The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

This workshop will help participants better understand three major issues that relate to problem behavior and teaching children with autism. Specifically, the presenter will demonstrate through extensive use of video, how motivational variables, assessment, curriculum choices and teaching procedures impact behavior and learning both positively and negatively. The requirements of everyday life sometimes demand that children merely learn to comply with the directives that are given to them, e.g. it’s time to line up for music; no, you can’t have the computer now; finish the worksheet, etc.  Many teachers and parents report dissatisfaction with their ability to ensure compliance with routine demands.

Epidemiological studies suggest that between 40 and 60% of problem behavior that occurs with persons with developmental disabilities is the result of escape-motivated behavior (social negative reinforcement) often related to academic demands. This, of course, is a big problem since children with developmental disabilities need to have a great number of demands placed on them in order to learn the many skills they will need to function in society. There is more at stake than just dealing with the obvious unpleasantness of inappropriate behavior.  Left unaddressed, problem behavior severely impedes a child’s ability to learn which has long-term quality of life implications for them, their caregivers, and society.

Over the past 25 years an effective technology for reducing problem behavior has emerged within the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA). Published ABA research has clearly demonstrated that the overwhelming majority of problem behavior with children with autism or other developmental disability can be overcome through effective teaching.  Unfortunately, clinical research and best practice procedures have not necessarily made their way into real world settings for teachers in schools, and parents and therapists in the home. 

The most effective form of behavior management is effective teaching that zeroes in on a child’s core deficits.  Using plain language and videotape examples, the presenter will introduce the following three common issues relating to problem behavior and teaching children with developmental disabilities, and then demonstrate how the associated problem behavior can be avoided and/or overcome.

1.  Why many children with autism dislike teachers, and teaching environments, and how motivational variables can be arranged to establish teachers as conditioned reinforcers, thereby significantly reducing the likelihood of problem behavior

2.  How poor assessment and curriculum decisions are often at the heart of behavior problems, and how programming that targets core deficits with proper intensity, can increase cooperation and accelerate skill acquisition.

3.  How instructional practices (response effort, number of demands, task variation, pace of instruction, etc.), can impact behavior, and how the utilization of research-based teaching procedures can reduce escape-motivated problem behavior and help students learn at a rate commensurate with their ability.

** I expect the audience to walk away from the presentation with an increased understanding as to why is absolutely crucial to zero in on a child’s core deficits as the starting point in addressing problem behavior. My intention is to show how basic principles can be be applied very effectively with ‘tough kids’ utilizing video case studies from the U.S., Italy and Ireland.  I will show the application of the principles being applied with both younger children and older children to demonstrate the universality of both the analysis and the application of the basic principles.

Learning Objectives: