Category Archives: Behavioral Cusp

Trauma-informed behavior analysis, Part 2: Arranging a supportive behavioral environment

03 Thursday Aug 2017

Posted by in adults, Behavior Analysis, Behavioral Cusp, enriched environment, ethics, supervision, teaching behavior analysis, teaching ethics, trauma, Uncategorized

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(Continued from Part 1 of Trauma-informed behavior analysis series by Dr. Teresa Camille Kolu, Ph.D., BCBA-D)

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Part 2, Engineering Supportive Environments

On arranging the environment

What does it mean to arrange the environment in a preventative way? This means to think about everything someone needs, and how they get it or communicate that they need it. After we consider this piece, we see holes in the behavioral environment.

If these holes go unfilled, the person will likely do whatever they need to do to fill them, often in a way that is ultimately unproductive and painful for themselves or others.

In a way, everyone is doing the best they can, all the time.

So in considering what someone needs in advance, we can find ways to plug in something helpful where it is needed, in a preventative way. This means that before someone needs something, an observant caregiver or friend may recognize the need is coming, and begin to set up the surroundings so that need is being filled. Before someone falls in the well, we fill up the well with concrete and make it so that they cannot fall in — even if they step right on top of it. For example 1 in Part 1, the client who was left alone in the dark is given preventative repertoire building, and taught skills that help her to cope each night with the coming darkness. Her caregivers are taught new repertoires, learning to announce their presence and ask her permission before entering; to problem solve with her instead of forcing the next event on her; and to check in in a preventative way to see if she needs anything, instead of responding with force when something is already going wrong. Eventually, she learns to ask for help before it gets to a crisis, to soothe herself to sleep instead of showing agitation leading to support going to bed, and to problem solve by herself when about to face a known triggering event. Continue reading →

I’m done with this; now where do I put it?

13 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by in Behavior Analysis, Behavioral Cusp, Early Intervention, Education

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This is a story about a little girl, about five years old. Before she learned where things went, she learned where they DIDN’T go.

(First, a note to the teacher or student in all of us: Do you notice that adults often tell us what NOT to do? Sometimes it’s easier for adults to think about what NOT to do than what TO do.

But do you also notice that when little children hear what NOT to do, they don’t automatically understand what TO do?

This makes sense!

If it’s hard for US to articulate, it’s even more difficult for children or students to understand.

It takes practice, but you can learn to give almost ALL instructions or requests, in a way that lets the person know exactly what to do.

It’s the first lesson of being a great therapist, and it’s better than wishing a significant other could read your mind.

And you can do it. These stories show two different ways this strategy could be used.)

Carlie was a little artist and avid reader, and with alone time, loved nothing better than taking out ALL the art supplies, all the stuffed animals who needed to watch, and surrounding herself in the bedroom with piles and piles of STUFF. She changed clothes often, and changed shoes just as often, and the piles grew every afternoon.

Often at night, before getting tucked into bed, she scrambled to push the piles to the corners, and artfully arranged pillows over the piles. Other piles she pushed under her bed, where a perfectly positioned bedskirt hid them from mama’s eyes during a bedtime story or conversation about kids at kindergarten that day.

And it worked for a while. But one rainy Saturday morning, her other chores were all finished, and Mama said the dreaded phrase: “Why don’t you clean your room? I can help if you need me to.”

No! Not the offer to help! And sure enough, the little girl sat sobbing on the floor for what seemed like hours, as Mama lay on the bed, sometimes only her feet showing, as she pulled out pile after pile of clothing, moldy bowls and cups, ruined art projects and half-eaten cereal science projects. And the little girl was embarrassed, for now Mama knew her messy (somewhat naughty) secret.

But wait!

Now that Mama knew the secret, Mama could solve the problem. Now she knew that the REAL secret was this: The little girl, even after all this time, had no idea where to put things! At least, it hadn’t “stuck”. Now, Mama and the little girl organized the room TOGETHER. The little girl decided where everything went. Mama helped her make places for things: they hung up a net for stuffed animals, Carlie made colorful signs labeling spots for books, art supplies, and even “things to take to the kitchen”! Now she had a place to put everything. And Mama had a much more specific way to help. Saying “clean up your room” hadn’t usually resulted in a clean room. Instead, saying “put everything back where it goes” somehow made a huge difference for Carlie.

It’s not that hard, unusual, or impressive. 

But if you’re not already helping kids figure out where they CAN put things, try it: it’s a lot easier to clean up when you do!

It’s true for their behavior too.

