Autism: Chaos to Calm

What do TAGteach and on-line shopping have in common?

February 7, 2014November 9, 2017 Martha Gabler

Did you know that not only is TAgteach (Teaching with Acoustical Guidance) a great way to work with kids with autism, but it’s also a lot like on-line shopping? This may surprise you, so let me explain.

When you use TAGteach to teach any child (autism or not), you observe the child and decide which behaviors of the child you would like to increase.

For example, you might like the child to say “thank you” more often, or to spend more time with puzzles or books. When the child performs the desired behavior, you “tag” the behavior with a tagger (“clicker”), then give the child a treat (candy, token, special privilege) as a reinforcer.

These two actions, tag and treat, will result in the child performing that specific behavior more often and eventually, for longer times.

When you do on-line shopping, the process is almost identical. Let’s say your hobby is scuba-diving, and you’re interested in getting a new diving mask. You go to your favorite scuba gear online catalog. You browse through the items to see what you like. Ah ha! You spot the nifty Ocean Quest Arctic Clear High Definition Panoramic Purge Mask priced at $59, and you decide, “That’s for me!” You click on the item, add it to your cart, then go to the online checkout to pay for it. You click, you pay, and soon this great new mask arrives on your doorstep.

More about having an autism friendly vacation in Tampa, Florida!

February 6, 2014February 15, 2016 Martha Gabler

This week I spoke with Ms. Becca Zarcone of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Tampa. This hotel is the location of the “Autism Practice Vacation” mentioned in an earlier post. Ms. Zarcone would like to extend a personal invitation and welcome to all autism families who are interested in taking advantage of the “Practice Vacation” opportunity.

The hotel staff has received autism sensitivity training from the University of South Florida Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD). Upon arrival, a child with autism receives a child-friendly bag containing a binder, dry-erase board, markers and a coloring book. The binder contains information about autism-friendly attractions in the Tampa area. Hotel amenities include an outdoor heated pool with a secure access gate; there are cabanas where a family can take a break from the sun or to get some quiet time.

Ms. Zarcone, Group Sales Manager at the hotel, has experience with autism among family and acquaintances, and has a personal passion to expand opportunities for this community. She invites anyone interested in this opportunity to call her directly at 813-405-1185 and she will personally make arrangements for your booking. Talk about creative thinking! This program is a result of a partnership between the Tampa “Autism Fits” Business Partnership and the University of South Florida CARD to expand awareness and create opportunity for the autism community.

How to have an autism-friendly vacation

February 4, 2014February 15, 2016 Connie Hammer 1 Comment

By Connie Hammer

Wouldn’t you like a vacation? Have you thought about it but decided it would be:

1) almost impossible to do with an ASD child who doesn’t like change
2) too much work overall
3) too expensive.

Why not begin 2014 with a different mindset? Erase all of those excuses from your mind and start thinking positive because it IS all very possible.

Thanks to my friend and colleague, Alan Day, of ASD Vacations and his special promotion, parents of children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder can have a practice vacation that is affordable. That’s right – I said a ‘PRACTICE Vacation’.

Behavior Basics 19 and 20: End of week wrap-up

January 31, 2014February 15, 2016 Martha Gabler

Behavior Basic 19: Positive reinforcement increases the strength of a behavior and the chance of it recurring.

When a learner experiences a pleasant consequence (i.e., the “reinforcer”) after performing a desired behavior, the learner will try that behavior again. We are all primed to understand our environments in terms of consequences. Most people won’t touch a boiling pot on the stove twice; after the first painful time we learn to be careful. When we experience pleasure, rewards, treats, attention or praise, we know we did something right, and we will do that correct thing again.

Behavior Basic 20: A positive consequence after a physical movement will cause that movement to happen again.

From behavioral science, we know that positive reinforcement increases behavior. It is important to remember that the positive reinforcement should be delivered immediately after the behavior—not before. The sequence is: learner performs a behavior, then instructor gives reinforcer. At some point in the future the learner will perform the behavior again, and the instructor will give a reinforcer again.

