2. Welcome Back!
• Krista Keintz =
• Me
• ABA =
• Applied Behavior Analysis =
• Science of Learning
• Workshop =
• Really Fun
• You =
• Terrific! Thanks for sharing your videos!
4. Session Overview
Review Make it Stick
Community At-Home Extensions
Content Gift from Science
Collaboration Practical Applications
5. Week 2
Review Operational Definitions
Community Choices Before
Content A for Antecedent
Collaboration Bye, Junk Demands!
6. Review
Operational Definitions
• Objective
– Did I use only observable characteristics?
• Clear
– Could an unfamiliar actor use it as a script?
• Complete
– Does it include everything I want to include & exclude
everything I want to exclude?
7. Review
Why Bother?
• Aid to Communication
• Right Response to Behavior
• Antidote to Nebulous Feeling of Guilt
8. Review
Not-A-Test
• Circle all of the words you might find in an
“operational definition” of a tantrum.
Wanted toy Produces tears Shouts “no” Angry
Kicks feet Mad at brother Didn’t sleep well
Longer than a minute Happy Throws object
9. Review
Not-A-Test
• Circle all of the words you might find in an
“operational definition” of a tantrum.
Wanted toy Produces tears Shouts “no” Angry
Kicks feet Mad at brother Didn’t sleep well
Longer than a minute Happy Throws object
Answer: All except those in black – those all are presumptions we make based on our
observations, but are not objective descriptions of behavior
10. Week 2
Review Operational Definitions
Community Choices Before
Content A for Antecedent
Collaboration Bye, Junk Demands!
11. Community
Freedom Within Limits
• Creating a choice-rich environment is an extremely
powerful antidote to challenging behavior
• Research has demonstrated that offering choices
(even with yolked activities!) decreases
challenging behavior and increases on-task
behavior
• NOT a free-for-all and NOT during trouble
12. Community
Ways to Offer Choices
Open Ended Questions
Structured Choices
Micro Choices
You or Me Choices
13. Community
Open Ended Questions
• This is what most people think of when they think of
offering choices – nice but can be tricky to use
effectively with young children
– What would you like to do?
– What book would you like to read?
– To whom would you like to write a note?
– Where would you like to go to lunch?
14. Community
Structured Choices
• These are a nice alternative to open-ended
questions because they set parameters while still
offering an opportunity to choose
– Would you like to do a puzzle or play with your truck?
– Would you like to read Hungry Caterpillar or Tails?
– Would you like to write a thank you note to grandma or
grandpa?
– Would you like to eat at Whole Foods or Burger Bar?
15. Community
Micro Choices
• These are a fun & simple way to MAKE deposits in
your child’s account
– Shall we drive the truck fast or slow?
– Would you like me to read with a loud or soft voice?
– Would you like to write with a pencil or a pen?
– Would you like to walk backwards or forwards into the
restaurant?
Choice of
degree,
order, style…
16. Community
You or Me Choices
• These are choices you can offer during thin-ice &
historically hot button times but BEFORE the trouble
– Would you like to put the puzzle piece in or shall I?
– Would you like to sit to listen to the story from your bed
or in my lap?
– Would you like to write your name all by yourself or with
my help?
– Would you like to walk into the restaurant or shall I carry
you?
18. Community
Time for Reflection
• What type of choice did you offer?
• Were choices offered before challenging behavior?
• Did you offer only two simple choices?
– If You or Me Choice, could you “enforce” one of the
options?
• Did you wait patiently for 10 seconds?
• Did you mix in any extra demands or negotiations?
• Did you honor your child’s choice if s/he chose?
• Did you calmly choose if s/he didn’t?
• Challenges? Surprises?
19. Community
Micro Choices = Easy Money
Open Ended Questions
Structured Choices
Micro Choices
You or Me Choices
20. Week 2
Review Operational Definitions
Community Choices Before
Content A for Antecedent
Collaboration Bye, Junk Demands!
25. Content
Ante-cedent!
• “A stimulus or event that preceded some other
event or a contingency; a discriminative stimulus in
a three-term contingency is one kind of
antecedent”
• In other words – “What comes BEFORE”
Catania, Charles. Learning 4th Edition (1998)
27. Content
A Closer Look at Antecedents
• Antecedents do not cause behavior!
• What does???
– Stay tuned for week 3!
28. Content
Who Cares Then?
• Control antecedents to decrease opportunity for
challenging behavior to be reinforced
– Bjorn can’t jump on chair to see out window to see
passing dogs
– Bjorn can’t reach plant to dig in plant to eat dirt
30. Content
Quick Note
• We are not talking about unconditioned reflexes in
which the relationship between a stimulus and a
response does not depend on prior conditioning
Palmar Grasp Photo via science-at-home.org
31. Content
Not-A-Test
• An antecedent, behaviorally speaking, can best
be described as:
(a) what happens after a behavior occurs
(b) what happens before a behavior occurs
(c) what causes a behavior to occur
(d) how a child feels before she engages in a behavior
32. Content
Not-A-Test
• An antecedent, behaviorally speaking, can best
be described as:
(a) what happens after a behavior occurs
(b) what happens before a behavior occurs
(c) what causes a behavior to occur
(d) how a child feels before she engages in a behavior
ANSWER: (B) An antecedent comes before a behavior but does not cause
operant behavior contrary to popular opinion
33. Week 2
Review Operational Definitions
Community Choices Before
Content A for Antecedent
Collaboration Bye, Junk Demands!
35. Collaboration
Goodbye Junk Demands!
• Future Goal
– Follow through (every time) when you make a
demand… WE ARE NOT STARTING THIS YET!
– As my director used to ask, “Is this the hill that you want
to die on?”
• Current Goal
– Stop wasting your hard earned money on junk
demands
36. Collaboration
What are Junk Demands?
• Question Demands
• Are you ready for bedtime?
• Can you please get ready for school?
• It’s time for dinner, OK?
• Do you need to use the bathroom?
Photo via awordywoman.com
37. Collaboration
What are Junk Demands?
• Unnecessary Demands
• No running (when it is actually safe)
• Sit still
• Do X this way
Photo via amazon.com
38. Collaboration
What are Junk Demands?
• Vague Demands
• Be careful
• Show respect
• Be nice to your brother
• Gentle!
Photo via mysafetysign.com
39. Collaboration
What are Junk Demands?
• Unenforceable Demands
• Come here (from across the room)
• Please turn off the tv (from across the room)
• Be quiet
• Put on your boots while I get your sister ready for school
Photo via telegraph.co.uk
40. Collaboration
What 16 Junk Demands Can
You Live Without?
Brainstorm now.
QUESTION UNENFORCEABLE
Post them at home as
a reminder.
Bring your list back to UNNECESSARY VAGUE
workshop next week!
41. Collaboration
At-Home Extension
• Please email by SUNDAY night
– Email me a 30-second video of you offering different
type of choice than you did this week (p.s. if you parent
with a partner, the other partner gets to star this week!)
• Structured Choice,
• Micro Choice, OR
• You or Me Choice I know… I broke the
rule and offered
three choices! You
are adults though
so I say it’s OK!
