Spectrum Intervention Group Blog

Background:

I had the pleasure of attending the annual ABA International conference in San Antonio Texas last week. One of the talks I went to was entitled “Errorless Learning and Programmed Instruction: The Myth of the Learning Curve.” The talk was prepared by Dr. Murray Sidman (a pioneer in the field of ABA) and read on his behalf as his health prevented him from attending.

Sidman’s main points:

Errorless learning differs from our traditional view of education, in which we believe people have to learn by making mistakes. We refer to this as the “learning curve.”

This view is very entrenched in our society. Dr. Sidman used the example that several decades ago, he worked with others to create an errorless teaching program for a medical school. Part way through the program the class was complaining. When asked why, they said it was because the material was too easy, they weren’t making mistakes and therefore they weren’t learning. The group was convinced to keep at it and when it came test time, they all realized that they had learned in spite of not making mistakes, and it became their favourite class. This is just one example of the success of errorless learning. The literature has many examples. In fact, Sidman argued that using the principles of ABA he could create any shaped learning curve he wanted.

One of the reasons traditional views of education prevail over the notion of errorless learning is that errorless learning puts the onus on the teacher rather than the learner. In the traditional view of education, if a learner makes a mistake or fails to learn something, it is because of something that they are doing or something that is intrinsic to them. It is the “learner’s fault.” In errorless learning, failure to learn is the “fault” of the teacher. The teacher has failed to break down the skill, teach the pre-requisites appropriately or provide the correct prompts for each learner.

How this applies – Shifting the focus to the teacher:

One thing the science of ABA has made clear is that we can’t change behaviour, we can only manipulate the environment that supports it. Therefore, the focus needs to be on our behaviour as the teacher. This makes it harder for the teacher, but easier for the learner.

When working with our kids we need to remember that our goal is errorless learning. We want to minimize errors. If they occur it is not the fault of the learner, but rather a failing on the teacher’s part. If the learner “isn’t getting it” – stop and ask yourself the following questions about your own performance?
• What am I doing?
• What could I change to help the learner?
• Is my schedule of reinforcement too thin?
• Am I manipulating the learner’s motivation?
• Do I have a strong enough reinforcer?
• Am I expecting too much?
• Is what I am asking too hard?
• Could I be using another prompt?
• Does the learner know the pre-requisite skills necessary for this task?
• Am I using shaping?
• Have I required too many consecutive responses?
• Could I vary the presentation of the task?
• Could I be more fun?
• Can I change the expected response? (for example, instead of writing the answer can I have the learner verbally say the answer)

I was a therapist for a long time and I understand that it can be frustrating when a learner isn’t “getting it”. However, it is not their fault, it is the fault of the teaching method. If they aren’t “getting it” this just means the teacher has to change how they are teaching it.

Of course we aren’t going to be perfect in our teaching and that is why we aim for 80% correct for the learner. Hopefully the above questions will help you guide the analysis of your own performance.

Best of luck.

Kristen

Spectrum Intervention Group is happy to be involved in Project PACE, a community initiative dedicated to educating and training parents in proper ABA teaching techniques and strategies to increase learner communication.

As a part of this initiative, we offer parent training at our center on Saturday mornings, in a playgroup format. What an incredible learning experience for both parents and, us, as trainers. When it comes to parent training, it is challenging to know what each parent needs, what their history is with their child and what preconceptions they might have about learning. I’m sure it is not easy having every interaction watched by another person. As uncomfortable as this might be at first, the benefits can be enormous! Imagine the moment you ‘hook’ in your little one and they check-in with you as you tickle them.

One of the most valuable lessons that we have learned, as parent trainers, is the importance of fun. When we push our agenda, we lose sight of the importance of motivation and a paired relationship with our learners. If you focus on having fun first, everything else will follow. It is only natural that we want to ask questions and present demands. Don’t worry, this will come easily! It is the absence of questions that is the most difficult part for parents and new therapists in the field.

Regardless of your child’s language ability, try the following:

1. Set up a new, exciting activity that involves you delivering items to your child. Here is an example:
Fill up a bunch of water balloons (at least 10!), then go outside in your backyard.
2. Next, show your child what you can do with the activity (i.e. show them how to throw the balloons (throw it up and watch it break!)
3. Each time you present the item, don’t ask them a question. Instead, make a statement about the activity (this is fun! My favourite colour is green. Wow, look at that water explode!)
4. Try setting up 1-2 activities each evening. This is a great routine to establish for the whole family and builds on your little one’s motivation.