REMINDER: This concludes the wrap-up of Behavior Basics for the week. Please remember the schedule: On the release date of each module, the Behavior Basics for that module will be compiled into a PDF ebook available from our blog and Facebook page. Click on this link to download the entire series of 42 Behavior Basics for free: http://statictab.com/m7bizwt.

Autism & Applied Behavior Analysis: 10 ABA myths debunked

January 28, 2014February 15, 2016 Brenda Kosky Deskin 6 Comments

By Brenda Kosky Deskin

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) has been around for years, helping people of all ages on the Autism Spectrum learn and thrive. Some, however, frown upon its use with autistic individuals but I suspect that those who don’t like ABA might not know what ABA really is and is not. I hope that by clearing up some widely held misconceptions about this evidence-based intervention for Autism, that more individuals will embrace ABA as their treatment of choice for their students and loved ones on the Autism Spectrum.

1) Myth: ABA is not effective

FACT: Of all treatments associated with Autism, ABA is the one that has the most peer-reviewed scientific research behind it to support its efficacy. If you would like to learn more about the importance of evidence-based practice with respect to Autism, The Association For Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT) features an excellent article on its website about this very topic.

2) Myth: ABA is punishing and unpleasant

FACT: While it is most unfortunate that some of the pioneers of ABA back in the late ’50s used physical punishment in their teaching procedures, today’s ABA programs depend primarily on praise and preferred items as a means of rewarding a learner for a job well done. Technically speaking, a “punishment” in the world of ABA today would be considered using the word “no” or sometimes if necessary, perhaps withdrawing a preferred object. Even these punishments procedures are used rarely and only when absolutely necessary in any of the quality programs of which I am aware. Certainly any physical or verbal punishers that are abusive in nature should not be tolerated nor considered acceptable. In fact, the importance of using methodologies that focus on reinforcement rather than punishment are written right into the Code of Ethics of the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB).

As I state often, a good ABA program is a fun ABA program. My son, Michael, is very fond of his ABA therapists and has a great time with them. His therapy program includes visits to the book store, walks in the forest, swimming, go-karting and countless other activities that he enjoys. A talented and knowledgeable ABA therapist takes an activity his or her learner likes and turns it into a teaching opportunity that his learner will enjoy.

Behavior Basics 17 and 18: End of week wrap-up

January 24, 2014February 15, 2016 Martha Gabler

Behavior Basic 17: To increase a desired behavior, give learner a treat or other positive consequence.

This is the golden rule of Applied Behavior Analysis! To increase a desired behavior, give the learner a treat or other positive reinforcement. As soon as the learner has performed the desired action (which could be anything – eye contact, touching a puzzle piece, walking into a room), give the child a treat (which could also be anything – a piece of candy, a toy, a token, a favored activity, praise, or attention). This will cause the learner to perform the behavior again.

Behavior Basic 18: A positive consequence that strengthens behavior is a “reinforcer.”

The definition of “reinforcer” is anything following a behavior that strengthens the behavior or causes it to occur more often. Sometimes people refer to the “reinforcer” as a “reward.” While this is a commonly used word, the technically correct term, “reinforcer,” more accurately describes the result of strengthening or “reinforcing” a behavior.

Behavior Basics 15 and 16: End of week wrap up

January 17, 2014February 15, 2016 Martha Gabler

Behavior Basic #15: Do we need to ask “What caused the behavior?” No No No!

When dealing with any problem, it’s always important to ask the right question. We know from Behavior Basic #11 that the CONSEQUENCE, not the antecedent, determines the future course of a behavior. In the early years when I was struggling with my child’s difficult behaviors, I kept asking myself, “What is causing this?” It was the wrong question. By focusing on the wrong question I couldn’t come up with a solution.

It’s important to be aware of factors that trigger behaviors, such as hunger, fatigue, or stress, but we can’t control our children’s environment. We can only control how we respond to a child’s behavior. And we respond by deciding what the consequences should be. If we know that positive consequences increase behaviors, we can stop accidentally giving positive consequences (attention, treats, privileges) for undesired behaviors and train ourselves to give these only for desired behaviors.

Behavior Basic #16: Do we need to ask “What maintains the behavior?” Yes Yes Yes!

