Teaching
in a Language-Based Environment
What
constitutes a languagebased environment?
·
Everyone views language as the key feature
of the intervention. (ie Even Aunt Suzie buys into "doing tricks" when you teach child to say "Aunt
Suzie" with ice cream)
·
The educational plan (IEP/IPP, if appropriate)
is coordinated with all daily activities
·
Language training is incorporated into all
other activities.
·
There are a large number of daily trials
under a variety conditions.
·
All program staff and family members are
trained in languageinstruction techniques.
·
Trainers know how and when to reinforce
and how to fade contrived reinforcers so natural reinforcers take over.
·
Trainers know what response approximations
to accept and how to shape better approximations.
·
Trainers know what level of prompt to provide
and how to fade those prompts as quickly as possible.
·
Trainers are consistent in their implementation
of the program.
·
Trainers capture and arrange opportunities
to communicate.
·
It is not necessarily the number of trials
that is critical, but rather the type of trials.
·
All relevant types of language training
trials are conducted
·
Trainers arrange for frequent opportunities
to generalize.
·
A plan or curriculum of skills for orderly
progression to more complex forms of verbal behavior is in place.
·
Data is collected on performance.
Trainer Skills: An effective shaper... (take skills child has now and shape it
closer to what it should be)
Tips
for all teaching situations:
THE BEHAVIORAL
CLASSIFICATION OF LANGUAGE
Mand - Asking
for what you wantitems, activities, information, etc. - to get something (de - mand, com - mand)
Imitation - Copying
someone's motor movements
Echoic
- Repeating exactly what you hear (different function
from imitation but same form)
Receptive
- Following instructions or complying with the
requests of others, including nonverbally identifying specific items when asked to (touch the …, find the …., pet
the …., give me the …)
Tact
- Verbally identifying objects, actions, events,
etc. (labeling, function of language that "contacts" environment) (what is it?)
RFFC
- Receptively identifying specific items when
given some description (its functions, features, or class) of the item (respond to request about attribute of product,
find the one that says meow)
Intraverbal - Answering questions or conversations where your words are controlled other words.
(greetings, social situations, animal sounds, songs, filling in blanks)
Textual - Reading
written words.
Writing - Writing and spelling words when spoken to you
REINFORCEMENT
KEY ISSUES TO INTRODUCE
What
is reinforcement?
·
Any behavior can be reinforced, both appropriate
behavior and inappropriate behavior.
·
Reinforcement can occur when you add a positive event or remove an
aversive event.
What
can you use as reinforcers?
Why
do you need to use reinforcers?
When
should you give the child a reinforcer?
BEFORE
LANGUAGE TRAINING SESSIONS START
What
is "pairing"?
"Pairing" refers to associating yourself
with the delivery of reinforcing items and events. Through pairing you establish yourself as
a reinforcer.
A reinforcer is any item or, event that increases the rate of a behavior when it is presented following the behavior. An, Anything that
is consistently a reinforcer. will become reinforcing itself (a conditioned reinforcer).
Why
do you "pair"?
How
do you pair yourself with reinforcement?
|
Don't |
|
Reinforcers
During Pairing
Types of
reinforcers
|
No demands
- depends on child's capability - lots of reinforcement Don't turn
reinforcer into task (read book "what's this?") Be silent,
play next to child w/o engaging child |
How do you know if trainers have paired themselves
effectively? Does your child run to them or from them?
Giving
up reinforcer doesn't mean its gone forever.
Pairing should
continue to occur at the beginning of and during each session whenever instructors interact
with the student.
Pair every
20 minutes (per session) or at least the first and last 20 minutes.
Gradually
increase expectations.
Give me beads
(history of just touching) -> then pick up for 1 second -> then hold -> then remove for longer periods
PAIRING ->
EASY TASK -> HARD TASK -> EASY TASK -> HARD TASK -> EASY TASK -> PAIRING
TEACHING
TECHNIQUES DISCRETE TRIALS
What
are discrete trials?
Sd
----> R----->Sr
discriminative
stimulus - the instruction, question, relevant
item or materials, etc.
response
consequence -
Consequences can increase rates of
behavior (reinforcement) or decrease rates
of behavior (punishers or extinction)
discriminating
stimulus is a particular stimulus that evokes a particular response
due to a history of reinforcement.
Why
use discrete trials?
How
do you teach with discrete trials?
Use
12 Aides
2
Head teachers
1
ABA person
1
Speech person
22
kids
Use
name -> pair with reinforcement -> they run to you when calling their name
1 Present
the Sd
2 Know
the correct response.
·
Ensure that the correct response is not
chained with any extraneous behaviors or multiple responses.
·
There should be a short latency from Sd
to response, approximately 1 7 seconds.
3. Provide immediate reinforcement when the
student is correct.
·
Reinforcers should be a small quantity and
varied over time.
·
Provide higher level reinforcers for more
independent and higher quality responses.
Ways
to get a student's attention:
Correction Procedure:
If the student is
incorrect, or makes no response, repeat the Sd and prompt the correct response, then fade the prompts so that the
student is reinforced for responding correctly to the original Sd without prompts.
Prompt dependence
-> games with self correcting
First Intro
- New skill -> quick response with quick prompt
Acquisition
-> 5-7 seconds for response -> if attending wait for accurate response
After acquisition
-> require faster, more fluent responses after acquisition
TEACHING
TECHNIQUES II: NATURALISTIC TRAINING
Naturalistic
"discrete trials"
·
Many different types of language should
be trained within the activity.
·
Naturallyoccurring reinforcers should be
used as much as possible.
·
MotivationaL interactive activities using
materials that are meaningful to the use in a reinforcing, manner are the key to skill acquisition. Your observation
skills will need to be extremely keen in order to identify materials and, items that, are motivating, and you will
need to be creative in your use of them.
|
Activity
& Materials |
Skills/Words |
Reinforcers |
|
Walking
with partner |
Jump,
come back, walk |
Good
job |
|
Coloring
eggs for easter Sitting
on counter Brother
sitting next to child, child could see items but not access them |
Put
spoon in cup, want egg, what are these (stickers), who wants the egg |
Good
talking (got marker) Given
sticker Given
Egg |
|
Kitchen
making cookies |
Imitation Receptive
instruction Compliance Discrimination,
given choices (nuts?), I'm stirring, what are you doing? Narrating
and requiring responding Tacting
actions - kitten items Motor
skills - stirring |
Cookie
dough to eat Good
job We're
all stirring, good job stirring Put
in, pour Find
thing you need to stir with Make
it sweet, what do you need to add Need
1 cup flour Set
timer (environmental sounds - timer) |
|
Present
Sd 1st
time gets it right - Huge Reinforcer |
|
Present
Sd with prompts 1. Little reinforcer (specific praise) 2. Imitative over physical 3. Partial physical over hand over hand 4. Fade prompts over longer period of time 5. Knows one of the receptive cards but not other 6. Make receptive card closer (easier to pick right one) |
|
Present
Sd no prompts Medium Reinforcer |
1. Get it independently first then move on
2. If can't then move onto something guaranteed success then go back
TEACHING
MANDS
What
is a "mand"? a verbal response that is reinforced by a characteristic consequence and is under
the control of motivational variables