Creating Effective Behavior Support Plans

July 27, 2006Delaware Positive Behavior

Support Project

Developed in part with material from Illinois PBIS Network &

Bambara & Knoster, 1998

Meeting Norms

• Breaks – Group and Individual

• Reinforcers – Party Manners

• Response Procedures

• Other Group Preferences

• Conference Code

• Materials Review

As a result of this workshop, we will

Know, Understand, and Do

Know …1. Strategies to engage families and collaborate with

professionals2. The five step planning process for effective Behavior

Support Plans

Understand…1. Replacement behaviors should serve same function as

problem behaviors 2. Strategies to evaluate the effectiveness of a particular

plan, monitor student progress, and make appropriate modifications to the plan if necessary

Do...1. Develop a Behavior Support Plan that flows from the

Competing Behavior Pathway

Setting Events

Triggering Antecedents

Desired Alternative

Problem Behavior

Acceptable Behavior

Maintaining Consequences

Maintaining Consequences

Setting Events Manipulations

Antecedent Manipulations

Behavior Teaching

Consequence Modifications

INTERVENTION PATHWAY

SUPPORT PLANNING

Build a Competing Behavior Pathway

Failed to completework in last math

classor

had argument with adult

Asked to redospelling or

grammar errorsin essay

Completestask

Verballyprotests, uses

profanelanguage

Gets to have computer

time

Raises hand and

asks forhelp or break

Teacher removes essay and focuses

attention onother students

Individual Student Support Systems

• Through a collaborative approach, a team designs an Individualized Behavior Support Plan to assist students with:

- learning new or replacement skills,

- improving social skills,

- decreasing problem behaviors, and

- generalizing the appropriate behaviors into other environments.

Individual StudentPositive Behavior Support

• Defines the problem behavior operationally

• Is based upon hypotheses derived from functional assessment

• Emphasizes a collaborative, strengths-based approach, that includes proactive strategies

• Leads to Behavior Support Plan that results in:Student’s increased academic and general skills,

Improvement in social skills, Decreases in problem behavior, and

Maintenance and generalization.

Guiding Principles

1 Appropriate and inappropriate behaviors are learned.

2 Problem behaviors are related to the context in which they occur.

3 Problem behaviors serve some function for the student.

4 Effective interventions are based on a thorough understanding of the student, including his/her social contexts, and the function of the problem behavior.

5 Positive behavioral support is grounded in person-centered values.

The Five-Step Planning Process

1 Conduct a functional behavioral assessment & gather information (data) about behavior(s) of concern.

2 Formulate specific and global hypotheses.

3 Design and implement the behavioral support plan.

4 Evaluate the effectiveness of the plan. 5 Modify the plan as needed.

Effective environments make problem behaviors…

Irrelevant, Inefficient,

and Ineffective.

(O’Neill et al., 1997)

In An Effective Environment…

• Problem behaviors are irrelevant whenChild doesn’t need to escape anymoreChild has access to positive events more

commonly

• Problem behaviors are inefficient whenAlternative behavior is availableAlternative behavior is taught

• Problem behaviors are ineffective whenProblem behavior NO LONGER works- it does

not get the child what they want to obtain or what they want to avoid.

In An Effective Environment…

Intervention Components/Procedures:

“Make Problem Behavior Irrelevant, Inefficient, Ineffective”

Prevention Strategies (Make it Irrelevant):o Scheduleo Curriculum (Content, Sequence)o Instruction

Teaching Strategies (Make it Inefficient):o Replacement skillso Adaptive skills

In An Effective Environment…

Intervention Components/Procedures (cont):

Function/Consequence Strategies (Make it ineffective)

o Increase reinforcement of desired and replacement behaviors

-allow the student to get or get away from whenever they display the replacement or desired behavior

o Prevent reinforcement of problem behavior-do not allow the student to get or get away from whenever they display the problem behavior

Behavior Support Plan Development

(Chen, Downing, and Peckham-Hardin, 2002, p. 142)

“Support plans that are in conflict with the values of the person responsible for implementing the plan are not likely to be implemented.”