This is the right question to ask. When a child does something, think about what happened after the behavior. If the child experienced a consequence that was useful to him, the behavior will occur again. Please note, the consequence may not seem pleasant to us, but if the behavior keeps happening then the consequence was positive for the child. It is well known that children sometimes misbehave to get attention because a scolding is better than being ignored.

We know from Behavior Basic #12 that a pleasant consequence maintains a behavior–keeps it going. So, the right thing to do is to monitor the consequences we deliver to our kids after they do something. The right thing to do is to provide pleasant consequences for behaviors we like, and to ignore behaviors we don’t like. (Of course, if a behavior is dangerous or destructive, we have to step in, take charge, and re-direct the child.) This may seem awkward and unnatural at first, but after a while it becomes easier. The reward for taking charge of the consequences we deliver is an increase in desired behaviors in our children.

Learning “Sculpts” Brain Connection

January 14, 2014February 15, 2016 Joan Orr

By Susan Orloff OTR/L/FAOTA

Spontaneous brain activity formerly thought to be “white noise” measurably changes after a person learns a new task, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Chieti, Italy, [Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106:17558-17563].

Scientists also report that the degree of change reflects how well subjects have learned to perform the task.

“Recent studies have shown that in the absence of any overt behavior, and even during sleep or anesthesia, the brain’s spontaneous activity is not random, but organized in patterns of correlated activity that occur in anatomically and functionally connected regions,” stated senior author Maurizio Corbetta, MD, Norman J. Stupp Professor of Neurology. “The reasons behind the spontaneous activity patterns remain mysterious, but we have now shown that learning causes small changes in those patterns, and that these changes are behaviorally important.”

A great resource for parents: Effective School Practices with Direct Instruction

January 13, 2014December 5, 2018 Martha Gabler

If you are interested in making sure that all kids get a great education, you may like spending some time learning about scientifically-designed academic programs at the website of the National Institute for Direct Instruction.

Direct Instruction

Direct Instruction is not yet a household name, but it deserves to be. Direct Instruction (DI) is a body of academic programs for teaching reading, writing, spelling, mathematics, language, American history and science. DI programs have 40+ years of research validation demonstrating that they result in superior learning outcomes for all students. The commitment to teach all students, regardless of socio-economic or educational levels, is the basic assumption of Direct Instruction.

The Direct Instruction philosophy states:

All children can be taught.
All children can improve academically and in terms of self image.
All teachers can succeed if provided with adequate training and materials.
Low performers and disadvantaged learners must be taught at a faster rate than typically occurs if they are to catch up to their higher-performing peers.
All details of instruction must be controlled to minimize the chance of students’ misinterpreting the information being taught and to maximize the reinforcing effect of instruction.

Behavior Basics 13 and 14: End of week wrap up

January 10, 2014February 15, 2016 Martha Gabler

Behavior Basic #13: A pleasant consequence causes a behavior to occur more frequently.

This fact, this scientific law, underlies all behavioral interventions. This fact tells us how we can increase desired behaviors in learners. Whenever a learner performs a desired behavior, make sure he or she immediately experiences a wonderful consequence! The learner will do that behavior again.

Let’s say a child routinely comes home and tosses her jacket on the floor instead of hanging it on the coat rack. You can say to the child, “The tag point is Jacket On Hook.” As soon as the child hangs the jacket on the hook, give her a high-value treat or token. Every time the child hangs the jacket on the hook, give another treat. Soon your child will hang up her jacket as a matter of course. You have changed her behavior without scolding, nagging or threats. The pleasant consequence of a treat or token, along with praise and happy looks from mom or dad, cause the child to hang up her coat more frequently.

Behavior Basic #14: A pleasant consequence causes a behavior to become stronger.

Not only does a pleasant consequence cause a behavior to occur more frequently, it causes the behavior to become stronger.

Let’s look at the girl in the example above. She continues to hang up her jacket on the hook, and one day, she sees that somebody else’s coat has fallen off the coat rack. She picks it up and replaces it on the hook! If her observant mom or dad have the chance to see this and give her another pleasant consequence, she will continue to pick up more coats, and perhaps tackle the hats and scarves.