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Come meet Cheyenne! She is currently working towards her master’s degree in applied behavior analysis (ABA) program and working as a graduate clinician at the Husky ABA Clinic. Cheyenne assists with taking data on the individual progress her clients are making with a range of goals. In addition, she is also assisting with implementing interventions and parent training over telehealth for her clients. Cheyenne said that she started becoming interested in ABA when she was working as a staff member at a special needs summer camp. A friend of hers told her that they were looking into pursuing a degree in ABA. She changed her major after looking into the ABA program because she thought of her younger brother and how much he could have benefited from ABA interventions when he was a child and so can other children.
When Cheyenne is not pursuing her master’s degree in ABA, she is looking forward to Christmas. Without hesitation, Christmas is Cheyenne’s favorite holiday. Cheyenne loves everything from decorating houses with Christmas lights to the peppermint mocha, and of course, spending time with family. Cheyenne is also a former drum major of her marching band in high school and she competed in the St. Louis Ram’s dome in 2011. One of her most vivid memories is seeing Nick Cannon when he was in the local area for America’s Got Talent auditions. For a deployment, she was able to visit Iraq and the amazing capital city of Kuwait.
By working at the Husky ABA Clinic, Cheyenne strives to gain new behavior-analytic skills and help her clients. She strives to enhance her skill sets with data collection and intervention implementation and development, while ultimately meeting her final goal of becoming a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA)!
Check out our blog next week to find out how to promote positive behavior by catching the child in the “act”!
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Last week, we reviewed the difference between positive reinforcement and bribery. This week we are going to discuss how to effectively praise your child. How do we define praise? Praise is when you express approval for an action your child does. This can include saying “great!” “good job” “excellent!” Anytime you say these words and other positive words, you might notice your child feels better and valued. We all liked to be praised by others; it makes us feel good!
You might be asking yourself, what is new? I know how to praise my child. A board-certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) often recommend parents, teachers, and staff to use frequent behavior-specific praise. Behavior-specific praise involves four essential steps:
- First, you will need to define or select the specific behavior the child is doing appropriately.
- Second, you need to praise with excitement.
- Third, you state the exact behavior that the child did.
- Last, you can provide a non-verbal action (high-fives, hug, a gentle pat on the shoulder).
Behavior-specific praise is effective in changing your child’s actions, which may include, completing everyday tasks (self-care skills, chores, homework). Behavior-specific praise is especially beneficial for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Behavior-specific praise is a powerful strategy to help your child to make the connections between what they did and your encouraging and affirming comments.
For example, say your child set the dinner table as soon as the parent asked.
To follow our steps:
- You select a behavior: setting the table.
- Second, you might say enthusiastically “Dave, great job!” maybe with hand gestures. (praise with excitement)
- Third, you would finish the praise statement with “you set the dinner table just like I asked.” (stating the behavior).
- finally, you can pat your child on the shoulder gently. (providing a non-verbal action)
When using behavior-specific praise, remember your praise should follow the selected behavior immediately and quickly. For example, if you stated “Sally, great job helping me with wiping down the table last week.” Also, if the task is very difficult for the child, try to start with acknowledging and praising small steps that lead to the behavior that you would like to see. Such as praising the child for picking up the socks on the bedroom floor as cleaning the entire room might be too difficult for now.
Behavior-specific praise is one of the tools that we use in applied behavior analysis (ABA) when our goals are to increase appropriate behaviors. We will get to know other useful tools based on the principles of ABA in the coming weeks.
Next week, we will meet with our awesome student clinicians working in the Husky ABA clinic. See you on Friday! As always, like us on Facebook for the newest clinic updates and weekly blog posts.
Have you ever witnessed a situation where a parent and child are at the candy aisle, the child starts crying and yells “I want candy, I want candy, you never buy me candy.” The parent yells “no, you are eating too much junk food lately.” The child cries louder and drops to the ground. Shoppers at the supermarket start to pass their judgmental looks. The parent gives up and yells “okay. stop crying, I will buy you the candy.” The child stops crying and receives candy.
Maybe your child’s board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) has suggested you do something similar to this: before going into the supermarket, then you can tell the child “ if you will not cry or yell the whole time when we are in there, I will buy you candy after we are done shopping” The child behaves. The parent praises the child for what a wonderful job they have done and buys the child candy.