Behavior Support Plan Outline

Setting Event Strategies

Antecedent

Strategies

Alternative Skills to be Taught

Positive Reinforcement

Consequence Strategies

Reductive Consequence Strategies

Long Term Prevention Strategies

Supports for Team Members

Crisis Plan

Behavior Support Plan Components:

• Prevention Strategies – Modify setting events and antecedents (i.e., triggers), to

reduce the likelihood that the problem behavior will be activated and increase the likelihood that an appropriate alternative skill will be used.

• Teaching Strategies – Teach the appropriate alternative skill.

• Consequence Strategies – Maximize the use consequences to strengthen the use

of appropriate skills and reduce the occurrence of problem behaviors.

Design a Behavior Support Plan: Preventive Strategies

AKA: Make the problem behavior irrelevant

What modifications to the environment

(academic, social, physical)

may PREVENT the problem behavior?

What adjustments will make the problem behavior unnecessary?

Examples of Preventive Strategies

Increase the effectiveness of instruction for this child(Strategy Instruction, Content Enhancement Routines)

Increase academic skill levels(Ongoing assessment to ensure instructional match & success)

Modify the curriculum(Interests, preferences, choice, sequence)

Modify the demands (Quantity, difficulty, input, output, groupings, alternative tasks)

Clarify the expectations(Use of schedule, charts w/ visual cues of steps)

Reorganize the physical & interactional setting(Supplies available, pair or independent seats, structure interactions)

Antecedent/Setting Event Strategies

• Remove a problem event. • Modify a problem event. • Intersperse difficult or unpleasant events with

easy or pleasant events. • Add events that promote desired behaviors. • Block or neutralize the impact of negative

events.

Design a Behavior Support Plan: Teaching Strategies

AKA: Make the problem behavior inefficient

What skills can be taught to the student that:

1) will meet the same need, or function, as the problem behavior, AND

2) will improve the student’s ability to cope and adjust to the circumstances?

Alternative Skills to be Taught

• Replacement Skills: One-to-one replacement skills that serve the exact function as the problem behavior.

• General Skills: Broad skills that alter problem situations and prevent the need for problem behaviors.

• Coping and Tolerance : Skills that teach students to cope with or tolerate difficult situations.

(Bambara & Knoster, 1998)

Replacement SkillsMatch Skills to Function

Obtain: Attention, Activity, Objects

• Express choice or preferences

• Follow schedule & participate in routines

• Request help

• Initiate interaction or gain attention

• Self-manage within activities

• Work toward delay of reinforcement

Replacement SkillsMatch Skills to Function

Avoid / Escape: Activity, Attention, Demands

• Use schedule or checklist to self-manage• Set own work goals• Express preferences or choice• Request and take break• Participate in steps or portion of routine• Request or seek help

Communication Skills

How to ask for or signal for:

help a breakinteraction attentiontime alone reduced demandsmore time alternative assignmentchoice opportunity to move around

General Skills

• Academic Skills• Use of Technology – Hi & Lo Tech• Organization Skills • Leisure Skills

• Social Interaction Skills-Initiate and respond to interactions-Make friends-Problem solve-Deal with stress

(Janney & Snell, 2000)

Self-Management or Coping Skills

• Positive Self – Talk

• Guided Imagery

• Deep Breathing

• Muscle Relaxation• Physical Stress Relievers

Relaxation Techniques

“To be effective, an intervention’s targeted alternative behavior…must be functionally equivalent to the problem behavior…”

(Carr & Durand, 1985)

“Not only must the targeted alternative behavior match the function of the problem behavior, …(it) must also be more efficient to complete than the problem behavior.”(Horner, Sprague, O’Brien & Heathfield, 1990)

Skill Building Consequence Strategies

• Reinforce the use of alternative skills

• Respond immediately & consistently

• Select natural consequences to the skill

• Use praise & social interaction

• Incentives should be age-appropriate & logically related to the behavior

• Use Contingency Contracts

Contingency or Behavior Contracts

An agreement developed through collaboration and mutual agreement that specifies…

1. Expected behaviors2. Conditions for behaviors to occur3. Rewards earned when student meets

responsibilities4. Criteria for completion or revision5. Method for documenting success6. Responsibilities of people involved

Contingency Contracts - Cont.

• State the contingencies, if any, for when the student does not fulfill his stated responsibilities.

