Presentation given at the NRCP2018 Conference by Emily Sobeck MeganReister

1. Preventing Challenging
Behavior
Dr. Megan Reister
Dr. Emily Sobeck
NRCP 34th Annual Conference
Seattle, Washington
April 2018
Franciscan University
of Steubenville

2. Agenda
❖ Why Challenging
Behavior?
❖ Foundational
Considerations &
General Practices
❖ 10 Evidence-based
Practices
❖ Overarching Tips
❖ Questions

3. Why talk about challenging behavior?
 If we can’t manage student behavior efficiently,learning cannot occur.
 Research shows a wide gap between research and practice in school-basedprevention methods
(Weisz, Sandler, Durlak, & Anton, 2005).
 Faculty & staff need to improve classroom management skills (Hutchings et al., 2013) in order to try
to minimizeor eliminate problem behavior (Carr, et al., 2002).
 Classroom dynamic and quality of life for the students are affected (Funk & Axelrod, 2013).
 Addressing challenging behavior:
 Allows learning to occur
 Improves self esteem of students
 Yields more positive feelings/interactions
 Improve adult-child relationships
 Reduces the change of problem behavior intensifying as the child ages

4. Why talk about challenging behavior?
 Paraeducators are our first line of defense in the field!
 A large part of the role of a paraeducator is providing behavioral support services
(Blacher & Rodriguez, 2007).
 Paraeducators generally spend a substantial portion of their workday
implementing behavior management plans and providing behavior support
(Carter et al., 2009; Fisher & Pleasants, 2012).
 Paraeducators work with students who demonstrate some of the most challenging
behavior within the school setting (Carter, O’Rourke, Sisco, & Pelsue, 2009).
 Important to learn a toolbox of strategies for preventing and addressing problem
behavior because training tends to be limited for paraeducators (Fisher &
Pleasant, 2012).

5. Why antecedent strategies?
 Prevent instead of react!! Less reliance on punishment-rooted techniques and more
emphasis on PBS (Funk & Axelrod, 2013).
 Focus on what happens right before a behavioroccurs (McCollow et al., 2016).
 Focus on preventionand enhancing motivation (Kern & Clemens, 2007).
 Allow students to interact withreinforcement more frequently.
 Support a more managed classroom dynamic.
 Strengthen academic interventions (Kruger et al., 2015).
 Preventative techniques encourage appropriate behaviorand minimize disruptive
behaviorsin the classroom (Conroy, Sutherland, Snyder, & Marsh, 2008).

6. What types of antecedent
strategies have you seen
implemented or implemented
yourself?

7. Foundational Considerations When
Addressing Challenging Behavior

8. Function!
 All behavior has a function.
 Must match the function of the behavior
to the intervention.
 Often wonder why a strategy does not
work? Does the function match the
strategy being used?
 Function can, at times, be easy to
determine.
 Other times, not. - FBA if needed.
 4 functions of behavior…

10. Function:
Obtain or Avoid Attention
Obtain or Avoid Tangible
Obtain for Avoid Sensory Condition

11. What is the function?
1. When the teacher asks the class to get out the homework, Tommy throws
himself on the floor and Tommy does not turn in homework.
2. Susan is playing on the carpet with a toy truck. When Tom takes the toy
truck from Susan she hits herself repeatedly until Tom gives back her truck.
3. When the teacher starts reading to the class, Timmy calls out repeatedly
and his peers laugh. Timmy continues to call out even more.
4. While the teacher reads aloud to the class, Anna hums silently to herself
and rocks side to side while the teacher continues to read the story.

12. General Practices to Prevent Challenging
Behavior
 Have materials ready
 Limit language- 1-2 step directions – clear and concise (Kern & Clemens, 2007)
 No Inquiry-based learning (Kirschner, Sweller, & Clark, 2006; Rosenshine, 2012)
 Direct and explicit instruction with feedback (Zigmond & Kloo, 2011)
 High levels of specific praise (Webster-Stratton et al., 2008)
 Instructional strategies (Tincani, 2011)
 Eye contact helps student understand & brings a sense of genuineness (Radley & Dart, 2015)
 Systematic sequence of activities, teach to mastery, ensure prerequisite skills are solid
 Instructional pace should be brisk (Kern & Clemens, 2007)
 Consider level of difficulty or task

13. 10 Strategies to Prevent
Challenging Behavior

14. 1. Reinforcement
 Students are always doing something that can be reinforced!
 Unfortunately, the rate of praise in classrooms for students withdisabilities is low (Hawkins &
Heflin, 2011).
 Continuous at first, fade to intermittentonce behavioris established (Miltenberger, 2016).
 Positive Reinforcementvs. NegativeReinforcement
 Avoid the “but.” Reinforcement should:
 Be deliveredimmediately & frequently
 Have an appropriate magnitude
 Be planned and thought-out…think of a schedule for reinforcing
 Praise process not product!

