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The applied behavior analysis program at Saint Cloud State University is one of the award-winning programs mention in the Redefining St. Cloud State University campaign. Our Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the only program of its kind in Minnesota. Our students are part of a top-ranked program that educates practitioners to help children who are diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder. Our graduates are skilled professionals with expertise in a field of high demand with big impacts on children and their families. Learning is fostered by faculty who are nationally regarded for their teaching and research in the field of applied behavioral sciences.
The program prepares students to save families; “We are saving families when they receive services,” said Dr. Witts. Rigorous work is needed to succeed in the program. Dr. Witts said, “ I want students who are okay with tough programs that will help push them farther than they would push themselves, who understand that their work carries great responsibility; that they understand they will have a tremendous effect on the children they will work with and the future of their families.”
The ABA program has been ranked as the number one academic program in the world. For the growing number of families with children who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The ABA program has been preparing students to provide services to families all over the world.
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It is hard to believe that 10 weeks have passed since our first blog post this semester. If you missed all the posts, not a problem! Let’s revisit all the reinforcement-based interventions that we have covered so far.
First, using reinforcement is not bribing your child. When using reinforcement, caretakers are proactive and it produces long-term positive outcomes. On the other hand, when a parent bribes a child, the child usually is in control and the results are short-lived.
When using reinforcement, you don’t always have to give your child an iPad or candy. A board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) will suggest that behavior-specific praise could also be a beneficial way to show your approval and letting the child know what she is doing correctly. With behavior-specific praise, not only you are showing excitement towards your child’s behavior, but you are also stating what she is doing right. Behavior-specific praise is an effective way to teach your child to engage in more appropriate behavior (e.g., listen to your instructions, using the word “please”).
It is easy to incorporate behavior-specific praise into your daily routines. However, as we all know, sometimes we are quick to notice when our kids are acting poorly. This phenomenon, negativity bias, means we tend to pay more attention to what is going wrong in the environment and we fail to notice what is going well. It is essential for you to notice and find positive behavior to replace the behavior that you do not want to see. Once you identify the behavior, you will provide behavior-specific praise when you see that positive behavior.
As a parent, you might recognize your child does not know how to perform the positive behavior or your child has great difficulty learning the appropriate behavior. A BCBA might recommend considering a shaping intervention. Shaping is a way to slowly teach skills by celebrating small steps to achieve positive changes to your child’s behavior. For example, it could be something like having the child start doing a couple of the math questions instead of the entire worksheet.
Another reinforcement strategy that you might consider as a parent is a token economy in which could be a useful addition to all the aforementioned reinforcement-based interventions. In the token economy, you provide tokens for positive behavior displayed by the child and the child can exchange those collected tokens for predetermined desired items, activities, or privileges. We outlined the necessary steps for an effective token economy. Also, we discussed useful and practical tips on running a token economy program. When using a token economy you want to make sure your child helps selects rewards he or she can earn in their token system. In addition, remember to use behavior-specific praise when delivering tokens, and deliver tokens when you see easy tasks completed by the child at the beginning of the program.
Reinforcement strategies are widely used and recommend to parents, teachers, and therapists. By providing rewards for positive behavior systematically, children are motivated to perform behaviors that caretakers want to see. They have been proven to be extremely effective for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
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Come meet Mitchell, a senior graduate clinician at Husky ABA clinic! He is in his first year in the applied behavior analysis (ABA) master’s program at St. Cloud State University. At the clinic, Mitchell balances several tasks. He trains undergraduate and graduate clinicians. In addition, he assists and teaches parents how to implement behavioral programs and working directly with clients through telehealth.
Mitchell had experience working with individuals with various disabilities at camps when he was an undergraduate student. Upon graduating from college, Mitchell was working at a summer camp where he started using behavior-analytic interventions. It was his very first experience of being introduced to ABA and using ABA strategies (e.g., reinforcement). He became extremely interested in how practical and useful ABA interventions are after having hands-on experiences. Mitchell decided to go pursue additional certification in behavior analysis. He became a registered behavior technician (RBT) and gained more in-depth knowledge and training in ABA through the process.
After the experience working in the summer, Mitchell decided to pursue his master’s degree as he wished to expand the breadth of his current understanding in ABA. By having further education, he hopes to provide more effective service to his clients at the Husky ABA clinic. He also tries to use ABA interventions in different aspects of his life.
While studying hard in graduate school, Mitchell finds balance in his life by hiking, biking, and rocking climbing. He also enjoys cooking and hosting. Many of his classmates in the ABA master’s program have experienced his hospitality. In fact, Mitchell stated Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday, and loves spending time with his family. Also, most importantly, he eats amazing food. Given his passion for cooking, Mitchell has many strong opinions regarding food. He claims boneless chicken wings are solely glorified chicken nuggets, and they do not deserve to be called chicken wings! Having strong opinions also allows him to bring in many unique perspectives when contributing to discussions in classes.
Next week will conclude our reinforcement blog post series. It is okay if you missed the posts from the past 8 weeks or so. We will cover them all next week!!
