Abstract

The focus of many of the referrals a behaviour analyst receives is to decrease a ‘problem behaviour’, to make something go away, or ‘fix’ something.  In all my years as a behaviour analyst, I can hand on heart say I have not fixed anyone. Nobody is broken.   What I have done, hopefully and at least sometimes, is helped someone learn something that has in some way improved their overall quality of life and increased their independence and autonomy.  

Supporting skill development is complicated. Identifying functional reinforcers and using them effectively is a complete science in itself. Once we have done this, what do we do next? Even more science.  This presentation will guide you through some of the methods we use to increase behaviours with everyday practical examples for people across their life span  

• Shaping; how to use it effectively - shaping is our only tool to teach a new behaviour, yet it is underutilised by many behaviour analysts. Perhaps because the definition is easier to acquire than the skill of learning how to shape.  

• Teaching complex behaviour chains – chaining is useful in more than teaching someone to make a cup of coffee or wash their hands. Chaining is very effective in teaching complex intraverbals such as social skills.  Furthermore, how does a behaviour analyst address the issue of unwanted chains.

• Shifting and expanding stimulus control – so we have taught a skill, how do we expand stimulus control to promote independence.  What steps do we take to ensure maintenance and generalisation? Or perhaps the person has the skill, and it is just happening where it is less preferred.

Biography

Dr. Angela Arnold Saritepe is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (Doctoral level) and New Zealand registered pychologist with over 30 years’ experience working with people with neurodiversity’s such as autism, intellectual disability and brain injury as well as mental unwellness. She has worked across the United States, Canada and New Zealand supporting individuals, their families, and support people where behaviour has interfered with quality of life.  She has experience in severe behaviour units, founding autism services and in providing and establishing community services.  She has been a faculty member in the Behaviour Analysis Programme, Department of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand since 2004, where she supervises students completing graduate studies.  Her current research interests lie in supporting neurodiverse people to have the information and knowledge they require to pursue relationships, in addition to social validity and ethics in behaviour analysis.

Learning outcome:

• Attendees will have an enhanced understanding of shaping and its practical application
• Attendees will be able to use chaining, and unchaining, to support the development of complex behaviours
• Attendees will have increased knowledge of how to expand and transfer stimulus control as a routine part of supporting skill development

Level: Intermediate

Target audience: 

• Anyone who needs a break from always thinking behaviour reduction

• Anyone who wants to up-skill the work they do to support a person’s independence and autonomy

Duration: 1hr 15 min

ABAA PDUs/BACB CEs: 1.5