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Chapter 4: PTR Intervention
I. Overview and Objectives
With the review of the PTR Assessments and the development of the Assessment
Organizational Summary Table, the next step is to develop an Intervention Plan. The PTR
Intervention Plan must include a minimum of three components: (1) a prevention intervention,
(2) a teaching intervention, and (3) a reinforcement intervention. Your team will participate in a
process that will assist you in the selection of interventions that match the PTR Assessment
summary results and are acceptable for your team to implement in the student’s classroom.
Chapter 4 will assist your team to:
1. Identify at least one Prevent intervention
2. Identify at least one Teach intervention
3. Identify at least one Reinforce intervention
4. Develop a plan to implement the interventions for each target behavior
II. PTR Interventions
Developing the Intervention Plan
To develop an effective intervention plan, each team member should refer to the PTR
Assessment Organizational Summary Table developed and/or revised during Team Meeting 3.
The information contained in this summary table, along with each component of the
hypothesis(es), will assist the team in selecting the appropriate interventions for the student by
allowing the team to match the function of the problem behavior with strategies that are most
likely to be effective in the environment in which the problem behavior is occurring. It is very
important for your team to select at least one Prevent, one Teach, and one Reinforce
intervention for the PTR intervention plan.
Prevent Interventions
Before selecting Prevent interventions, review the prevent data and the ‘When . . .’
component of the hypothesis on the summary table. This information identifies the
environmental circumstances associated with a high likelihood of the student engaging in the
problem behavior. Prevent strategies change these situations, making the student’s problem
behavior unnecessary or irrelevant.
Example: The student is most likely to engage in problem behavior during a writing assignment
which requires capital and lowercase letters to touch the appropriate lines on the paper. The
team might choose to use a curricular modification that includes coordinating the letters of the
words with different colored lines to assist the student in determining what letter should touch
which line. By using this prevention strategy, the team has eliminated the trigger for the problem
behavior, making it unnecessary.
Prevent data also indicates when the student is most likely to engage in appropriate
behavior. This information will assist the team in determining what environmental
circumstances are already effective and in place to elicit appropriate behavior from the student.
Developed under grant H324P04003 from the Department of Education.
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When reviewing the summary table you might want to ask the following questions: How can
these situations be increased? How can these situations be replicated during times when problem
behavior is most likely to occur? Remember, the best time to teach new behaviors to the student
is when he/she is not engaging in problem behavior.
Teach Interventions
Before selecting Teach interventions, review the teach data and the ‘Student will . . .’
component of the hypothesis on the summary table. This information identifies the function
(purpose) of the problem behavior and allows the team to identify alternative behaviors that will
be more effective as a replacement. The alternative behavior can either be a functional behavior
or a more desired, prosocial behavior. A functional replacement behavior results in the student
‘getting’ the same outcome as the problem behavior identified in the hypothesis.

Functional Replacement Behavior Example: Prior to intervention, the student calls out
repeatedly to ‘get’ the teacher’s assistance on difficult assignments. The functional
replacement behavior would be to teach the student to raise his/her hand to ‘get’
assistance from the teacher.
A desired replacement behavior results in the student ‘getting’ the same outcome as the problem
behavior identified in the hypothesis, but is more appropriate and socially desirable than the
problem behavior.

Desired, Prosocial Replacement Behavior Example: Prior to intervention, the student
calls out repeatedly to ‘get’ the teacher’s assistance on difficult assignments. The
desired/prosocial replacement behavior would be to teach the student to circle the
difficult problems and continue working. Once the student has completed one page, then
he/she raises his/her hand to ‘get’ assistance from the teacher for the circled items.
Teach strategies make the student’s problem behavior inefficient in getting what he/she
usually gets after engaging in the problem behavior because the alternative behavior becomes the
more efficient means of obtaining the desired outcome. Therefore, alternative behaviors chosen
for the Teach component must be easy and efficient in order to be effective.
Example: Prior to intervention, the student wonders around the room during independent work
time until the teacher provides assistance. The team might choose to teach the student to use a
‘Help Pass’. Each time the student uses the ‘Help Pass’, he/she immediately gets assistance from
the teacher, rather than having to wonder around the room, which resulted in inconsistent and/or
delayed help.
Teach interventions are important because the student often lacks the necessary skills to
meet his/her needs or ‘get’ the desired outcome. Teach strategies provide the student with those
skills, which enhance problem solving and increase positive social interactions.