A couple of years ago, three year old Carlie had just graduated to a “big girl seat” but was kicking at the breakfast table. Every day mom threatened to put her back in her “little girl”seat and every breakfast ended in tears with Carlie back in her “little girl” seat.

But wait, thought Carlie’s mom. She’d just enrolled in a parenting course, and remembered to apply a strategy from class. “Where CAN Carlie kick? When can she kick? Who will play with her? And most importantly… what can Carlie do at breakfast, INSTEAD?”

Fast forward 1 day. Carlie’s mom has purchased a tiny stool. Carlie’s feet rest there. Each breakfast begins with a happy discussion of what she can do with her feet. She can put them on the stool! Then they discuss what they can do after breakfast. We can go outside in the yard and play ball! We can practice our kicks, we can bring our dolls, and we can have fun!

Fast forward 2 minutes. Usually, Carlie starts kicking about 3 minutes after breakfast started. So today, Mom said “Wow, Carlie! Your feet are safe on the stool! I love it. It’s fun having breakfast with you in our big girl chairs!”

Now, this was just one example, with a minor behavior. The behaviors some parents think are problematic are not priorities to other parents. Find what will work for YOUR family or team. Cusp Emergence offers family empowerment coaching. Contact us for more information or to share your story!

Bottom Line: Give clear instructions and involve learners in creating and enjoying supportive structure or alternative behaviors, the way Carlie learned to enjoy active playtime after her breakfast, or participated in creating her bedroom’s “places to put things”.

Note: Did you wonder why this post is in the “behavior cusp” category? Giving clear instructions is so important a skill for caregivers and teachers, that I have often observed them able to access new levels of teaching and instruction when they learn how. Mastering a strategy like this can be a “cusp” for teachers and parents, making it easier to promote appropriate behavior and engagement in their families and teams.

Social Emotional Support: Part 3 (How does it work?)

15 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by in Autism, Behavior Analysis, Behavioral Cusp, Community, Early Intervention, Social Interaction, Uncategorized

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Social Emotional Support should be practical, and fit into a child’s family routine or team involvement.

How does Social Emotional Support work with other therapies? Does it replace Speech Therapy?
Social Emotional Support can complement, but does not usually replace, therapy by an experienced, licensed and trained speech therapist, especially if the child is diagnosed with an issue that would benefit from Speech Therapy. Instead, S/E can facilitate other therapies the child is already receiving, and brings a therapeutic perspective that can enhance the benefit of Speech, Occupational, Physical, or other supports. For example, some children may use dangerous or unsafe behaviors, or escape from unbearable or undesirable situations after inappropriate behavior. Other children benefit from learning how to “turn down” or “turn up” sensory stimulation, without using unsafe behavior. They can learn safe ways to express that there is too much, too little, or uncomfortable stimulation. We can help other therapists to integrate behavioral wellness into their sessions, and how to incorporate motivation and timing and behavior techniques into their strategies. Note: Some of the most powerful technologies in teaching children with autism (and diverse learners worldwide) have been generated by behavior analysts who collaborate with, or have backgrounds in, speech and language therapy. (PECS, or the Picture Exchange Communication System, is a good example of this.)

How do we do it?
Step 1: Assessment
A behavior analyst as S/E provider can assess a child’s strengths, challenging behavior, and family’s concerns, then generate individualized strategies to support the child’s growth. Often an assessment called an FBA, or Functional Behavior Assessment, is conducted over a couple of weeks to understand the reasons and ways that the environment is contributing to the child’s challenges. We learn what situations are most difficult and how to address them by strengthening more appropriate and successful alternative ways for learners to meet their needs.

Step 2: Collaborate
Next, we team with the child’s family and other providers or community members. We use a collaborative strength-based service model to determine measurable goals the child will meet by learning new skills, behaviors, and new ways to use their strengths. Then we discuss ways (strategies) that will be used to get there.

Step 3: Teach family and therapists to use consistent strategies; monitor strategy effectiveness
Collaboration results in setting measurable goals and developing a plan listing specific strategies families will use to meet the goal.

Families often ask whether we use individualized strategies or apply the same kind of support to every child.
We use individualized support. There are also many core “evidence-based” strategies that we use because research and practical application consistently shows they benefit children with autism and related challenges. Read more about the EI Colorado recommended strategies here.

Step 4: Support the child’s transition out of early intervention.
This step involves thoughtful planning for how the child and family will move to the next steps and environments as needed. Local agencies partner with schools to provide families with options for continued therapies in preschool if needed. Social emotional support providers can work with families to put the currently effective strategies in writing to share with important new people in the child’s life. Some families benefit from continued consultation from a BCBA, who can help teach preschool teachers and therapists how to keep making progress by providing continued individualized support based on the child’s needs. (Check out a previous related post on supporting a child’s transition).

