Fundamentals of ABA &

Strategies to Support Behavior

Crystal Martinez & Ebony Condon
 Agenda
 Defining ABA

 ABC’s of Behavior

 Functions of Behavior

 Replacement Behavior

 Consequences

 Behavioral Strategies
 What is ABA?

 ABA uses evidence-based interventions proven to help with skill

acquisition and behavior reduction.
 It focuses on socially significant areas of development.
 ABC’s of Behavior
Antecedent/Behavior/Consequence of behavior used to analyze
and manipulate environmental factors that maintain behavior

 Used in educational and clinical settings

 Implemented to directly change socially significant behavior
 Analysis of Antecedents ( triggers)
 Analysis of Consequences
 ABC’s of Behavior: Antecedent
 What happens directly before the behavior the behavior occurs?

 Possible antecedents:
 Denied access
 Presented with a task or demand
 Removal/ addition of attention
 Change in routine
 Transition
 ABC’s of Behavior: Behavior

 Behavior needs to be observable and measurable.

Examples:
 Running out of the classroom without permission
 Hitting others with a closed fist
 Biting others and breaking skin
 Screaming to the point that you can hear it
in another room
 Throwing classroom furniture towards others
ABC’s of Behavior: Consequence
 What happens immediately after the behavior occurs?
 Do you want to increase or decrease the behavior?

 Possible consequences:
 Block/ Interrupt/ Redirect
 Ignore/ Remove attention
 Provide attention
 Modify/ Change demand
 Remove demand/ Break
 Access given
Functions of Behavior
 Functions of Behavior

 Why is the individual engaging in this behavior?

 What need is the child trying to get met?

 Functions:
 Sensory
 Escape/Avoid
 Attention
 Tangibles
 Escape/ Avoidance
 Escape- A behavior in which the student is trying to get out of or
avoid doing something.

 Ex: The teacher says it’s time to do math. Jimmy stands up from
his chair and starts to walk around the room. The teacher tells
him to sit at his desk multiple times, but he doesn’t listen
and continues to wander. The teacher begins to ignore Jimmy. 30
minutes go by, and the teacher says it’s time for recess. Jimmy
immediately gets in line and walks outside with his class and
begins to play.
 Attention
 Attention- When one engages in a behavior to gain attention
from others, getting social reinforcement from interactions with
someone.

 Ex: No one is giving attention to Sally at recess. She begins to

scream to gain their attention. Students go up to Sally and ask
her what is wrong and if she wants to play. Sally in now more
likely to scream in the future to get the attention of her peers.
 Tangible
 Tangibles- Gaining access to something, someone, or
some activity.

 Ex: Ryan and his classmates are eating snack in the

classroom. Ryan realizes that his juice box does not have a straw.
Ryan begins having tantrum. The teacher notices that
he doesn't have a straw. She gives Ryan a straw.
 Sensory
 Sensory- Doing something that feels good and elicits a pleasure
response in the body.

 Ex: Samantha’s teacher notices that during

transitions, Samantha sucks her thumb. She also sucks her
thumb when the volume of the classroom is loud.
Replacement Behavior
 Replacement Behavior
Replacement behavior is a behavior that is socially acceptable and
desirable that a child can do instead of maladaptive behavior that
meets the same function (FERB)
 (FERB) Functionally Equivalent Replacement Behavior
 Needs to be in student’s behavioral repertoire
 Ex: If a student engages in hitting behavior to get an adult's
attention, a FERB could be to have the student raise his hand to
get an adult's attention instead. We would teach the student a
new way to receive attention, which would be by raising his
hand.
Consequences
 Consequences
Positive Negative
+ -
Stimulus Stimulus
added Removed
Reinforcemen Positive Negative
t increases
frequency of R+ R-
desired
behavior Reward Relief

Punishment Positive Negative

decreases Punishment Punishment
frequency of
undesired P+ P-
behavior
 Positive Reinforcement
 Positive reinforcement is the “contingent presentation of a
stimulus, following a response, that increases the probability of
rate response.”
 Improves behavioral outcomes
 Immediate (within 1-3 seconds following targeted behavior)
 Schedules of reinforcement
 Differential reinforcement (DRA, DRO, DRI, DRL)
 AFIRM Modules | AFIRM (unc.edu)
 Extinction
 The contingent removal of reinforcement for previously reinforced
behavior, to decrease the occurrence of that behavior
 Ex: If a student engages in tantrum behavior to gain access to
tablet, teacher will no longer provide student with tablet when
he/she engages in tantrum behavior
 Ex: If a child engages in tantrum behavior to gain access to
balloons as the grocery store, parent will no longer give child
balloons when he/she engages in tantrum behavior at the store.
 Negative Reinforcement
 The contingent removal, termination of a stimulus following a
response that increases the future occurrence of that behavior.
 Negative reinforcement occurs when something unpleasant or
uncomfortable is removed or taken away in order to increase the
likelihood of a desired behavior.
 Ex: If a teacher wants to improve task completion in class, they
could set the contingency that if student completes all classroom
work, student will have no homework.
 Ex: If parent wants their child to eat dinner, they could set the
contingency that if student eats their dinner, they will not have to
do their household chore.
Behavioral Strategies
Antecedent Based Interventions
 Can be used to decrease a targeted behavior by manipulating
environmental factors; preventative strategies
 Used to address; social, communication, behavior, school-
readiness, play, motor, adaptive, and academic outcomes.
 Used to reduce; challenging behaviors,
 Strengthens transitions, communication skills, and social skills
 EX: priming, visual schedules/schedules, visual aides, timers,
providing choices, frontloading
 A Case for Antecedent Based Interventions

 A Case for ABI | AFIRM (unc.edu)

 Functional Communication
Training
 Functional communication training is used to address interfering
behaviors by providing a child with a replacement behavior in the
form of functional communication
 EX: Replacement
Interfering Function of
Communicative
Behavior Behavior
Behavior
Aggression,
Property Avoid task
Ask for a break
Destruction, demands
Elopement
Aggression,
Obtain preferred Request item or
Tantrums,
item or activity activity
Screaming

Autism Focused Intervention Resources &

Modules (AFIRM)
 A Case for Functional Communication
Teaching
 A Case for FCT | AFIRM (unc.edu)
 Modeling
Modeling is an evidence-based practice that supports skill
acquisition by having a student/child observe the correct
performance of a desired behavior.
 A Case for Modeling

 A Case for MD | AFIRM (unc.edu)

Thank you!
 Citation
 Sam, A., & AFIRM Team. (2016). Modeling. Chapel Hill, NC: National
Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder, FPG
Child Development Center, University of North Carolina. Retrieved from
http://afirm.fpg.unc.edu/modeling
 Sam, A., & AFIRM Team. (2016). Antecedent-based intervention. Chapel
Hill, NC: National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum
Disorder, FPG Child Development Center, University of North Carolina.
Retrieved from http://afirm.fpg.unc.edu/antecedent-based-intervention
 Griffin, W., & AFIRM Team. (2017). Functional communication
training. Chapel Hill, NC: National Professional Development Center on
Autism Spectrum Disorder, FPG Child Development Center, University
of North Carolina. Retrieved from
http://afirm.fpg.unc.edu/functional-communication-training