ABA paper behavior analysis/ education
ABA paper, behavior analysis/ education
- Students will write at 3 page paper describing the components of a multi-tiered positive behavioral framework.
- Students will include a diagram or model to illistrate their main ideas.
- A SAMPLE PAPER IS ATTACHED SHOWING AN EXAMPLE OF THIS ASSIGNMENT THAT RECEIVED A SCORE OF 10.
PBIS – MTSS Framework
Historically, children with disabilities and their families faced many obstacles with respect to
accessing education. IDEA aimed to resolve many issues that pertained to inclusion, so that
children with disabilities could have access to special education in both regular and special
education classes. As more students with disabilities entered the public education system, it
became clear that these students also fell behind in socially accepted behaviors that would permit
them to better access the educational curriculum. Furthermore, as teachers often employed
reactive and punitive strategies, it only further compounded the behaviors and resulted in
suspensions and expulsions. Scheuermann & Hall (2016) specify that what is most troublesome
with such methods is the fact that it increases the risk of those students’ involvement with the
criminal justice system. As discussed on pbis.org, amendments of IDEA required that “the IEP
team to consider the use of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports for any student whose
behavior impedes his or her learning or the learning of others”. In addition, to encourage the
individual states to participate in the implementation of PBIS, congress allocated funding that
assisted to “provide training in methods of . . . positive behavioral interventions and supports to
improve student behavior in the classroom” (20 U.S.C. §1454(a)(3)(B). This paper will discuss
the framework of positive behavior intervention and supports (PBIS) within the multiple tier
systems of support (MTSS).
What is positive behavior intervention and supports aka PBIS
Sugai and Horner (1999), explain that behavior is learned and is often maintained by
environmental factors, and thus, can be changed. Practical interventions within positive behavior
support include the use of functional behavior assessments (FBA) to determine what the target
behavior strives to accomplish and consequently achieves, by the environmental factors that
unintentionally maintain it. PBIS strives to understand the environmental factors which
contribute to the target behavior in order to manipulate them in order to change that behavior.
Some strategies of environmental manipulation include proactive management of antecedents
such as changing adult behavior, teaching replacement behavior, providing curriculum
accommodations, as well as extinction of consequences that may attribute to target behavior
maintenance. The philosophy of PBIS is to move from a model of reacting to target behavior by
creating a proactive and positive climate focused on prevention of target behavior. Further, it
urges schools to “develop clear, appropriate, and consistent expectations and consequences to
ensure fairness, equity, and continuous improvement (Scheuermann & Hall, 2016).
MTTS & PBIS
The multiple-tier supports system attempts to utilize the research base knowledge of PBIS in
order to deliver differentiated and if necessary individualized instruction and early intervention.
As described on pbis.org, the three tiers of MTTS are designed to address and provide clear rule
and guideline for the entire school while understanding that not all children naturally fall within
those confines. MTTS hypothesizes that most typical children within the school will naturally
follow the guidelines set forth by the school. MTTS labels tier 1 as universal and further
indicates that 80% to 90% of all students will respond to this general preventative, proactive
approach. Tier 1 examples include what most of LAUSD refers to as the three B’s – be safe, be
responsible, be respectable, or keep your hands to yourself. Tier 2or, secondary intervention,
represents additional secondary interventions for the 5% to 15% of the school’s population with
at risk behavior that may need a more individual approach such as a weekly social skills group.
Tier 3, or tertiary interventions, addresses the 1%-5% of high risk students that need individual
high intensity intervention which often may include a 1:1 district assigned or NPA assigned
behavior therapist.
Summary
In conclusion, PBIS and MTTS, are both rooted in research based material. Both strive to
provide training and support to teachers, administrators and staff that would transform the school
environment to utilize positive proactive methods that would empower change in student
behavior by changing adult behavior. It further attempts to identify students of various needs to
deliver appropriate intervention by assessing the environmental variables that contribute and
maintain the behavior, as well as, attempt to teach replacement behaviors that are more
appropriate within the educational and social setting.
Diagram
References:
Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports – OSEP. (n.d.). Retrieved May 13, 2017, from
http://www.pbis.org/
Scheuermann, B., & Hall, J. A. (2016). Positive behavioral supports for the classroom (3rd ed.).
Boston: Pearson.
Sugai, G., Horner, R. H., Dunlap, G., Hieneman, M., Lewis, T. J., Nelson, C. M., . . . Ruef, M.
(2000). Applying Positive Behavior Support and Functional Behavioral Assessment in
Schools. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 2(3), 131-143.
doi:10.1177/109830070000200302
http://www.pbis.org/