Monthly Archives: October 2024

Tip of the Week: How to Maintain a Fast Pace of Instruction

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BY SAM BLANCO, PhD, LBA, BCBA

There is a common misconception that individuals with special needs require a slower pace of instruction. While they may require a slower pace through a curriculum, this does not mean that individual lessons should be taught at a slower pace. In fact, slowing the pace of instruction not only wastes precious instructional time, it may increase the occurrence of problem behaviors.

Higbee (2009) writes that “appropriately paced instruction helps students to maintain attention to the instructor and instructional materials. Though student attention can be lost when instruction is happening too rapidly, it is most often lost when the pace of instruction is not rapid enough” (p. 20).

So how can you maintain a fast pace of instruction that is appropriate for your student? Here are some things to consider:

  1. Prepare! Set out your materials in such a way that they are easy to access quickly. I keep all the mastered skills on index cards so I can easily add maintenance questions into instruction. Organization is often the simplest way to increase efficiency in your session.
  2. Take data. You want to increase attention and decrease problem behaviors. Try different paces of instruction and measure the behaviors you are wanting to change. For instance, if I have a student who is often grabbing for my shirt during a session, I may try a pace of instruction that includes 15 questions each minute, then try a pace of 20 questions per minute, another of 25 per minute. Next, I will compare the rates of grabbing for my shirt with each pace of instruction. Remember, these aren’t 15 questions for the target skill; some mastered skills will be intermixed.
  3. Record a session. By taking video of yourself working with a child, you may see opportunities for increasing efficiency on your own. You may also observe specific times at which problem behaviors tend to increase, then be able to target those specifically. For instance, perhaps problem behaviors occur when you turn to write data in a binder, but didn’t recognize that pattern until you watched a recording later.
  4. Use reinforcement effectively. Usually, pace of instruction in and of itself will not change behavior. Instead, pair it with reinforcement and be systematic with how you implement reinforcement. We’ve talked about reinforcement here on the blog a lot, so you can read about that in more detail here.
  5. If possible, get input from supervisors or the individual you are working with. Supervisors may be able to observe your session and provide insight on how to increase your pace of instruction. And the individual you are working with may be communicating that they are bored through misbehavior, stating “I’m bored,” or nonvocal behaviors such as yawning. This may be an indication that you need to provide more challenging material or increase the pace of instruction.

REFERENCES

Higbee, T. (2009). Establishing the prerequisites for normal language. In R. A. Rehfeldt, Y. Barnes-Holmes, & S.C. Hayes (Eds.), Derived relational responding applications for learners with autism and other developmental disabilities: A progressive guide to change (7-24). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

About the Author

Sam is an ABA provider for students ages 3-15 in NYC. Working in education for twelve years with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other developmental delays, Sam utilizes strategies for achieving a multitude of academic, behavior, and social goals. She is also an assistant professor in the ABA program at The Sage Colleges

Consent and Assent: What’s the Difference?

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By Jeridith Lord, LCPC, BCBA

What is consent? What is assent?

Many of us have heard these terms used interchangeably, but they have some important differences! Generally, we can agree that both are important… but how do we assess consent and assent?

Defining the Terms

First things first: Consent, in a basic sense, is the explicit permission for something to happen or an agreement to do something. It is most often used in legal and ethical contexts. Sometimes, consent is not able to be given by the person being cared for and must instead be given by a caretaker.

Assent, on the other hand, is a general agreement to participate. It is not limited to a verbal confirmation, but instead consists of all the verbal and nonverbal communication that could be part of an agreement (or lack thereof). Consent and assent are sometimes used interchangeably, although the difference is important.

An example of these two concepts may be a child whose parents have given consent for him to play on the playground. The child also confirmed that they would like to go outside and play; however, once the child goes outside, he hovers near the classroom door and avoids the equipment and other children. We can see in this example that while consent was secured, the child did not assent to participating. This could be for a whole host of reasons: he decided he didn’t like the heat, he misunderstood what was going to happen outside, he didn’t want to disappoint his friends. The critical element here is that we acknowledge the importance of both.

Consent and Assent in Action

In a working relationship, consent starts with a document called “informed consent.” This will include what to expect from this intervention, risks and benefits, different procedures that may be used, statements of confidentiality, and who can be included in the treatment. There may be other elements, but the goal is to make sure that everyone is on the same page for what treatment can look like. Assent is not typically included in an “informed consent” document, but is no less important.

Consent and assent should be continually assessed. How often this assessment is done formally should be included in the informed consent document; it should also be reviewed whenever a goal is achieved or the treatment plan is changed. Assent may look differently to each individual person so strong rapport is important to making sure that assent is honored.

It is important to remember that both consent and assent are necessary in all decisions throughout the day. They are super important for promoting autonomy. This may look like asking a child before touching them. If this is not an option (consider a situation where safety may be at risk), then the child should be informed of what and why an action is taking place without their permission. Close attention should be paid to their reaction and future decisions should be made with as much of their permission as possible.

About the Author

Jeridith Lord is a practicing clinical counselor and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Her passions include research in trauma informed care and compassionate care. She has been fortunate enough to present internationally on topics such as compassionate care in first responders, behavioral training for first responders, adherence to ethical guidelines, traumatic impact and mental health collaboration, and advocacy for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors.  Jeridith is a third-year PhD student and an adjunct professor at Endicott College and Southern New Hampshire University.

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