Positive Behavioural Support 4204EDN: Intervention Planning

GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY
Arts, Education, & Law

School of Education and Professional Studies
POSITIVE BEHAVIOURAL SUPPORT
4204EDN
Study Guide
Module 3
Intervention Planning
Convenor: Dr Wendi Beamish

Phone: 07 3735 5636
Fax: 07 3735 5910
Email: w.beamish@griffith.edu.au
Contents
Module 3: Intervention planning .....................................................................................63
Introduction to the module ................................................................................63
Topic 1: Design of intervention plan and support programs............................... 65
Understanding casework and assessment tasks ..............................................65
Getting started .................................................................................................65
Goals ...............................................................................................................66
Behavioural intervention plan ...........................................................................69
Support programs ............................................................................................ 83
Topic 2: Recommended behavioural strategies ...........................................................91
Differential reinforcement of appropriate behaviour ..........................................91
Emotional conditioning procedures ..................................................................94
Module summary ............................................................................................................100
Module 3 Evaluation....................................................................................... 101

Module 3: Intervention planning
Introduction to the module
This module is focused on the second phase of the PBS process model (see
Figure 3.1) and provides a framework for designing behavioural intervention
plans (BIPs) and related programs. Importantly, decision making in this
documentation phase is integrally linked to findings obtained in the prior FBA
phase. Moreover, this plan with embedded goals should not be written in
isolation. Wherever possible, intervention planning should be linked to targeted
outcomes in other individualised educational documents (e.g., Education
Adjustment Profile, Individual Curriculum Plan, Senior Education and Training
Plan). In common with other individualised planning, the design of a behavioural
intervention plan should be a team effort in which the student has a voice
(Lucyshyn et al., 2002).
Furthermore, behavioural programming needs to be practical, realistic, and

relevant. Interventions of this kind must be manageable within and across the
environments if they are to be implemented with any degree of consistency and
success. Also, they must be owned by all key stakeholders and be sensitive to
the cultural and/or socioeconomic backgrounds of the family. For these reasons,
interventions must be doable with available resources, interventions must be
sustainable over time, and interventions must be culturally inclusive (Brown,
Anderson, & DePry, 2015; Janney & Snell, 2008).
Phase 1 Functional Behavioural Assessment (FBA)

Background Information
Measurement of Behaviour
Function of the Behaviour
Intervention Considerations
Phase 2 Behavioural Intervention Plan (BIP)
Goal
Prevent Teach Respond
Associated support programs
Figure 3.1. The Positive Behavioural Support Process model.
Pause for a moment to examine the visual below. The Florida Positive Behavioral
Interventions & Support Project (http://flpbis.cbcs.usf.edu/tiers/tier3.html)
provides a critical snapshot of what the BIP needs to achieve.
4204EDN Module 3 Griffith University 63

What can you expect from this module?
When you complete this module and Assessment Item 2, you should have begun
to:
 develop a framework for documenting a behavioural intervention plan (BIP)

and programs for students with special needs;
 understand the theoretical and practical bases for a number of practices,

principles, and procedures embedded within this process;
 display basic competence in behavioural intervention planning.
What will you need to do?

As you work through this module you will need to:
 familiarise yourself with the literature related to this style of behavioural

planning;
 tailor this style of behavioural planning to suit your own personal approach to
teaching, learning, and behavioural support.
How long should you spend on this module?

Suggested study time for this module = 3 weeks.

Topic 1: Design of intervention plan and support programs
In this topic, aspects relating to design process and content will be dealt with
under the four sections:
 understanding casework and assessment tasks,

 goals,
 behavioural intervention plan,
 support programs.
Understanding casework and assessment tasks

