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| Preference-Based Teaching: Procedures for Helping People with Developmental Disabilities Enjoy Learning without Problem Behavior |
| Saturday, May 27, 2006 |
| 8:00 AM–11:00 AM |
| Spring |
| Area: TBA; Domain: Applied Research |
| CE Instructor: Dennis H. Reid, Ph.D. |
| DENNIS H. REID (Carolina Behavior Analysis and Support Center), CAROLYN W. GREEN (J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center) |
| Description: This workshop will describe a preference-based teaching approach for helping people with developmental disabilities enjoy learning functional skills without problem behavior during teaching sessions. The focus is on how to make teaching programs highly preferred (as indicated, for example, through indices of happiness and absence of indices of unhappiness). A program approach will be described and demonstrated that: (a) enhances the preferred nature of teaching programs to increase learner enjoyment in participating in the programs, and (b) removes the motivation for problem behavior that often occurs in attempts to escape or avoid the programs. Specific strategies to be described include how a teacher or instructor can build rapport with a learner and establish his/her attention as a reinforcer, using preferred events as antecedents and consequences to teaching sessions, interspersing preferred events within instructional trials, incorporating efficient choice opportunities within the teaching process, and timing the scheduling of teaching sessions to promote learner enjoyment. Summaries of recent behavior analytic investigations will also be provided to demonstrate the evidence base of preference-based teaching. |
| Learning Objectives: a. At the conclusion of the workshop, the participant will be able to describe how to include a preferred event before, during and after a teaching session to enhance the preferred features of the session for a learner with disabilities. b. At the conclusion of the workshop, the participant will be able to describe how to use establishing operations to maximize the preferred nature of at least one aspect of a teaching session. c. At the conclusion of the workshop, the participant will be able to describe how at least one learner choice can be embedded within a teaching session to enhance the preferred nature of the session for a learner. d. At the conclusion of the workshop, the participant will be able to describe three things a teacher can do to establish his/her attention as a preferred event for a learner. |
| Activities: Activities of participants will include: (1) listening to instructor lecture/presentations, (2) viewing overhead presentation of key points, (3) completing pencil and paper activities relating to scenarios depicting applications of key points, (4) viewing role-play demonstrations of target procedures by instructors, (5) practicing target procedures in role-play situations with performance feedback by instructors (provided until individual participants demonstrate competency in accordance with performance checklists employed by instructors) , and (6) opportunities to ask questions of instructors and receive instructor answers. |
| Audience: The target audience includes anyone who implements skill-acquisition teaching programs with people who have developmental disabilities including autism. Examples of target audience participants include teachers, teacher assistants, residential direct support and supervisory staff, vocational support staff (e.g., job coaches), behavior analysts, behavior specialists and technicians, and parents. |
| Content Area: Practice |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |