WHAT ARE BREAK CARDS AND HOW DO I USE THEM?

 A quick guide to using break cards.

A previous example of break cards used with the Zones of Regulation.  

Questions About Behavior Functions form

The QABF is a peer-reviewed questionnaire that helps determine the function of the behavior. The function of the behavior answers the question, “why are they doing that?” or “what are they trying to communicate?”. Often, when people lack sufficient communication skills to communicate their feeling, needs, and wants, they use behaviors to communicate those feelings, wants, and needs. 

By using the QABF, we can better determine what the student might be communicating and use that information to develop adaptive communication skills that will result in the student’s needs and wants being met more easily because everyone in the environment will be able to understand them better. 

The five categories of possible functions that the QABF considers are attention, escape, nonsocial, physical, and tangible. Attention means that the student is engaging in the MB to get the attention of anyone in the environment including what some might consider positive or negative attention such as reprimands. Escape means that the student is engaging in the problem behavior to get out of a task or to leave an environment that they might consider aversive. Nonsocial means that the student would engage in that behavior regardless of the reactions of those in their environment. It is a behavior that just feels good or has a neurological effect. Physical means that the behavior is more likely to occur if the student is not feeling well or may hint at an underlying medical cause. 

It is possible that a problem behavior has more than one function.  

You can find the QABF form here. 

Book: Prevent-Teach-Reinforce: The School-Based Model of Individualized Positive Behavior Support Second Edition

 Suggested by one of our Autism Consultants. 

Solve serious behavior challenges in K–8 classrooms with the updated second edition of this bestselling book, your practical, user-friendly guide to the Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (PTR) model. Developed by highly respected experts on positive behavior support, this research-proven model gives your school team a step-by-step blueprint for reducing problems unresolved by typical behavior management strategies. You'll get explicit guidance and strategies for implementing all five steps of PTR: 1) teaming and goal-setting, 2) collecting data, 3) conducting a PTR Functional Behavioral Assessment, 4) developing a PTR behavior intervention plan, and 5) monitoring progress and making data-based decisions. Enhanced with new research on PTR and fresh content on timely topics like multi-tiered systems of support, this guidebook will help you resolve even the toughest behavior challenges—and improve social and academic outcomes for your whole class.

BENEFITS OF PTR:

• proven effective by research and field testing in real classrooms—PTR was shown to reduce behavior problems and increase evidence of social skills and academic engagement
• structured and explicit, with five systematic steps that take you beyond tips and strategies
• consistent with positive behavior support and derived from the principles of applied behavior analysis
• easily adaptable to the needs and goals of each individual student
• effective for both typically developing students and learners with disabilities and other challenges

WHAT'S NEW
New and enhanced material on:

• Using multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS)
• Implementing evidence-based classroom strategies
• Becoming an effective team facilitator
• Collaborating as a strong, cohesive team
• Monitoring progress with the Individualized Behavior Rating Scale Tool
• Developing successful behavior intervention plans
• Creating useful task analyses
• Making data-based decisions

Plus: new case examples that illustrate components of PTR, two in-depth case studies, and new and revised forms (also available online for easy download)

See more here. 

Benefits of a Positive Behavior Support Plan for Autism

 

So what would be the ideal way to address problem behavior? When it comes to our children we just want difficult behavior to stop as quickly and effortlessly as possible. Whatever it takes…rewards or even punishment are frequent weapons in the parental arsenal against challenging behaviors.

But if the problem behavior has a function, or if the behavior is a way to express an unmet need, rewarding or punishing the behavior may not be the answer. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) teaches us that behavior occurs as individuals get something out of it; ABA specifically targets the four functions of behavior which are:

• Escape: The child behaves in a way that may get him/her out of doing something  he/she doesn’t like, or the behavior helps him/her avoid it all together
• Attention: Frequently a child’s problem behavior is simply a way to get attention from parents or teachers
• Access to tangibles: The child may display problematic behavior to gain access to something he/she likes or enjoys, for example a tantrum may result in more time on the iPad
• Automatic reinforcement: In this instance, the behavior actually provides the reinforcement; stimming (self-stimulatory behavior) is an example where the behavior itself feels good to the child

Understanding the function behind an autistic child’s difficult behavior often leads parents to behavioral research which suggests formulating a comprehensive plan to address the behavior appropriately with evidence-based principles and interventions.