Reinforce Interventions
Before selecting Reinforce interventions, review the reinforce data and the ‘As a result,
the student . . .’ component of the hypothesis on the summary table. This information identifies
why the student may continue to engage in problem behavior, as well as why he/she may engage
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in appropriate behavior. Including a Reinforce strategy in the intervention plan can make the
student’s problem behavior ineffective. By changing the adult’s response to the student’s
problem behavior, the student will no longer receive reinforcement for the inappropriate
behaviors. Instead, the student must receive immediate reinforcement for engaging in the
recently taught appropriate behavior so that the new skill becomes much more effective at
meeting his/her needs than the problem behavior. Be sure to use the Reinforce data to determine
what is reinforcing for the student.
Example: Prior to the intervention, the student kicks the desk and throws papers each time
he/she is asked to complete an independent reading assignment. As a result, the student is sent to
the Behavior Specialist’s office, which results in his/her escaping the task and getting attention
from staff. After intervention, the student is no longer sent to the Behavior Specialist’s office
when engaging in the problem behavior (kicking desk and throwing papers). However, the
student is allowed to visit the Behavior Specialist after completing 10 minutes of independent
reading.
By using the Reinforce strategy, the team has made the problem behavior ineffective
because the student is no longer allowed to escape the task and obtain staff attention. However,
the new appropriate behavior of completing 10 minutes of independent reading is effective in
obtaining the desired outcome of leaving the room and getting staff attention.
A short description of the different Prevent, Teach, and Reinforce Interventions is
provided in the section below. Read each intervention section, keeping in mind the information
from the Assessment Organizational Table Summary and the hypothesis(es) components to assist
you in identifying the most effective strategies for your student. The PTR Interventions Grid
and the PTR Interventions Checklist will help the team prioritize the interventions and assist in
determining the interventions to be chosen.
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PTR Interventions
Prevent’ Behavior Interventions
The following are intervention descriptions that can Prevent a student’s problem behavior
from occurring and may be considered for use within the ‘prevent’ section of the behavior plan.
1. Providing Choices: Providing the student a choice between two or more options.
Choice-making can be used to enhance the student’s participation in an activity or task that
typically results in problem behavior when a direct demand is delivered.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates:
 problem behavior occurs when demands are made of the student
 problem behavior occurs when transitioning from preferred to non-preferred activities
 student uses behavior to “get control” or “get his/her way”
 student uses behavior to protest situations
 student has minimal or no choice-making opportunities throughout the day
Examples:
 Choosing materials to use in a task: Choose colors of pen ink
 Choosing between different tasks: Choose a math or writing task
 Choosing where to work: Choose to work at a desk or at the table
 Choosing when to do a task: Choose writing first, math second.
 Choosing a person to work with: Choose Max or Sue
 Choosing to end an activity: Choose when to stop art and start journal.
 Refusing an option: Decline a specific food item at snack
Considerations for Implementation: Ensure the options are valid and will be honored.
2. Transition Supports: Providing the student with a cue prior to a change. The change
can be switching to a different activity, moving to a new location or preparing the student for
new people. Cues can be visual, auditory, motoric, or a combination. Presenting a cue prior to a
transition allows the student to predict the sequence of events. Transition supports can be
individualized (i.e., built into an individual schedule or only available to this student) or used for
the entire class.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates the student:
 engages in problem behavior immediately prior to or during transitions.
 does not understand what is expected during a transition.
 has difficulty physically moving from one activity to another.
 has difficulty re-engaging in the next activity or ending a preferred activity
Examples:
 Auditory: Playing a song, chanting a phrase, or providing an audible cue (bell or chimes)
 Visual: Showing a symbol or picture, flipping over a sign, or pointing out a visual timer
Motoric: Having a dance or physical movement associated with upcoming changes in
activities.
Considerations for Implementation: It is important to provide a consistent routine or ritual for
transition supports. The routinized cue will allow the student to quickly predict an upcoming
change. The student may need direct instruction in the specific behaviors to perform while
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making the transition (lining up, walking in the hallways) and reinforcement for performing the
appropriate behaviors.
3. Environmental Supports: Visual and/or auditory symbols that let the student understand
what is currently happening in the environment, what will be happening throughout the day, or
scheduled changes in routines. The symbols can be objects, pictures, written words, or icons.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates that problem behavior occurs
when the student:
 has difficulty understanding what is happening within the environment.
 transitions from activity-to-activity, setting-to-setting, person-to-person, etc.
 has difficulty understanding options or choices.
 is required to end an activity or task.
 experiences a change in routine or schedule.
 does not understand expectations, which are not clearly defined or established
Examples:
 Schedules: A visual sequence of the day’s activities
 Choice boards: A visual display of activities or reinforcers from which to choose
 Boundary identification: Providing a carpet square with the student’s name to sit on;
using a checkered tablecloth for snack time and a striped tablecloth for art time.
