Mill Lake Elementary SchoolABA Preschool

Jennifer Biddick

Class Website

www.monroe.k12.nj.us “Select a School” pull down menu at the top of the page Mill Lake Elementary School “Staff Webpages” tab Biddick, Jennifer

Classroom Team

Teacher: Miss Jen

Paraprofessionals: Ms. Epstein, Ms. Manhary, Ms. Lori W., Ms. Granda

Related Services & Specials

Speech Therapist:Stacey Liebross

Occupational Therapist:Jim Bowe

Physical Therapist:Annette Harduby

Library:Brant Lutska

Gym:Charlene Lombard

Important People

Behavior Specialist:Karitssa Barry

Intern – Ms. CeliaCase Manager:Kim Wasnesky

Principal:Dr. Lynn Barberi

Director of Pupil Personnel Services:Marietta Ruella

Supervisor of Pupil Personnel Services:Marie Pepe

Food Allergies

PeanutsEggs

ChickenSeafoodShrimp

Green peasMustard

*These foods are not banned, we ask you simply be mindful when making food choices (e.g., if substitutes are available or other choices are available). Parents of children with allergies will be notified prior to parties or cooking activities to

approve foods and/or send in alternatives. Please contact me with any questions or concerns.

ABA Terminology

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). ABA is the practical application of the foundations of behaviorism. The formal definition is:

"The science in which procedures derived from the principles of behavior are systematically applied to improve socially significant behavior to a meaningful degree and to demonstrate experimentally that the procedures employed were responsible for the improvement in behavior.“ (Cooper, Heron, Howard, 1987) In layman's terms, changes in behavior are measured and shown to be the result of procedures used by the teacher or parent.

Discrete Trial Instruction

DTI. Discrete Trial Instruction. This is a type of teaching in which each learning opportunity is a separate event

consisting of three to four parts. Typically, the parts are the SD, response, and consequence (reinforcement, error correction, etc.). Other parts that may be mentioned are

prompts and inter-trial interval (time between trials).

Natural Environment Training

NET. Natural Environment Training. This is a type of teaching in which the focus is on the child's immediate

interests. It is less structured than DTI and conducted in the child's typical daily environment at a generalized

level from the start. This allows the instructor to capitalize on naturally occurring events. Stimuli and

reinforcers are kept natural in this teaching style.

Verbal Behavior

VB. Verbal Behavior. This involves a classification system of verbal language including mand, tact, intraverbal, etc. Words serve different functions and each function must be

taught individually. Some classes may be taught simultaneously, such as mand and echoic.

“In defining verbal behavior as behavior reinforced through the mediation of other persons, we do not, and cannot,

specify any one form, mode, or medium. Any movement capable of affecting another organism may be verbal.”

(from Verbal Behavior, pg. 14)

Verbal Operants Mand. A request. "I want ____." Echoic. Vocal imitation of a word. You say, "eat" and the child repeats

"eat." Receptive Language. Language that requires following a direction to do

a task. This demonstrates a child's comprehension of language. You say "touch dog" and the child touches a picture of a dog.

Tact. Label. You hold up a picture of a dog and say, "What is it?" - the child says, "dog."

RFFC. Receptive Identification by Feature, Function, and Class. A child receptively identifies a picture or object based on a description of the object without the label. For example, a car's features are wheels, doors, and windows. A car's functions are driving and riding. The class of a car is vehicle.

Intraverbal. A verbal exchange with someone. You say, " What's your name?" and the child responds "Sam."

Picture Exchange Communication System

PECS. Picture Exchange Communication System. http://www.pecsusa.com/pecs.php

Program Terms

Program. A written record of how to teach a particular skill. Daily/Data sheet. Printout of a student’s current programs on which

staff collects data. Baseline. The collection of data on a particular behavior or skill prior

to implementing an intervention or program.  Target skill. An untrained skill. Mastered skill. A skill that has already achieved met criteria for

acquisition and generalization. May be included in “Monthly Maintenance.” 

Interspersals. The mixing of mastered and target skills within a session.

Generalization. Demonstration of a target skill using untrained materials, instructors, SD’s, settings, etc.

Other Helpful Terms & Acronyms

GMI. Gross Motor Imitation. IG. Ignore. Agg. Aggression. SIB. Self-injurious behavior. IPP/IEP. Individualized Program Plan/Individualized

Education Plan – The list of goals and objectives that comprise each student’s curriculum for the current year. Each program represents an IEP objective.