As a parent or someone new to applied behavior analysis (ABA) you might think, I am constantly bribing my kid! There has to be a better way. As a parent or caregiver of chilren diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), you might think positive reinforcement and bribery are the same because they both offer rewards to a child. It is important to know the difference between reinforcement and bribery because bribery tends to lead to more disruptive behaviors and reinforcement will help parents to see more desired behaviors.
Let us look at the definitions for reinforcement and bribery:
Reinforcement: The action of strengthening or encouraging a pattern of behavior typically by reward or encouragement.
Bribery: The offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions.
Timing is what distinguishes reinforcement from bribery. For example, together a BCBA and parent plan out a reinforcement plan before disruptive behavior happens. Parents may state the rule to the child, “Remember if you [blank], you can earn [blank]. However, bribery is reactive and often you might resort to this when challenging behaviors occur at the moment and sometimes a situation feels out of control.
As you can see, bribery usually happens during behavior in order to get a behavior to stop at that moment. It seems to work in the situation. It is a short-term effect, and unavoidably, it will not decrease challenging behaviors. The above example illustrates, reinforcement should be planned, and reinforcer should be delivered following the desired behavior. Therefore, desire behaviors will occur more often in the future.
I hope after reading this, you have a better understanding of the difference between reinforcement and bribery. Timing is the key. Reinforcement is proactive and planned out by the caregivers while bribery tends to be reactive.
Next week, we will discuss the type of praise that will change behavior since they are not all created equal! Be sure to keep an eye out for the newest blog post next Friday! Please like us and share our posts on Facebook. You can also explore our blog for more ABA related information.
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Yes! Our weekly posts are back, and we plan to have a new post every Friday for the next ten weeks! This semester we will be focusing on how professionals (board-certified behavior analysts; BCBAs) in applied behavior analysis (ABA) use reinforcers and implement reinforcement-based interventions. We will review the type of praise that will change behavior, how to respond to “Nos” and the concerns of giving too much praise, and other tips, suggestions, and recommendations! If you are a parent with a child or at risk for Autism or behavioral challenges, these strategies will certainly come in handy when interacting with your child.
In our weekly posts, we also want to keep you updated on what is happening at the Husky ABA Clinic. This semester we are providing telehealth services to local families impacted by autism. If your family or someone you know could benefit from behavioral services, please contact Odessa Luna, Ph.D., BCBA-D (P: (320)308-4167|E: odluna@stcloudstate.edu) We will also introduce our incredible, new junior and senior graduate clinicians working in the Husky ABA Clinic.
Next week, we will begin our reinforcement series by discussing reinforcers and bribery. You may think providing reinforcers means you are bribing your child. Spoiler alert! This may not be what is happening! In our next post, we will define and discuss the differences between reinforcers and bribery. You do not want to miss what is coming up!
If you would like to know the topics for the coming weeks, please like us on Facebook. You can also explore our blog.
Averi is a graduate clinician here at the Husky ABA Clinic and just started working with us in January. She does work that is expected of a BCBA, but under more supervision and with greater guidance. This entails developing protocols, training parents, supervising the undergraduate clinicians, etc.
Averi’s first exposure to ABA was through the services provided to a family member. She became very interested once she started seeing the positive life changes the treatment brought about, and she wanted to be a part of a profession which impacted people in such a tremendous way. Following graduation, Averi plans to work in the Twin Cities Metro and surrounding areas, either in-home or within a clinic. Being involved with the Husky ABA Clinic has helped her decide that she wants to work with the primary stakeholders of children (especially parents!).
Being a graduate clinician has allowed Averi to exercise skills which have been instrumental in improving not only her quality of service provision, but her confidence in providing services, as well. One of Averi’s favorite moments from working in the clinic was the first time her client was able to use the skills Averi had taught her with her parents. Averi’s client asked for something she couldn’t get to without being prompted!
One last fun fact about Averi is that she been using ABA to teacher one of her dogs (a samoyed named Kaya), to attend to pictures of a star, smiley, butterfly, etc., and to respond to each image with a particular trick!
Last semester, we discussed what it means to be a BCBA, how to use embedded teaching, and how clinicians at the Husky Applied Behavior Analysis Clinic work with your children. Over the course of this semester, we will discuss how the function of behavior impacts our reactions.