 Labels: Placing photograph, picture, or written word symbol on objects and areas
 Activity Ending: Visual or auditory symbol indicating the end of an activity, such as
having a finished folder to place daily activities as completed, timers (visual or auditory)
Considerations for Implementation:
 Direct instruction is required to teach the appropriate use of the specific support.
 Determine the student’s level of symbol understanding first. Some students will need
concrete representation such as actual or miniature objects, while others will understand
photographs, colored or black & white drawings, or written words. A speech pathologist
may be able to assist you.
4. Curricular Modifications: Changes in instructional tasks that lessen the likelihood of
problem behavior occurring upon presentation to the student. There are two main categories of
curricular modifications: change in the content of the instruction or change in the presentation
of the task.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates:
 problem behavior occurs when academic demands are made of the student
 problem behavior occurs when presented with a non-preferred academic task
 student engages in problem behavior to ‘escape’ an academic demand
 student refuses to engage in an academic task
Types of Curricular Modifications:
 Presentation: Tasks are presented in a way that makes the activity less distasteful and
more likely that the student will do the task.
o Task alternation - novel to familiar; maintenance to acquisition; non-preferred to
preferred; teacher-directed to independent; lecture to interactive activities
o Task division – break task up into smaller units
o Choices
o Materials
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Example: A math worksheet with four rows of problems can be cut into 4 strips. The student is
given one strip at a time, making the work sheet less overwhelming. As the student completes
each row, it can be turned in to be checked, providing an opportunity for reinforcement of
appropriate work behaviors.

Content Modification: Academic activities are modified to be more meaningful
o Task difficulty - adjust level of difficulty; provide errorless learning opportunities;
teach replacement skills; shorten task, then gradually increase length or time
o Task preference – incorporate student’s interests
o Task meaningfulness – task is functional and relevant to student
Example: Rather than doing a sorting activity on a worksheet, the student could sort chocolate
and white milk cartons in the cafeteria before lunch begins.
Considerations for Implementation: Make sure that the student has the skills to do the
curricular requirements. Additionally, think about ways to make the activity more motivating and
interesting. Incorporating the student’s preferred interests into an activity can result in him/her
participating without problem behavior.
5. Adult Verbal Behavior (“Just be Nice”) : Providing frequent positive attention
allowing the student to associate the teacher (and instructional demands) with positive feelings
and allows for attention without the student displaying a problem behavior.
Examples:
 Giving positive statements to the student at a high ratio
 Keeping an even tone and volume
 Using positive language, even when redirecting
 Using clear, specific language when asking the student to do an activity
 Making more “comments” than “demands” when working with the student
Example: “You need to work much faster” may trigger problem behavior while
making a comment such as, “You are trying so hard to finish”, may prompt the
student to work harder.
Considerations for Implementation: Attempt to keep a 4:1 ratio of positive to negative
statements. To assist in meeting this ratio, a teacher might put smiley faces around the room.
Each time the teacher sees a smiley face, it will prompt him/her to make a positive statement.
Another way is to set a daily goal of the number of positive statements to be made. The same
number of paper clips could be put in the right pocket. Each time the teacher makes a positive
statement, a paper clip can be moved from the right pocket to the left one.
6. Classroom Management: Setting up a clear, comprehensible system of how a classroom
will operate and how daily activities will occur so that appropriate behavior is encouraged and
rewarded. When classrooms have clear rules for appropriate behavior that are consistently taught
and reinforced, teachers spend less time addressing problem behaviors.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates:
 student does not understand classroom behavioral expectations
 student does not possess the needed skills to behave appropriately in the classroom
 problem behavior arises when classroom management is enforced in a negative manner
 there is a need for more clear and consistent behavioral expectations
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Examples:
 Arranging the classroom environment for easy access to students, and students can
move without disturbing peers.
 Providing opportunities for the student to show appropriate “rule-following” behavior
 Prompting the student for appropriate behavior before the chance to exhibit
inappropriate behavior.
 Embedding classroom rules into daily lessons and activities. A specific behavior can be
the focus each week.
Example: A rule, ‘speak kindly to others’, can be a theme for instructional
activities. The student (along with the rest of the class) can play detective and
count how many times the student, and others, are “caught in the act” of
speaking kindly.
Considerations for Implementation: Effective classroom management strategies promote
appropriate behavior for all students, not just the student with problem behavior. Often, students
do not understand classroom expectations or may not have the skills to behave appropriately. By
consistently teaching rules and providing opportunities for practice, the student will acquire,
maintain, and generalize the skills.
