Introduction to Applied Behaviour Analysis ABA Trainer Esther

Introduction to Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) Trainer: Esther Thomas (MSc, BCBA) 24 th May 2019

What is ABA? • ABA is a helping profession used in a variety of contexts. For example, healthcare, education, social care, sports, organizational behaviour management, mental health, addiction services, dementia care, developmental disability, learning disability etc. • Behaviour analysts are interested in helping to achieve positive behaviour change for individuals, groups of people, and for organizations and society as a whole. • ABA uses scientifically derived learning principles and ABA-based intervention approaches. Principles or laws of learning are central to any behaviour change – whenever we change behaviour we tap into these principles.

What is ABA? Cont’d • ABA uses an understanding of why behaviour occurs to address a wide range of social issues, including helping individuals to learn (UK ABA Autism Education Framework, 2011). • ABA approaches help people achieve meaningful positive ‘change in their lives. It also empowers individuals to achieve all that they can – everyone can learn. • A key aim of ABA is to help people achieve their full potential by changing the environment around them and helping them build skills.

Values-Driven Behaviour Analysts will: • Work in the best interests of children and their families • Promote the right of every child to beneficial help and support • Ensure that intervention is safe and that children feel secure • Ensure that intervention supports children in the context of their lives e. g. family values, school community • What is important to Trevor?

ABA is evidence-based educational practice • EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE teaching approaches that have been shown to be effective by well-controlled and carefully conducted evaluation and research • PRACTICE-BASED EVIDENCE collection of ongoing evidence that a teaching method is leading to the desired outcomes • DATA-BASED DECISION-MAKING—self-correcting and accountable • ABA practice continually come back to this question: “Is this working for Trevor? ”

Evidence Based for ABA • There exists a large and robust evidence base for ABA (Eldevik et al. , 2009, Freeman & Perry, 2010; Grindle et al. , 2012). • Many studies show that ABA is effective in increasing behaviours and teaching new skills (Goldstein, 2002; Odom et al. , 2003; Mc. Connell, 2002, Thompson & Odom, 2011). • Many studies demonstrate that ABA is effective in reducing behaviour that challenge (Horner et al. , 2002, Odom et al. , 2010). • Several studies also indicate that, when implemented intensively (e. g. , more than 20 hours per week) and early in life (e. g. , beginning prior to the age of 4 years), ABA may produce large gains in development and reductions in the need for special services (Smith, 1999). • ABA input is also beneficial for older individuals.

How ABA supports individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) • Autism presents certain barriers to learning. Hence, ABA helps to break these barriers down so that individuals with autism and complex needs can learn new meaningful skills and learn not to do things that put themselves and others at risk.

How ABA supports individuals with ASD (cont’d) • Increase positive behaviours and reduce barriers to learning • Teach skills to replace behaviours that challenge. So that a child can learn what ‘to do’ and not just what ‘to stop doing’ • Teach strategies to maintain and generalise mastered skills (e. g. , obtaining reinforcement from the natural environment) • Increase a child’s performance in a variety of areas including academic, play, social and self help skills • Improve cognitive skills. Help a child to be more ready for learning • Generalise and transfer behaviour from one situation or response to another

The seven characteristics of Applied Behaviour Analysis 1. Applied - behaviour selected for change must be socially significant 2. Behavioural - the behaviour is the target of change in itself 3. Analytic - identifies the functional relations between behaviour and the environmental variable 4. Technological - procedures are completely and precisely described (replication)

The seven characteristics of Applied Behaviour Analysis 5. Conceptually Systematic - Procedures and interventions are described in terms of the basic principles of behaviour 6. Effective - demonstrate a meaningful change in the desirable behaviour 7. Generality - must demonstrate maintenance and generalisation of the behaviour (e. g. , across environments and presenters) Baer, Wolf, Risely (1968)

Applied Targets are socially significant • Curriculum decisions • Large focus on the daily life of the individual • Supporting Trevor to manage those aspects of his autism that act as a barrier to learning and participation • Child centered

Behavioural • What is behaviour? - Everything that we do!! • Targets are clearly defined • Measurement procedures for each target • Individual criteria are set • Outcomes are directly observed as present and not inferred • Behavioural principles of learning

Analytic Data driven learning • Data collected on all learning opportunities • Baseline taken for all targets • Skill acquisition • Challenging behaviour • Data based teaching decisions – made on evidence. Is procedure working? • Behaviours & skills to be taught are analysed

Analytic (Cont’d) All tasks are analysed to ensure the necessary pre-requisite skills are in place Learning colours • Visual discrimination Tip! • Colour matching Identify all prerequisites on all • Non-identical matching planning documents. Set • Sorting via attribute child up for success • Receptive object labels • One key word receptive • Many more…

Analytic (Cont’d) Functional Analysis for behaviours that challenge • Applying interventions without careful analysis of their design for an individual is not appropriate • Need to find out why behaviours are occurring – will be different for each individual • Behavioural assessment tools help us to identify the function of a behaviour • Individual function based interventions can then be designed & implemented Tip! Always ask yourself why a behaviour is occurring before thinking of what to do about it

