Submitted by: Lindsey Knopf, BCBA

Resurgence has not been a term that has been frequently used in ABA, but it is very important because it occurs frequently. Resurgence describes the recurrence of a previously reinforced behavior following the extinction of the subsequently reinforced alternative behavior. This means that an appropriate behavior that used to be reinforced is no longer getting any reinforcement (i.e. it is being put on extinction).

For example, a problem behavior such as whining used to get a child access to something preferred, such as candy. But then the child is taught to ask appropriately for what he or she wants by saying “candy” without whining. Asking for candy appropriately now always gets the child candy, rather than the whining. However, in school the candy is not always available and when asking appropriately is no longer reinforced frequently enough, problem behaviors such as whining will come back again or reoccur given that these behaviors have gotten the child candy in the past.

Here is another example of resurgence and how it can be broken down into 3 phases:

• Phase 1: A problem behavior is reinforced (e.g. shouting out an answer in class always gets attention from the teacher).
• Phase 2: An alternate behavior is reinforced while the target behavior is put on extinction (e.g. raising hand is given attention and shouting out the answer is ignored).
• Phase 3: The alternate behavior is not reinforced as often so the problem behavior begins to RESURGE or reoccur given its reinforcement history (e.g. raising hand is no longer reinforced every time due to a substitute teacher who does not know to call on the student who is now raising his/her hand instead of shouting/other kids are getting called on so the child shouts out the answer since this behavior has gotten attention in the past).

This concept is important because when placing problem behavior on extinction (i.e. no longer allowing the behavior to contact reinforcement) and teaching replacement/alternate behaviors, we need to make sure that we continue to reinforce the replacement behavior so that the problem behavior does not reoccur. A fixed time schedule of reinforcement refers to when a fixed amount of time is required to earn a reinforcer (e.g. providing reinforcement every minute that problem behavior does not occur). Using a fixed time schedule of reinforcement can also help maintain the alternate/appropriate behavior. This shows the child that he or she does not need to engage in the problem behavior to access reinforcement.

When teaching an alternate behavior, we need to start with a dense schedule of reinforcement (e.g. providing reinforcement every time the behavior occurs) and then gradually fade the schedule (e.g. providing reinforcement every other time the behavior occurs, then about every few times the behavior occurs, then about every 5 times, etc.) to the point where it is manageable for caregivers to provide reinforcement in the natural environment. The fact that the child can perform the alternative behavior does not necessarily indicate that natural occurring schedules of reinforcement will maintain it. We should let all treatment team members and caregivers know what behavior(s) we are placing on extinction and what behavior(s) we are reinforcing. Our goal is to reduce problem behavior and increase appropriate behaviors, so it is very important to be aware of resurgence and actively prevent it from occurring.

Talk to your child’s ABA instructor about the function of your child’s problem behavior and the replacement behaviors that are being worked on. Work on increasing and maintaining replacement behaviors by:

• Having the ABA instructor come into your home or community setting to model how to reinforce the replacement behavior and place the problem behavior (s) on extinction.
• Asking for more center-based parent training.
• Providing extra reinforcement for more independent responding (differential reinforcement).
• Providing reinforcement immediately after your child engages in the replacement behavior (between 0-5 seconds).
• Providing reinforcement that serves the same function as the problem behavior (allowing escape or a break from a difficult or aversive task, providing attention to the child, giving the child access to a preferred item or activity, or allowing the child to engage in a sensory activity).
• Providing reinforcement every time the replacement behavior occurs, then gradually fading reinforcement for the replacement behavior.
• Making sure problem behavior never contacts reinforcement.
• Reinforcing the absence of problem behavior.

The post Resurgence: Problem Behavior Occurs When Appropriate Behavior Was Taught appeared first on Reaching Milestones.

Submitted by: Maria Whiteway, M.Ed., BCBA

In 2010 I became a special education teacher for children with autism. Given that my classroom was part of the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program, I sincerely needed to learn a thing or two about ABA. Since I had several students who were non-verbal and others with limited verbal abilities, BCBAs trained me in Verbal Behavior. Simply put, Verbal Behavior applies ABA principles to language. While my intense training led me to become a BCBA, I still understand what it was like to hear unfamiliar terminology.

As parents, you are debriefed every session on your child’s progress. However, when a therapist uses terms like tact or intraverbal to describe your child’s accomplishments, you may walk away confused instead of delighted.

We know that knowledge is power, so here is a little cheat sheet on the ABCs of Verbal Behavior.

First and foremost, ABA is the science that implements behavioral procedures to improve socially significant (acceptable) behavior.

Again, Verbal Behavior is simply the application of these principles to language. Verbal Behavior can include talking, gestures, sign language, writing, using augmentative devices or utilizing picture systems. Verbal Behavior has been broken down into different verbal operants, so that we, as listeners, can respond appropriately to what a person is saying.

The main verbal operants will be explained using an ABC chart:

A= Antecedent (what happens before the child speaks)

B= Behavior (what the child said)

C= Consequence (what happens after the child speaks)

MAND

The first verbal operant is the Mand. Some common terms for this are request, ask, command, and/or demand. This operant is different from all others because when someone mands for something specific, they get it. Every other operant’s consequence is not specific to what was said.

TACT

The next operant is the Tact. Some common terms are labeling or naming. A tact has to do with the 5 senses. One can see, hear, smell, feel or taste something, so they will name what it is.

ECHOIC

Another operant is the Echoic. This is repeating what someone else says.