7. Setting Event Modifications: Altering conditions in the student’s environment when
setting events are present. Setting events are environmental conditions or patterns that set off the
student’s behavior but are “removed in time” from the behavior’s occurrence. The setting event
can happen from a few minutes to a few hours before the behavior. Examples include missing
the bus, arriving late, having a fight with a sibling, or staying with a non-custodial parent.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates that problem behavior occurs:
 due to the student’s proximity to or interactions with, a specific individual such as a peer,
teacher, school staff, or family member
 during a specific school activity or event such as P.E., Art, Music, recess, assemblies
 during a specific time in the school day such as lunch or end of the school day
 whenever there is a change in the student’s out-of-school routine, schedule or life-style
o missing the bus, arriving late to school
o holiday breaks, weekends, absences
o lack of sleep or necessary/appropriate clothing
o rotating between family member households
o missing meals or medication
Examples:
 Provide a flexible schedule allowing the student to start the day with preferred tasks and
to settle down. This works well when the setting event occurs before school setting the
stage for a “bad” day.
 Provide a “home base” or safe area to talk about feelings, events, or get assistance with
a task that is less likely to be done when a setting event is present.
 Present a series of requests the student will comply with before asking the student to do
an activity that typically results in problem behavior. Deliver 3-5 short requests that the
student will do before delivering the one that the student usually does not do.
Considerations for Implementation: Because many setting events may occur in the student’s
home environment, good communication with the student’s caregiver is essential.
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8. Opportunity for Pro-social Behavior (Peer Support): Providing peers with skills
to elicit appropriate social behavior from the student and providing reinforcement upon the
occurrence of the behavior. Peer supports can be provided in several ways including cooperative
working, tutoring, or being a peer “buddy”.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates that:
 problem behavior results in peer attention
 peer relationships are limited and of low quality
Examples:
 Arrange for the student to work with a peer or a group of peers in a cooperative activity.
Group arrangement should consider the skills each peer has so everyone has a chance for
meaningful input.
 Assign specific peer tutors to work with the student. Peer tutors should be liked by the
student and should not be in charge of redirecting or reprimanding the student. Rather,
peer tutors should be taught strategies to use when working on an academic task with the
student.
 Training a group of three to five peers in strategies that will enable them to elicit and
encourage prosocial behavior from the focus student.
Considerations for Implementation: Careful selection of peers is critical when implementing
this strategy, along with specific training in strategies to be used. Peer groups are most successful
when adults provide coaching and feedback to the peers during the orientation use of the
strategy. Adults can fade their presence as the peers become more skilled in supporting the
student. The teacher should meet with the peers regularly to debrief situations and determine
future activities.
9. Peer Modeling or Peer Reinforcement: Acknowledgement of and rewarding of
peers who engage in appropriate behavior as a model for how a student should behave.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates that:
 the likelihood of the student engaging in pro-social behavior increases when he/she is in
close proximity to specific peers
 problem behavior is associated with the student’s proximity to, or interactions with
certain peers
 problem behavior is likely to occur during specific activities or during certain times of the
day
Example: When a student raises his hand to ask a question, the teacher might state, “Thank you
for raising your hand when you had a question. You earn a surprise at the end of the day.”
Considerations for implementation: This strategy might not be effective with some students
with disabilities. It is important that the student is able to and does attend to such cues in the
classroom for this strategy to be effective. The strategy is relatively easy to use as long as there
are other students in the classroom who reliably engage in the targeted behavior.
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‘Teaching’ Behavior Interventions
The following are descriptions of interventions for new behaviors that may be considered
in the teaching section of the behavior plan. All asterisked (*) interventions are required and
must be included in the student’s PTR support plan.
1a.*Replacement Behaviors Functional or Equivalent: Appropriate alternative
behaviors to be taught that will result in the student getting the same outcome as the problem
behavior.
Replacement behaviors should match the PTR Assessment information indicating problem
behavior allows the student to:
 escape, avoid, or delay a non-preferred task, undesired activity, or a specific adult or peer
 gain attention from adults or peers
 obtain a concrete object or gain access to an activity
 delay transitions from preferred to non-preferred activities
 obtain control over a situation
Examples of functional replacement behaviors:
 Asking for assistance
 Requesting a break to briefly escape
 Requesting attention
Considerations for Implementation: When selecting functional or equivalent replacement
behaviors, the replacement behavior should be more efficient and less effortful at getting the
payoff than the problem behavior. Ensure that the replacement behavior has an equivalent
function or outcome as the problem behavior. That is, if the student’s behavior appears to serve a
means of escaping a task, the replacement behavior also should allow the student to escape the
task. Choosing a replacement behavior that serves a different function (e.g., getting attention)
will most likely be ineffective.
