All About Behavior and ABA
Welcome back, our GiGi’s community!
During our recent Family Speaker: Parent University Program, Behavior and ABA, we had the pleasure of welcoming representatives from BCOTB, who shared valuable strategies and practical insights with our families. Their guidance helped caregivers better understand how to navigate challenging behaviors using ABA techniques, empowering them with tools to support their loved ones with confidence and compassion.
What is ABA?
- ABA is the application of the principles of learning (e.g., reinforcement, extinction) to areas of social significance (Baer, Wolf, & Risley, 1968).
- ABA interventions are characterized by data-based decision making and empirical demonstrations of a functional relationship between changes in behavior and the intervention being implemented (Baer et al., 1968
Benefits of ABA Therapy:
- Scientifically based therapy that is deemed a medically necessary service
- Technicians work 1:1 with learners using a tiered model
- The RBT implements programming and interventions specified by BCBA who provides supervision and parent support
- Reduces maladaptive behaviors by teaching more functional replacement behaviors
- Teaches different skills like: communication skills, social skills, independent living skills, etc.
Common Myths
- ABA is only for children
- ABA is only for autism
- ABA aims to “cure” autism
- ABA is only for reducing maladaptive behavior and teaching compliance
- ABA uses only punishment
- ABA uses bribes
- ABA teaches individuals to be robotic
- All ABA programs are the same
ABA and Other Therapies
- ABA can be great in conjunction with other therapies
- Speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, etc.
- Similarities and differences overlap with some skills targeted
- ABA sessions are more frequent and longer duration
- Coordination of care between providers is important to collaborate for best outcomes
Appropriate Candidates
- Who can benefit from ABA?
- Anyone!
What is Behavior?
- Behavior is the activity of living organisms (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2017).
- Essentially, it’s everything we do.
Common Maladaptive Behaviors
- Task Refusal
- Elopement
- Agression
- Self-Injurious Behaviors
What Causes Maladaptive Behavior?
- There’s no one size fits all.
- Behaviors occur for different reasons and a multitude of reasons.
- One individual could engage in screaming for one reason, while another individual engages in screaming for a different reason.
- All behavior is communication.
- Consider medical factors (illness, medication, etc.)
Functions of Behavior
- Attention
- Escape
- Tangible
- Sensory
ABC’s Of ABA
- Antecedent: What happens in the environment immediately before the behavior occurs
- Behavior: The behavior that the individual engages in
- Consequence: Environmental changes following the behavior
Common Antecedents- Demand:
- “Do your math homework.”
- “Brush your teeth.”
- “Get ready for bed.”
- “Sit down.”
- Possible function: Escape
Common Antecedents- Denied Access:
- “Sorry, you can’t have your iPad right now.”
- “It’s raining so you can’t go outside.”
- “The store sold out of your favorite item.”
- Possible function: Access to tangibles
Common Antecedents- Diverted Attention:
- Mom is making a phone call and cannot respond.
- Baby sibling is getting the family’s attention.
- Teacher is helping another student.
- Possible function: Attention
Scenario #1: What could be the function?
- Peter wants to eat cake instead of the dinner that was prepared for him. He is told that he cannot have cake until after dinner and he responds by throwing his plate of food. His dad then gives him a slice of cake.
Scenario #1: What could be the function?
- Antecedent: Peter wants to eat cake instead of the dinner that was prepared for him. He is told that he cannot have cake until after dinner.
- Behavior: He responds by throwing his plate of food.
- Consequence: His dad then gives him a slice of cake.
Scenario #2: What could be the function?
- Sally tells her daughter, Abigail, that it’s time to take a bath. Abigail responds by falling to the floor and shouting “No!” Sally then leaves Abigail alone for a while.
Scenario #2: What could be the function?
- Antecedent: Sally tells her daughter, Abigail, that it’s time to take a bath.
- Behavior: Abigail responds by falling to the floor and shouting “No!”
- Consequence: Sally then leaves Abigail alone for a while
Scenario #3: What could be the function?
- Frank is at school and his teacher is praising other kids. Frank then hits a peer. The teacher stops engaging with the other kids and walks over to Frank to reprimand him for hitting a friend.
