Intervention Support PlanThis assignment is the fourth component of your Assessment, Intervention Support, and Related Systems project. In Unit 6, you uncovered a wide range of scholarly works necessa

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U8a1- Assignment outline

Behavior Intervention Plan

Target Behavior- Elopement

Operational Definition- Any instance in which Johnny leaves the designated therapy area, without permission to do so. Onset of the behavior occurs once Johnny has left the designated area; offset occurs when he returns to the area. Does not include an instance in which Johnny is in an area that he is not required to request permission to leave (e.g. play room).

Hypothesized Function- The functions are proposed to be escape/avoidance and access to tangibles.

Preventative Strategies- The use of a visual schedule is used to create a structured routine for Johnny and allows independence during transitions. Additionally, the environment is arranged in a way that decreases the likelihood problem behavior will occur. For example, the environment is set up to facilitate the use of communication, using a picture exchange communication system (PECS). The Premack Principle is also used when working; this allows Johnny to engage with a preferred item after engaging in a less desirable activity, such as a given demand.

Replacement Procedures- Functional communication is being implemented using PECS to teach Johnny to mand, or request, for items/activities as an alternative to engaging in elopement behavior. When Johnny mands for an item by handing the Technician a picture, without engaging in problem behavior, Johnny is allowed access to the item. Contingent access is intended to increase the likelihood a mand will occur in the future instead of problem behavior. Additionally, reinforcement procedures are used to increase the likelihood Johnny will follow through with demands without engaging in problem behavior. This is done by allowing Johnny access to a preferred item/activity for the completion of a demand without engaging in problem behaviors.

Consequential Procedures- Blocking is used when elopement begins to occur. Three-step guided compliance is used to follow through with demands that have been placed and to increase compliance in a variety of situations. Additionally, Escape Extinction has been implemented to decrease elopement by withholding access to preferred items until a task/activity has been completed. Preferred items/activities are also withheld until Johnny communicates using PECS to increase the likelihood communication will occur in the future.

Generalization and Maintenance Procedures- This behavior will continue to be targeted for reduction in the upcoming reporting period, and Johnny’s Technician will continue to implement antecedent (i.e., visual schedule, environmental arrangements, Premack principle) and consequence (i.e., blocking, three-step guided compliance, escape extinction, tangible extinction) based strategies, as well as teach the replacement behavior of functional communication.

Performance & Monitoring Systems

Behavior supports will be used and taught to parents as a proactive measure to appropriately manage Johnny’s maladaptive behavior in the event that one is to arise. Antecedent based strategies such as environmental arrangements, priming, and choice making will be used to increase Johnny’s compliance and better prepare for the child for transitions and/or change in routine or schedule. Teaching strategies such as Non-Contingent Reinforcement (NCR), Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behaviors (DRA) and Functional Communication Training (FCT) will be used to increase appropriate behavior (i.e., child receiving praise when functionally requesting "help" instead of exhibiting maladaptive behaviors). Consequence strategies such as extinction and redirection will be used when Johnny exhibits maladaptive behavior.

Applies Behavioral Methods

In relation to this particular case study written by Wasik, Duke, et. al.,(1969) it is not apparent that this would directly relate to the case study of Johnny. The first indication is that due to Johnny just beginning his school career, these types of situations have not come about yet. However, it is a case study to be noted and looked at possibly at a later time, as there could be potential of these behaviors coming to a forefront during his school career and the ideas that were presented could be utilized with the intervention plan.

For Johnny’s intervention and the use of teaching strategies that are listed above are somewhat related to an article written by Bostow (1969). According to The main focus of the reinforcers were to provide increasing time-interval schedule on appropriate behavior, which meant she was expected to remained quiet for the first 5 min of the session, then remain quiet for 10 min before the next reinforcer, up to a maximum of 30 min (Bostow, 1969). As a result of this treatment plan, client aggressive loud vocal behavior was controlled came under control of this combination of timeout and reinforcement for appropriate behavior.

What can be related to Johnny in this particular case study is that the time interval of giving reinforcement for a particular amount of time not engaging in the maladaptive behavior could be implemented with Johnny. This type of reinforcement schedule is sure to decrease the maladaptive behaviors of Johnny.

Parent education is an additional piece that can be included in the ABA process with clients. In Johnny’s case, parent education will be implemented a certain number of hours per week. According to a journal reading, research has revealed that parent education, which assists with giving the parents more knowledge and insight about ABA and how to implement it with their child, may be advantageous (Booth, Gallagher & Keenan, 2018).

Another tactic of intervention for Johnny is utilizing the concept of Functional Communication Training. This can take various forms. Johnny is working on echoic in the hopes of him forming words and manding for needs. Johnny is also learning some sign language such as, “more”, “drink”, “my turn” and is also using PECS to some degree. As it is known, Autism is a social and communication disorder. Behaviors can manifest when a want or need cannot be communicated properly. These are the maladaptive behaviors and thus much of the misbehavior seen in children can be viewed as a form of communication (Durand & Moskowitz, 2015). Through using the FCT concept, it is going to assist with the communication of those needs and wants and decrease the behaviors.

As part of the FCT idea with Johnny, the PECS system will also be utilized. Articles indicate that this is a great form of communication and encourages verbal language. According to Charlop-Christy, et. al., (2002), there is indicators that children are able to meet the mastery level for PECS. This will in turn increase the child’s individual speech and decrease the maladaptive behaviors.

References

Booth, N., Gallagher, S., & Keenan, M. (2018). Autism, interventions and parent training.

Psichologija, 57, 74-94. doi:10.15388/Psichol.2018.0.11904

Bostow, D. E., & Bailey, J. B. (1969). Modification of severe disruptive and aggressive behavior using brief timeout and reinforcement procedures. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 2(1), 31–37. http://doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.1901/jaba.1969.2-31

Charlop-Christy, M. H., Carpenter, M., Le, L., LeBlanc, L. A., & Kellet, K. (2002). Using the

picture exchange communication system (PECS) with children with autism: Assessment of

PECS acquisition, speech, social-communicative behavior, and problem behavior. Journal of

Applied Behavior Analysis, 35(3), 213-231. doi:10.1901/jaba.2002.35-213

Durand, V. M., & Moskowitz, L. (2015). Functional communication training. Topics in Early

Childhood Special Education, 35(2), 116. doi:10.1177/0271121415569509

Wasik, Barbara H.. Duke U, Senn, Kathryn, Welch, Roberta H. Cooper, Barbara R. (1969)

Behavior modification with culturally deprived school children: Two case studies.

Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 2(3), 1969. pp. 181-194.