AM/PM. Morning/Afternoon work session. BM. Bowel movement.

Catchphrases

Make it worthwhile Reinforcement & Motivation

Wait for it Learning to Learn

Hands off Prompting

Reinforcement

Systematic use of reinforcement is the most powerful tool in

strengthening/teaching a new behavior.

Reinforcement

Consequence to a behavior which maintains that behavior or increases the frequency with which it occurs.

A reward is not a reinforcer. May not be planned. Tip: If a consequence is used contingently,

consistently and immediately and it does not increase the frequency of the behavior it follows, it is not a reinforcer.

Reinforcement

Primary Reinforcers Secondary Reinforcers

Different stimuli may (or may not) serve as reinforcers to different individuals across different situations!

Focus on: Positive Reinforcement!

A stimulus that occurs immediately following a behavior, results in that behavior occurring more often or with greater intensity.

Pairing

“The main purpose of pairing is to associate the instructor as a form of conditioned reinforcement for the child. That is, the child should learn to like the instructor, before

the instructor begins requiring work from the child.”-Sundberg and Partington, 1998

“The learner has to want to be in the instructional environment for effective and efficient learning to take

place.”-Fabrizio, 2007 International Precision Teaching Conference

Prompts

Additional assistance, presented during or immediately after a stimulus, that increases the likelihood that a particular behavior will occur.

Techniques that can be used across a wide range of settings and can facilitate expressive, receptive, imitative, motoric, and matching responses.

Prompts

Additional assistance, presented during or immediately after a stimulus, that increases the likelihood that a particular behavior will occur.

Techniques that can be used across a wide range of settings and can facilitate expressive, receptive, imitative, motoric, and matching responses.

Prompts

Many types of prompts!

Physical (P) – Hand-over-hand Faded Physical (FP) – Light touch

Gesture (G) – Point Model (M) – Model response

Vocal instructions – Step-by-step guidance

Prompts

Many types of prompts!

Verbal Model (VM) – Model entire vocal response

Faded Verbal Model (FVM) – Model part/beginning of vocal response

Prompts

In general, mastery criterion will require independence, that is, no prompts or

assistance provided to respond correctly.

“Learning to Learn”from Leaf & MacEachin’s A Work in Progress

Attending Returning reinforcers

Hands still Waiting

Responding to instructions Changing behavior based upon feedback

Learning from prompts Remaining calm

Persistence Staying on task

Leaving materials alone

Catchphrases

Make it worthwhile Reinforcement & Motivation

Wait for it Learning to Learn

Hands off Prompting

Assessment Tools

The Behavioral Language Assessment (BLA) Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills –

Revised (ABLLS-R) Verbal Behavior – Milestones Assessment and

Placement Program

The Behavioral Language Assessment (BLA)

Cooperation with Adults

Requests (Mands) Motor Imitation Vocal Play Vocal Imitation (Echoic) Matching-to-Sample

ReceptiveLabeling (Tacts)Receptive by Feature, Function, and ClassConversational Skills (Intraverbals)Letters and NumbersSocial Interaction

Allows evaluators to determine a starting point for language programming.

Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills – Revised (ABLLS-R)

Cooperation & Reinforcer Effectiveness

Visual Performance Receptive

Language Motor Imitation Vocal Imitation Requests Labeling Intraverbals

Spontaneous Vocalizations

Syntax & Grammar Play & Leisure Group Instruction Classroom Routines Generalized

Responding Reading Math

476 skills in a task analysis

Writing Spelling Dressing Eating Grooming Toileting Gross Motor Fine Motor

Verbal Behavior – Milestones Assessment and Placement Program

Mand Tact Echoic Intraverbal Listener Motor Imitation Independent Play Social & Social

Play

Visual Perceptual & Matching-to-Sample

Linguistic Structure Group & Classroom

Skills Mathematics Reading Writing EESA (Early Echoic

Skills Assessment)

Level 1: 0-18 months, Level 2: 18-30 months, Level 3: 30-48 months

Your Child’s Program

Assessment results are compiled and analyzed to determine appropriate IEP goals for your child. IEP goals will translate to programs and be the individualized curriculum for your child for that IEP year.

Thank you for coming!

We hope that you found Back to School Night fun and informative.

Please let me know if you have any general questions or comments.

Questions specific to your child can be addressed by scheduling a time to meet with Miss Jen by phone or in person. Please let me know if this would be helpful for

you!