When children appropriately or inappropriately behavior, you may ask yourself… “Why is she biting?,” “why won’t he do his math assignments?” or “I don’t understand why he likes to rock in his chair.” In applied behavior analysis, BCBAs take a highly individualized to identify the “Why?” or the function of the behavior. Through detailed behavioral assessments, BCBAs (and clinicians at the Husky ABA clinic) can identify if these disruptive behaviors occur to one of four reasons. The child may engage in challenging behavior to get out of unpleasant tasks, activities, or situations; gain a reaction (attention) from adults, peers, or siblings; get items, activities, or snacks (tangible); or to meet a sensory need (sensory).
When we identify the WHY (or function of a disruptive behavior), BCBAs will conduct assessments that may consist of interviewing the parent, teacher, or other important individuals’ in the child’s life, observing the child in the environment in which the behavior is likely to occur, and directly testing specific situations to see if unwanted behaviors occur. Together, this information helps BCBAs learn WHY (or the function) of the behavior, and identify indivualized behavioral therapy to decrease disruptive behavior, but more importantly increase behaviors that are socially appropriate (like communication). Over the next few weeks, Husky ABA Clinicians will be reviewing each function of the disruptive behavior (escape, attention, tangible, and sensory), describe strategies that are evidence-based to prevent these behavior, and outline how to respond to this disruptive behaviors if they occur.
The Autism Recovery Foundation logo, courtesy of the Autism Recovery Foundation.
The Autism Recovery Foundation (ARF) is committed to building the workforce in Minnesota for individuals who wish to or are providing ABA services to children diagnosed with autism. They support students who are pursuing their Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) credentials. Students pursuing BCBA or BCaBA course work and will be joining or are currently in the Minnesota workforce as an intern or employee are eligible for $500 to $1,500 scholarships. Since 2014, ARF has dispersed more than $75,000 in scholarships to help build a robust, highly qualified workforce dedicated to supported individuals and families with Autism diagnoses.
Congratulations to McKenzie Loch and Maria Ranallo for their BCaBA scholarships! Additional congratulations to Kelly Berth, Jennifer Hagen, Kelsey Loeffler, and Emlie Olson for their BCBA scholarships! More on the Autism Recovery Foundation and the Spring 2020 scholarship awards can be found at: https://www.autismrecoveryfoundation.org/news/spring-2020-bcba-bcaba-scholarships-announced
The organization disperses scholarships to students twice a year, the 2020 deadlines for scholarships can be found on the ARF website. Applications can be found at: http://www.autismrecoveryfoundation.org/services/aba-application
Although behavior analysts can help anyone with behavioral challenges, we often work with children and adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Interventions based on ABA can be very beneficial to people diagnosed with autism. Not only is it backed by decades of research, it has become widespread in popular culture.
Children and adults diagnosed with ASD are very intelligent. Often, they may have a hard time communicating their feelings to others and why they may behave in a way that is confusing. Since BCBAs based their interventions on what actions a client does, a child or adult who cannot communicate is not something BCBAs worry about. Instead, we outline actions we want to see the client do more, and we measure how well our interventions work on increasing the appropriate behavior.
Interventions in ABA are effective for those diagnosed with ASD because we know each person is a unique individual. No two children are the same. Clinicians in ABA prioritize getting to know the child and make their treatments fit their needs. We recognize that those diagnosed with ASD may engage in actions that are confusing to teachers, parents, community members, and siblings. This can lead to frustration, and we, clinicians from the Husky ABA clinic, want to help!
At the Husky ABA clinic, we are experts in producing meaningful behavior change. This may create an individualized plan to teaching a child to independently toilet. Or teaching a child to recognize their frustration and ask for help! In addition, we work with families, teachers, and other important people in the child’s life to create positive environments.
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Photo by: Vanessa Bucceri
When a board certified behavior analyst (BCBA) first meets their client, they prioritize in building a positive relationship with the child. They want to know what their client likes and is motivated for. BCBAs are all about reinforcing good behavior. BCBAs often receive information from caregivers and people who have worked with children in the past on what they like. We know that preferences change frequently, so a BCBA will take time to systematically assess the child’s preferences after receiving recommendations from a parent.