Other ideas to try:
Blowing bubbles – try doing big bubbles! (in a shallow pan, mix water, dish detergent and corn syrup. Lots of dish detergent and corn syrup is needed! For the bubble wand, bend a wire coat hanger so that it is circle shaped. Take a pipecleaner and wrap it around the wire circle. This gives the soap something to cling to. Dip the circle wire into the solution and slowly lift up and move your arm….voila! Big bubbles!)

Yucky Soup – Have a big empty cooking pot. Have 4-5 miscellaneous foods, liquids or anything else you can thing of that can go in. Label each one (“We have 1. Water, 2. Mustard, 3. Oats, 4. Ketchup, 5. Sparkles”)
Your child can ask for each one. If they are struggling, hold up 2 items and see which one they reach for. Then, you can help them by verbally prompting the word. When they ask, give them a little bit to pour into the pot. Keep adding ‘stuff’ unless you get yucky soup!)
Volcanoes – Using a muffin tin, place a small Dixie cup in each compartment. Place one teaspoon of baking soda in each cup. Have 3-4 glasses (or water-bottles) filled with vinegar. Colour each one with food colouring. Your child can have his own cup and he/she can ask for different colours (green, red, blue…). When they ask, pour a little of the coloured vinegar into their cup. They can then pour it into the Dixie cup and watch the volcano overflow!

June – 2010 – We are thrilled to announce that our Executive and Clinical Director Lynne Thibodeau has been nominated as one of 3 finalist for People Magazine/Major League Baseball’s “All-Stars Among Us Campaign”.
Lynne has been working to give children and teens with autism a voice for over 12 years.

Please help us bring National Attention to autism services by voting for her at: http://www.mlb.com/peopleallstarsamongus/.
From this page scroll down and click on the Toronto Blue Jays, and then read about our centre serving children with autism, Spectrum Intervention Group, and vote

Note: you can vote as many times as you like and the winner will be the person with the most number of votes per ball club.

Thank you for your support.

This is one of those terms that is very misunderstood. Many people see it as a bribe. The truth of the matter is most of human behaviour is shaped and maintained by reinforcement. For example, if most of us did not get paid we would not go to work. It is the promise of a pay cheque that motivates us to get out of bed on Monday morning. The pay cheque allows us access to all the things in our life (food, shelter, luxuries) that we need and enjoy.

What is reinforcement?

A consequence that INCREASES the likelihood of the behaviour in the future under similar antecedent situations.

How do we know if something is reinforcing?

You won’t know if something worked as a reinforcer until next time you present the learner with the situation. It is only a reinforcer if the behaviour INCREASES (or the person is more likely to engage in this behaviour)

Types of Reinforcement:
• Positive Reinforcement: contingent upon a behaviour, we add something to the environment that increases the likelihood of the behaviour in the future.
For example: We ask a learner to sit, and when they do, we give them a candy and in the future they are more likely to sit when asked. You receive a pay cheque for going to work and in the future you are more likely to continue to go to work.
• Negative Reinforcement: Contingent upon a behaviour, we remove something from the environment that increases the likelihood of the behaviour occurring in the future. (escape and avoidance)
For example: When the learner completes a task they can leave the table. When you comply and take the garbage out, your wife stops nagging.

Social Stories™ have been proven to be effective at teaching information to people with ASD. While I can’t be sure all the social stories I have created over the years would meet Ms. Gray’s strict definition of a Social Story ™, (following the 10 steps she outlined to making a proper story) I can say from my experience, these types of supports have been helpful as part of a treatment package.

The goal of Social Stories ™ is NOT to teach a new skill but rather to provide information to an individual. Social Stories ™ can be used to share any type of information. For example: Information about future events (such as visiting the dentist; Sharing ideas with others (how to get attention from others); Reassuring information (such as why the vacuum makes so much noise): Information on new skills (how to get dressed). The uses of this teaching tool are unlimited. I have primarily used this type of tool to teach social rules such as remember to look at others when talking to them and how it is polite to say excuse me when you accidently bump into someone.

No matter what goal is selected for a learner, the story needs to be written in a manner that provides information in a safe and supportive way at the level of the individual learner.

For more information on Social Stories ™ and how to write one for your learner or child visit Ms. Gray’s website at http://www.thegraycenter.org/. Later this year, Ms. Gray will have free access to all her stories and hints for writing them at www.carolgraysocialstories.com (Note: This site is under construction at this time).

Best of Luck,

Kristen

Welcome to Spectrum Intervention Group’s Blog.
The Senior Staff at Spectrum will be using this forum to share ideas about the issues (good, bad and occasionally ugly) we are facing.

We welcome comments and feedback. To make a blog topic suggestion or share comments privately, please email our blog moderator, Kristen Copeland at kristen@spectrumig.com.

Enjoy!