Read more here at Autism Parenting magazine. 

Break Cards for Students Learning the Zones of Regulation

 Teaching How To Ask For A Break 

Compliments of Dawn Kindberg, Lima Public Schools. 

Webinar - Behavioral and Sensory Support

Learning Objectives:

1. Robing Steinberg-Epstein, MD, UCI, will present 30 minutes on the neurological/sensory processing experience, underpinning of challenging and dangerous behavior in autism (30 minutes)

2. John Guericio, PhD will talk on his assessment tool for managing adults with severe behavioral challenges (30 minutes)

3. Erik Jacobson, PhD will talk on the cultural approach he and his team have embraced with the emphasis on their clients with severe and challenging behaviors by being happy, relaxed and engaged (30 minutes)

4. Kelly Bermingham, Steve Perez, Q&A facilitation

Chair: Kelly Bermingham; Co-chairs: Kathy Freeman, Erik Jacobson, Shann Jones

Free. Register here

What is Functional Communication Training (FCT)?

How does FCT change challenging behavior?

FCT usually involves a three step process (Mancil & Boman, 2010):

• Completion of a functional behavior assessment to identify the function of the child’s problematic or difficult behavior. The child may use tantrums to get out of an activity that causes distress, or the difficult behavior may be geared towards getting attention. It can also be a way to demand access to something the child wants
• The next step involves identifying a communication response, therefore, determining a more desirable way of communication to replace the challenging behavior. This does not have to mean verbal communication, other forms of communication like sign language is appropropriate as a replacement for the difficult behavior. The child may use any readily available (appropriate) method to communicate, this could include gestures, nonverbal communication, or pictures. In the above example the child had a tantrum because an activity caused distress; the child could be taught to point to a picture that indicates: “I need help.” Instead of a tantrum the child is communicating that he/she finds the activity overwhelming and  help is needed to complete it successfully
• In the last step a FCT treatment plan is devised which may include ignoring difficult behavior and rewarding, reinforcing or acknowledging the positive replacement behaviors (or appropriate communication) identified in step two. In future, attempts by the child to communicate through the past problematic behavior will need to be ignored—the child should realize that communicating in the appropriate way will get attention, reinforcement and/or rewards.

Read more here at Autism Parenting Magazine. 

PECS Trainings (virtual) - Spring 2021 REGISTRATION CLOSED

The OPI Montana Autism Education Project is offering the following full-day workshops from PECS this spring: 

March 10th - Teaching Critical Communication Skills

March 24 -  Transitioning from PECS to Speech-Generating Devices

April 7 - Guide to Managing Challenging Behaviors

April 28 -  Transitioning from PECS to Speech-Generating Devices

We have reached our budgeted amount for PECS trainings and have closed the registration. 

Tips for Managing Tantrums for Your Child with Autism

 A toolkit for managing tantrums? Yes, please! When tantrums occur, they can be intense and stressful for the child and those around them. Although it is common for tantrums to occur during early childhood, some tantrums are more intense or more frequent and require intervention. We want to help our children acquire skills to replace tantrum behaviors and reduce stress.   

Read more here at Behavior Frontiers.

Wearing compression garments may improve behavior, posture of some individuals with ASD

Full-body compression garments may significantly improve the posture and behavior of some individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), according to a new study. Vincent Guinchat and colleagues note that compression garments are already used for individuals with joint hypermobility, including those with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome—a syndrome sometimes associated with autism.

