Ecological Variables
I know this is a bit early but I cannot emphasize the importance of ECOLOGICAL VARIABLES as they relate to student behavior...It's never too early to be thinking about the final project in this class, therefore, I just want to give everyone a heads up on the importance of addressing ecological/environmental factors that may need to be addressed in your final project.As you embark on your observations, please be aware of and make notes related to the following factors:
- instructional variables - are the lessons at the students' level? does the instruction allow for students to respond frequently? Are lessons "boring?" eventually, you may need to suggest in your final plan that the lessons may need to be more engaging, more stimulating, etc.
- language spoken and primary language of student...match? is language development being addressed for ELL students?
- proximity of other students, too crowded, too many distractions?
- way in which requests are made- degree of choice, tone of voice, threats used?
- Quality quantity of adult/student and student/student interactions
- difficulty of tasks
- type of tasks
- other environmental variables such as noise level, crowding, temperature, visual distractions, etc.
As I review final projects at the end of the semester, ...I will pay CLOSE attention to see that antecedents were identified that were under our control...and the final project does address them....if not addressed...NOT GOOD!
Again, as you begin your direct observations, it is a good idea to keep these important areas in mind...feel free to post comments about what you observe or questions related to this topic...or any other questions you may have.
Thanks,
Dr. A
18 comments:
Hello? Anyone out there? I know that not everyone was allowed to begin direct data collection...but all of you have observed your student's classroom environment.
What are your initial impressions about ecological variables that MAY have an influence on your student's behaviors?
Remember that managing the antecedents is an effective way of proactively managing your classroom...it's prevention at its best!
I don't think that ecological variables are the direct cause of my student's problem behaviors, but it looks like they may be a definite factor in maintaining them.
There are at least seven adults in the classroom at all times and each has a different manner of responding to behavior, which is probably very confusing to my student.
I have noticed that the quality/quantity of peer interactions is very poor. Many of the students are non-verbal and have sever deficits in social skills. Virtually every single interaction in class is facilitated by an adult and very unnatural. My student does attend a general ed class three times a week for 1 hour, but that class is very large and unorganized and seems be of little benefit to my student. He definitely needs more interaction with NT peers, but his behaviors prevent that from occurring. It's like a never ending circle and I wonder if all the adults dealing with him will be able to actually change THEIR behavior to improve his.
As I think about the ecological variables that effect my student and his problem behavior, there is a lot to think about. There are three adults in the room all the time. We currently have myself, and two instructional assistants(IA). One of our IA's is a substitute. One of the permenant IA's in the class was kicked on Feb. 8, by a student in the class. Her leg was broken and she is not currently with us. I have noticed that since that incident, my student has not shoved his work back at any of us.
This IA has worked in the ED environment for about 15 years. She is very loud and does tend to yell at the students a lot.
Even the office staff has noticed a change in the student. He used to just walk himself up to the office and they commented today about not seeing him all week.
I am wondering if the loss, if you will, of this IA has caused him to be more comfortable in the classroom and more willing to work.
I will just have to keep watching and seeing what happens. When or if the IA comes back, will the student revert back to the old behaviors.
I'll just have to wait and see.
I recently began collecting data on my student's problem/replacement behaviors. It appears, so far, as though ecological variables play a part in her engagement in the problem behavior. She appears bored and under stimulated with the activities she is doing. From what I have seen so far, she engages in her problem behavior when her attention drifts, due to lack of stimulation, and during "free time" if a timer is not used to indicate that "her time" is up.
I am looking forward to seeing if my initial predictions are correct about her behavior. I will keep you posted!
One of the environmental factors that may influence my student's behavior is the noise level in the classroom. The class is very large and it is right after lunch. This class can get very loud. There are many outspoken students in this class and the teacher has a difficult time getting quiet in the room for any period of time. My student is easily distracted. He also wants very much to join in with the other children eventhough he is not well accepted by his peers. He is also easily egged on my the other students and will not let down if someone is picking on him, which happens often.
I think ecological variables play a major influence on my student's behaviors. First, instructional variables play a significant role. In observing my student on a daily basis I know that the length and difficulty of a task is a factor that may or may not affect his behavior at that moment. It is likely that when presented with a difficult or lengthy task that my student will show early signs of escalation.
Error correction may also be a factor. Many error correction procedures involve physical and verbal prompts. My student is more likely to engage in problem behaviors when tasks require such correction of his responses. Other ecological variables such as visual distractions, noise level, and the quantity and quality of interactions play a role as well.
It is important to be sensitive to all of these factors and not only be concerned with one or even a few. Together they represent the student's world and space in which he or she reacts to or copes with.
Ecological variables may play a part in my student's behavior. He may be bored and in need of a more engaging activity. My student's language skills are amazing and he always wants to communicate with others. He may just need more opportunities for interactions while doing his work. I am not yet able to start my observations, but when I do I think I will try to engage my student more by allowing him to respond more often to the questions that are being asked. This may help prevent the undesired behaviors.
I think ecological variables play an important role in my student's problem behavior. My student is at a daycare for a major part of the day (approx 9am-6pm). The early interventionist must work with this student at the daycare. Although the interventionist and the student usually go into a small room next to the living room, other children at the daycare often crawl or walk to this room, disrupting and distracting the student and the interventionist. On days when this does not occur, the sounds of the children and/or the television often distracts the student causing her to not want to interact with the interventionist and ultimately leading to the problem behavior: throwing the toys.
My first reponse is to Jeanette - I think that it is so interesting that you are looking at the human variable for your student. It's amazing how often you see adults trying to outshout or otherwise coerce students, just because they are older (and thereby wiser?). One of your challenges (if indeed your IA seems to escalate the behavior) will be to work with that IA to change how he/she interacts with that child.
As for my student, ecological variables seem to play a very small role in his off-task behavior. I have observed him in both crowded and un-crowded environments, classes where he does well and classes where he does poorly, with teachers who give him a lot of attention and with teachers who ignore his off-task behavior. From my observation thus far, it seems that his escape mechanism is a litte more deep-rooted in his family situation and up-bringing. I am interested to spend some more time looking at the ecological factors that may contribute to his behavior, because these are certainly much more easily manipulated than his home life.
I just began collecting my baseline data for my student who has a problem behavior of being off task. I have noticed that ecological variables influence the problem behavior of occurring but there seems to be a specific function that maintains his behavior.
The instructional variables seem to be a big influence since when working with the student 1:1 he can complete an assignment quickly and successfully. However, if he is in a small group or as whole group he is off task. There seems to be a fine line as to whether the assignments are too hard or too easy. Are the assignments to hard for him to complete independently or does he have no motivation to do them independently because they are too easy?
Proximity is another issue, which seems to act as an antecedent to the behavior. My student is seated near a young girl who bothers him consistently. Another factor is the tone of voice the adult’s use in the class seems to be extremely influential. Whenever an adult says "no" or uses a tone which is loud or assertive the off task behavior begins.
The ecological variables seem to be a big influence to the behavior.
For my student, I think there are a number of factors that lead to his problem behaviors. First, proximity plays a major role because when he is placed in group situations where he is seated on the carpet and is practically touching the student next to him, he will lose focus and want to pull hair, push students or put his face in theirs.
Further, the student does not seem to follow directions well when they are stated in a demanding tone. When requests are made with a different tone and using different wording, the students seems to respond more appropriately.
Finally, I think the number of words used as directives plays a role. Too many words used seems to confuse the student and he may be acting out because he does not understand what is being asked of him. Fewer word directives may have more influence in positive behavior.
ecological variables may be influencing my student's behavior. Starting today, my student's best friend will no longer be in our class due to change in placement. I noticed a big difference in my student's behavior as a result. He was more compliant and less willing to disrupt class.
I also feel that his problem behavior declines when he is engaged in more challenging work. Boredom may be a factor.
One of the environmental factors that may influence my student's behavior is the proximity of other students. Often when another student is near he will begin to yell out and engage in his off task behavior. Also, if the classroom becomes too noisy or someone comes into the room, that will often times set off his behaviors.
This student seems to work best when he is working 1:1 with another adult in his cubby that has dividers surrounding it-preventing unneeded distraction. The student will work outside the cubby with an adult, but is more subject to distractions and therefore acting out behaviors. When in a group setting, even if it is a small group of 3 or 4, he is more prone to yell out.
I have also noticed that when the classroom is in a less structured time period the student will yell out more often then when the class is in structured time.
I think that ecological variables may have something to do with my student's behavior. He seems to primarily exhibit his problem behavior in the confines of the classroom.
Proximity of others, both staff and students, also seems to be key. His behavior seems attention seeking, as he usually engages in his behvavior if staff or students are there to witness to it.
He also seems to exhibit his behavior if other student's behaviors are escalting.
Ecological variables that affect my student
1. Instructional variables: for my student who has ASD, I think the whole class lessons are below his level. In the times that I have observed, for example, the student appears to have the routine of ‘Calendar’ memorized. He reads along with the class easily, but I do not know if he would be able to walk up to the calendar and determine what day it is. I think for my student, the lesson needs to be approached from a different angle, perhaps to receptive identification of the day, month, and date to observe if he has really learned the material or has just memorized the routine of the activity. During the times when the student is working with his 1:1 instructional aide, he is continuously working on tasks that are level appropriate with prompting to ensure a correct response. I’ve noticed the aide systematically removing her prompts, when appropriate, while working with the student.
2. Environment management: the students sit in two-person desks arranged in two rows. I think the students are too close together. For my student in particular, he a peer sitting on his left side during class activities and his 1:1 instructional aide on his right side, thus he is thoroughly blocked in. One of the students in the classroom is often verbally disruptive and off-task. The noise level of this student often causes my student to be distracted and therefore off-task himself.
3. Requests: the teacher keeps to pretty much the same schedule everyday. I think at this point in the year, the students might be bored with this sequence of events. Choice is an option only during free time, or in the case of my student, when choosing his three minute reinforcing item at the completion of an activity. My student is never threatened or talked to with anything but an even tone of voice.
4. Interactions: the students do not have many opportunities to practice positive social interactions. Even when the class is doing rotations between different centers, each student is usually working individually on an assignment while the teacher checks for comprehension. My student has recently begun engaging his desk partner in his animal perseverations. He gains her attention by asking or taking her hand and engages in seeking joint attention with pictures in a preferred book.
In terms of thinking about antecedents that are under our control versus those that are not, do you mean, those that we as people who are writing these BIPs are able to control, or, the antecedents that the teacher could control within his/her classroom in general?
For my student I really feel that altering ecological variable could have a huge impact. She struggles with transitioning from preferred activities to assigned classwork. I have questions about whether or not changing the time that choice time is offered would change her reaction. I also wonder if the call to come to their desks and start work was offered as a choice would change her attitude towards wanting to leave her preferred activity and go to do academic work or if it was presented as a bell or alarm.
I know that with my particular student there seem to be many ecological variables. My only concern is with the school system and setting of the classroom, set by guidelines. If there is going to be any way to change or adapt any of them.
As I continue to observe him I have noticed that paying close attention to these variable will help me with my goals for him as well as my objectives.
One other concern is that by adapting something for him might create another problem for someone else in the class. This has made me think that before just deciding to change something completely in the environment I would want to make sure what effects, if any it might have on the rest of the students.
Focusing on these ecological variables is definitely going to hlep me out with coming up with my final project and helping me to succeed with this student.
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