Behavior Change Sequence (BCS) Description
The Behavior Change Sequence (BCS) was developed as part of an inclusion program for
students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in order to protect the general education
environment, provide visual feedback to students regarding their behavior, and prevent adults
in the student’s environment from escalating a crisis situation. The sequence allows for a
consistent, non-punitive, non-emotional, non-language based adult response to student
behavior while emphasizing the use of visual association as a learning methodology to assist
students with ASD in understanding the behavioral expectations of the environment. In this
way, the sequence is a systematic approach to behavior that provides direction for the staff,
reduces emotional / fluctuating staff response to behavior and predictability for the students
during crisis situations.
The behavior change sequence includes 6 steps.
Step 1: BEHAVIOR – The first step of the sequence is initiated by the student engaging in a
behavior the team has pre-selected to target for change.
Step 2: TOKENS / POINTS – The second step involves using something visual (e.g. tokens /
points / X’s, etc.) that can be removed when the behavior occurs and thus serve as the visual
reminder to the student about his/her behavior. Removal of each visual item also serves as a
prompt for the adult to respond to the behavior in a proactive, positive way (ex. provide a
visual prompt of the expected behavior, prompt a break, redirect, etc). This serves as a learning
tool for the student regarding strategies he/she can use when experiencing emotional escalation
as well as prevents the adults from verbally escalating the situation.
Step 3: TIME AWAY – Once all the tokens are removed, it is apparent that the student is
unable to participate in whatever is expected at that time, so the student is removed from the
environment to protect dignity and prevent the probability of staff escalating the student
further. The amount of time for time away is specified by the team, but should not occur for
more than 5 minutes without an evaluation of the student’s readiness to continue through the
sequence. The team also determines the measure that will be used to determine whether the
student is ready to move on to the compliance task.
Step 4: COMPLIANCE TASK – A compliance task is used after time away is complete in
order to assess whether or not the student is ready to return to the schedule. Compliance tasks
are activities the student can do easily and are not reinforcing in nature such as word searches,
puzzles, etc. The activity should be benign to the student so as to allow the staff to determine
whether the student is ready to return to the schedule.
Step 5: PROBLEM SOLVE – The problem-solving step allows student to make choices prior
to returning to the schedule and provides feedback to the staff regarding what the student needs
in order to return to the schedule.
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Step 6: SCHEDULE – In the last step in the sequence, the student returns to the schedule. No
additional responses / consequences are utilized from this point, and the students’ tokens /
points are returned and the sequence begins again if needed.
This sequence was originally developed based on research on token economies, cost –
response, and time out which make up the first three steps, and crisis response and tension
reduction which make up the last three steps.
Behavior
Tokens /
Time
Points
Away
Staff Directed
Pairing/Making Associations
Time Away to Protect Dignity
Compliance
Problem
Schedule
Task
Solve
Student Directed
Tension Reduction
Recovery
However, in the BCS, some of these strategies are used in different ways than described in
the literature. For example, in the literature on response cost, the strategy is described as the
withdrawal of a positive reinforcer (e.g. tokens, money, points) contingent on the occurrence
of a particular behavior in order to decrease the future probability of that response (Huitt &
Hummel, 1997). In most response costs systems, the tokens, money, points, etc. are initially
earned for appropriate behavior and then withdrawn when problem behaviors occur. In
addition, the tokens and / or points in such a token economy system are then exchanged by
students for tangible reinforcers such as activities, items, money, etc.
In the BCS, the tokens / points that are used are not often viewed as reinforcers by the students
with ASD as they are not earned or associated with anything reinforcing. In this way, their
removal is not the withdrawal of a positive reinforcer and thus not considered response cost as
described in the literature. Rather, their removal is intended to be a visual reminder that the
behavior the student is engaging in at that time is not acceptable. In most classrooms, students
are provided continuous verbal reminders to follow classroom expectations and this is not
typically effective for students with ASD and hinders the teacher from instructing the rest of
the class. By pairing the visual reminder with the behavior closely in time, the student can
make an association between the behavior and the environment in which that behavior is not
appropriate. Further, the visual reminder serves as a prompt to the adult to respond to the
behavior in a way that allows the student to learn strategies to use when emotional escalated
(ex. take a break) as well as prevent the adult from escalating the behavior further.
In the literature, time out is described as and intended to be time away from reinforcement.