1b. *Replacement Behaviors Desired or Prosocial: Teaching and reinforcing
replacement behaviors which are more appropriate and socially desirable than the problem
behavior.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates:
 problem behavior is due to ineffective and/or inefficient communication or social skills
 skill deficits in pivotal behaviors prevent the student from accessing typical environments
with typical peers or achieving short-term goals
Examples of appropriate and desired replacement behaviors:
 Teaching the student a system so he/she will be able to continue to work on difficult tasks
(circling items that the he/she is unsure of and moving on to familiar items) rather than
engaging in an escape/avoidance behavior
 Teaching pro-social behaviors that allow the student to get positive attention from peers
and adults rather than engaging in an inappropriate attention-getting behavior
Considerations for Implementation: When teaching desired or pro-social replacement
behaviors, provide a powerful and appropriate reinforcement that will motivate the student to
perform the desired behavior.
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2. Specific Academic Skills: Teaching a student basic skills, such as reading, writing, or
math, that will allow the student to be actively engaged and to complete instructional activities.
Examples:
 teaching the student to decode multi-syllable words
 providing strategies using mnemonics to remediate writing skills
 instruction in appropriate use of calculator for solving math problems
Considerations for Implementation: This intervention should be considered if data collected
indicate that problem behaviors occur because the child is lacking necessary academic skills to
do instructional tasks.
3. Problem-Solving Strategies: Teaching specific strategies that allow a student to
independently and successfully complete academic tasks or to succeed in various social
interaction situations. The student may have basic academic and/or social skills but exhibits
difficulty in more complex situations.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates problem behavior occurs
when the student:
 is required to work independently or has difficulty staying engaged in the task
 is attempting to complete a complex task
 gets ‘stuck’ while working on an academic task and does not know how to work through
the difficulty on his/her own
 has a challenging interaction with a peer and does not know deal with it appropriately
Examples:
 Academic tasks
o Providing graphic organizers
o Using semantic maps
o Having a checklist to break complex tasks into small steps
 Social interactions
o Dealing with teasing, ignoring or walking away
o Reacting appropriately to peer pressure
o Identifying social and/or nonverbal cues
4. General Coping Strategies: Strategies that provide a student with self-control steps for
dealing with conflicts.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates the student:
 has difficulty responding effectively to interpersonal or socially challenging situations
 demonstrates an inability to control his/her responses or reactions
 becomes frustrated while engaged in academic tasks
 is unable to communicate his/her frustrations effectively or efficiently
Examples:
 Anger management
 Negotiation strategies
 Asking questions when frustrated
 Giving and accepting criticism.
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5. Specific Social Skills: Teaching specific skills to enhance social competence of students.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates that:
 problem behavior occurs because the student does not use appropriate social behaviors
 the student knows appropriate behaviors, but does not always use them
Examples:
 Making conversation
 Accepting consequences
 Asking to join ongoing social activities.
Considerations for Implementation: Skills targeted for instruction should be ones that can
(a) be learned quickly, (b) be used in multiple environments, and (c) be powerful enough to get
positive responses from others.
6. Teacher Pleasing Behaviors: Student behaviors which teachers perceive are important
in the classroom.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates the student:
 demonstrates skill deficits for engaging in pro-social classroom/school behavior
 possesses the skills to engage in socially appropriate behavior, but does not use the skills
effectively.
This strategy should be considered if the intervention goals include:
 Increasing rates of positive, pro-social behaviors within the classroom environment
 Increasing task productivity or engagement time
 Decreasing rates of inappropriate behavior
Examples:
 Staying engaged in tasks
 Turning in high quality work
 Being respectful
 Showing self-control
7. Learning Strategies: Specific study skills and instructional strategies that help the student
meet demands of multiple content area tasks. The major goals of learning strategies are to
(a) gain, (b) respond to, and (c) organize information.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates the student:
 has difficulty gathering relevant information from assigned materials
 lacks learning strategies to meet the demands of content areas
 is not generalizing learned skills to other classes or environments such as home or
community
 demonstrates difficulty with organizational skills and/or independent work
 displays difficulty initiating effective study strategies
Examples:
 Skimming through reading material to find specific information
 Discriminating between important and unimportant information in texts
 Taking notes to study for a test.