Your second assessment item involves behavioural planning and reflective
activity. Planning will need to draw data from the completed FBA for a focus
student (Assessment Item 1). It also will require the documentation of an
evidence-based behavioural intervention plan (BIP), together with intervention
goals; rationales for key goal and elements of the plan; a summary of how
materials should be introduced to staff for implementation purposes; and a
statement of professional stance and approach to behavioural intervention
planning.
Specifically, you will need to:
 Formulate a key goal for the BIP, including
 goal statement;
 brief rationale explaining links to baseline data;

 data collection sheet related to the monitoring of this goal.
 Generate a relevant BIP with minimal use of aversive procedures.
 BIP using prevent-teach-respond format and contain at least 10 elements;
 rationale for each element of the plan, with linkages to relevant literature;
 details on how the BIP could be introduced to staff for implementation
purposes.
 Provide a 400-word statement of professional stance and approach to
behavioural intervention planning.
Once again, you are encouraged to generate practical planning material that
has a goodness of fit with the focus student and with your developing approach
to collaborative behavioural intervention. However, please ensure that your
material is theory based and data driven.
Getting started
As pre-service teachers, you are familiar with the educational planning and the
pivotal role which it plays in the assess-plan-implement-evaluate cycle. At this
early stage, it is important to gauge the similarities and differences between
curriculum planning and behavioural intervention planning.

Therefore, commence this topic by watching
the powerpoint by University of South
Florida’s Positive Behaviour Support
Individual PBS Project, Individual PBS Module 4:
Developing, Implementing, and Evaluating
Module 4: Developing, PBS Plans available at Learning@Griffith
Implementing, and (under Assessment). Viewing the plan-
Evaluating Positive implement-evaluate cycle as an integrated
whole is valuable because it encourages
Behavior Support Plans you to keep your eyes on the road ahead,
just not on the tasks related to design and
paperwork.
Helpful starters also include these materials.
Recommended WWW reading
Quinn, Gable, Rutherford, Nelson, & Howell, 1998, Addressing student problem
behavior – Part 1: An IEP team’s introduction to functional behavioral
assessment and behavior intervention plans. Available from World Wide Web:
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED426523
Manitoba Education, Training, and Youth

Description of BIP design process, forms, & case studies
http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/specedu/bip/index.html
Goals
Goal setting for behavioural interventions follow the standard guidelines
recommended for any individualised planning. First, these educational targets
may be stated as either goals or as outcomes. Second, goals (or outcomes)
should be delineated for both long-term (6-12 months) and short-term (1-3
months) periods. Third, goals (or outcomes) should be negotiated collaboratively
with the student, the family, and involved school staff.
In general, goals should be written:

 with attention to functionality, measurability, specificity, and context
appropriateness;
 in clear, simple language without the use of professional jargon;
 in active voice (i.e., stating of the goal in terms of what the student will do, not
what will happen to the student or be done to the student);
 in a positive manner that emphasise the student’s strengths and abilities;
 in a nonjudgmental and objective manner.

Five important rules-of-thumb for goal writing are:
 use the SMART approach derived from Stone's (1997) notion of SMART
goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time bound.
 formulate goals according to baseline performance and measurement of the

problem behaviour during the FBA process. Reference to baseline data
assists in formulating goals that are not only realistic but also defined in terms
of behaviours that are measurable and doable in a specified context.
 frame goals according to who, what, when, where, and how well (Allen &
Cowdery, 2012, p. 271).
 Write goals according to the formula

Goal = Behaviour (learning outcome) + Condition + Criterion
where a specific, observable behaviour is clearly identified;
any conditions are specified (e.g., equipment/materials, the level of
supervision, staff/peer grouping situation);
a criterion or standard is set (e.g., the percentage of time).
 Write short-term goals or objectives according to the formula
Short-term Goal = Behaviour + Condition + Criterion + Duration
where duration is added to ensure that the criterion or level of performance is
sustained before proceeding to the next short-term goal (e.g., 80% of the time
for 2 out of 3 maths lessons).
Quinn et al. (https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED426523) provide sound examples of goal

setting related to problem behaviour. Note how the provided example adheres to
the guidelines provided above.
 Goal
During classroom sessions, Jim will make only relevant comments and ask
only relevant questions in 80% of the opportunities.

