Section 4: Behavior Part 3: Function of Behavior Sensory and Access to Tangibles Theresa Golem November 14, 2012
Function of Behavior Behavior communicates information about an individual s internal state and about the individual s response to external events (Heflin & Alaimo, 2007, p. 200). A student s behavior will always serve some type of function, although that function may not always be obvious to others. Four functions that behavior may serve include: escape from demands, access to attention, access to tangibles, and sensory/automatic reinforcement. Behavior may serve more than one function at a time and the function that a behavior serves may change over time or in different settings (Heflin & Alaimo, 2007). When attempting to decrease or eliminate a problem behavior, it is important to determine the function of that behavior. The function of behavior is determined through a functional behavior assessment (FBA), which uses indirect methods (e.g. teacher and parent interviews, surveys, record review, etc.) and direct methods (e.g. collecting antecedent-behavior-consequence data through direct observation) to create a hypothesis of the function of the behavior. It is important to determine the function of the behavior in order to create an effective intervention plan (Heflin & Alaimo, 2007). Once the function of the behavior has been determined, the teacher and other classroom staff should determine appropriate replacement behaviors that can be taught to the student that will serve the same function as the problem behavior but that are more socially appropriate/acceptable (Heflin & Alaimo, 2007). For example, for a student who hits to gain peer attention, teach the student to wave or say hello as a more appropriate means of gaining attention. When teaching replacement behaviors it is important to initially reinforce the behavior every time that it occurs in order to establish the behavior
and as the behavior becomes established, the schedule of reinforcement can be thinned (reinforcement provided less frequently) (Heflin & Alaimo, 2007). The functions of access to a tangible and sensory reinforcement will be discussed in further detail below: Access to Tangible Behavior that is maintained by access to a tangible occurs in order for a student to gain access to a desired object and/or activity (Heflin & Alaimo, 2007). Behaviors that are maintained by access to tangibles may occur when the student can see a desired object and requires assistance to retrieve the object, when he/she is interrupted during a preferred activity, when he/she is prevented from participating in an activity, or when a desired item is removed. It is important to remember that the behaviors displayed in order to gain access to tangibles will be different for each child. One approach to decreasing behaviors that are maintained by access to tangibles is Functional Communication Training (FCT). Research has demonstrated an inverse relationship between the level of a student s communication skills and rates of problem behaviors (Mancil & Bamon, 2010). This means that the lower the level of a student s communication skills, the higher incidence of problem behaviors. In order to address this relationship between communication skills and problem behaviors, FCT was developed. FCT has been used to target behaviors including aggression, self-injurious behaviors, tantrums, stereotypic behaviors, and property destruction (Mancil & Bamon, 2010). FCT has been demonstrated to be effective in natural settings such as home and school and has been shown to generalize across communication partners. FCT can be used with a wide range of students including verbal and non-verbal students (Mancil & Bamon, 2010).
The first step in implementing FCT is to conduct a FBA to determine the function of the behavior (Mancil & Bamon, 2010). After the function of the behavior has been determined, a replacement communicative behavior that will serve the same function must be identified (Macil & Bamon, 2010). In the case of behaviors maintained by access to tangibles, the replacement communicative behavior must allow the student to gain access to tangibles in a more socially appropriate manner. The replacement behavior may take the form of verbal communication, gestures, assistive technology devices, and/or picture communication (Mancil & Bamon, 2010). When identifying the replacement communicative behavior there are several factors to consider: 1. Consider the student s current communication skills. If a child does not currently use verbal communication, teaching a verbal replacement behavior may not be appropriate. 2. Consider the effort involved in teaching the replacement behavior. If teaching the behavior requires too much effort, it is less likely to be taught consistently. 3. Consider if both the child and his/her potential communication partners can understand the replacement behavior. For example, do not teach a child sign language as a replacement behavior if no one else that the child will interact with will be able to understand sign language. 4. Consider how efficient and effective the replacement behavior will be in the child s environment to serve the same function as the problem behavior (Mancil & Bamon, 2010).
After an appropriate replacement communicative behavior has been identified, a treatment plan to teach the replacement behavior must be created and implemented. Often the replacement behaviors are taught through discrete trial training (Mancil & Bamon, 2010). In addition to using discrete trial training to teach replacement behaviors, teachers can also use naturally occurring situations to reinforce generalization of the target behavior (Mancil & Bamon, 2010). For example, when a student is in line in the cafeteria, have the student use the replacement behavior to request lunch items. A teacher can also create situations to allow for more practice of the replacement behavior (Mancil & Bamon, 2010). For example, the teacher may place a desired item in view of the child but out of reach so that the child has to use the replacement behavior to request the item (Mancil & Bamon, 2010). Using naturally occurring situations and creating opportunities for practice will help the student generalize use of the target replacement behavior across settings, people, activities, etc. Once the target behavior has been mastered, the problem behavior should be placed on extinction (Mancil & Bamon, 2010). For behaviors that are maintained by access to a tangible, placing a behavior on extinction requires the teacher to deny the student access to the tangible while engaged in the problem behavior. When a student engages in the problem behavior, the teacher should prompt the student to use the replacement communicative behavior and should only provide the reinforcement (the tangible) when the replacement behavior is used. It is important to collect data throughout the implementation of FCT in order to determine the efficacy of the FCT intervention (Mancil & Bamon, 2010).