Scenario #3: What could be the function?
- Antecedent: Frank is at school and his teacher is praising other kids.
- Behavior: Frank then hits a peer.
- Consequence: The teacher stops engaging with the other kids and walks over to Frank to reprimand him for hitting a friend
Interventions:
1 Antecedent Manipulations
- Proactive strategies to prevent the behavior from occurring (Implemented before the behavior)
- Examples
- Pairing/rapport building
- Offering choices
- High-p low-p sequences
- First, then statements
- Transition warnings
- Promise reinforcers
2 Consequence Strategies
- Interventions implemented in response to maladaptive behaviors (Implemented after the behavior)
- Reinforcement
- Reinforcement is simply a consequence (change in the environment) following a behavior that strengthens the behavior Increases the probability of the behavior occurring in the future
- Reinforcement can be positive or negative
- Technical terms, not referring to “good” or “bad”
- What serves as a reinforcer for one person, may not for another
- Positive reinforcement = Adding a stimulus to the environment
- Negative reinforcement = Removing a stimulus to the environment
- Punishment
- Punishment is simply a consequence (change in the environment) following a behavior that weakens the behavior
- Decreases the probability of the behavior occurring in the future
- Punishment can be positive or negative
- Technical terms, not referring to “good” or “bad”
- What serves as a punisher for one person, may not for another
- Positive punishment = Adding a stimulus to the environment
- Negative punishment = Removing a stimulus to the environment
- Reinforcement
3 Extinction
- Extinction involves withholding the reinforcer that is maintaining a behavior
- The behavior no longer “pays off” as it does not result in the desired consequence
- Should always teach a replacement behavior
- Extinction bursts = Temporary increase in intensity or duration of maladaptive behavior and/or emergence of novel behaviors
Scenario #1 How could this behavior be extinguished?
- Peter wants to eat cake instead of the dinner that was prepared for him. He is told that he cannot have cake until after dinner and he responds by throwing his plate of food. His dad then gives him a slice of cake.
Scenario #1 How could this behavior be extinguished?
- Antecedent: Peter wants to eat cake instead of the dinner that was prepared for him. He is told that he cannot have cake until after dinner.
- Behavior: He responds by throwing his plate of food.
- Consequence:
His dad then gives him a slice of cake. He does not receive the cake (the reinforcer is withheld).
Scenario #2 How could this behavior be extinguished?
- Sally tells her daughter, Abigail, that it’s time to take a bath. Abigail responds by falling to the floor and shouting “No!” Sally then leaves Abigail alone for a while.
Scenario #2 How could this behavior be extinguished?
- Antecedent: Sally tells her daughter, Abigail, that it’s time to take a bath.
- Behavior: Abigail responds by falling to the floor and shouting “No!”
- Consequence:
Sally then leaves Abigail alone for a while.Sally maintains the demand of it being time for a bath.
Scenario #3 How could this behavior be extinguished?
- Frank is at school and his teacher is praising other kids. Frank then hits a peer. The teacher stops engaging with the other kids and walks over to Frank to reprimand him for hitting a friend.
Scenario #3 How could this behavior be extinguished?
- Antecedent: Frank is at school and his teacher is praising other kids.
- Behavior: Frank then hits a peer.
- Consequence:
The teacher stops engaging with the other kids and walks over to Frank to reprimand him for hitting a friend.The teacher refrains from giving Frank attention for his behavior.
Common Teaching Skills in ABA:
- Communication Skills
- Social Skills
- Tolerance Skills
- Adaptive/Daily Living/Vocational Skills
Steps on how to begin ABA services (some steps may vary between companies):
- Identity Providers
- Consultation
- Initial assessment
- Treatment plan
- Funder approval
- Begin Therapy!
Remember, you have the power to make a difference every day. By using practical ABA techniques, caregivers can encourage healthier behaviors and lessen maladaptive ones, creating a more supportive and successful environment at home.
Be sure to check out our programs calendar on our website to register for the next Family Speaker:
Parent University Program night. It is held both virtually, as well as in-person at the Tampa Playhouse.
https://gigisplayhouse.org/tampa/sfcalendar/
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