automatic punishment Punishment that occurs independent of the social mediation of others (i.e., a response product serves as a punisher independent of the social environment).
Category Archives: Learn the Lingo
Tip of the Week: Keeping Up With the Science
A major tenet of Applied Behavior Analysis is that it is evidence-based. For decades, our field has conducted research about behaviors we can observe in the environment, and worked to create positive behavior change. But keeping up with research or determining what is actually evidence-based can be quite challenging.
One way that some organizations and schools address this is by having a “journal club” of sorts. An article is selected each month, staff read it, and then everyone comes together to discuss it. This is a great way to get people talking about evidence-based procedures, help introduce people to new concepts, and create an environment that relies on science rather than anecdotal information.
Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Poll your participants. What topics might they be interested in? What dates and times work best for them? What is something they want to learn more about? You can use this information to get off on the right foot.
- Sweeten the meeting. Make it fun with snacks or themes. It’s amazing how free food can draw people in.
- Create questions for consideration. When you hand out the article, provide five or six questions for participants to consider as they read. This will help guide their reading and your conversation when you meet.
- Make it applied. Think about how the information in the article can be used in your own setting. Have people discuss what it would look like if they tried out the interventions themselves.
Finally, take a look at Reading Groups: A Practical Means of Enhancing Professional Knowledge Among Human Service Practitioners by Parsons & Reid. This article demonstrates the utility of such groups, as well as important variables for implementing them successfully.
Good luck, and happy reading!
WRITTEN BY SAM BLANCO, MSED, BCBA
Sam is an ABA provider for students ages 3-12 in NYC. Working in education for ten years with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other developmental delays, Sam has developed strategies for achieving a multitude of academic, behavior, and social goals. Sam is currently pursuing her PhD in Applied Behavior Analysis at Endicott College.
Teaching Interactions – Strategies for Teaching Students with ASD by Autism Partnership
Teaching Interactions
Teaching Interactions (TI’s) are another instructional format that can be invaluable in teaching children skills. This instructional technique was developed at the University of Kansas as part of the Teaching Family Model for delinquent youth. TI’s have several benefits as it allows for structured training of more complex, often sophisticated skills in a highly natural, interpersonal, expanded conversational format. TI’s are designed to teach complex skills (e.g., social skills, problem solving, etc.). They utilize shaping and reinforcement to teach a skill and rely on a task analysis format. The teaching style is typically conversational and flexible in nature, providing the student multiple opportunities to participate in the teaching process. Although flexible, the technique approaches teaching skills systematically, and requires planning for generalization. Following are the 6 steps of a TI and both guidelines and considerations when utilizing this teaching technique.
- Initiation & Labeling
- Rationale
- Demonstration
- Practice
- Feedback
- Consequences
This is part of a guest series by Autism Partnership founders Ron Leaf, John McEachin and Mitchell Taubmann. Established in 1994, Autism Partnership is one of the nation’s premier agencies dedicated to providing intensive behavior intervention for children with autism and their families. They offer a comprehensive program and a variety of proven services, including in-home, in-classroom and one-on-one, as well as lectures and workshops. All programs are handled by expert staff and tailored to each individual child, family and caregiver, with the goal of helping that child achieve their best life. For more information, visit www.autismpartnership.com.