| The ABC's of ABA | | | | juice, this is manding. Throwing a juice cup at you is |
| If you wish to modify your child's behavior, you have | | | | an inappropriate mand and this behavior must be |
| to change yours. Aba can work for ANY child, not | | | | changed. |
| just special needs.Success with ABA is accomplished | | | | Labeling an object by any of your senses is Tacting. |
| by a few key steps. Here are the ABC's. | | | | When asking your child "what is that?", your child |
| What happens right before a behavior is known as | | | | should respond "boat" by saying, signing or identifying |
| the Antecedent. Then, you have Behavior, and finally | | | | the picture. |
| the Consequence. For example, the television is too | | | | Receptive is my child's area of expertise. If I say it's |
| noisy (antecedent), you turn the volume down | | | | time for your bath, he runs to the bathroom. |
| (behavior), the noise is gone (consequence). Another | | | | Receptive language requires no vocals from the |
| example is holding up a piece of gum, child says gum, | | | | student. Another example is, "give me your shoes" |
| child gets gum. This gum is a motivator for the child | | | | and the child responds by handing you his shoes. |
| to speak. To put it plainly, you must find what the | | | | Imitation is obvious. If I say "do this" while clapping |
| child is most interested in. If your child's been eating | | | | my hands, child claps their hands. Child may use vocal |
| cookies all day, they're not going to be motivated by | | | | imitation as well. This is known as Echoic. |
| a cookie! You have to find motivators and deprive | | | | Feature, Function, Class |
| the child of them in order for that object to remain a | | | | When using an object, always keep in mind it's FFC. |
| motivator. | | | | For example if you're using a pair of scissors, the |
| Negative and Positive Reinforcement | | | | feature is sharp, function is cutting pieces of paper, |
| Negative reinforcement is the removal of a stimulous | | | | and function is school supply. This is useful in ABA |
| or a decrease of the intensity of the stimulous which | | | | because you're able to teach these separately to the |
| makes the behavior unlikely to reoccur. We've all | | | | child. |
| done this with or children, whether we knew it or | | | | You have a ball, a hat, a cow, and a duck on the |
| not. Your child has an annoying habit of flushing the | | | | table. You say "hand me the item that is round", and |
| toilet, or opening and shutting the refrigerator door. It | | | | the child gives you the ball. You've just taught |
| usually takes something as easy as closing the | | | | feature. When asking for the item that keeps you |
| bathroom door, or putting a baby-proof clip on the | | | | warm, and you get the hat, you've taught function. |
| refrigerator. By doing these things, you are removing | | | | If asking for a bird, and the child hands you a duck, |
| the stimulous, thus changing the behavior. | | | | then the child has learned it's class. |
| Positive reinforcement, is generally the opposite. | | | | Prompting |
| Instead of removing, you are adding. If you're child | | | | Initially you're going to be prompting constantly to |
| receives an allowance, and five dollars is no longer a | | | | teach the target behavior. Before handing your child a |
| motivator, you add. Whether it be another big chore | | | | cup of juice, sign or say drink. If you're child isn't |
| for a few dollars extra, or the same money | | | | responding, say it again. The third time it is best to |
| combined with a 'special day' each week. You add to | | | | grab their hand and sign it for them. YAY! Now they |
| the motivation. | | | | get the consequence. They get their cup of juice. |
| There are four keys you must remember when using | | | | You've just made the child successful and taught |
| reinforcement. The first is Immediacy. The reinforcer | | | | manding with a full prompt. |
| must be given immediately after the the appropriate | | | | As your child gets the hang of things, and knows |
| response. Otherwise, the child may not understand | | | | what they're doing, you're going to sometimes give |
| why they're getting the reward. Second is | | | | partial prompts. When you're waiting for a mand of |
| Deprivation. If your child gets suckers all the time, | | | | "juice", and there's a delay, sometimes help them to |
| they're less likely to work for them. Thirdly there's | | | | get their hands up without signing for them. They |
| size, make sure the size of the reward is worth your | | | | carry through the mand, and get the consequence. |
| child's effort. If you slaved at work all day for a | | | | This can also be done in play. You say "give me the |
| quarter would you stay? And contingency, meaning | | | | car". Child is looking around.Point to the car- do not |
| the reward must only be given if they have | | | | grab it- and child gets the car. |
| performed the target behavior. The reward has to | | | | Over time, you must fade the prompts just as you |
| be earned. This is tricky, because when beginning | | | | would when teaching a child to ride a bike. They |
| ABA you want your child to always feel successful. If | | | | must be allowed to do it on their own, or there is no |
| you know that your child can perform the target | | | | progress. |
| task and they're not, that's when you start with | | | | Manipulation |
| contingency. If you've never seen your child draw a | | | | In order to teach certain target behaviors, you must |
| straight line and that's the target, do hand over hand, | | | | use manipulation. When teaching words such as |
| then reward them. Success is a motivator. | | | | when,where,what, and why, try hiding objects and |
| The Five Ways To Communicate | | | | asking questions which will result in the target |
| In Aba there are five basic ways of communication. | | | | response being used by the child. An example is hiding |
| A Mand is a request from the child for something | | | | the ball under the bed. You say, " I put it over there". |
| they want or need.A mand can come from words, | | | | "What?" "the ball, I put the ball over there." "Where?" |
| pictures,or signing. This is a natural reinforcement. | | | | You can see how easy this is. Sometimes it is going |
| When your child says, signs, or points to a picture of | | | | to take forethought. |