Behavioral Strategies
for Preschoolers
Shaana Berman, Ed.D.
Program Specialist
Agenda
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Introductions
Behaviorism and Applied Behavioral Analysis
Behavior ABCs
Functions of Behavior
Teaching Alternative Behaviors
Effective Instructions and Reinforcement
The Home Environment
Dos and Don’ts
Final Thoughts
Training Objectives
• Analyze your child’s behavior in terms of
the A-B-C Model
• Identify common functions of behavior
• Identify alternative replacement
behaviors
• Learn strategies for the home setting
Why is My Child Doing
That?!
• What are some behaviors you are
dealing with in the home or
community settings?
• How do we address behavior change?
Behaviorism
• Everything (e.g., ., thinking, feeling,
doing), is a behavior
• All behaviors are learned
• Behaviors, both adaptive and
maladaptive, are maintained by
reinforcement
Origins of Behaviorism
• Classical Conditioning (Pavlov)
– Showed a conditioned behavior can
occur in response to a previously neutral
stimulus or antecedent
• Operant Conditioning (Skinner)
– Showed that consequences can mediate
the occurrence or form of a behavior
Applied Behavioral
Analysis
• A scientific approach that uses the
principles of behavior to promote
socially significant behavior change.
• ABA focuses on the A-B-C model
A-B-C
Behavior ABCs
• A=Antecedent: what occurs right before
the behavior; the instruction, can also be
environmental or a physiological state (e.g.,
hunger).
• B=Behavior: the learner’s response to the
antecedent (can be considered as Correct,
Incorrect, or a Non-Response)
• C=Consequence: what occurs immediately
after the learner responds (e.g.,
reinforcement, feedback, planned ignoring)
Important Terms
• Positive Reinforcement: Presentation of a
desirable stimulus that increases a
behavior (e.g., attention, praise,
edible/candy, access to preferred toy)
• Negative Reinforcement: removal of an
aversive stimulus that increases a behavior
(e.g, the pain of a headache is removed by
taking an aspirin
Important Terms
• Extinction: Planned ignoring…not of the
child, but of the undesirable behavior!
• Prompting: Adding a cue to make the
target behavior more likely to occur (e.g.,
visual, modeling, verbal cue)
• Shaping: reinforcing successive
approximations of a target behavior (e.g.,
Your Task Should you
Choose to Accept It:
Become a Behavior Detective:
• Break down behaviors into
– A=what was occurring right before the
behavior?
– B=what is the child doing? Be objective!
– C=what did you do in response to the
behavior?
ABC Examples
Antecedent
Behavior
Consequence
Hungry
Late for work
See cookie
See toy
Mother leaves
Mother leaves
Cry
Speed
Say “cookie”
Hit sibling
Cry/tantrum
Cry/tantrum
Get bottle
Get ticket
Get cookie
Get toy
Mother returns
Mother gone
Group Exercise
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Break into groups of 2-3
Read the following scenarios
Identify A, B and C
Be prepared to share your responses!
What Next?
• We have analyzed the ABCs, now we
must figure out the WHY.
• All behavior has a function or
purpose
Functions of Behavior
• Why is My Child Doing That?!
– Ask Yourself: What function does this
behavior serve?
– What needs is my child trying to meet
by using this behavior?
Common Functions of
Behavior
• Obtain something (e.g., attention,
toy, food, sensory etc.)
• Escape/Avoid something (e.g., a
person, place, activity, etc.)
• Communication
When a Child Has Special
Needs
• Lack of ability to communicate may
lead to frustration and tantrums or
aggression
• Self-Stimulatory Behaviors serve a
reinforcing function (you can set
limits on and shape these)
Identifying Functions
• Whenever his mother calls, “bath time!”
Johnny begins screaming, crying, and
hiding under the bed.
• Ella repetitively lines up her toy bears on
the floor
• Ryan hits his little brother for taking his
toy
*Can you identify these functions?
Teaching Alternative
Behavior
• Once we have identified the function
of an undesirable behavior, we must
identify an appropriate alternative
• Alternative replacement behaviors
MUST match the FUNCTION of the
original behavior!
Alternative Behaviors
Behavior
Function
Hit sibling
Jump on bed
Crying
Rob Bank
Communicate
Sensory input
Avoid Activity
Get Money
Alternative
Use Words
Trampoline
Request Break
Get a Job
Exercise: Identifying
Alternative Behaviors
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Break in groups of 2-3
Discuss your child’s primary behaviors
Determine a behavior you want to change
Identify the Behavior
Identify the Function
Identify an Appropriate Alternative
Be prepared to share your responses
Manipulating A and C
• Once you determine the function of a
behavior, you can implement proactive and
reactive strategies.
• Proactive Strategies: Manipulating the
antecedent to promote behavior change
• Reactive Strategies: Manipulating the
consequence to promote behavior change
Practical Application
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Giving an Effective Instruction
Using Reinforcement Effectively
Engineering the Home Environment
Key Phrases
Dos and Don'ts
Effective Instructions
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Get on eye level
Ensure child is paying attention
Use simple words and gestures
Do not power struggle
Ask yourself: Does my child
understand what I am saying?
• Be consistent!
Consistency
• All adults should be on the same page
• If you say it, Do It!
• Never give an instruction you can’t
follow through on
Using Reinforcement
Effectively
• Is the child motivated to comply?
• Contract for reinforcement (e.g., give
choices, ask what working for)
• Reinforcement for young children
must be immediate…they cannot
delay gratification
Using Reinforcement
Effectively
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Vary it!
Reinforce contingently
Give tangibles when appropriate
Connect behaviors to outcomes specifically
(“I like how you tried a new food at dinner!
You earned your star!”)
• *See handout: Token Economies
Engineering the Home
Environment
• Clean
• Organized
• Use Visuals (e.g., star chart)
• Enough Space
• Family Rules
• Routines
*See Handout: Environmental Checklist
Key Phrases
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First…then…
I’ll wait until you are ready
That’s not ok
Try Again
What are you working for?
You may do it yourself or I can help
you
Dos and Don’ts
• Do:
– Know your child!
– Give choices
– Allow Contracting
– Establish contingency (If…then…)
• Don’t:
– Power Struggle
– Use punishment
– Fail to follow through
– Fail to reward contingent on desirable behavior
*See handout: Nanny 911 Commandments
Final Thoughts…
“If a child can’t learn the way we
teach, maybe we should teach them
the way they learn…”
-Ignacio Estrada