The most common way a BCBA finds out what a child likes is through a preference assessment. Most preference assessments contain 5-10 items that may include toys, snacks, or activities. The first set of choices that are used are often picked based on information from caregivers and what is available to the BCBA at the time. Some common things that children work for are crackers, breaks (just having time to lay down or sit), electronic devices, toys, and time in the gym or on the playground.
The preference assessment included at the top of this post is called a Multiple Stimulus Without Replacement (MSWO). In this assessment the child is presented with multiple items (7 were used in the example) and they are asked to pick on item at a time, after they pick an item they get to spend time playing with it or eating it, and then that choice is no long available to them. This process repeats until the child has picked each of the items once, and the order in which they chose is recorded. Then the order in which the items are lined up is changed and the process starts over. At the end of the assessment items that a child chose first most often are identified at the high preference items.
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Studies have shown that giving clients the opportunity to make choices in matters regarding their treatment can actually make treatment more effective! You might be asking yourself, “What does this look like outside of the clinic? How does choice align with me getting my child to do the things they need to do, but hate to do?” When a BCBA, like those found at our clinic, encourage caregivers to incorporate choice, we are not suggesting that the child gets to do anything and everything they want. Choice can be added naturally to your caregiving, without disrupting your ability to care for your child. You may find that adding choice may actually make it easier to get your child to do the things they don’t want to do, but are important…like tooth brushing!
Some children find toothbrushing to be a particularly aversive activity, but it’s important to their health and should be done. If your child hates brushing their teeth, choice can be incorporated to increase toothbrushing and/or decrease problem behavior during toothbrushing. One way to add choice to their tooth brushing time is to allow them to pick which toothbrush they would like to use each time they brush their teeth. Provide your child with two different toothbrushes that are theirs, and allow them to pick which one they would like to use each time they brush their teeth. As the caregiver, you probably know which toothbrush they will pick each time. However, still allowing the child to pick which brush they will use will give the child some autonomy and personal investment in the activity. If you can occupy the child with deciding on a toothbrush, you may find that they spend less time flat out refusing to do the activity. It’s also important to make sure there aren’t so many options that the client becomes overwhelmed. Choice could also be incorporated to this activity by allowing the child to pick between mint toothpaste, cinnamon, or bubblegum flavored toothpaste. If you are struggling to help the child brush for long enough, try asking the child, “Would you like to brush for two minutes or two-and-a-half minutes?” These are a few small steps that any caregiver can take to increase compliance for necessary tasks, without having to significantly disrupt your normal routine.
Another example of where choice can be used is with breaks. If you see that your child is getting upset and they need to take some time away from an activity, you should to give them a choice on whether or not they take a break. You can let them choose what they want to do during their break (draw vs nap), how long they want their break to be (three minutes vs five minutes), or where they take their break (at their desk vs on the floor). For example, you can ask them if they want to be away from their toys for four or five minutes. This will not only give them some control over their environment and themselves, but will also provide them with an opportunity to evaluate what they are feeling, how they are feeling, and what they need to feel better. Caretakers tend to be familiar with the cues that precede problem behavior, something that your child might not. Gently intervening when your child begins to exhibit signs of distress and offering them a choice about what you believe they might need to feel better is a great way to teach them to be aware of when they need to pay more attention to regulating their behaviors and how to do in a healthy way.
Our team is focused on providing assistance to caregivers and clients in a way that will foster independence, autonomy, and self-advocacy in clients. Providing small choices, throughout every day, is an excellent place to start teaching clients how to be more independent while continuing to pursue their therapeutic goals. Choice is not a cure-all and will not fix every problem behavior under the sun; however, choice is a powerful tool to foster independence in your loved one and help you and your child tackle those problem behaviors more effectively and efficiently.
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Come meet Cheyenne! She is currently working towards her master’s degree in applied behavior analysis (ABA) program and working as a graduate clinician at the Husky ABA Clinic. Cheyenne assists with taking data on the individual progress her clients are making with a range of goals. In addition, she is also assisting with implementing interventions and parent training over telehealth for her clients. Cheyenne said that she started becoming interested in ABA when she was working as a staff member at a special needs summer camp. A friend of hers told her that they were looking into pursuing a degree in ABA. She changed her major after looking into the ABA program because she thought of her younger brother and how much he could have benefited from ABA interventions when he was a child and so can other children.
