First, let me thank Sarah for reminding me to post this new blog entry.
Now, let's have a conversation about how you can integrate differential reinforcement strategies to decrease the problem behavior for the student that you have been conducting your assessment.
For example, if your student's problem behavior is blurting out and the replacement behavior is raising hand quietly and waiting to be called before speaking...then, the problem and replacement behavior would be considered incompatible. The student CANNOT raise hand and remain quiet while blurting out. Therefore, your differential reinforcement strategy for your student would be to use DRI, Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behavior....the reinforcement you use must be of the same type as the one that the problem behavior typically accesses....so, as you systematically deliver reinforcement contingently each time that the student exhibits the replacement behavior, the student accesses the same function with the replacement behavior, while the problem behavior will be purposefully and systematically NOT reinforced (extiniction) and the problem behavior will naturally decrease.
Use your cases to come up with a formal strategy to decrease your student's problem behavior using one of the differential reinforcement strategies: DRI, DRA, DRO, DRL.
I have crafted the midterm to ensure that all of the content has been covered in class and in your readings...there should be NO surprises.
One more thing, I will be out of town on Tuesday and the midterm exam will be proctored by my student assistant...he has specific directions on administering the exam.
I will have access to my email and the class blog...so, if you have questions, please do not hesitate to post on the blog or email me.
Thanks,
Dr. A
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18 comments:
Assuming that my student will learn his replacement behavior, currently he is skill deficient; I think that my reinforcement strategy is DRA, Differential Reinforcement of alternative behavior. My problem behavior is off task and my replacement behavior is requesting a break. The behaviors are different but they achieve the same purpose for the student. As long as I am consistent with reinforcing my replacement behavior my student should not revert back to his problem behavior. I need to make sure my student learns to communicate to his teachers when he needs a break, and then promptly reinforce him for the behavior.
Please see my midterm review comment. I know it's last minute but if anyone has an answer for what to do about the content Dr. A wants us to know but that we have not covered let me know.
My student’s problem behavior is throwing toys (at least six inches from her current location), and her replacement behavior is to hand the toy to an adult. The problem and replacement behaviors are incompatible. Since these two behaviors cannot occur at the same time, I would have to use DRI for my reinforcement strategy. Reinforcement should be given only when she hands the toy. At the start of the intervention, reinforcements should be given on a CRF schedule.
Can anyone give examples of when we would use the other strategies: DRO, DRL
I’m a little confused about ALL the strategies. Examples would definitely help! Thanks!
In response to Kendra, Dr. A mentioned in his above comment that the midterm will only cover what was in class and in our readings which is only up to chapter 7 and the strategies of differential reinforcement in Ch 8. Hope that helps!
My student’s problem behavior is hitting others and his replacement behavior is asking for a break/moving to the break area. My hypothesis is that my student engages in his hitting behavior to escape/avoid a difficult or non-preferred task. Therefore, I chose asking for a break as a replacement behavior because it serves the same function as his problem behavior: escaping and/or avoiding the given task. In order to reduce his hitting behavior I believe I would use differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA). The alternative behavior and the inappropriate behavior are dissimilar, but not necessarily physically incompatible (my student could still hit someone as he is asking for a break/walking to the break area so it would not be DRI). My student would be able to access his reinforcer (a break) whenever asked, would ideally result in him accessing the reinforcer frequently (a clear definition of ‘too frequently’ would have to be operationally defined and if he began doing this too frequently a different replacement behavior would have to be tested), would require less effort than his problem behavior, and could easily be maintained by natural reinforcers in time. My student’s hitting behavior would therefore be put on extinction (no longer reinforced) while his request for a break and moving to the break area would be negatively reinforced. In time, his hitting behavior should go down as he is being reinforced for the more socially appropriate behavior of asking for a break.
After reviewing the definitions of DRI and DRA..AGAIN..couldn't I use DRA for my student as well? How would I know which strategy to use? I'm confused...
The student I am working with engages in off-task behavior because he seeks attention. The replacement behavior we are using for him is to request a break when he feels he cannot participate in the activity. The reinforcement strategy, therefore, is DRA because we are reinforcing him for using an appropriate alternate behavior.
My student's problem behavior is refusing to begin percieved difficult tasks by walking out of class. His replacement behavior is to ask for a break or an alternate task. Therefore I would use DRA for my reinforcement strategy. My student cannot walk out of class and ask for a break at the same time, nor can he walk out of class and ask for an alternate task at the same time. My consistency in having alternate tasks prepared and accessible to the student is a key to making his intervention successful.
