Measuring Behavior

Behavior & RTI

Behavior & RTI

What is the behavior? Why is it happening? Is it due to related to:

The Environment (School & Classroom) The Curriculum (Too Hard? Too Easy? Pace too fast or

slow?) Instruction (Does student lack critical foundation in

subject area?) The Learner (motivation, concentration, impulse control)

Measuring Behavior

After considering Environment, Curriculum, Instruction, Learner and a behavior still exists, it is time to determine the FUNCTION of the behavior.

Functional Behavior Assessment = Problem Solving Many times, the function of the behavior is related

to the academic difficulties! Address both behavior and academics at the same

time.

Measuring Behavior

Functional Behavior Assessment Provides an operational definition of behavior Identifies events that are related to the

behavior Identifies consequences that maintain the

behavior Forms a hypothesis about the function of the

behavior Uses direct observation to confirm hypothesis

Process Functional Behavior Assessment

1. Identify Behaviors and Concerns

2. Define the Target Behavior

3. Gather Data through direct Assessment (observation) and Indirect Assessment (interviews)

4. Context of the Behavior Setting, Physiological, Environmental, Academics

5. Function of the Behavior Attention, Self-Stimulation, Escape, Power/Control

6. Hypothesis When this occurs…, the student does …, to get/avoid…

Measuring Behavior

How do we systematically record behavior?

Identify behavior Structured observations with comparison peer

Measuring BehaviorObservation Recording Methods Event Recording

Can only be used for discrete behaviors (obvious beginning and end) i.e throwing an object

Simple frequency count of the behavior Count is made within a specified observation period

(reading group, 10:00 -10:30, lunch) Method of choice when the objective is to increase or

decrease the amount of times a student engages in a discrete behavior.

Can easily be done on a sticky note with hash marks Examples: Number of times Michael talks out in one

hour, number of times Joe hit another student in 30 minutes.

Measuring BehaviorObservation Recording Methods Interval Recording Ways of recording an estimate of the actual number of times a

behavior occurs. Continuous behaviors are better tracked with interval recording. (ex. Out of set, hitting) Behaviors that occur at high frequency Behavior that occurs for extended time periods

How? Define a specific time period and divide it into equal intervals (30 seconds) Record + if the behavior occurred at any time during the interval and

a - if the behavior did not occur Limitations:

Actual number of occurrences is not included Difficult to teach a class and conduct this method Difficult to have a comparison student

Measuring BehaviorObservation Recording Methods Time Sampling

Set period of time at intervals (30 minutes at 30 second intervals)

Note with + or - if the behavior happened at the end of the interval

Suitable to behaviors that are long in duration and for behaviors that happen with high frequency (inattention)

Can use a comparison student Expressed in terms of percentage

Measuring BehaviorObservation Recording Methods

Duration Recording Focus is on measures of time rather than

instances of behavior Used when concern is length of time a student

engages in a behavior (tantrums, etc.) Suitable for discrete behaviors Can be used when event recording does not

give the whole picture (length of time student is out of seat)

Measuring BehaviorObservation Recording methods

Latency Recording Used when primary concern is how long a

student takes to begin performing a behavior once it has been requested

Measures the length of time between the peresentation of an antecedent stimulus and the initiation of behavior

Important things to remember for behavioral observations

Comparison student selection: best practice is to choose a comparison child of the same gender who is an average (not the lowest or the highest) level learner in the classroom.

Behavioral definitions need to be precise enough that anyone could observe the behaivor as defined.

Monitoring Behavior:The Daily Behavior Report Card DBRCs have been referred to under a number of

different titles, including home notes (Blechman, Schrader, & Taylor, 1981), home-based reinforcement (Bailey, Wolf & Phillips, 1970), daily report cards (Dougherty & Dougherty, 1977), and home-school notes (Long & Edwards, 1994).

Within the literature of DBRCs, a consistent description or definition has not evolved, and a variety of options exist when creating a daily rating card.

The Daily Behavior Report Card While the lack of a common definition or tile has

not emerged, common characteristics across DBRCs can be identified. These characteristics include: A behavior(s) is specified. Rating of the behavior(s) occurs at least daily, Obtained information is shared across individuals (e.g.,

parents, teachers, students), and The card is used to monitor the effects of an

intervention and/or as a component of an intervention.

Measuring BehaviorThe Daily Behavior Report Card

DBRCs are intuitively appealing, as they can provide a simple, inexpensive, and flexible method of providing frequent feedback to students and parents.

DBRCs require only minor changes in existing classroom practices.

DBRCs are effective at monitoring behavior changes. The potential dual role DBRCs to serve as both a

monitoring device and an intervention component. Another related reason for the appeal of DBRCs

related to the home/school orientation to intervention and data collection.