Behavioral Interventions and Solutions
What if I told you that positive reinforcement involves more than just rewards? Positive reinforcement is the addition of a stimulus, which increases the likelihood of a behavior happening again in the future. It is one small part of a larger concept – operant conditioning. In my experience, the concepts of reinforcement and punishment are the hardest to understand in… Read More
Premack Principle sounds like a complex concept, however, it is a contingency that you encounter every day. Everyone knows that grandma’s rule is to eat your veggies before you can have dessert. But did you know that this simple theory can also apply to many other situations? In fact, many of you are probably already using this strategy without realizing… Read More
When you have a child with academic, social, or behavioral challenges, your goal is to provide them with the best support available. But how do you ensure that teachers and therapists effectively meet the needs of your child? For many families, the creation of an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) accomplishes this goal. An IEP is a legal document that outlines… Read More
What is behavioral momentum? Do you ever have one of those days where you think to yourself; “If I could just get the ball rolling, I would be able to get so much more done.”? Enter BEHAVIORAL MOMENTUM. Behavioral momentum (which is also known as a high-probability request sequence) is “an antecedent intervention in which two to five easy tasks… Read More
The pairing process or “building rapport” is a topic that I love teaching to others. For teachers and other school professionals, it is a quick and effortless way to gain instructional control; however, it is a concept that parents can utilize as well. Day-to-day life can be stressful. Parents balance the struggle of having to maintain order within their households… Read More
If you have worked with a BCBA in the past, it is likely that you have heard the term FUNCTIONS OF BEHAVIOR. BCBAs look at functions in order to determine WHY specific behaviors are occurring. Then they develop a document called a Behavior Support Plan or BSP. It contains the definitions of challenging behavior, antecedent strategies, replacement behaviors, and consequence… Read More
Behavior specific praise is an important aspect of positive reinforcement. Children are constantly looking for attention from the adults in their life. Yet, that attention is often delivered following a negative behavior. For example: A child who follows their bedtime routine on the first request will often get less attention than the child running around refusing to go to bed…. Read More
Arguing with your child about every little thing can be exhausting, am I right? Enter CONTROLLED CHOICE-MAKING. Giving your child the power to make choices is an important strategy for any parent. It allows children to have some control over their own lives. Which in turn can help you avoid those dreaded power struggles. With controlled choices, children are given… Read More
Parents, do you feel like you are constantly saying “No/Stop/Don’t” to your child? Learning about how to use the power of positive phrasing can be an asset for parents everywhere. Children are on the receiving end of hundreds of instructions every day. Yet, many times these commands are both abrupt and negative in their delivery. Why? In the real… Read More
Do you struggle to provide reinforcement when your child isn’t cooperating? Parents will often ask me why they should be “giving in” to certain behaviors. Enter the reinforcement vs. bribery infographic. This is a easy way to see the differences between the two. When you use reinforcement you ensure that lasting behavior change will occur and the adult remains in… Read More
Wouldn’t it be great to have a tool that uses positive reinforcement to make meaningful behavior change? Token boards do just that. They reward desired behaviors, with a series of “tokens,” which the child can then exchange for something valuable. However, before you implement a token economy system, you need to ensure that the child understands that “tokens” represent good… Read More
I work with two of the best BCBAs I know. Last week we began updating a parent training that focused on managing difficult behaviors at home. We quickly got to work creating a powerpoint and a set of handouts for the parents to take home. On Friday, we got up in front of a small group of parents and walked… Read More
I will admit it; I have a love/hate relationship with the elf on the shelf. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love crafty things. The elf on the shelf provides the perfect mix of creativity and magic that is so special about the holiday season. However, there is another side to the elf on the shelf. This little… Read More
How do you give your child meaningful consequences while also giving enough praise? Yesterday, I received a text message from my cousin. The message said: “Can E get shipped to your house for three days. She needs military school. I’m just tired. Everything is a battle and her new mantra is, “Mama, I’m just trying to make a deal.” Let… Read More
Hi! I’m Dana, the girl behind Behavioral Interventions And Solutions, LLC (BIAS.) BIAS was created after noticing the lack of ABA resources, specifically designed with parents in mind. My goal is to empower parents by providing them with affordable and easy to use tools for managing challenging behaviors. Let me tell you a little more about myself. My mom… Read More
Have you tried Boom Cards yet?
Boom Cards are self-correcting, digital task cards. Each deck is designed to provide immediate feedback and it even collects DATA FOR YOU!
There is a $1 hashtag sale happening tomorrow and Wednesday. Decks that typically cost up to $5 will be on sale for a fraction of the price.
Want to learn more about Boom Cards and how to get started? Check out this blog post for more info: biasbehavioral.com/boom-cards-a-digital-solution-for-student-programming-and-materials/
This week over on my Instagram page I posted a 6-part series all about the ABCs of Behavior. It is important to not only observe the behaviors that a person demonstrates, but also the factors that trigger and maintain those behaviors.
Another important aspect of this three-term contingency is data collection. Without objective and measurable data, it is difficult to hypothesize the reasons why certain behaviors are occurring.
I compiled all the information from the ABCs of Behavior series and posted it on my blog. I even included a pretty cool tip for digital ABC data collection!
Head on over to my blog to read more and grab a PDF version of this free infographic from my resource library. I’ll link to the post in the comments below.
Teachers,
This is inevitably going to be one of the most challenging years of your career. Whether you have been in education for 20 years or are fresh out of college, all of us feel like first-year teachers. For some, that means integrating technology in ways we never thought possible, and for others, it means finding ways to engage students from behind a mask and 6+ feet away. As a BCBA in a public school system, I not only hear those same challenges but am living them myself. I see the hard work and dedication, know the feelings of confusion, chaos, and am working alongside you to try to make each day a little bit easier.
Last week I decided I wanted to create a few different posters, cue cards, and visuals for some of my students. I tried to think of things that could be used among many different grade levels and student populations; sets that could be used as a stand-alone resource, or combined with others based on a student's needs. I ended up creating 7 different resources from seated movement break cards to distance greeting ideas and everything in between. (I'll post a link in the comments if you'd like to check them out.)
Don't get discouraged as you adapt to the seemingly endless phases and changes to your educational plan this year. Remember that we are all in this together and reach out if you need anything!
💜 Dana
Have you tried Boom Cards™ yet? Boom Cards are digital, interactive task cards hosted on the Boom Learning website, and let me tell you, they are an absolute game-changer.
Boom Cards are changing the way I create therapy materials and programming for kids. As long as you have an internet-enabled device, students can access the Boom Learning platform.
The best part is, you can assign decks to students and monitor their progress while they work.
Plus, digital task cards eliminate the need to share (or prep individual) materials for each student. Less prep, and more individualization, how can you go wrong?
Check out the graphic below to learn more and visit the link in the comments to check out the decks that I've made so far!
For all my Daniel Tiger 🐯 fans out there...
On August 17th, PBS will be featuring a music-filled episode that addresses some of the challenges children and their families are currently facing.
DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD: Won’t You Sing Along with Me? will focus on the feelings associated with missing family and friends, canceled events, and how to keep yourself and others healthy.
Check out the link to read more about this episode, in addition to links to resources specially designed for parents and educators regardless of your district's return to school plan for next year.
Fun Fact: Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood is an animated spin-off of the beloved show, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. Familiar characters and settings appear throughout the show, including his signature red cardigan. Each episode has a social-emotional theme, teaches associated feelings, and includes a "strategy song."
If you have a preschooler at home, don't miss this season premier.
www.pbs.org/about/blogs/news/new-daniel-tigers-neighborhood-special-created-in-response-to-covid-...
