Behavior Chains

Chaining Overview

• A behavior chain is a sequence of linked responses leading to a terminal outcome.
• Each response produces a changed stimulus, which acts as a conditioned reinforcement for that response.
• The changed stimulus also acting also as a discriminative stimulus (SD) for the next response in the chain.
• Reinforcement of the last response in a chain maintains the reinforcing effectiveness of the stimulus changes produced by all previous responses.
• A behavior chain involves a specific series of discrete responses.
• The performance of each behavior in the sequence produces a stimulus change.
• This change yields conditioned reinforcement for the preceding response.
• This change also serves as a discriminative stimulus for the next response.
• The responses within the chain must be performed in a specific order and close together in time.

Factors Affecting Behavior Chain Performance

• Completeness of task analysis is essential in determining the elements/steps of the task
• Learning the chain is more difficult if the elements making up the chain are not appropriately sequenced.
• Learning is harder if the corresponding discriminative stimuli are not identified for each response.
• Planning must occur before training and you must be ready to make adjustments as you go
• Adjustments or more intrusive prompts may be needed
• Complex behavior chains take more time to learn than shorter or less complex chains.
• A chain is maintained if an appropriate schedule of reinforcement is used.
• Consider the number of responses in a chain when defining the reinforcement schedule.
• All possible variations of the discriminative stimulus should be introduced to the learner if possible.
• Response variation must occur to produce the same effect when stimulus variations occur.

Problematic Responding in a Behavior Chain

• The SD and response might occur out of sequence, so be sure to reexamine the sequences present throughout the behavior chain and rearrange them as needed.
• Similar SDs might evoke a different (incorrect) response, so rearrange the problematic SDs to mitigate confusion.
• Irrelevant SDs in the natural setting might control responding, so teach the learner to discriminate relevant critical components from irrelevant ones via discrimination training.
• SDs in the natural setting could be different from the training setting, so incorporate natural SDs into the training environment, and conduct some training in the natural environment.
• Novel stimuli in the environment may compete or interfere with responding, so incorporate these stimuli into the training environment and conduct discrimination training.

Antecedent Interventions

• Antecedent interventions are carefully planned strategies used before a behavior occurs.
• They aim to prevent or significantly reduce the likelihood of that behavior.
• These interventions help to set the stage for effective behavioral management.
• Environmental modifications or changes play a crucial role allowing practitioners to create conditions so they can diminish unwanted target behaviors while simultaneously enhancing desired behaviors.
• Antecedent interventions involve changes in physical space, social dynamics, or even schedules.
• The interventions are proactive, with emphasis on anticipatory actions for fostering positive behaviors rather than responding to negative occurrences.
• These strategies are fundamental to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and help improve human behavior through systematic manipulation of environmental factors.

Types of Antecedent Interventions

• Environmental modifications change physical surroundings to reduce triggers for unwanted behavior, for example rearranging furniture or reducing clutter.
• Visual supports use visual cues to prompt desired behaviors, for instance visual schedules.
• Priming informs individuals about upcoming activities/expectations.
• Choice-making provides choices to increase engagement and reduce challenging behaviors.
• Task modification alters the demands of a task to make it more manageable, such as breaking a task into smaller steps.
• Antecedent exercise incorporates physical activity to regulate behavior.

Environmental Modifications

• Rearranging furniture to minimize distractions is an example.
• Reducing clutter in a workspace promotes focus.
• Adjusting lighting or temperature creates a more comfortable environment.
• Aims to remove or minimize stimuli that may trigger undesirable behaviors.
• Can also add stimuli that encourage positive behaviors.

Visual Supports

• Visual schedules display activity sequences for predictability.
• Social stories describe social situations and expected behaviors.
• Timers visually represent activity duration.
• Graphic organizers help structure information and tasks.
• They enhance understanding and reduce anxiety as they clarify expectations

Priming/Pre-Teaching

• Priming provides a student with activity previews before the day's class.
• Priming describes the steps of a task before the person begins.
• Priming reviews rules or expectations before entering a specific environment.
• It prepares individuals for upcoming events, reducing uncertainty.
• Helps increase compliance with instructions.

Choice-Making

• Choice-making allows a child to choose which task to do first.
• Choice-making gives options for preferred activities or rewards.
• Choice-making asks for input on how a task should be completed.
• Choice-making increases a sense of control, which reduces challenging behaviors.
• Increasing engagement can lead to more cooperation through choice making.

Task Modification

• Task modification involves breaking large tasks into smaller, more manageable steps.
• Providing assistance or prompts during difficult parts of a task.
• Modifying the materials or equipment used in a task.
• Doing this can reduce the amount of work required.
• It makes tasks more accessible
• Promoting success and reduces frustration.