In this study, the researchers explored whether the garments would also benefit individuals with ASD, severe behavior problems, and severe proprioceptive dysfunction (SPD). Proprioception involves the understanding of where the body is in space, and abnormalities seen in SPD include hypotonia, hypertonia, abnormal posture, poor balance, and motor control, and stereotyped behaviors such as spinning.

Read more her a the Autism Research Institute. 

20 Tips to Help De-escalate Interactions With Anxious or Defiant Students

 Tip 6: The teacher can give students an in-between step to make the transition more palatable. Go from recess, to two minutes of coloring, to the spelling quiz. The intermediary step gives that non-compliant student behavioral momentum. He’s already sitting down, quiet, with pen in hand, so the jump to spelling isn’t as jarring.

See more tips from Jessica Minahan here. 

Causes and Interventions for Self-Injury in Autism

 Strictly speaking, self-injury is not a symptom of autism. However, certain symptoms, situations, and comorbidities related to ASD can lead some people with autism to engage in self-injurious behavior. Treating underlying disorders and helping the individual to learn additional communication and coping skills can enable them to avoid self-injury and minimize the long-term effects of this behavior. 

Read more here at the Autism Research Institute. 

Low standards corrode quality of popular autism therapy

 Rapid growth and inadequate standards in the ‘applied behavior analysis’ industry may put vulnerable children in the hands of poorly prepared technicians.

Read more here at Spectrum. 

WHAT ARE BREAK CARDS AND HOW DO I USE THEM?

 

Read more here. 

Picture Puzzle Reinforcement

 

Read more here. 

Archived Webinar - Repetitive Behaviors and Autism

Repetitive behaviors are one of autism’s core features and can be sensory or motor based, such as hand-flapping, or more cognitive in nature, such as intensely focused interests. Autistic people may engage in repetitive behaviors as a way to relieve anxiety or for fun — and for this reason, such behaviors deserve careful management.

View the webinar here at Spectrum. 

Archived Webinars - ABA Parent Training Plan – Providing Applied Behavior Analysis for Your Child At Home (free)

Due to the circumstances caused by Coronavirus (COVID-19), parents and families of individuals with ASD are seeing a significant reduction in services and interventions are falling on them to provide at home.

This course package is designed to educate parents on providing Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA, for their child at home. Access the techniques you need to start improving your child's behavior, communication, social and academic skills.

• Imitation and Joint Attention
• Increasing Behavior
• Introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis
• Naturalistic Teaching Strategies

Register here. 

Webinar - Positive Approaches to Addressing Problem Behaviors of Students with Severe Disabilities – Part 1

Problem behaviors interfere with student learning, educational advancement, interactions with peers and adults and school success. This webinar session, augmented with multiple scenarios of students experiencing challenging behaviors, will demonstrate: 1) proactive strategies for adapting the environment so triggering events are removed; 2) teaching new skills to the student that will replace problem behaviors; and 3) maximizing clear rewards for appropriate behavior.

Depicting student-specific scenarios, this webinar session will illustrate positive, proactive, and functional behavior intervention strategies to be implemented across situations and settings.

View the recorded ABLENET webinar here. 

Archived Webinar - Managing Behavior in a Technology Rich Environment

Technology is a powerful tool and one that is available in most classrooms today.  However, along with technology comes increased concerns about managing behaviors in regards to screen time, engagement, and appropriate technology use. 

How do you navigate the wide variety of tools that are available to figure out which will work best in your classroom to increase students' time on task, participation, and access to content?  This session will start with a look at how behaviors have changed with the introduction of technology and then move into tools for self-monitoring time on task, increasing student engagement, and providing more access to the content you are teaching.  

View the Ablenet recording here. 

Archived Webinar - Preventing and Managing Severe Autism Behaviors at Home

This interactive online forum focused on strategies for families living with challenging behaviors, such as aggression, property destruction, pica, and self-injury.

Find more information and view the video here.