• Include maintenance goals to sustain the student’s progress.

• Conclude with a signature section. • Emphasize the benefits in meeting the

terms of the contract.

Contingency Contracts - Cont.

• Use a data recording system to monitor progress under the contract.

• Schedule regular review sessions with the student.

• Avoid the temptation to consequate behaviors not specified in the contract.

Contingency Contracts - Cont.

• Any participant can request a renegotiation of the contract at any time.

• Keep contracts simple enough to be meaningful to the student and to be administered easily by you.

Reduction Oriented Consequence Strategies

• Principles to Guide the Selection of Reductive Procedures:

– The Least Restrictive Alternative

– The Functional Alternative

– Data-Based Changes

Responding Strategies

• Focus on teaching use of new skills

• Non-response to problem behavior

• Redirect to use alternate skill

• Reinforce alternative behavior

• Use of natural or logical consequences

• Maintain respect for student(Janney & Snell, 2000)

Crisis Management

• Protect the student and others

• Help student through crisis cycle

• Crises should be followed by team problem-solving to prevent reoccurrence

(Colvin, 2004; Janney & Snell, 2000)

Long Term Prevention Strategies

• Quality-of-Life Adaptations:– Relationships among family & friends– Choice and control– Preferred activities– Inclusion – Informal and formal supports for family

• Maintenance Strategies:– Help student generalize skills, set and monitor

goals, increase problem-solving skills– Enlist staff, family, and peers to respond to

student and provide accommodations

Supports for Team Members

• Consider what supports are needed to:– conduct FBA and generate hypotheses?– collect and summarize data?– implement the preventive changes to the

activities, environment, or interactions?– teach the selected alternative skills?– implement the positive reinforcement or

consequence strategies?– address long term prevention issues?

POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORT PLAN EVALUATION

Name: ____________________________________ Date: _________

Participants:______________________________________________________________

Types of Outcomes(What will the team

measure? E.g., reduction of problem behaviors, increase in alternative

skills)

Methods(How will the team

measure?)

Timelines(How often will the team measure, and when will those measurements be

summarized?)

Progress Summary Notes(To be documented as

indicated under timelines)

Evaluating a Behavior Support Plan

Measuring Progress - What Information to Collect:

• Increases in use of alternative skills• Reductions in occurrence of problem behavior• Positive side effects (e.g., improved grades,

increased attention, peer acceptance)• Improvements in quality of life (e.g., increased

participation in typical activities, increased choice/decision making, inclusion)

• Improvements in consumer satisfaction (e.g., student, family, staff, and others)

• Improvements in health or well being

Evaluating a Behavior Support Plan

Measuring Progress - How to Collect Information

• Interviews (e.g., teachers, students, parents, service providers)

• Informal and anecdotal reports (e.g., communication logs with parents, teacher progress notes)

• Rating scales (e.g., student effect, social scales, opportunity for choice)

• Natural documents (e.g., report cards, incident reports, medical records, placement records)

• Direct observation (e.g., frequency counts, measures of duration, observation logs)

Modifying the Behavior Support Plan

• Based on evaluation of effectiveness, the team should modify the plan as appropriate (i.e., make changes in proactive or reactive strategies as needed, or re-examine hypotheses).

• Important that plan development & modifications are hypothesis and data- driven.

Pathway Example

Setting Events

Triggering Antecedents

Desired Alternative

Problem Behavior

Acceptable Behavior

Maintaining Consequences

Maintaining Consequences

Setting Events Manipulations

Antecedent Manipulations

Behavior Teaching

Consequence Modifications

INTERVENTION PATHWAY

SUPPORT PLANNING

Let’s reflect…

What do you value about what you learned today?

Please share one or two thoughts with the group!

Delaware Websites: www.delawarepbs.org

www.doe.state.de.us

National Resources:http://flpbs.fmhi.usf.edu/resources.asp

Select Individual Resources – “Facilitator’s Guide: Positive Behavior Support”

http://www.specialconnections.ku.edu Select Behavior Support Plans

www.PBIS.org

Resources

References

For full reference citations, please refer to the Delaware Positive Behavior Support Project workshop binder:

Functional Behavior Assessment & Behavior Support Plan Training

Section 8