#4 Managing Problem Behaviors in School and Home Settings

The requirements of every day life sometimes demand that children merely learn to comply with the directives that are given to them, e.g. its time to line up for music; no, you cant have that toy now, etc. Teachers and parents who are unable to insure the compliance without problem behavior report dissatisfaction with this situation.

Over the past 20 years an effective technology for reducing problem behavior has emerged within the field of applied behavior analysis. The literature on functional assessment within the field of applied behavior analysis has provided teachers and parents with effective protocols for reducing problem behavior once the function of the behavior is determined. Unfortunately, this technology is seldom applied in public school settings. The primary focus of this workshop will be on behavior reduction programs that address the most frequently determined functions: socially mediated positive and socially mediated negative reinforcement.

The presenter will use video extensively to illustrate how the science is applied to address the most common problem behavior scenerios (transitioning from preferred to unpreferred activities and accepting no). This workshop is designed to teach participants to:

• Conduct functional assessments in school and home settings
• Identify behavior by its function
• Determine the behavior reduction methods appropriate for the most common functions
• Develop behavior plans that address the controlling variables for each function of behavior.
• Implement the appropriate protocol for reducing problem behavior across several functions.