15. 2. Behavior Specific Praise
 The type and quality of feedback givento students impact their performance at school (Chalk & Bizo,
2004).
 In addition to praising process, be sure to be specific(Kern & Clemens, 2007).
 BSP describes the behavior that is being reinforced, allowing the student to recognize which
behaviors are desirable. It also helps make the connection between desirable behavior and positive
consequences (Hawkin & Heflin,2011).
 Has shown to:
 Increase student time on-task (Duchaine et al., 201; Sutherland et al., 2000)
 Increase responding (Allday et al., 2012)
 Improve correct answers (Duchaine et al., 2011)
 Decrease disruptive behavior (Reinke et al., 2007)

16. 2. Behavior Specific Praise

17. 3. High Probability Request Sequences
 Noncompliance is one of the most pervasive problems in schools (Lee et al., 2004).
 HPRS are evidence-based antecedent strategies that increase compliance with adult
requests (Radley & Dart, 2015).
 HPRS- sequence of requests with a high probability of compliance are given to a child
immediately before delivery of a low-probability request (Rortvedt & Miltenberger, 1994).
 Deliver 3-5 quick requests in which the student has a history of responding favorably (high-
probability) before delivering one request in which the student typically does not respond
(low-probability;Davis & McLaughlin,2013).
 Behavioral Momentum - a behavior’s momentum can increase when the response rate is
increased. The succession and repetition of request/compliance/reinforcement creates a
momentum in which the low-probability behavior is likely to be completed (Davis &
McLaughlin,2013).
 Must have embedded reinforcement (Pitts & Dymond, 2012).

18. 3. High Probability Request Sequences

19. 4. Incorporate Choice
 There is always a choice to be had!
 Environment, type of task, materials to use, and sequence of tasks (Kern & Clemens,2007).
 Choices can be applied to the task at hand or to consequences for completing the assignedtasks
(Kruger et al., 2016).
 Would you like a blue or red crayon? Want to sit on the floor or chair?
 If you complete your math worksheet would you like iPad time or a snack? After reading do you want to
have five minutes of free play or color?
 When givena choice,students tend to:
 Select more challenging work (Cates & Skinner, 2000).
 Demonstrate less disruptive behavior (McCurdy et al., 2001).
 Be on-task and engaged more (Dunlap et al., 1991).
 Have increased task completion and accuracy McDonald & Ardoin, 2007).

20. 4. Incorporate Choice
 Johnny
 1st grade
 Math Worksheet
 What are some ways that
you could incorporate
choice when working on
this withJohnny?
 How he completes it
 Where
 Materials
 Order

21. 5. Increase Environmental Predictability
 When students can predict the events of the day they are more likely tobe engaged
and less likely to display problem behavior.
 Anything you can do to make the day’s task concrete and predictable
 Consistent procedures and routines
 Signals & cues for upcoming changes
 Visually displaying activity schedules (McCollow et al., 2016)
 Verbal remindersof the day’s events
 Photos or visitingthe new environment
 Discussing possible challenges and verbalizinga plan
 Visual timer
 Social Story (Gray & Garand, 1993)

22. 5. Increase Environmental Predictability
 RESOURCES:
 Great website for visual timers: https://www.online-stopwatch.com/classroom-timers/
 Carol Gray’s website: https://carolgraysocialstories.com/social-stories/
 Activity schedules: https://pecsusa.com/pecs/ & https://www.boardmakeronline.com

23. 6. Scheduled Attention
 If a student is satiated with attention he is less likelyto engage in disruptivebehavior (Banda &
Sokolosky, 2012).
 Only works if the function of the behavior is attention!
 Non-contingent:
 Teacher, paraeducator, or other staff spend pre-determined time with the student.
 Attention is given at specifiedtimes, regardlessof behavior.
 5 minutes first thing in the morning, 5 minutes during snack, 5 minutes during free play, 5 minutes
during bathroom break, 5 minutes during rest time, and 10 minutes during bus callingtime.
 Contingent:
 Student engages in desired & appropriate behavior = earns time with the paraeducator,
teacher, or other adult.
 Student fills up a jar to earn eating lunch with the adult or running errands with the adult.

