Assignment 1

For 2 of the following scenarios, you will do the following:

1. Briefly describe how you will conduct a functional behavior assessment of the target behavior in the scenario (to meet ethical standards and demonstrate evidence-based practice). Assessments may be informal for some of the scenarios, but they should be descriptive assessments based on direct and indirect observations of behavior.
2. Provide a hypothesis statement about the function of the behavior based on the FBA.
3. For each scenario you choose, discuss 3 strategies you could use to either increase a desirable behavior, train a replacement behavior, and/or decrease an undesirable behavior. The discussion of each strategy must include a description of the strategy and the rationale for using it (in at least 2 sentences).

You can use your textbooks, your notes from this course and previous courses, and the in order to come up with the strategies.

An example response is provided for the first scenario below. You need to pick 2 other scenarios to address.

SCENARIOS:

1. Sally is a nine-year-old girl in third grade. She is frequently late to school, and her mother is trying to figure out a way to get her out the door on time to walk to school. Even when she is not walking and the mother is driving her to school, she is late coming out of the house and getting into the car. How might you handle this if Sally was your daughter?

I would first conduct a functional behavior assessment (i.e., descriptive assessment) by interviewing Sally and asking her what causes her to be late leaving the house in the morning. I would also collect observational data on the relevant behavior using an antecedent-behavior-consequence (ABC) Chart during the time that she is getting ready for school from 6:45 a.m. 7:30 a.m.

Hypothetical results: Based on the data collected, it appears that she takes 20 minutes to pick out clothes to wear in the mornings. She also says in the interview that it takes her a long time to decide what to wear. These factors result in a delay in getting out and to school on time.

Hypothesis: Sallys lateness in getting to school is maintained by an access function, specifically due to too much time spent selecting clothes (i.e., potentially a decision or choice-making problem).

Strategy 1: Use a goal setting procedure for Sally in which she has a (duration) goal for how long she will spend picking out her clothes each morning. She will start with 18 minutes (since her baseline is 20 minutes), and the goal will be reduced by 2 minutes every day until she can pick out her clothes in 8 minutes. She can earn a special snack in her lunch if she meets the goal that day. This provides reinforcement for meeting the goal and shortening the duration of time taken to get ready.

Strategy 2: Use an antecedent intervention by requiring her to pick her clothes out the night before. She can pick them out each evening before her nighttime snack. This will reduce her time taken to get ready in the morning so that she should be on time. She will also be provided the opportunity to request assistance with picking her clothes.

Strategy 3: Skill shaping procedure. Her parent will model and assist with different clothing options and styling and use praise to shape Sallys decision and choice skills

Strategy 4: Use a positive reinforcement procedure in which she earns an additional 30 minutes of computer game or TV time after school for every day she gets to school on time. She normally gets 30 minutes of TV and/or screen time after school and can add to that by getting to school on time. This may be an effective motivator to shorten the duration of time she spends picking out her clothes (and therefore be on time to school) if her screen time is a potent reinforcer.

2. The night shift supervisor at the local grocery store has noticed that employees are taking twice as long to complete their closing tasks. This not only delays everyone leaving for the night, but the supervisor is concerned that this behavior will transfer over to the morning shift who have the responsibility of restocking shelves, placing the tills in the cash register, booting up the point of sale (POS) machines, and unlocking the doors for customers. You have been consulted to find a solution to increase employee productivity and efficiency. What would you suggest to the supervisor?

3. A student in Mrs. Kellys 3rd grade English class has become incredibly disruptive recently and talks out of turn, bullies other students by pushing them and glaring, gets up out of his seat in the middle of instruction and yells out loud when he does not get what he wants. What would you do about this?

4. You are having issues with your roommate because she is very messy, especially in the kitchen, where she never picks up or cleans up. She routinely leaves dishes in the sink and doesnt even soak them. How might you use behavior change principles to change this unwanted behavior?

5. Your friend Isabella is struggling in her statistics class and knows you are taking the same class. She comes to you for help. You find out the main reason she is not doing well because she spends very little time studying. You learn that every evening after supper, she spends time with her friends, talking, watching TV and videos, and playing video games. How might you help her to make better use of her study time?

6. Thomas is an 8-year-old boy who sucks his thumb while reading during language arts instruction. His parents and teacher want to stop this behavior, as some of the kids in his third-grade class make fun of him. What are some strategies that you might use?

Please note: Your assignment should be submitted in a Word Document format using Times New Roman 12. The assignment must use APA format (See link to APA publication style in the course site resources.) Please include an appropriate heading on your paper and references to support methods or procedures used.

Please be sure to save your work using the naming convention:

Student last name, first name, ABA 506 Assignment 1

Description of early childhood, inclusion or transition depending upon your topic (What is it, when does it happen and when to begin preparations)? (See Odom, Homer, Snell and Blancher handbook of developmental disabilities). Protections, services and rights included in the IDEA, Part C or Part B.

Disabilities Act (ADA), Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Students will discuss at least 3 issues of that age. One reflection page ( at the end of the literature review) including how the information researched and obtained will assist them in their current or future work in the field. Students should provide at least one real world example and/or case study to exemplify how the information will be utilized.

5 page paper not including title page and reference section is required. Select 6 articles from peer reviewed journals ( journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities) to be included in the paper ( Do not include articles found on the internet). The articles referenced by the student in the paper should be listed in the Reference section at the end of the paper. Address at the end of the paper how the information researched and obtained will assist them in their current or future work in the field. The entire paper and references should be in APA format.

Background

This assignment will give you the opportunity to apply the concepts and techniques learned in Module 2 to a practical scenario. You will formulate a detailed behavior measurement plan for a hypothetical learner, a critical skill for any behavior analyst.

Your plan should begin with a clear and precise definition of a target behavior, ensuring it is observable and measurable. Next, you will choose an appropriate measurement system that aligns with the behavior’s characteristics and the environmental constraints. This assignment will challenge you to consider various factors such as the behavior’s frequency, duration, and context, and to select the best-suited measurement methods, whether continuous or discontinuous. By completing this assignment, you will enhance your ability to design effective measurement plans essential for conducting reliable behavior analysis and implementing successful interventions.

Instructions

1. Hypothetical Learner Description:

• Create a detailed profile of a hypothetical learner. Include information such as age, grade level, background, and any relevant characteristics or behaviors.
• Provide context for the environment in which the learner operates, such as home, school, or social settings.

2. Define the Target Behavior:

• Clearly define a specific target behavior that needs to be measured. This could be an academic, social, or behavioral skill.
• Include a precise and observable description of the behavior. Ensure it is specific enough to be reliably measured.

3. Measurement System:

• Choose and describe an appropriate measurement system for the target behavior. This could include frequency recording, duration recording, interval recording, or a rating scale.
• Explain the rationale for choosing this measurement system.
• Outline the procedures for implementing the measurement system, including who will collect the data, how often, and under what conditions.

4. Data Collection and Analysis:

• Detail how data will be collected, recorded, and stored.
• Describe methods for ensuring the reliability and validity of the data.
• Explain how the collected data will be analyzed to assess the progress of the target behavior.

Additional Considerations:

• Discuss any potential challenges in measuring the target behavior and how they might be addressed.
• Consider ethical implications and the importance of confidentiality in data collection and reporting.
• The behavior measurement plan should be between 3-5 pages in length, clearly organized and well-written.
• Include any relevant charts, tables, or graphs to illustrate the measurement system.
• Submit the plan in a digital format (PDF or Word document).

Length: This assignment must be 3-5 pages (excluding the title and reference pages).

References: Include 3 scholarly resources.