Sensory/Automatic Reinforcement Behaviors that are maintained by sensory/automatic reinforcement occur because the student receives pleasurable sensory/automatic feedback (Heflin & Alaimo, 2007). Students may be seeking feedback from any of the seven sensory systems (visual, auditory, tactile, vestibular, proprioceptive, olfactory (smell), and/or gustatory (taste)). Behaviors that are maintained by automatic reinforcement are not maintained by factors in the social environment; the behavior itself creates the reinforcement (LeBlanc, Patel, & Carr, 2000). Behaviors that are maintained by automatic reinforcement will often occur at high rates if the child is left alone, occur at higher rates during periods of low stimulation, and will occur at lower rates during periods of higher stimulation (e.g. work, demands, play) (LeBlanc et al., 2000). Behaviors maintained by automatic reinforcement will be different for each child. In order to determine appropriate replacement behaviors, it is important to determine what sensory/automatic reinforcement the student is achieving by engaging in the problem behavior by completing a stimulus preference assessment (LeBlanc et al., 2000). For example, for a student who enjoys repeatedly flipping the light switch in the classroom, is the reinforcing stimuli the visual input of the lights going on and off or the auditory stimuli of the sound the switch makes? It is important to determine the specific reinforcing aspect of the behavior in order to determine an appropriate intervention. Once the reinforcing aspect of the behavior has been determined, there are three approaches that may be used to reduce or eliminate problem behaviors maintained by automatic reinforcement. The first intervention is the use of an environmental enrichment (EE) procedure, which is based on the idea of stimulus competition (LeBlanc
et al., 2000). In an EE procedure, the student is offered highly-preferred stimulus items to compete with the automatic reinforcement of the problem behavior (LeBlanc et al., 2000). In other words, the student is offered highly-preferred items, which will be more reinforcing than the automatic reinforcement, in order to prevent the student from engaging in the inappropriate behavior. For example, the student may be allowed time in the sensory room to watch colored lights in order to prevent that student from flipping the light switch repeatedly. Both stimuli provide visual input and reinforcement but one is more socially appropriate for the classroom setting. The more highly-preferred the replacement/competing stimulus item is, the more effective it will be in reducing or eliminating the problem behavior (LeBlanc et al., 2000). Another approach to reducing or eliminating behaviors maintained by automatic reinforcement is the use of sensory extinction. In sensory extinction, the student is allowed access to the activity or behavior but the sensory reinforcement is removed (LeBlanc et al., 2000). For example, for the student who flips the light switch repeatedly in order to obtain the visual reinforcement of the lights going on and off, the teacher may remove light bulbs. In this example, the student can still engage in the behavior of flipping the light switch; however the reinforcing element of the lights going on and off will no longer be present. The idea is that without the reinforcing sensory stimuli, the child will cease to engage in the problem behavior. Finally, a third approach to decreasing or eliminating behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement is the use of alternative sensory stimulation (LeBlanc et al., 2000). In this approach, a student is provided with non-contingent stimuli that serve the same function as the problem behavior. For example, a student who engages in pica
(eating non-edibles) in order to have the sensory experience of chewing may be given a chewy tube to chew on at different parts of the day (non-contingent on other behaviors or activities). The theory behind this approach is that if the child is provided with a more socially appropriate means of achieving the same automatic reinforcement, he/she will cease to engage in the problem behavior. When attempting to decrease or eliminate problem behaviors in the classroom setting it is important to remember that every behavior serves a function. In order to determine the most effective intervention to reduce or eliminate a problem behavior it is important to determine the function of the behavior. Once the function of a behavior has been determined, a replacement behavior that serves the same function as the problem behavior but that is more socially acceptable can be identified and taught to the student.
Functional Communication Training Examples of Replacement Behaviors for FCT Gestural: American Sign Language: Requesting words: Items that might be Frequently Requested: **For more helpful information on how to form ASL signs, consult this website: www.mykidentity.com
Picture Communication: Below is an example of a picture communication board. The student may be taught to use the picture communication board by pointing to pictures of the desired tangible or by removing pictures from the board and handing them to a communication partner to make requests. The board should be individualized to meet the needs of each student. The use of a picture communication board may be more appropriate for non-verbal students; however it can also be used to supplement verbal communication in students with developing verbal communication skills.
Sensory Systems When working on decreasing or eliminating behaviors maintained by sensory/automatic reinforcement it is critical to determine what sensory system is being reinforced through the problem behavior. The following is a brief reference chart of the seven sensory systems. A more complete chart can be found in Section 2 Part 6 of this manual. Sensory System Function Olfactory Sense of Smell Connected to level of arousal in the brain Gustatory Sense of taste Also connected to arousal system with olfactory Tactile Sense of touch Provides information between where the body ends and the external environment begins Vestibular Posture Balance Provide stable visual field Proprioceptive Sense of direction and velocity of movement Helps to determine the level of effort needed to grasp and lift objects Modulates level of tension in the body Works with vestibular system to coordinate motor tasks (e.g. walking, dressing, writing, etc.) Vision Sense of sight Used to verify all input from other sensory systems Auditory Sense of hearing Helping to orient to relevant noise and screen out irrelevant background noise **Information in this chart was collected from: Heflin, L.J., & Alaimo, D.F. (2007). Students with autism spectrum disorders: Effective Instructional Practices. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. and, Children s Learning and Intervention Development Neurodevelopmental Treatment Center. (2002). Sensory dysfunction and autism. Retrieved from: http://www.childmdim.com/resources/what-is-autism/sensory-dysfunction-autism/
References Children s Learning and Intervention Development Neurodevelopmental Treatment Center. (2002). Sensory dysfunction and autism. Retrieved from: http://www.childmdim.com/resources/what-is-autism/sensory-dysfunctionautism/ Heflin, L.J., & Alaimo, D.F. (2007). Students with autism spectrum disorders: Effective Instructional Practices. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. LeBlanc, L.A., Patel, M.R., & Carr, J.E. (2000). Recent advances in the assessment of aberrant behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement in individuals with developmental disabilities. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 31, 137-154. Mancil, G.R. & Bamon, M. (2010). Functional communication training in the classroom: A guide for success. Preventing School Failure, 54 (4), 238-246.