24. 7. Pre-Correction
 Designedto prevent predictable problem behavior (Lewis & Colvin, 2000).
 Remindthe student of the appropriate behavior before the opportunity to engage in the behavior
occurs (Lampi et al., 2005).
 Steps (Colvin et al., 1993):
 1. Identify predictable behavior.
 2. Specify appropriate behavior.
 3. Reinforce appropriate behavior.
 4. Monitor student progress.
 Benefits:
 Decrease the amount of time needed for redirection, getting back on task, & correction (Lampi et al., 2005).
 Less disruptive behavior (Oswald et al., 2005).
 Prevents repetition of the wrong behavior (Lampi et al., 2005).

25. 8. Opportunities to Respond
 Optimal OTR rate for elementary-aged students is 3.5 per minute during periods of direct
instruction (Adamson et al., 2017).
 3 Parts of OTR (Simonsen, Myers, & DeLuca, 2010):
 Presented stimulus to elicit a student response
 Student response
 Response contingency/reinforcement
 Elicited responses can be verbal, written, gestural, or physical.
 All students participate actively in the lesson (MacSuga-Gage & Simonsen, 2015).
 Evidence to support use across grades, ages, small and large groups, environments, and
students with/withoutdisabilities (Menzies et al., 2017).
 OTRs encourage a higher levelof engagement, greater number of correct responses,
improved academic outcomes, and less disruptive behavior(Messenger et al., 2017).

26. 8. Opportunities to Respond
Shortly after science class started, the teacher announced, “We
have a small block of ice and the same sized block of butter. Tell
your neighbor which one would melt first.” A few seconds later the
teacher said, “Please write down in one sentence an explanation
for your answer.” A few minutes later, the teacher told students to
share with their neighbor what they had written. Shortly thereafter,
the teacher called on one student to tell the class the answer after
volunteers raised their hands. The teacher then asked the students
to raise their hands if they agreed with the answer. Then the
teacher asked students to give a thumb down if anyone disagreed.
Colvin, 2009

27. 9. Good Behavior Game
 Classroom team-based behavior management strategy that reinforces students for engaging in on-
task behaviors during instructional lessons.
 The class is divided in two teams and a point is given to a team for any inappropriate behavior
displayed by one of its members. The team with the fewest number of points at the end of the game
each day wins a group reward. If both teams keep their points below a preset level, then both teams
get the reward.
 Clear/distinct start/stop to the game.
 Doesn't require substantial resources or preparation (Cheatheam et al., 2017).
 Reduces disruptivebehavior (Donaldson et al., 2018) and affects long-term behavior: students are less
likely to smoke, use drugs, need psychological support, and consider suicide (Kellam et al., 2011).
 Resource: https://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Other-Resources/School-Safety/Building-
Better-Learning-Environments/Promote-Pro-Social-Behavior/Good-Behavior-Game-Manual.pdf.aspx
 Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jqrug7afH7A

28. 10. Mystery Motivator
 The Mystery Motivator strategy was designed to increase the proficiency of
academic and behavioral task demands by providinga “mystery” reinforcement
using a random schedule (Jenson, Rhode, & Reavis, 1994).
 Students are remindedof desired behaviors and a task is given.
 If the student completes the task as intended, he or she receivesa chance at getting
the mystery motivator.
 Can be used individuallyor as a whole class.
 Let’s take a look at two examples…

29. 10. Mystery Motivator

30. 10. Mystery Motivator

31. Preventing Challenging Behavior
 Data collection and data-based decision making is important since adults
need to know if the strategy is working (Tincani, 2011).
 Fidelity checklists are a great tool to ensure you are implementing the
strategy correctly.
 Make sure to reflect on foundational best practices.
 Consider the function of behavior.
 As paraeducators, it is important to have a tool box of varying strategies!
 Better to prevent behavior than to react to it.
 If we can’t manage behavior, learning cannot occur!

32. Questions?
Dr. Megan Reister
mreister@franciscan.edu
Assistant Professor of Education
Franciscan Universityof Steubenville
Dr. Emily Sobeck
esobeck@franciscan.edu
Assistant Professor of Special Education
Franciscan Universityof Steubenville