Research-Based Behavioral Interventions presented by

1. Research-BasedBehavioral Interventionspresented by Cayce McCamish, Regional PBIS Coordinator cmccamish@mgsd.k12.nc.us Dana Rusher, Regional Behavior Consultant derusher@uncc.edu

2. Evidence-Based Interventions Manual East Carolina University (Fall 2007) • T. Chris Riley-Tillman • Christy Walcott • Holly Beamon • Jacqueline Carrigg • Brynn Grech • Summer Ricketts • Anastasia Scheemaker • Kathryn Weegar

3. Today we will discuss: • The definition of research-based interventions and where to find them • The importance of understanding the function of a student’s challenging behavior • 5 common reasons for behavioral challenges • How to choose an intervention that will successfully link to: • the function of a student’s challenging behavior • the reason for a student’s challenging behavior

4. Tertiary Prevention & Intervention • Individualized, intensive services • Designed to meet individual student needs • Focus on teaching replacement behavior • Accomplished through individual data collection, FBA, BIP

5. Secondary Prevention • Small group social skills instruction & support • Mentoring • More structured support for academic and behavior success • Instruction in monitoring and re-directing own behavior

6. School Improvement Whole School Academic Behavior Effective School Organization Classroom Effective Instructional Practices Culturally Responsive Instruction Intensive, Individual Interventions • Tutoring • Academic Remediation Plans • Specially Designed Instruction Intensive, Individual Interventions • Functional Behavior Assessment & Behavior Intervention Planning Effective Instructional Practices Struggling Students Culturally Responsive Practices Individuals Progress Monitoring Targeted Group Interventions • Small group instruction • Focused academic help sessions Targeted Group Interventions • Social Skills instruction • Reinforcement of specific skills • Group Behavioral Strategies • Classroom Coaching Consider- ation for Eligibility EC Behavioral Group Strategies Universal Design/ Differentiated Instruction Related Services Positive School Climate Specially Designed Instruction FBA/BIP Mental Health Assistance Behavior Interventions Universal Interventions • Effective instructional practices • Recognition of academic achievement • Culturally responsive practices • Data-based decision-making • Parent & Community Partnerships Universal Interventions • School-wide rules and procedures • Systematic reinforcement • Social Skills Instruction • Culturally responsive practices • Data-based decision-making • Parent & Community Partnerships Effective Staff Development Mental Health Services Positive Classroom Management Focused Research-based Academic Instruction Data Based Decision Making Ongoing Screening and Assessment Classroom Coaching and Consultation Parent and Community Partnerships

7. What does “Research Based” mean? • Scientifically-based Research (from RtI Manual Glossary) • Education related research that meets the following criteria: • Analyzes and presents the impact of effective teaching on achievement of students • Includes large numbers of students in the study • Includes study and control groups • Applies a rigorous peer review process • Includes replication studies to validate results

8. Where do you find research based interventions? • Scholarly journals • Internet resources • Books • Key features to look for: • Usually challenging to read (sometimes boring) • Often filled with jargon (technical terminology) • Must have results of some form of data analysis • Typically look for repeated analysis • Pick “big name” journals representing large fields (ex. School Psych. Quarterly, Exceptional Children & Behavioral Disorders)

9. Selecting Interventions How do we know what to do when a student is experiencing social behavior failure?

10. The Basics • Behavior is purposeful • Behavior is learned • Behavior is predictable • Behavior is interactive • Behavior CAN be taught!

11. Function … • People behave for a reason - we call this “function” • Function: • Does he/she get something? • Tangibles, attention, stimulation, people, etc. • Does he/she avoid or escape something? • People, activities, embarrassment, tasks, etc.

12. Only 2 Basic Functions Pos Reinf Neg Reinf Existing aversive condition identified

13. Why look at the function? • Behavior communicates need • Need is determined by observing what happens prior to and immediately after behavior

14. ABC Analysis • Antecedent: • What happens immediately before a behavior or the environmental context of the behavior? • Behavior: • The actions of the student • Consequence: • What happens immediately after the behavior?

15. Remember … • It is not possible to determine function of a student’s challenging behavior simply by describing the behavior • It is necessary to understand antecedent/context and consequences • It is probably more efficient for the student to engage in the problem behavior

16. “A problem incorrectly defined leads us to solutions that may not effect change.”

17. Choosing an Intervention • Connect the FUNCTION with the intervention • Ask: Will this intervention meet the functional need? • Ex. If the function of the behavior is to access adult attention: • Intervention should prevent access to adult attention for inappropriate behaviors. • Intervention should provide access to adult attention for appropriate behaviors.

