
5
7
9 11 13 15 17
Weeks
Results summarized
• Overall, participants acquired and mastered more
requests during video-based training than during
traditional training
• Greater differentiation for requests mastered
than acquired
• More complex requests (e.g., asking for
information) were much easier to teach with
video
• Video might increase student attending to the
model
Video-Based Group Instruction
Leveraging the power of video modeling
Method
• 4 Teenagers with ASD (2 male, 2 female)
– Home schooled
– Self-contained Special Education Classrooms
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Very low language and IQ scores
Severe social skills deficits at pretest
Met 2x/week for 75 minutes
Multiple probe across behaviors design
Met all quality indicators for single-case
research designs (Kratochwill et al., 2011)
Components of VGI
1. Introduce and practice rules
2.
3.
4.
5.
Identify preferences
Direct skill instruction (video modeling)
Natural skill instruction (game or activity)
Break
6. Direct skill instruction
7. Finish with fun event
(snack, computer, dance party)
Target Behavior
Complex Initiations
• Inviting to join
• Asking to join
Social Awareness
• Ask about others
• Offer assistance
Reciprocity
• Maintain conversation
Definition
Approaches peer
Obtains peer attention
Requests peer to join in a specific activity
Approaches peers involved in activity
Obtains peer attention
Requests to join activity with peers
Obtains peer’s attention
Asks a question about interest of peer
Vocalize offer to help
Engage in behavior similar to social partner
(1) Respond to social partner and
(2) Ask follow-up question or make open
ended comment
Invite to Play: Baseline
Direct Skill
Instruction
1.
2.
3.
4.
Instruct to attend
Show video model
Chance to imitate
Differential
consequence
5. Repeat Sequence
Behavioral Domains
(1) Complex Initiations, (2) Social Awareness, (3) Social Reciprocity
Offer Help: Baseline
Direct Skill
Instruction
1.
2.
3.
4.
Instruct to attend
Show video model
Chance to imitate
Differential
consequence
5. Repeat Sequence
Behavioral Domains
(1) Complex Initiations, (2) Social Awareness, (3) Social Reciprocity
By the end…
Maintain Conversation: Baseline
Direct Skill
Instruction
1.
2.
3.
4.
Instruct to attend
Show video model
Chance to imitate
Differential
consequence
5. Repeat Sequence
Behavioral Domains
(1) Complex Initiations, (2) Social Awareness, (3) Social Reciprocity
Instructional Trials
Interesting Video Modeling Finding
Participant 1
Participant 2
Participant 3
10
20
16
8
15
12
10
8
5
4
6
4
2
0
0
1
2
Skill sets
3
0
1
2
3
1
Skills
2
3
Skills
The time it took to teach skills decreased with each set of skills we targeted
In other words, the students learned to learn from a video model
Headsprout Early Reading
• Computer assisted instruction: children with
ASD demonstrate a tendency to attend better
to computers
• Consistent and predictable learning routines:
children perform better when routines are
predictable
• Limits vocal responding: children can engage
in learning routines associated with early
reading with no spoken language requirement
Why Headsprout® Early Reading for
College of Education
Students with Moderate to Severe ASD?
• A Strong Evidence-Base in Research for Improving Reading Performance
Phonological Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency, and Comprehension
• Built on Principles of Direct Instruction and ABA that Have an Evidence-Base for
students with ASD
• Conspicuous positive reinforcement
• Error correction procedures
• Active responding/high pacing
• Shaping accuracy through successive
• Mastery learning---repetition and review
approximations
• Provides levels of individualization, including scaffolding gradations to students responses to
increase or decrease difficulty level that are difficult or impossible in group instruction
• Takes advantage of students’ general interest in technology
• Access to phonology and phonics, even when students are non-verbal
Headsprout and ASD
Difficulties for kids with ASD
How Addressed by HER
Receptive language
Consistent presentation of instructional
formats requiring consistent responses
Expressive language
Vocal response not needed for success
in program (touch or point response
only)
Stimulus overselectivity
Initial highlighting of correct answer,
error correction with highlighting – both
faded over time
Restricted patterns of behavior
Consistent presentation of instructional
formats requiring consistent responses
Attending
Dynamic program with high interest
stimuli and quick instructional pacing
Headsprout® Early Reading (HER)
Curriculum Components
College of Education
Placement Test
Headsprout Early Reading: Lessons 1-80
Headsprout Stories
Emerging Reader
To
2.5 Grade
30 hours
Episode Progress
Chart
Fluency Assessments and Charts
Benchmark Assessments
92
Thoughtful Instructional Design
Headsprout Stories: 5 Types of Reading Connected
College
of Education
Text—Fiction,
Non-Fiction, Expository, Poems
Headsprout Reader
(Benchmark Books-12)
Headsprout Stories
Independent
Instructional
Future reading level
Progress Monitoring (RTI)
Companion Readers
Novel text with new words,
but should be able to decode
with newly learned skills
Episode Stories
Read With Me (Duet Passages)
Stories that have been read
Adult text and learner text
online; fluency practice by
Allows for hearing good readers read
Text at or just outside instructional zone rereading known text
NOTICE: 5 KEY AREAS OF READING
Chapter Stories
Longest stories of all
Multiple chapters
Builds reading stamina
More complex plot
Phonics and Phonemic Awareness Practice and Generalization to Connected Text
Scaffolded Vocabulary—hearing good readers use new words
Fluency practice through repeated reading; hearing good readers
Reading comprehension of increasingly more complex texts
93
Pre-intervention video
College of Education
Intervention Procedure: Behavioral Supports
1. “How do you get tokens?
Yes, look at the iPad and stay in Headsprout”
3. “Okay, let’s read!”
Headsprout Early Reading (HER)
On Surface Pro 2
2. “What are you working for?”
“Okay, let’s put that on your board”
4. “Good job! Put a token on”
“You need two tokens”
5. “Good job! iPad for 2 minutes”
Preference Menu
Token Board
Vibrating Timer
Data Recording Sheets
Tangible, Behavioral and Activities, Social, Edible
Early Training
Post-intervention video
Persistence
Method
If student does not successfully interact with correct responding
after specific number of sessions begin manual prompting for answer*
*different from previous study where training occurred outside Headsprout
Children begin learning from program
Proficiency Increases
College of Education
Outcomes: Engagement & Interaction
Reduction in
Problem Behavior
102
Results: Correct
Interactions per Minute
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Students could initially interact
with program
Once content became slightly
challenging, correct interactions
went to zero for two participants
A third persisted, but was
extremely variable in performance
As content becomes more difficult,
all demonstrate an increasing
trend in CIPM
Results: Episodes
Completed
•
•
Most importantly, participants
with no physical motor
impairment who completed
sessions everyday, progressed in
the program
Hunter
•
•
•
•
Completed the entire program
and is now working on
Headsprout Reading
Comprehension
Teachers and parents report
increase in language used and
understood
Can be seen walking around
school with a Headsprout Early
Reader under his arm
He earns them as reinforcers for
completing other work
plavnick@msu.edu