Example Behaviour Assessment outcomes – function Intervention suggestions Hitting, kicking, biting Escape / avoidance Assess & manipulate demand level, introduce functional communication response for breaks Hitting, kicking, biting Access to attention Assess and manipulate attention levels, provide attention contingently on desirable behaviour, remove attention when engaging in target behaviour, teach functional communication response to request attention appropriately

Why is function important? “Placing greater emphasis on function rather than form may allow us to determine when different problems can be treated similarly and, more important when the same problem must be treated differently” (Iwata, 1982/92)

Functions of Behaviour • Escape/Avoidance: from person, task, environment, etc. Behaviour usually occurs in response to specific person, event or requests to perform activity • Tangible: desire for a specific item or activity. Behaviour often occurs when something has been denied or taken away • Attention (positive or negative): desire for attention from peers, adults, can include “power” behaviours usually occurs when specific individuals are present • Sensory: the behaviour feels good or meets a sensory need. Behaviours usually occurs anytime, anywhere--not person, event or location specific but may occur more often when under stress

Technological • All learning, intervention and behaviour support plans are clearly described in detail to ensure that everyone understands them in the same way • Provides consistency in teaching • Individual Learning Plans • Positive behaviour support plans • Other intervention plans

Conceptually Systematic • All interventions and teaching strategies are derived from the evidence-based principles of ABA • Many strategies and tactics under the ABA umbrella…

Some ABA-based strategies… • Discrete Trial Teaching • Direct Instruction • Errorless Teaching • Multiple Exemplar Instruction • Extinction • Prompt & Fading • Chaining • Shaping • Task Analysis • Reinforcement Schedules • Pairing • Fluency Based Instruction • Functional Analysis • Generalisation Training • PECS • Pivotal Response Training • Precision Teaching

Some ABA-based strategies… • Natural Environment Teaching • Activity embedded instruction • Group Contingencies • Contingency Contracts • Behavioural momentum • Systematic Desensitisation • Primary & Secondary Reinforcement • Antecedent Intervention • Graduated Guidance

ABA strategies in practice - Videos • Word to Picture Matching • Sequencing • Shopping game • Exercises

Effective • Individualised approach designed around the child’s needs • Constantly under scrutiny through data/assessment • As with all of us outcomes will be different for everyone • Curing autism is not an aim of ABA but positive change is

Generality • Improvements in skills / behaviour last over time and can be used in all relevant environments with all relevant people. • Programming for generalisation present on all Individual Lesson Plans (ILPs) • Tips for generalising into daily life on all ILPs • No skill considered mastered until generalisation occurred – programmed into mastery criteria

What is taught in EIBI? Academic Skills Executive Cognition Functions Language Play Skills Social Adaptive Skills Motor Skills

What is taught? • Every area of functioning is assessed and programmed for where appropriate • Each long term target is broken down into dozens of teaching programmes • Each programme is broken down into many (up to 20 or more) specific steps • Lessons are arranged in the order in which they emerge in typical development • Use of key assessments to identify profile

Assessment tools

“Behavioural” approaches are increasingly being recommended For adults with autism of all ranges of intellectual ability, who need help with activities of daily living, consider a structured and predictable programme based on behavioural principles (1. 4. 6) A number of comparative and review studies now indicate clearly that behavioural approaches generally, particularly those that begin in early childhood, do lead to positive improvements in children with autism, both with regard to behavioural problems, the acquisition of new skills and greater social integration. Débuter avant 4 ans et dans les 3 mois suivant le diagnostic des interventions personnalisées, globales et coordonnées, fondées sur une approche éducative, comportementale et développementale

Conceptual model of outcomes (Based on Perry & Freeman 1996) Child variables + Family variables Quantity + Intervention variables = Outcomes Quality

• More focus on quantity than quality • Quality Intensity of supervision Methods of staff training implementation of procedures

What some parents say about ABA… “ABA has been the best thing we could do for our 5 year old daughter. She loves her sessions and learning a lot. It is wonderful to see how this therapy is transforming our lives and helping my child to unlock her potential”

What some parents say about ABA… “ABA has been a game-changer for our son. It has helped him become teachable, given him a communication system and worked on problem behaviours. He is now engaged and loves to learn. Most importantly it has given him the skills to be able to attend a mainstream school”

What some parents say about ABA… “My son was 4 years old when he started ABA. Before that he was in a special educational setting and regressing. He is now 23 years old. He wouldn’t have been able to undertake further education without ABA. He now lives a relatively independent life and is working. I’m now studying to become a Behaviour Analyst so that I can help other children!”

UK ABA Autism Education Competence Framework

What is the UK ABA Autism Education Competence Framework? • The UK ABA Autism Education Competence Framework is a detailed framework of the knowledge and demonstrable behaviours (i. e. , things that can be demonstrated to another person) that are important for anyone in UK education settings working with children and young people with autism using ABA

The aims of the UK ABA Autism Education Competence Framework • More children and young people with autism will benefit from highquality, evidence-based education delivered by competent professionals • Practitioners will benefit from professional development and occupational standards • Parents and organisations supporting the education of children and young people with autism will be able to employ practitioners with a greater degree of certainty about competence and quality • Education providers and the academic community will have a greater understanding of the nature and use of ABA in educational practice for children with autism

Thank you for your attendance in today’s conference! Contact details: Esther Thomas ethomas@achievewithautism. co. uk