INTRAVERBAL

The next operant is the Intraverbal. Common terms for this are fill-in-the blank phrases (a pig says oink), word associations (socks and shoes), typical conversations and answering questions.

LISTENER RESPONDING

Another operant is Listener Responding. This generally involves people following directions. Think of it as the person is responding to what they are listening to or responding as a listener. 

MOTOR IMITATION

Motor imitation involves copying someone else’s movements.

Now that you know the ABCs of the main Verbal Operants, have some fun with them. When you are out and about, see if you can identify different operants that your family and friends produce. I know what it can be like to hear ABA jargon and wish you knew more. Hopefully this cheat sheet will help you, but if you still have questions, do not hesitate to ask your child’s therapist. You and your child are the most valuable members of the team at Reaching Milestones and we are always here to help!

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Submitted by: Anna Beth Baden, M.Ed., BCBA

The field of Applied Behavior Analysis places a huge emphasis on the function (or the reason) of behavior. There are four main functions for behavior: (1) to get attention, (2) o get out of something (escape), (3) to obtain a preferred item (tangible), or (4) because of the way it feels (sensory). We engage in many behaviors in order to get something or get away from something. For many, it is easy to get access to things they want. For example, I could ask someone for some Sour Patch Kids or begin a conversation with someone to get attention. For people with autism or other disabilities, this communication can sometimes be extremely difficult. This difficulty or lack of communication skills often leads to problem behaviors.

Functional Communication Training (FCT) is often used to teach people with disabilities to communicate a person’s wants or needs.  In order to teach a person how to communicate we must first determine what the person wants. Behavior Analysts use assessments to figure out why a person is engaging in the challenging behavior and then create a plan to teach the person a socially appropriate way to communicate that want or need. This socially appropriate way to communicate may be through spoken words, such as “I need a break,” or even by handing a picture to a person to communicate that need.

When first beginning FCT, the appropriate requests may need to be prompted and must be honored or reinforced every time they occur. Over time, as the person is independently and appropriately requesting what he or she wants, a delay can be built in before the request is reinforced until, eventually, the person will be able to tolerate a long delay before getting the item or escaping the demand.

Functional Communication Training is a wonderful tool that can be used to improve communication between you and your loved ones.

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Parents of children with autism often face the decision of whether to seek home- or center- based treatment.  At Reaching Milestones with Behavioral Consultation Services, one of our most important principles is that our clients are able to make educated and informed decisions.  With that in mind, we would like to share what recent, scientific research has to say about home- and center-based treatment, as well as our experiences in the matter when treating children with our Autism program.

A well-controlled study conducted by behavioral researchers (Roberts et al., 2011), examined the treatment outcomes for children diagnosed with autism who participated in Center-Based programs or Home-Based programs.  Treatment outcome measures included: social and communication skill development in the children, quality of life and stress for parents.  Results from the study showed that children in the Center-Based program improved the most in social & communication skill development.  Furthermore, parents of the children in the Center-Based program reported the most gains in “perception of competence & quality of life.”  Researchers concluded that, if possible, Center-Based treatment was the preferred option for children with autism (Roberts et al., 2011).

While there may be multiple factors affecting the results in the aforementioned study, our experiences at Reaching Milestones with BCS have led us to draw a few conclusions:

Center-based treatment (also known as clinic-based treatment) allows the behavior analyst to minimize or alleviate many variables that may prove very difficult to control in a home environment.  Such things as toys, entertainment devices, pets, and even siblings can cause unnecessary distractions that hamper a child’s development.  In a center, a behavior analyst is able to control events that would otherwise be distracting in a home setting, and in some cases use those events to bring about effective changes in your child’s behavior.

Center-based treatments generally allow the analyst to spend more time working with your child.  Let’s face it: Life happens.  Aside from working or meeting family obligations, sometimes we are caught off-guard by emergencies and other events.  You may have aging parents to care for or other, typically functioning children whose demands need to be met.  Now, imagine having to work around these events and maintain your child’s home-based treatment schedule.  Our experience as behavior analysts tells us that center-based treatment allows for your child to get more of the attention that will lead to positive, beneficial changes and allow you to focus on the other aspects of your life while still benefitting your child.

Center-based treatment, while giving analysts more time with your child, also gives them the ability to gather more information about your child’s development.  This information is used to better formulate your child’s program of instruction and allows you to better communicate with the analyst about progress and concerns.  At Reaching Milestones with BCS, we believe that keeping you informed and up-to-date on your child’s progress will also give you the confidence to handle the day-to-day challenges that you may face in meeting your child’s needs inside the home.

You don’t have to take our word for it, however. In the study previously mentioned (Roberts et al., 2011), researchers also found that parents involved in center-based treatment scored significantly higher in the following areas, overall:

Family interaction

Parenting skills

Emotional wellbeing

Physical wellbeing

Confidence

Coping skills

Knowledge

Understanding

Planning

Knowing your options is a vital aspect of selecting treatment for your child.  At Reaching Milestones with BCS, your child’s progress comes first.  We want to make sure that you have all the information you need in order to make an informed decision regarding your child’s care.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the nearest Reaching Milestones location.

Roberts, J., Williams, K., Carter, M., Evans, D., Parmenter, T., Silove, N., Clark, T., Warren, A.

(2011). A randomised controlled trial of two early intervention programs for young children

with autism: Centre-based with parent program and home-based. Research in Autism

Spectrum Disorders, 5,

1553-1566.

The post Home Based or Center Based Services – Which is right for my child? appeared first on Reaching Milestones.