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8. Self –Management (Self-Monitoring): Providing a system in which the student
monitors, evaluates, and reinforces his/her own performance or non-performance of specified
behaviors.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates problem behavior occurs
when the student:
 seeks to gain teacher/adult attention
 seeks to ‘escape’ an undesirable task or activity
 attempts to delay a transition from a preferred to a non-preferred activity
 has academic demands placed upon him/her
 becomes frustrated during academic activities
Example:
 Providing the student a system to self-monitor:
o Time engaged in a task
o Raising hand to answer questions
o Task completion.
Considerations for Implementation: This strategy should be considered if intervention goal(s)
include:
 Increasing rates of positive behaviors such as attention-to-task or academic productivity
 Increasing task productivity
 Decreasing rates of inappropriate behavior
The process of self-management should be clearly explained to the student. Appropriate
recording and cueing systems should be selected for the student’s use.
9. Delayed Gratification: Teaching the student to wait a specified period of time before
receiving a reinforcer.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates the student:
 engages in specific, appropriate behavior, but at an unacceptable rate
 is using the replacement or desired behavior with consistency and is no longer exhibiting
the problem behavior, but the teacher wants to initiate fading the reinforcement of the
replacement behavior
 the student appropriately seeks adult/peer attention, but at an excessive rate
 the student engages in on-task behavior with reinforcement, and the intervention goal is
to increase task-engagement time intervals and reduce extrinsic reinforcement
Examples:
 Student uses replacement behavior and is provided a ‘delay’ signal/word prior to being
provided or released to reinforcer
 Have the student earn a specified number of points, tokens or checkmarks
 Have the student wait a specified period of time before earning a preferred reinforcer.
 Provide the student with a specified number of allowable behaviors each day with a
gradual decrease over time. (e.g., giving the student so many “asking questions” passes)
Considerations for Implementation: This strategy should be considered if the student has been
exhibiting the appropriate skills, receiving consistent reinforcement and now needs to have the
reinforcement gradually faded, or when the student exhibits an appropriate behavior (e.g., raising
hand), but does so at an unacceptable or unnecessary rate.
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10. Independent Responding: Providing skills to the student, which allows him/her to
answer questions without assistance from others.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates problem behavior occurs:
 to ‘escape’ teacher/adult requests to respond independently or to complete a task
 to ‘gain assistance’ from staff or peers when required to respond independently or to
complete a task without assistance.
 when the student becomes frustrated during activities that require independent responses.
 when the student is denied response-assistance from an adult or peer
Examples:
 Signals to assist the student in knowing when to provide responses
 Advanced preparation or scripts to provide the student with an increased chance of
responding independently and correctly
Considerations for Implementation: When data indicate, this strategy should be considered
for the student who is overly dependent upon adults or peers to assist with tasks, or when he/she
becomes frustrated when required to respond to academic questions.
11. Increased Engagement Time: Teaching the student strategies that will lengthen the
amount of time he/she is attending to, and actively interacting in the academic and social
environments.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates the:
 student exhibits low rates of engagement.
 student has shown minimal academic growth.
 student displays a need to learn self-management skills.
 team sees the need for program change (presentation, materials, preferred topics) to
motivate student to engage in academic tasks
Examples:
 Teaching and providing self-management systems
 Providing problem-solving or learning strategies that will motivate the student to remain
engaged in an activity
Considerations for Implementation: When data indicate, this strategy should be considered
for the student who exhibits low rates of engagement and has shown minimal academic growth.
When choosing this strategy, the team should consider appropriate “prevention” strategies (e.g.,
interspersing preferred topics or activities in materials, modifying curriculum content, or
presentations) that will motivate the student to be engaged in instructional tasks.
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‘Reinforce’ Behavior Interventions
The following are descriptions of interventions that should be considered for the
‘reinforce’ component of the behavior plan. All asterisked (*) interventions are
required and must be included in the student’s PTR support plan.
1a.*Reinforce Replacement Behavior Functional: Immediately providing the
student’s requested response when he/she engages in the functional replacement behavior
selected from the “teach” component.
Rationale for using this strategy: This ‘Reinforce’ strategy should be used whenever
the student engages in the designated replacement behavior selected during the ‘Teach’
component of the PTR intervention process. The replacement behavior serves the same
function (obtain or escape) as the problem behavior and is equally or more efficient and
effective in obtaining the desired outcome (reinforcer) as the problem behavior, thus
‘replacing’ the problem behavior with a more appropriate and socially valid way of
getting the original outcome.
Example: As soon as the student requests a break, the break should be given. There
should be minimal delay to the requested response. The requested response may include
access to a break, assistance, attention, a desired item, or avoidance of any of the above.
Considerations for Implementation: The requested response should be given
immediately for all students. However, the amount of time a student has access to the
requested response will vary by student and should be individualized to the needs of each
student. For example, some students may need a 5-minute break, but other students may
need only a 1-minute break.