Social Emotional Support and Intensity of Behavior Analytic Intervention
Although intensive intervention is recommended and effective for building skills and relationships with children with autism, the intensive aspect of intervention is not characteristic of the time-limited S/E support under Early Intervention Colorado’s guidelines. Instead, this model provides a brief assessment as needed followed by an hour or so of weekly therapy with the child that consistently includes caregiver education. By focusing on engineering change in families and team members, we set caregivers up to learn preventative successful techniques to support their child’s speech, motor, play, self-help and social skills.

The Behavior Cusp: A special instance of behavior change

30 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in Behavior Analysis, Behavioral Cusp, Community, Education, Emergence, Social Interaction, Uncategorized

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“a cusp is a special instance of behavior change, a change crucial to what can come next”

~ Rosales-Ruiz and Baer, 1997

Behavior analysts define behavioral cusps as changes that have special features and special effects. Experiencing a behavioral cusp (examples to follow) exposes the learner to new reinforcers, new reinforcing environments and relationships, and gives rise to “generativeness”. In other words, after a learner has experienced a behavioral cusp, she may have access to richer experiences that may become enjoyable themselves or simply make it possible to access even more experiences and environments.

Learner example: A child experiences a behavior cusp

Timmy is a learner with communication delay and limited gross motor skills. He was two years old before he could use purposeful movements with his hands; it was frustrating for him to wave and gesture without others understanding “what he meant”. His mother often wore a desperate expression as she wondered what he needed or wanted, and as he screamed for hours on end she often exhausted her ideas and ended up holding him tightly and rocking him, still unable to understand but too tired to work on it anymore that day. One day, Timmy was able to extend his finger to point, and his mother understood exactly what he pointed at! She provided it immediately, and Timmy relaxed and smiled. They went around the apartment together, his mother joyfully exclaiming to name the things Timmy pointed at. A barrier was broken! A behavioral cusp, pointing at objects, had occurred and Timmy was now able to communicate with much less frustration. From there, he progressed within months to being able to point at different pictures on the same page. Timmy’s mother is thrilled to understand what he needs, and Timmy’s inconsolable screaming for hours at a time no longer occurs on a daily basis.

Learner example: An adult provider experiences a behavior cusp

Jean is a daycare provider. She has struggled with behavior management in her private daycare classroom, as children hit and bite each other at least weekly and often daily. Her management team has a no tolerance policy for these behaviors, but Jean and her co-workers in the classroom still wonder how to stop the behavior without constantly reprimanding the children. One weekend, Jean attended a seminar on positive parenting. She had planned to use the techniques with her teenage son, and was surprised when she listened to the instructor describe that the “attention pivot” technique was also useful in the classroom when children were motivated to acquire the attention of teachers. Jean implemented the technique in her daycare the next day, and by changing just one thing- the timing of when she began talking and turning toward a child – the everyday behaviors of pushing, whining, climbing on tables, and throwing toys diminished. Even more exciting to Jean, they diminished in less than an hour, and Jean’s classroom helpers easily saw what had changed in Jean’s technique. When she saw a child looking at another student who had a toy, Jean used to observe and wait until she needed to intervene (or stop the student from yanking it away). She used to say “stop!” or “No! We need to SHARE!” multiple times per day. After Jean changed her timing, she now turns to a child BEFORE “misbehavior” and she catches the child doing the right thing. When the other teachers noticed what had changed, they began trying it themselves, and soon the number of hitting and biting episodes had decreased to a rare few times per month, instead of daily.

The point of the story:

Sometimes behavior cusps occur on their own, during development. Other times, it becomes important for someone to assist a learner experience a cusp. In Timmy’s example, the cusp was engineered by providing many, many opportunities to practice the steps needed before pointing, and the behavior analyst used fluency training and shaping to provide this practice and make it enjoyable for Timmy.

DISCLAIMER: The preceding stories, and others on this site, are simply examples or vignettes; they do not constitute training, supervision, or a behavior plan. The resources on this site are not developed for a specific individual. It is recommended that before implementing any technique described here or in resources available on this site, a reader consult a qualified behavior analyst with experience related to the appropriate field and population.

RESOURCE: Check Imagine!’s calendar often for upcoming trainings.
Dr. Jeff Kupfer, Ph.D., BCBA-D, provides “Building Cooperative Behavior” class free to the Boulder and Broomfield communities on a monthly basis. Locations, times and contact information can be found on the Imagine! calendar (search for “Building Cooperative Behavior”).

http://www.imaginecolorado.org/Calendar.htm