Level 1 Conducting Standard FA Sessions Iwata et

Level 1 Conducting Standard FA Sessions

Iwata et al. (1982/1994) • Seminal demonstration of FA methodology – Consists of 3 -4 test conditions and 1 control condition • Test conditions isolate reinforcement contingencies – Alone, attention, demand, tangible • Control condition eliminates value of reinforcement across contingencies – Play 2

Functions of Behavior • Positive Reinforcement – Social (attention, materials) – Automatic (sensory stimulation) • Negative Reinforcement – Social (escape from demands, other aversive events) – Automatic (sensory attenuation) 3

Attention (Sr+) • Test for social positive reinforcement (Sr+) • Initial Instruction/Discriminative Stimulus (SD): Presence of therapist, statement “Here are some toys to play with; I have some work to do. ” – 2 -3 moderately preferred toys available (why? ) • Establishing Operation (EO): Deprivation from attention • Consequences: 3 -5 s of physical attention and a concerning statement / reprimand 4

EXAMPLE - Attention • Target behavior: Aggression – Definition: Any instance in which the client hits or kicks another person • Environmental arrangement? • Consequence? • Volunteer? 5

Let’s Try It! 6

Tangible (Sr+) • Test for social positive reinforcement (Sr+) • Pre-session: Access to highly preferred items for 1 - min prior to session start • SD: Presence of therapist and highly preferred items • EO: Removal of, and deprivation from highly preferred items • Consequence: 20 s access to highly preferred items – If target behavior occurs at the moment you are taking the items away, extend access by 20 s – If target behavior occurs during the access period, consider extending access by 20 s 7

EXAMPLE - Tangible • Target behavior: Aggression – Definition: Any instance in which the client hits or kicks another person • Environmental arrangement? • Consequence? • Volunteer? 8

Here We Go! 9

Demand (Sr-) • Test for social negative reinforcement (Sr-) • SD: Presence of work materials • EO: Presentation of moderately difficult demands, using leastto-most prompting (verbal/model/full physical; 5 sec between prompts) • Consequences – Compliance with verbal or gesture: Praise – Target response: Removal of task and 20 s escape • If target behavior occurs when approaching with materials at the end of an escape interval, extend by 20 s OR • If target behavior occurs at any point during the escape interval, extend by 20 s 10

EXAMPLE - Demand • Target behavior: Aggression – Definition: Any instance in which the client hits or kicks another person • Environmental arrangement? • Consequence? • Volunteer? 11

Practice Time 12

Ignore or Alone Condition • Test for automatic reinforcement – Ignore vs. alone: Presence vs. absence of therapist – Dependent on the conditions of the FA and target behavior • Initial Instruction: “Wait here, I’ll be back in a few minutes” • SD : Dependent on the function of behavior • EO: Dependent on the function of behavior (although barren room provides low stimulation and may increase EO for sensory reinforcers) • Consequences: No programmed consequences 13

EXAMPLE – Alone/Ignore • Target behavior: Aggression – Definition: Any instance in which the client hits or kicks another person • Environmental arrangement? • Consequence? • Volunteer? 14

Your Turn 15

Control (Play) Overview • Serves as most common control condition – Levels of responding during each test condition are independently compared to levels of responding during the control condition • Control components (Abolishing Operations (AOs)) – Access to preferred items – No demands present – Free access to attention 16

Play • Initial Instruction: “Look at these fun toys!” • (SD): Presence of therapist in close proximity to client (within 3 ft), oriented toward client signals availability of attention; presence of highly preferred toys • EO: NONE for target behavior; Social EOs abolished by providing: – 2 -3 highly preferred toys – 3 -5 s of physical attention with pleasant comments every 20 s (fixed time schedule) and following appropriate requests for attention (differential reinforcement of alternative behavior) • Consequences: – No programmed consequences for target behavior – 5 sec delay if challenging behavior occurs when about to deliver attention 17

EXAMPLE - Play • Target behavior: Aggression – Definition: Any instance in which the client hits or kicks another person • Environmental arrangement? • Consequence? • Volunteer? 18

One Last Time 19

Functional Analysis Protocol Condition EO SD Consequence Contingency Alone/Ignore Lack of Stimulation Function Dependent N/A Automatic Sr? Attention Lack of Attention Presence of Therapist Attention Sr+ (attention) Tangible Removal of items Highly Preferred Materials Tangible Sr+ (tangible) Demand Presentation of instruction Presence of Work Materials Escape Sr- (escape) Control N/A NCR/Sr+ Control 20

FA Results - Escape 21

FA Results – Attention 22

FA Results – Automatic 23

Practice Time! ROUND ROBIN ACTIVITY • Everyone line up • Pick one “condition” card • Pick one “target response” card • Please consider – Environmental arrangement – Initial SD – Consequences for target and/or distracter behavior 24

Modifications • Most times when developing an FA we need to individualize conditions & experimental arrangements – E. g. , length of sessions, types of environmental arrangements, etc. • Throughout future levels of this FA curriculum, you will learn how to make such modifications 25

Modifications • For now, please note in future exercises with clients (e. g. , Level 2), we may ask you to vary slightly from the scripts & session descriptions you’ve learned thus far to benefit the programming needs of the client – For example, you may be asked to do longer sessions, modifications to environmental arrangements, use different reinforcers 26

Thank you! • Now you are ready to continue on to the simulated conditions portion of Level 1! 27

Conducting Simulated Conditions 28