Namely, by removing a student from a reinforcing situation when a problem behavior occurs,
it is likely the student will not engage in that behavior in the future in order to remain in the
reinforcing situation. However, in the BCS, time away is not used in this way. Rather, time
away is used to protect the student’s dignity in crisis situations and allow the student an
opportunity to calm and gain composure prior to returning to the schedule. In this way,
although the sequence was initially developed based on the concepts in the literature, the use
of those strategies are different than described in the literature.
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Developing the Behavior Change Sequence:
Step 1: BEHAVIOR – The first step is for the team to meet and determine what behavior(s)
will be targeted to change. Targeted behaviors are those that interfere with the two primary
goals for students with ASD (independent skills and socialization skill development) and
prevent the student from opportunities in integrated environments.
Step 2: TOKENS / POINTS – The second step is for the team to decide what type of token
representation would provide an appropriate visual association for the student between his
behavior and the token removal and how many visual reminders (opportunities) are needed
before the student should leave the environment. One example is a token strip. A token strip
is a strip of laminated cardboard or leather belt with plastic tiles, chips, etc. placed on the strip
with Velcro that can then be removed when the student engages in the targeted behaviors.
The team also has to determine how many opportunities the student will have prior to
removal so how many tiles will be needed on the strip. If the behavior is high frequency /
low intensity (making noises, out of seat, general non-compliance, etc.) more opportunities
could be provided.
10 Token Strip
However, if the behavior is low frequency / high intensity behavior (tantrum, destruction of
property, aggression toward self, etc.) the token strip should have fewer tokens.
3 Token Strip
For behaviors that result in imminent harm to others, immediate removal should occur as
opposed to using tokens.
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Step 3: TIME AWAY – In Step 3, the team must decide on an appropriate place, amount of
time, and exiting criteria for time away.
Step 4: COMPLIANCE TASK – In step 4, the team must decide on a compliance task,
something the student can do fairly easily but is not reinforcing in nature such as word
searches, puzzles, etc.
Step 5: PROBLEM SOLVE – In this step, the team must develops an individualized sheet
that allows the student to make choices prior to returning to the schedule. Choices can
include using the bathroom, getting something to drink, taking a walk, or nothing at all.
Step 6: SCHEDULE – In step 6, the team must decide where in the schedule the student will
return. For example, if there are only 5 minutes left in that activity / class, will the student
return or wait until the next step in the schedule. This should be determined based on the
student’s preferences and the disruption to the environment.
A form like the one below can be used to develop the sequence for an individual student. An
example of one student’s sequence follows:
Behavior(s)
Point/Token
Strip
Time Away
Compliance
Task
Problem
Solving
Schedule
Word Search
Drink,
Walk,
Nothing,
Bathroom
Next
transition if
less than 5
minutes left
in current
activity
Empty
Classroom
Out of seat
3 Token Strip
5 Minutes
Quiet
Implementing the Behavior Change Sequence:
An example follows of implementing the BCS for the student’s individual plan listed above.
The student goes to class with 3 tokens.
The student engages in the behavior and one token is removed. In addition, the adult provides
a visual prompt of the expected behavior at that time, for example, it’s time to sit and do
work. If the student does not sit right away, another token is removed only after 3 minutes.
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The student engages in the behavior again or continues to engage in the behavior for more
than 3 minutes so another token is removed. A visual prompt asking if the student would like
a break is provided.
If the student does not take a break and either engages in the behavior again or continues to
engage in the behavior for greater than 3 minutes, another token is removed. In this case, the
last token is removed so the student is given a visual prompt to go to time away.
Time away is in a classroom down the hall. The student goes into the room and the timer is
set for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, the staff determines if the student is quiet and then moves on to the
compliance task. If the student is not quiet, the timer is again set for 5 minutes until such
time that the student is quiet when the timer goes off and the student can continue to the
compliance task.
Student then completes the compliance task. If behavior escalation occurs during the
compliance task, the student returns to time away. If the student completes the compliance
task without behavioral issues, the student moves on to problem solving.
Student completes the problem solving form and indicates he/she wants a drink. Student
goes to the water fountain and then returns to the schedule with 3 tokens.
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References
Huitt, W., & Hummel, J. (1997). An introduction to operant (instrumental) conditioning.
Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved
[date] from, http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/behsys/operant.html
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