Behavior Change Project Fall 2013

Summary of Students Behavior Prior to Project: Student V is a four-year-old student with Downs Syndrome. He is energetic and happy to be at school with his friends. V is bright and has come a long way over the last year with his verbal communication. He participates in all classroom activities with his peers and receives services within the classroom, including speech. V comes into the classroom and unpacks before choosing what he would like to do first each morning. He enjoys the iPad and the reading center. V has a detailed picture schedule that he checks between every activity of the day. He is given a card with his picture on it, takes it to his schedule and places it into a pocket, and pulls the symbol for his next activity off of his schedule. He then takes the symbol to the appropriate location and begins the next activity. V sometimes needs verbal prompts and reminders to follow this procedure correctly. During circle time, V is reminded verbally to sit correctly with legs crossed and hands in his lap. When he fails to follow verbal prompts, he is physically placed back into his seat and reminded to stay there. He sings along with the songs and often uses the appropriate hand motions. With prompting, V is capable of introducing himself and saying his age and gender with verbal prompts. During table activities, V sometimes attempts to leave the table or push his chair back and away from the table. When this happens, his chair is

pushed back to the table and he is reminded that it is time to work. During lunch, V is capable of verbally asking for his tray and choosing what utensil he would like. He is learning to open his utensil of choice independently before asking a friend for help if necessary. V receives individual instruction at various times of the day and practices writing his name, drawing circles and lines, and naming colors. He works on sorting and grouping and fine motor skills as well. V enjoys time outside and plays with the other children well. He is a sweet student with a definite personality.

Brainstorming Process: Based on Vs behavior during circle time, I decided that the logical next step in changing this behavior would be to first define it operationally. After I defined the behavior, I conducted an ABC analysis in which I observe what happens before the behavior and what happens as a result of the behavior. This will enable me to hypothesize as to the function of his behavior. After determining the function, I will develop a plan for intervention. If this plan is successful, I will continue the intervention until he is able to sit correctly without it. If this plan is unsuccessful, I will reevaluate the possible function of the behavior and develop a new plan. Operational Definition of Behavior: Student V fails to remain seated with legs crossed and hands in lap during circle time, requiring an average of 6 reminders to sit correctly per circle time session. ABC Analysis: Antecedent- V checks his schedule and joins his classmates on the circle. He has an assigned seat on the carpet with his name and a photo of him. He sits with his friends and participates in songs and morning routines such as weather and calendar time. Behavior: V uncrosses his legs, touches neighbors with his hands, lies on the floor, and sometimes moves away from the activity by scooting on his bottom.

Consequence: V is verbally prompted to have nice hands and feet and to sit correctly. If this fails, he is physically placed back in his spot and if necessary, the teacher or paraprofessional moves his legs to a crossed position. If the behavior continues, a paraprofessional will sit behind V and continue to verbally and physically prompt him to sit correctly. Function of Behavior Hypothesis: Based on the antecedent and consequence of Vs behavior, I originally hypothesized that V was behaving this way for positive reinforcement. He receives verbal and physical attention for his misbehavior. The ABC analysis led me to believe that the function was not negative reinforcement as nothing is taken away or removed from V. Sensory stimulation was also unlikely, as the behavior does not regulate the level or type of sensory input in the environment. However, after discussing the behavior with Mrs. Burke, I realized that I had to take his developmental level into account when I was assessing his behavior. Vs development is delayed due to his diagnosis of Downs syndrome and this affects his comprehension of what is being taught. His behavior reflects this, as he tends to move around and fidget when the content may be over his head. Appropriate Behavioral Intervention: I hypothesize that V is not sitting correctly during circle time due to a lack of comprehension about what is being taught at a given time. This inhibits his ability to sit still and

stay seated as any typically developing 4-year-old child would if in a similar situation. Therefore, in order to maintain Vs attention better, I suggest two things: 1. V will be given a small card that will sit in front of Mrs. Burke. On it will be a picture of a student sitting correctly on the left, and on the right would be a picture depicting snack. Mrs. Burke could will reference this visual cue when V begins to become restless in his seat. 2. Another option might be that V could be given something to hold pertaining to the lesson/content that is being taught when he the first cuing system fails. It could be a gold coin for pirate week, a witch doll for Halloween, or pretend leaves when we study fall. This will keep him from distracting his peers while still providing V time with manipulatives pertaining to the topic.

Reflection Following Implementation: Today we implemented the behavior plan with V. The First-Then card was printed on cardstock and kept near the student. I sat with the student from the beginning and when we sat down, I pointed to the picture on the left of the students sitting correctly. I said, First circle, then snack to V. He sat correctly for the first few minutes of circle time. Throughout the circle, V was redirected to sit correctly 5 times. Several of these prompts were physically moving his legs to sitting criss-cross. However, V did not get up from his seat or try to move to a new location on the carpet. Though he doesnt always try to get up or move, it happens often enough that this could be considered to be a small improvement. Mrs. Burke gave V a small pumpkin that corresponded with the lesson. He liked holding it and I think it helped him to remain seated correctly. These results may be affected by the different dynamic in class today. There were several students out and the group was much smaller. I would be interested to see how his behavior would change if this plan were to be carried out over several days or weeks. I think that my idea was not a bad one, however I also think it can be and should be improved upon. There could be a color indicator used with the card to show which comes first since he cannot read and may not associate the numerals 1 and 2 with first and second. I think it could also be beneficial to use a photo of the student sitting correctly as this would be more concrete and the student might grasp it better. After observing Mrs. Burke and the group, I

think that Mrs. Burke is doing the best thing for V by implementing verbal and physical prompts. I think a card like the one I used could be useful, but I dont believe that it is required to see a change in his behavior. After observing how his behavior was affected by a visual cue, I think that developmentally, the verbal and physical prompts are more helpful for V. This is something that will come with experience, both with special education and specific students. Every student is different and I learned a lot from this behavior change project. I learned that you must look at the whole picture when assessing a student and their behavior. Looking at V without considering his disability, it would be easy to assume that his behavior is due to a desire for attention. When you consider his disability and the effect it has on his development however, you get a more complete picture of the student and what he needs. I also learned that seeking advice or input from a peer or supervisor is extremely beneficial. I consulted Natalie on what she thought might be helpful and she gave me a unique insight on the plan. Mrs. Burke was obviously extremely helpful as she is a professional and expert on working with students with special needs. She also has much more experience with this specific student. Overall, I feel much more comfortable with the whole behavior change process and I look forward to completing another one in the future.