Antecedent Exercise

• Antecedent exercise incorporates physical activity breaks throughout the day.
• It encourages participation in sports or recreational activities.
• Using movement-based activities can improve transitions between tasks.
• Can improve mood, reduce hyperactivity and increase focus.

Implementation Strategies For Antecedent Interventions

• Identify the target behavior, clearly defining the behavior to be changed.
• Conduct a functional assessment to determine the triggers and factors that are maintaining a behavior.
• Select fitting interventions by choosing strategies to address the identified triggers.
• Implement the select interventions consistently.
• Monitor and evaluate, tracking the interventions' effects.
• Make adjustments as needed.

Benefits of Antecedent Interventions

• It can be a proactive approach to prevent problem behaviors before they occur.
• Positive reinforcement focuses on promoting the desired behaviors rather than punishing unwanted behaviors.
• It improves the learning environment/creates a supportive and predictable setting.
• Increased independence helps individuals develop skills to manage their own behavior.
• Reduced reliance on reactive strategies minimizes the need for disciplinary actions.

Examples of Antecedent Interventions in Practice

• A student with attention difficulties has a designated quiet workspace free from distractions (environmental modification).
• A child who struggles with transitions uses a visual schedule to prepare for changes in activities (visual support).
• An adult with anxiety is informed about the agenda for a meeting in advance (priming/pre-teaching).
• A teenager is allowed to choose which homework assignment to complete first (choice-making).
• An individual with repetitive behaviors engages in a structured exercise routine to reduce restlessness (antecedent exercise).

Functional Communication Training (FCT)

• FCT is an antecedent intervention where the appropriate communication behavior is taught.
• It serves as a replacement for problem behavior typically caused by an establishing operation (EO).
• Involves differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA).
• FCT stands as an evidence-based methodology within Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
• Its objective is to substitute challenging behaviors with suitable communication skills
• FCT enhances overall communication capabilities among individuals with limited communication abilities.

Key Focus of FCT

• FCT focuses on teaching individuals how to appropriately and effectively express desires, wants, resulting in the decrease of maladaptive behaviors.
• Through structured guidance, individuals learn to articulate their needs in a socially acceptable manner that fosters positive interactions.
• Recognizes that challenging behaviors systematically serve a communicative function, often reflecting an inability to convey wants or manage circumstances effectively.
• It allows practitioners can modify interventions to address underlying communication deficits.

Identifying the Function of Behavior with FBA in FCT

• The starting point in FCT involves conducting Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)
• This serves as a tool for pinpointing the specific purposes/functions that challenging behaviors serve.
• Understanding the function/purpose is paramount when developing targeted interventions.
• Common functions of behavior are Attention, Escape/Avoidance, Tangibles and Sensory/Automatic Reinforcement.
• Attention: behaviors intended to seek attention from peers, caregivers, or authority figures, captures focus.
• Escape/Avoidance: behaviors used to evade tasks or uncomfortable situations.
• Tangibles: behavior operates around the desire to obtain specific items or activities.
• Sensory/Automatic Reinforcement: behaviors provide satisfaction and are self-reinforcing, external validation is not required.

Designing the FCT Intervention

• The FCT intervention design naturally follows function identification
• It should focus on creating functional communication strategies
• The communication response needs to meet specific efficiency criteria
• Communication Efficiency: response should be straightforward for the individual to perform without extensive barriers.
• Communication Effectiveness: chosen response must reliably achieve the individual's desired outcome and needs.
• Communication Social Acceptablity: communication form has to be appropriate within the social context
• Should reinforce positive social interactions

Communication Methods in FCT

• Vocal speech involves directly verbalizing requests for communication clarity.
• Sign language uses manual signs for individuals that have speech delays/impairment.
• Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) uses picture cards to represent needs/wants.
• Facilitates communication for those struggling to verbally express themself
• Speech-generating devices (SGDs) are electronic/ provide vocal outputs that help to communicate needs more efficiently.

Important Parts of Comprehensive FCT Intervention Plan

• The target communication response that needs to be taught should have a clear definition of what communication form will be taught
• Determine teaching methods to produce the needed response and specify instructional strategies that can effectively teach communication form
• Determine potential reinforcement methods and successful communications can be rewarded to encourage consistent future use
• Determine strategies for addressing challenging behaviors and have and outline/plan for managing and reducing instances of maladaptive behaviors that may occur during the teaching process.

