ISS Monitor Training
Challenging Behavior
• Behavior that interferes with a student’s
learning or the learning of other individuals,
hinders positive social interactions and
relationships, or harms the student’s peers,
adults, or family members
(Bailey & Wolery, 1992).
Traditional Belief System
When a student doesn’t know how to drive……..
we teach him.
When a child doesn’t know how to wash his hands……
we teach him.
When a person doesn’t know how to read…….
we teach her.
But when a child doesn’t know how to behave………..
we punish her. 
Reinforcement
Before you plan for instruction you must make a
decision…
What effect do you want on behavior?
– Increase or decrease the frequency of the
behavior?
Reinforcement
Increasing Appropriate Behaviors
Punishment
Positive (give)
Negative
(take)
Reinforcement
Positive (give)
Negative
(take)
Characteristics of Punishment
• Can show immediate effect
• Once used, loses effectiveness and strength
must be increased
• Tied to the punisher
• Not effective with inconsistent use
Characteristics of Reinforcement
• Takes time to take effect (not always immediate)
• Faster if consistent in implementation
• Not tied to person giving reinforcer
• Can be maintained without increase in
reinforcement strength
– Can fade
Reinforcement
• Tangible
• Social
• Intrinsic
Reflection
Think about some different items that are
reinforcing for your students that are
Tangible
Social
intrinsic
What research says
Discipline does not equal punishment.
Discipline = training that is expected to produce a
specific character or pattern of behavior, especially
training that produces moral or mental
improvement.
Improvement means to increase, develop, or enhance.
(Maag, 2001)
Reinforcement Game
• Table talk
• Is the scenario reinforcement (+ or -) or punishment (+ or
-)
• Consider all people involved in scenario
• We will discuss as a group
POSTIVE
REINFOCEMENT
NEGATIVE
REINFORCEMENT
Something reinforcing
is presented, behavior
will increase
Something aversive is
removed or avoided,
behavior will increase
POSITIVE PUNISHMENT NEGATIVE
PUNISHMENT
Something aversive is
Something reinforcing
presented, behavior will is removed, behavior
decrease
will decrease
Reinforcement Trap
Coke Machine Vs. Slot Machine
Ratio of Interactions
Changes in Behavior
• Remember reinforcement of behavior
• If a behavior does not decrease, it is being
reinforced
• Increase in intensity of behavior may mean
baseline has changed
Our responsibility
"If a seed of a lettuce will not grow, we do not blame the
lettuce. Instead, the fault lies with us for not having
nourished the seed properly." - Buddhist proverb
Data Collection
Redesign training
Krystal Colhoff
Direct Data
• Eyes on Behavior
• Antecedent/Behavior/Consequence data
(ABC)
• Frequency, Latency, Duration, Severity, etc.
ABC Data Collection
• Antecedents that trigger the behavior
• Consequences that are maintaining the behavior
• Assign the function you think (hypothesize) the
behavior to be.
• When behavior is maintained or increases
(appropriate or inappropriate), it is being reinforced.
How do we talk about behavior?
Observable & Measurable
Re-frame Behavior discussions
John is
lazy
John
completes 1
out of every
5
assignments
Reframe behavior discussons
Kelly is rude
Kelly makes
comments to
peers, such as
“you’re stupid”
Functions of Behavior
73
Example ABC Data
Competing Behavior Pathway
Challenging
Behavior
Function/Outcome
Replacement
Behavior
Setting
Event/s
Antecedent
Function/Outcome
Desired
ABC Example – Billy Madison
Abraham Maslow:
If the only tool you have is a
hammer, you tend to see every
problem as a nail.
Designing Behavior Interventions
Behavior Change
• Slow process
• Need changes in BOTH adult and student behavior
Step 1. Externalizing Behavior Change: Extrinsic
- Reinforcement
- Feedback
Step 2. Fade into Internalizing Behavior Change:
Intrinsic
- Self awareness
- Self monitoring
- Self control
Anxiety and the Brain
Fight or flight
• Amygdala, Hypothalamus
• Adrenaline, noradrenalin, cortisol
• Body changes
– Respiration increases, pupils dilate, blood moved
to different parts of body
• Perception
– Environment possible threat
Topography
• Describes behavior
– Tells us what
– Does not tell us why
• Label of students, not an analysis of behavior
Intervention Categories
Topography
Function
Escape
Attention
Physical Aggression
Sensory
Tangible
Interventions
• Antecedent
– Prevent behavior from occurring
• Teach
– How will we teach the new replacement behavior
• Behavior
– Response when behavior is occurring
• Consequence/Reinforce
– Response after appropriate/inappropriate behavior
has occurred
– Not synonymous with disciplinary action
Intervention:
•Teacher Verbal
Greeting
•Use Students’
Names
•One positive
Statement
•Shake students’
Hands
3 middle school age students
(2 boys, 1 girl, AA, W, Hisp)
Problem Behavior: talking,
annoying others, out of seat,
sleeping, etc.
DV: % intervals on-task
10 minutes (15s momentary
t.s.)
Multiple Baseline Design
Allday & Pakurar (2007)
Questions to Answer
• How do I teach a more appropriate behavior?
• How do I reinforce the use of that behavior?
• What is my consistent response?