When delivering the requested response, it is important that it be reinforcing to the
student. However, the requested response should be less desirable than the reward that is
given if the student engages in the desired prosocial behavior.
Example: If a student asks for a break during a math assignment, he/she should be given
a break of sufficient duration to prevent problem behavior. However, during this break
the student should not be allowed access to more desirable activities, such as peers,
preferred items, etc. Instead, the student may be required to sit at his/her desk and do
nothing or may be allowed to engage in a less preferred activity. When the student
engages in the desired prosocial behavior, completing the math assignment, he/she should
be given access to the highly desired item or activity. The goal is that the student will
begin to complete the work because the reward for the desired prosocial behavior is better
than taking a break.
1b. *Reinforce Replacement Behavior Non-functional or Desired, Prosocial: Following the desired prosocial behavior (either immediately or after a set
number of occurrences), the student should be given access to a prespecified item or
activity. Prosocial behaviors might include social skills, completion of an assignment,
coping strategies, problem solving skills, etc. These behaviors are not typical replacement
behaviors because they do not result in the same response as the problem behavior;
rather, they result in a more desirable reinforcer than the replacement behavior does.
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Rational for using this strategy: This ‘Reinforce’ strategy should be used whenever
the student exhibits the more appropriate, socially desirable behavior, selected during the
‘Teach’ component of the PTR Intervention process. The reinforcement selected should
be highly preferred (powerful) so that the student will be more likely to repeat the desired
behavior.
Example: A student may get an extra 10 minutes at recess when he completes a math
assignment, whereas asking for a break results in a brief 2-minute break from the task.
Considerations for Implementation: The reward the student will earn for engaging in
the desired prosocial behavior should be reinforcing to the student and may even be
chosen by the student. It should be chosen prior to the student having the opportunity to
complete the task so that the student knows what s/he will earn if the prosocial behavior
is exhibited. The reward might be delivered after every instance of the prosocial behavior
or may be earned over several occurrences of the prosocial behavior. The reward also
may vary from day to day, week to week, etc. to ensure the student desires the reinforcer.
2. Increase Non-Contingent Reinforcement: Responding positively to the
student independent of the occurrence of a desired prosocial or replacement behavior.
This may include providing attention, access to desired activities, escape from tasks, etc.
The response delivered should be reinforcing to the student and may or may not be based
on the function of the problem behavior. Delivery of noncontingent reinforcement should
occur as long as the student is not engaging in an inappropriate behavior. This may
include simply sitting in a chair, standing in line, raising a hand, etc.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates the student:
 responds positively to praise or acknowledgment from the teacher
 seeks to gain teacher/adult attention
 enjoys the attention of certain peers
 exhibits interest in specific classroom activities or school-related items
Example: The teacher provides the student with a high degree of attention (a reinforcer
for the student and the main purpose of the problem behavior) during situations in which
the problem behavior occurs.
Considerations for Implementation: It often is useful to set a time schedule for
positively interacting with the student. The time schedule should be individualized to the
needs of the student and should be based on the frequency of problem behavior exhibited,
especially if the problem behavior is used to gain access to attention. Over time, the
schedule is lengthened and may become varied rather than a set time schedule. Delivery
of the reinforcer should occur as long as the student is not engaging in an inappropriate
behavior. What the student is doing is not important, as long as it is appropriate.
3. Discontinue Reinforcement of Problem Behavior: No longer providing the
response that followed and maintained the problem behavior. The discontinued response
should be the consequence identified during the reinforce component of the assessment.
This may include attention, escape or avoidance of academic work, access to desired
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items, etc. If the problem behavior no longer “pays off” for the student, the occurrence of
problem behavior will lessen.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates the student’s problem
behavior is maintained by:
 the current adult response to the behavior (consequence).
 adult attention, escape, delay or avoidance of a task or activity, or by gaining
access to a desired item or activity.
Example: When the student screams adults respond with emotion and escort the student
to time-out delaying the start of the task. The student’s assessment indicates he craves
attention. Now when the student screams, the adults respond minimally (i.e., flat affect,
minimal verbal responses, no eye contact).
Considerations for Implementation: No longer providing the desired outcome
following a problem behavior may not be feasible if the problem behavior is dangerous to
the student or others or if it is very disruptive to the classroom. Additionally,
discontinuing reinforcement of problem behavior may cause the problem behavior to
worsen. Many teachers find it difficult to stop responding to problem behavior making
this “reinforce” strategy difficult to implement.