Key Concepts for Implementing FCT intervention

• The FCT implementation needs to be done consistently and systematically across varying individuals and environments.
• Prompts/cues are important in the initial training process (verbal, gestural, physical)
• Verbal Prompts: Provide verbal instructions or cues
• Gestural Prompts: Use pointing/demonstration. This provides individual guidance toward reaching the needed response
• Physical Prompts: Direct physical assistance. Facilitates engagement toward communicating

Advantages of FCT

• FCT is recognized for humane effectiveness, with less harmful behavioral interventions
• It facilitates valuable communication skills by enhancing a person's ability to successfully interact with the environment
• It can reduce the reliance on more restrictive interventions, fostering the independence/autonomy of individuals
• Focuses development of practical communication to enhance self-advocacy and abilities to advocate for their needs

Extinction Overview

• Extinction occurs when reinforcement of a previously reinforced behavior is discontinued, and the occurrence of that behavior decreases in the future.
• The target behavior from occurring is not prevented by an extinction procedure, but the response-reinforcer relation is terminated.
• If extinction is put into effect, its form corresponds to meet that of the problem behavior.
• The intervention is usually effective when the form of extinction meets the function of the problem behavior.
• Extinction should identify withholding the reinforcer for a previously reinforced behavior.
• Extinction is also properly used to described the decreasing response rate under an extinction procedure.
• Be sure to describe the functional relation between previously reinforced behavior and resulting diminished response.

Misuses of Extinction Include

• Using extinction for any behavior decrease (it's way more nuanced like stated above)
• Confusing forgetting and extinction
• Confusing response blocking and sensory extinction
• Confusing noncontingent reinforcement and extinction

Examples of Extinction Semantics Definitions

• Using "extinction" to treat Yoshiaki's inappropriate call-outs is ok, but must withhold previous reinforcement
• Witholding presumed sources of reinforcement, like ignoring, is incorrect use of extinction
• Applying extinction to describe a decreasing rate of performance is correct/describes the response during the treatment
• Referring to extincton of decreasing rates when witholding presumed reinforcement is incorrect

Further correct definitions

• Attributing lack of behaviors to extinction is correct only if there's no reinforcement
• Weakening due to a lack of use is more related to forgetting
• Stating" escape extiction" is ok and correctly identifies based on function
• Extinguishing eye rubbing by physically blocking is incorrect, because the auto reinforcement of the eye rubbing is prevented from occurring

Types of Behavior Response

• Behaviors maintained by positive reinforcement are extinguished when those behaviors do not produce the reinforcer

• Behaviors maintained by negative reinforcement is is also called escape extinction. This is when that the person can't escape the aversive situation by preforming the behavior

• Behaviors maintained by auto reinforcement are placed on extinction by removing sensation. This is referred also sensory extinction

Secondary Effects of Extinction

• Extinction Burst involves the immediate increase in response rate after removing reinforcement. It's a common effect, so expect problem behaviors to get worse before improvement.
• Response Variation involves diverse and novel forms of behavior observed during the extinction process
• It's also called extinction-induced variabilty.
• Initial Increase Response Magnitude is an increase in response magnitude that may occur during the early stages of extinction.
• Spontaneous Recovery is reappearance of the behavior after it has diminished to its pre-reinforcement level,but diminished after the extinction procedure
• Resurgence involves recurring of a previous reinforcement when the reinforcement is terminated or decreased.
• It has a three-phase produce: A target behavior is reinforced, then placed on extinction, then reinforcement is reintroduced
• Emotional Outbursts and Aggression when you place behaviors on extinction

Variables Effecting Resistance to Extinction

• Continued responding during an extinction procedure, which must show 3 measures (all rates decreasing) (declining rate of response, total count, duration)
• Intermittent schedules may produce more persistent responding during extinction than others
• Greater with thinner reinforcement schedules
• Resistance to extinction is great when it is carried with high motivation
• The magnitude/quality of reinforcement influences the resistance to extinction
• Successive applications of both can change the process of reinforcement and reapplication diminish total required responses
• Higher effort responses also require less effort

When Using Extinction Effectively

• Withhold ALL reinforcers and consistently and correctly identify the consequences that lead to that problem
• Do this until can get the behavior on an intermittent schedule
• Combine it with treatments that are effective with the schedule (reinforce alt behaviors)
• Especially, differential reinforcement
• Give clear instructions
• Be prepared for regression
• Be cautious of extinction
• Be patient until behavior is fully removed

When to Avoid Using Extinction

• When the behavior is life threatening/harmful to the individual
• When all sources of reinforcement can't be safely withheld
• When a rapid reduction in response rate is immediately required for the individuals safety
• When seeing the problem behavior is likely to be imitated