Creating a Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) Plan
Motivating Operations in PBS:
Motivating operations are environmental variables that alter the effectiveness of consequences and influence the likelihood of behavior. By understanding motivating operations, behavior analysts can anticipate when problem behaviors may occur, allowing for proactive interventions in a PBS plan.
Examples of Motivating Operations and PBS Approach:
1. Motivating Operation: Deprivation of attention.
– PBS Approach: Implement a reinforcement schedule where the student earns attention for engaging in appropriate behaviors, reducing the motivation for attention-seeking behaviors.
2. Motivating Operation: Escape from demands.
– PBS Approach: Offer breaks or alternative tasks to provide escape-maintained students with opportunities to request breaks appropriately, decreasing escape-maintained behaviors.
3. Motivating Operation: Access to preferred items.
– PBS Approach: Utilize a token economy system where the student earns tokens for completing tasks, which can be exchanged for preferred items, promoting task engagement and reducing problem behaviors.
Stimulus Control in Teaching Behavioral Expectations:
Stimulus control involves manipulating antecedent stimuli to evoke desired behaviors. To teach a student to remain seated and get in line for lunch or recess without disruptive behavior:
– Use visual cues like a designated spot or marker where the student should sit.
– Provide verbal prompts and reminders about expected behavior.
– Reinforce compliance with praise or tokens for following instructions.
Assessing Progress and Effectiveness:
Behavior analysts assess the effectiveness of a behavior support plan by collecting and analyzing data on target behaviors. For instance, in tracking Alex’s aggressive behavior, a graph can visually represent the frequency or intensity of aggression over time, showing progress or identifying areas needing adjustment.
Behavioral Objective for Aggressive Behavior:
Objective: Reduce instances of physical aggression from 5 times per day to 1 time per week within three months.
Competing Behavior Model and Intervention:
The competing behavior model aims to replace problem behaviors with alternative, socially acceptable behaviors. For instance, if a student engages in yelling during transitions, a competing behavior could be teaching the student to request a break using a visual cue or communication card.
Antecedent Intervention:
An antecedent intervention could involve providing visual schedules or timers to signal upcoming transitions, reducing anxiety and uncertainty that may trigger the problem behavior.
Replacement Behavior:
The replacement behavior to teach could be having the student raise their hand and request a break when feeling overwhelmed instead of engaging in disruptive yelling.
Behavioral Skills Training:
Behavioral skills training involves teaching new behaviors through instruction, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. For example, to teach a student to complete a math assignment, steps may include:
1. Reviewing the assignment requirements.
2. Demonstrating how to solve a sample problem.
3. Guided practice on solving similar math problems.
4. Providing feedback on accuracy and completion.
Treatment Integrity in Behavior Analysis:
Treatment integrity refers to implementing interventions as designed and ensuring fidelity to the intervention plan. It is crucial for behavior analysts to adhere to the prescribed procedures accurately to achieve consistent and reliable outcomes in behavior change programs.