– Reinforcement schedule
Interventions
Selecting interventions based on function
Antecedent Strategies
• Teaching appropriate/expected behavior
• Modifying environment to reduce triggers
• Reinforce use of appropriate behaviors
Teach Strategies
• How will staff teach student the new
behaviors/social skills needed to be successful
• Do peers or other staff members need to be
taught how to deal with the behavior
Behavior strategies
• Protocol for staff response for
inappropriate/unexpected behaviors
• It is more than “call the AP” or giving a time
out
Consequence strategies
• Not a list of disciplinary actions
• Feed the function
• Different strategies to address appropriate
AND inappropriate behaviors
Escape Interventions
•
•
•
•
•
•
Keep the demand
First / Then
Routines
Visuals
Reinforce (Immediate reinforcement)
Expectations clearly defined (visuals, language)
Attention Interventions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reinforce appropriate behaviors
Prompt (language, behavior)
Attention Diet (Timer will be your friend)
Practice modeling appropriate behavior
Social Stories (social interventions)
Give them a way to get your attention (look at me)
Tolerance for delay (waiting trials)
Peer Modeling
Choice Making
Tangible Interventions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reinforce appropriate behaviors
Prompt (language, behavior)
Choice making
First / Then
Timers
Limiting time with preferred items/activities
Interruption trials
Accepting no
Waiting trials
Environmental arrangement
Social stories
Sensory Interventions
• Prompt language to ask for sensory
• Sensory diet
• Interactive teaching (while you are teaching, be
creative!)
-
Making shapes in rice
Practice writing in shaving cream
Jumping on trampoline and saying ABCs
Running, swinging, climbing on playground (this is a timed
event w/ teacher interaction)
Build a BIP for Billy
• Use our data from Billy to build a BIP at your
table
• Prevent (Antecedent strategies)
• Teach (how to teach new skills)
• Behavior (what to do during a behavior)
• Consequences (what to do after a behavior)
ABC Example – Billy Madison
Progress Monitoring
Daily Behavior Report Card
• Measures behavior goal progress
• Enter data daily
• Frequency of daily data points depends on
severity of behaviors
• Model self-monitoring
• Provides feedback for student
• Can be tied to reinforcement
– A, B, C behaviors
Behavior Pathway
• Make sure you are scaling/measuring student
behavior
• Tier II or III students will unlikely have more
than one function for a behavior pathway
• Should build a behavior pathway for one
function at a time
Competing Behavior Pathway
Challenging
Behavior
Setting
Event/s
Antecedent
Function/Outcome
Replacement
Behavior
Function/Outcome
Desired
Behavior
Behavior Scale
F. (Worst behavior I have seen, not
daily occurrence)
D. (Present level of functioning)
C. (Replacement behavior, 1st
objective)
B. (Replacement behavior, 2nd
objective)
A. (Goal behavior)
Function/Consequence
Block function as a consequence for
behavior
Escape – Keep the demand, do not
allow to escape
Attention – planned ignoring
Tangible – deny tangible
Sensory – block sensory
Give access to function of behavior
as a reinforcer for appropriate
behavior
Escape – given time to escape
Attention – peer and/or adult
attention given
Tangible – given access to preferred
tangible
Sensory – given access to sensory
needs
Behavior Scale Example
A. Independently completes assigned work on time and then
receives 3 min reinforcer
B. Independently completes assigned work while using a timer. 5
min work/30 sec. reinforcer
C. Completes assigned work during the day with teacher giving
prompts and extra time allowed receives 30 sec reinforcer
D. Student does not complete assigned work
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Reading
Math
Science
Social Studies
Special Areas
ABCD
ABCD
ABCD
ABCD
ABCD
Reading
Math
Science
Social Studies
Special Areas
ABCD
ABCD
ABCD
ABCD
ABCD
Reading
Math
Science
Social Studies
Special Areas
ABCD
ABCD
ABCD
ABCD
ABCD
Reading
Math
Science
Social Studies
Special Areas
ABCD
ABCD
ABCD
ABCD
ABCD
Reading
Math
Science
Social Studies
Special Areas
ABCD
ABCD
ABCD
ABCD
ABCD
Daily Avg.
Example Behavior Scale
A. Raises hand while in assigned area and quietly waits to be called on before talking
B. Raises hand while in assigned area, calls teacher’s name when wanting to talk
C. Raises hand, out of assigned area, calls teacher’s name when wanting to talk
D. Out of assigned area, interrupts teacher by blurting out when wanting to talk
F. Out of assigned area, yells across room at teacher, cursing at teacher when wanting to
talk
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
8:00
9:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
1:00
2:00
3:00
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
8:00
9:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
1:00
2:00
3:00
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
8:00
9:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
1:00
2:00
3:00
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
8:00
9:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
1:00
2:00
3:00
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
8:00
9:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
1:00
2:00
3:00
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
ABCDF
Daily Avg.
Scale Behavior
• Use our data from Billy to scale a behavior
plan for progress monitoring.
Data Analysis
Billy
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Daily Avg
Linear (Daily Avg)
Reinforcement Systems
• All staff pair with student and reinforcement
• Reinforce replacement and appropriate
behavior (A, B, C)
Token Economy
A reinforcement system that includes a delayed
reinforcer
• Money Chart
• Sticker Board
• Marbles in a jar
• Punch Board
• Tickets
Examples of Token Economies
Examples of Token Economies
Fading reinforcement

How to change the frequency, duration, or delay
in reinforcement

Avoid reinforcement trap
Behaves when I’m there
 Only works for reinforcement