My student's problem behavior is making animal noises during class/work time, and his replacement behavior is to tell a joke or silly/funny story. I believe that his problem behavior exists to access peer/staff attention, and hopefully being humorous will access that same attention in a more "socially invisable" manner. These two behaviors do not seem incompatible. I think that my reinforcement strategy would be DRA, providing positive reinforcement for displaying alternative behavior . However, my student does not yet clearly use/have his replacement behavior and the class notes state that DRI and DRA "work best if the behavior is already in the student's repertoire." And so, I have to figure out how to adequately introduce this replacement behavior into his "repertoire" which I am still somewhat clueless about.
My student’s problem behavior is off-task behavior (talking, looking around the room, rummaging through book bag, laying head on desk) and his replacement behavior is to access an alternate assignment. I would use differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior (DRI) because if he is appropriately accessing the alternate behavior he cannot also be off-task. Both behaviors allow my student to escape a given task and both will eventually be phased out.
My student’s problem behavior is that he is off task and the function to his behavior seems to be attention and escape. Therefore, I have organized a replacement behavior with the same function. For attention, he can ask for the teacher/aides attention and for escape he can ask for a break. My student has a skill deficit in asking for a break and this behavior will need to be taught to him. Once my student learns the skill of asking for a break he will be reinforced immediately when he chooses this behavior. The strategy that I would use would be DRL with the skill deficit behavior (asking for a break) and DRA with asking for teacher/aides attention. Since, data has shown that he knows how to ask for teacher/aides attention, we will only need to increase the use of this replacement behavior by reinforcing him when he chooses this alternate behavior.
My students problem behavior is being out of his seat without permission. I believe that he is doing it to access peer attention. His replacement behavior is to ask to work with a peer buddy. My reinforcement strategy will be DRA. It would not be DRI because the 2 behaviors are not incompatable. The student could ask to work with a peer buddy while he is out of his seat.
AS a response to Kendra, the definition is found in chapter 9.
Discrimination training--Discrimination is the ability to tell the difference between environmental events or stimuli. It develops as a result of differetial reinforcement. A teacher applies discrimination training by establishing specific tasks, times, places, instructins, and other antecedent events as discriminative stimuli.
Chaining--components task analysis form a behavioral chain. The instructional procedure of reinforcing individual responses for occurring in sequence to form complex behaviors.
I hope this helps. Good luck to all!!
One of my student's behaviors is tantruming to escape a non-preferred activity. His replacement behavior will be to ask for a break, and the break will consist of taking a walk or sitting in a quiet area. Since the consequences of both the problem and replacement behavior are escape from the non-preferred activity, I believe that I would need to use DRA.
I am not really sure what I will be doing, because my student has not exhibited his problem behavior in the classroom for three weeks! His overall behavior has improved greatly.
The problem behavior for the student I am observing for this project engages in pinching to momentarily avoid the task at hand. The desired replacement behavior is to have her request a break from the task when she becomes frustrated or overwhelmed. Therefore, I belive the reinforcement-based strategy is differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA). According to the definition of DRA, requesting a break from the task decreases the likelihood that the pinching will occur (hopefully!!) because the replacement behavior has functional equivalence to the problem behavior.
My student’s problem behavior is throwing toys (at least six inches from her current location), and her replacement behavior is to hand the toy to an adult. The problem and replacement behaviors are incompatible. Since these two behaviors cannot occur at the same time, I would have to use DRI for my reinforcement strategy. Reinforcement should be given only when she hands the toy. At the start of the intervention, reinforcements should be given on a CRF schedule.
Can anyone give examples of when we would use the other strategies: DRO, DRL
I’m a little confused about ALL the strategies. Examples would definitely help! Thanks!
Melodie
Basically, a DRI IS a DRA. If it is incompatible then it is an alternative. I would probably call it a DRA, just to be on the safe side, because in theory, the child could have 2 toys, and thrown one and hand one to you at the same time.
For DRL, I have had older students track the number of instances of their behavior, and for lower rates of the inappropriate behavior, they were reinforced.
I have actually never used a DRO, but I imagine with severe self-stimulatory behaviors or SIBs, I may use it.
For my kiddo that has fairly aggressive tantrums that include property destruction, I will be use a DRA. The alternative behavior would be using vocal language to express his disagreement of what I have asked him to do. The reason this is DRA instead of DRI, is because (and I have seen this), he can be telling me (usually screaming) what he does not like, at the same time he is tantrumming.
My student's behavior is noncompliance manifested as turning away from the teacher, crossing his arms, blurting out negative comments, such as "this is stupid."
The replacement is asking for a break or asking for help in an appropriate manner.
I believe that the replacement behavior would be considered a DRA behavior since i will be reinforcing an alternative behavior,which will decrease the performance of the target behavior as long as I am consistent.
In response to Elizabeth's BLOG DRO is supposed to be used with students that have a limited range of abilities. The only time you deliver reinforcement is when the target behavior is not performed. DRO reinforces only the absence of behavior. I think this is the strategy that Dr. Alvarado said you reinforce everything but the behavior you do not want to happen, even if it's a bad behavior. Hope this helps.
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