18. Functionof challenging behavior versusReasonsfor challenging behavior • Function = why the student is engaging in the behavior • Reasons = antecedents, context, triggers, precipitating factors

19. 5 common REASONS students misbehave • Doesn’t know the right skill • Appropriate behavior is ignored • Inappropriate behavior gets attention • Doesn’t have to do something when the problem behavior is present • Requested activity is too hard (or punishing)

20. The student has not learned a more appropriate behavior that provides the same consequence. • It is often assumed that at some level, student “knows” how to behave but simply chooses to misbehave. This assumption must be tested! • Solution: Teach the appropriate behavior • Interventions: • Help Signal • Direct Instruction

21. Help Signal • Student selects a signal • Have alternate work folder available to engage student while waiting for response • Meet with student/group to explain signal and usage • Practice, answer questions • Prompt as necessary

22. Direct Instruction • Define skill with guided discussion • Model correct application • Model incorrect application • Review • Model 2nd example • Model a range of examples (hypothetical) • Model (if needed) • Role play • Gain agreement of student to try the skill

23. More appropriate behaviors are ignored. • Ignored behaviors will cease over time • Solution: Systematically reward appropriate behavior • Interventions: • Catch’em • Random Positive Teacher Attention

24. Catch ‘em • Establish a list of good behaviors • Model/review good behaviors to be rewarded • Select daily behavior to emphasize and reward each student as desired • Create specific goals for students with problem behaviors • Provide tokens that are redeemable for rewards • Allow students to redeem tokens during specified time

25. Random Positive Teacher Attention • Select method of positive attention • Set frequency of positive attention per class • Select time and settings to give attention • Begin intervention

26. The student gets reinforced for exhibiting the problem behavior. • This is always the case. The problem behavior is “working” for the child in some manner. • Solution: Minimize reinforcement for problematic behavior while reinforcing appropriate behavior • Interventions: • “Critters” • Red Light- Green Light

27. Critters • Define expectations • Decide on privileges • Introduce critter slips • Daily, select behavioral expectation from list • During specified time interval hand out slips • Reward behavior each time it is seen during specific time interval • Allow students to redeem slips

28. Red light/Green light • Select time of day for implementation • Post classroom rules and explain • Explain you will be observing and rating students using stoplight • Rate behavior every 20 – 30 minutes or at the end of an activity • Explain rating to class • If class is on green at end of rating period, reward

29. The student doesn’t have to do something when they exhibit the problem behavior. • Often called an escape behavior • A student misbehaves so they don’t have to do (or escapes from) some task demand (academic activity) • Solution: Remove the “escape” and increase the reinforcing value of the task demand • Interventions: • Choice Making • Modified Curriculum or Instruction

30. Choice Making • Explain choices students have during frustrated situations • Complete portion of task • Request a break • Engage in problem behavior • Student selects and rates rewards from teacher-approved list • Differential Reinforcement • Reward student for gradually spending more time at the undesirable task

31. Modified Curriculum or Instruction • Adjust specific content of lessons to match student interest, OR • Modify task demands to increase student’s ability to successfully complete assignment

32. Requested activity is too hard • Often an academic request that is to hard will lead to a behavior problem. • Solution: Lower the task difficulty • Consider the instructional hierarchy • Acquisition level – Frustration • Under 85% correct response and slow • Instructional level • Under 95% correct response and fast • Mastery level – Automatic • Over 95% correct response and VERY FAST • Interventions: • Say, Show, Check • Paired Reading

33. Say, Show, Check

34. Paired Reading • Students sits in quiet location • Both students should be able to follow the text selected for the reading session • The less accomplished reader reads aloud • If a word is mispronounced the accomplished reader points to the word and pronounces it • The less accomplished reader repeats the word

35. Where to find more interventions? • In the classroom (Riley-Tillman and Chafouleas, 2003) • Certain treatments are more effective • Certain treatments are more relevant • Treatment integrity is key • Interventions need to be tailored • Interventions are more variable that effective • Texts such a Rathvon’s Effective School Interventions

36. Where to More Find Interventions (Wright 2007) • Web resources for evidence-based intervention strategies • Big Ideas in Beginning Reading (U of Oregon): http://reading.uoregon.edu/ • What Works Clearinghouse (US Dept of Education): www.w-w-c.org • Intervention Central: www.interventioncentral.org • Aimsweb http://www.aimsweb.com/

37. All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth. Aristotle