4. Group Contingencies: A group of students earns a reward based on the behavior
of one or more students.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates:
 student is reinforced by peer attention
 short-term goals include increasing peer interaction and friendship
Examples:
 The class gets an ice cream party Friday if Johnny completes all of his
assignments
 The class gets points toward a party each time Johnny reaches his selfmanagement goal
Considerations for Implementation: Ideally, the reward should be based upon the
student engaging in a desired behavior rather than the absence of a problem behavior.
This encourages the student to demonstrate desired behaviors and provides a good link
between engaging in those behaviors and the reward. It also is suggested that the class
earn an extra reward rather than lose access to a reward. This strategy also provides
extra peer support for the student because peers are likely to remind and assist the student
to engage in the desired behavior.
Example: The class should not lose minutes off recess if a student engages in a problem
behavior; rather earn additional minutes if the student demonstrates the desired behavior.
Make the contingency focus on the positive completion of appropriate behavior.
5. Increase Ratio of Positive to Negative Responses: Responding positively to
appropriate behavior exhibited by the student more often than responding negatively to
inappropriate behavior.
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Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates:
 adults are responding to the student using more negative statements (“No”,
“Stop”, “Don’t) for inappropriate behavior than positive responses to appropriate
behavior (e.g., praise statements or comments about what the child is doing).
 the student engages in inappropriate behavior to get attention from adults.
Example: The teacher decides to provide a minimum of 8 positive responses within a 20
minute period in which the student has problem behaviors. The teacher places 8 “M &
Ms” in her left pocket. Each time s/he makes a positive comment to the student (e.g.,
“you’ve been working hard”), one candy is moved to the right pocket. After 20 minutes,
the teacher checks to ensure her goal has been met, moving all the candies from the left to
the right pocket.
Considerations for Implementation: It is suggested that for every negative response to
an inappropriate behavior, there should be four positive responses to appropriate
behaviors. Reinforcing a desired response frequently increases the probability that
response will be exhibited again. At first, this seems unnatural for many people, but with
time becomes routine. Additionally, the negative responses following inappropriate
behavior frequently are not effective at reducing occurrences of inappropriate behavior.
This is an easy strategy that can be included with minimal effort in any behavior support
plan.
6. Home-School Reinforcement System: A student earns rewards at home for
behavior at school. This may be in addition to a school reinforcement system or as a
stand alone reinforcement system.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates:
 the parent is actively involved with PTR process
 the child’s highly preferred materials are not available/usable at school.
 problem behavior persists in the home setting and impacts behavior in the school
setting.
 problem behavior occurs specifically at transitions between home and school
Example: Joe’s mom wants to provide more powerful reinforcement to augment the
PTR support plan. Joe loves to go to Busch Gardens. Mom agreed that Joe would earn a
trip to Busch Gardens every week he met his self-management goal. The teacher assisted
mom in setting up a chart at home to show Joe how close he is in earning his trip to
Busch Gardens.
Considerations for Implementation: The student might earn points towards a big
reinforcer provided at the end of the week, or small daily reinforcers might be used.
Either plan should involve the student in the selection of the reinforcers. Also, for some
students this intervention may not be effective as the delay to the reward is too far away.
If used with a school reinforcement system, it is important that the parents and teacher
communicate on a regular basis and the rules for the reinforcement system are the same
at home and school.
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7. Crisis Intervention Plan: A plan developed by the team to assist them with
identifying and effectively responding to situations that require immediate attention due
to the high level of intensity or severity. The plan should include methods to calm the
situation and remove the student or others from danger, such as, when a student posses an
immediate threat of physical harm to self or others.
Consider using when PTR Assessment information indicates:
 circumstances arise within the school environment that endanger the physical
safety of the student, other students, and/or staff members
 significant destruction of property occurs with problem behavior
Example: The team develops a plan to respond to Joe whenever he starts throwing hard
objects in the classroom that have the potential of injuring staff and peers. The team
determines the steps and responsibilities each person will have whenever the behavior
occurs. The plan is written and placed in a spot easily accessed by all adults in the
classroom.
Considerations for Implementation: Use of this plan simply removes the student or
others from danger. It does not prevent or decrease the likelihood of the student engaging
in such behavior in the future. Thus, it is not an effective intervention to decrease
problem behavior and increase appropriate behavior. It should only be used during
dangerous situations and in conjunction with other components of the PTR process.
Additional factors to consider:

proper training of staff to carry out the plan effectively and efficiently

clear identification of team members

rehearsal of the plan during non-crisis times

respond with minimal disruption to classroom activities

expect problem behaviors to increase

be prepared to reinforce appropriate behaviors at a higher level and rate

give verbal prompts and assurances to students to let them know they are safe