 Objective (Short term goal)
Given a 50 minute, large group (i.e., more than 20 students) maths session,
Jim will ask one appropriate question and make two relevant comments on
each of 3 consecutive school days.
Schloss and Smith (1998) identify some common errors made when writing
goals. You may wish to keep these in mind when documenting goals for your BIP
and program. Common errors include:
 omitting a feature
Goals need to be written in terms of behaviour, condition, and criterion level.
The features most likely to be omitted are the condition and the criterion.
Initially it may be useful to write goals in the same format (e.g., condition,
behaviour, criterion) to ensure that all features are included.
 using a teacher orientation
Goals need to describe what the student will achieve, not what the teacher
will do. Remember to keep goals referenced to student learning.
 not using behavioural terminology

Goals need to be measurable, observable, and repeatable. Some goals have
only the appearance of being correctly written but are not able to measured,
etc. For example, “the student will demonstrate a comprehension of the short-
story form.” Make sure goals across all key learning areas clearly specify
what the student will actually be able to do after the period of instruction.
 using a vague condition
Goals need to contain conditions that specify how learning will occur (e.g.,
using certain equipment/materials, activities, staff/peer grouping situations).
Statements such as “given three days of instruction” or “by the end of the
term” specify no such details and are not conditions.
 eliminating problem behaviour without developing an appropriate alternative
Goals associated with reducing problem behaviour need to not only specify
the degree to which the problem behaviour will be reduced but also include or
be paired with a goal that focuses on the development of the related,
appropriate alternative.
 not writing socially valid goals
Goals need to be socially valid and contribute to a lifestyle change for the
student. If not, the resulting instruction and its outcomes will be in vain.
 writing goals that lack depth
Goals need to target not only the lower level skills of knowledge and
understanding, but also the higher levels of functioning such as application,
analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. All too often students with intellectual
impairment are not given the opportunity to learn how to problem solve and
self manage.
 writing goals that lack breadth
Goals need to target learning across all key learning areas. Often academic
skills are the sole focus in regular classrooms while activities of everyday life
are prioritised in special education classrooms. Make sure there is a balance
across learning areas for each student.

 writing goals with mismatched components
Goals need to be formulated with consideration to how the components
(behaviour, condition, criterion) work together. For example, given a literacy
task involving punctuation of five sentences using a period or a question
mark, it is possible to set the criterion level at 60%, 80%, or 100%, but not
75% or 90%. In particular, make sure there is not a mismatch between the
target behaviour and the criterion.
In Assessment Item 2, you are required to set goals for both the intervention plan
and support programs. In these instances, it is recommended that you document
goals and frame according to the behaviour–condition–criterion–duration formula.
Long term planning is appropriate in situations where a team approach is strongly
established and team members are very familiar with the student for whom the
plan is being generated.

Applied Behaviour Analysis Modules (Course Content Folder)
#3: Writing Behavioural Objectives
Quinn, Gable, Rutherford, Nelson, & Howell, 1998, Addressing student problem
behavior – Part 1: An IEP team’s introduction to functional behavioral
assessment and behavior intervention plans. Available from World Wide Web:
Goal Writing for General Positive Behavior Increase or Problem Behavior
Increase or Problem Behavior Reduction or Elimination Forms
http://www.pent.ca.gov/frm/forms.html
Additional reading
Alberto & Troutman, 2009, pp. 23-52 (Chapter 2, Behavioral objectives).
Behavioural intervention plan

Findings from the FBA process need to drive decision making related to BIP
content (McLaren & Michael Nelson, 2009). The hypothesis, in particular, plays a
crucial role in the design of a plan aimed to promote the learning of new
replacement or alternative skills and the extension of existing skills while
reducing the problem behaviour. Moreover, known ecological factors and
antecedents are taken into account so that for “each feature of the problem, a
behavioral support is developed” Lucyshyn et al., 2002, p. 22). Furthermore,
identified preferences and reinforcers (motivators) are carefully embedded in the
BIP and support programs.
Decision making may also be influenced by:

 nature and complexity of the student’s overall learning needs and the
educational priorities;
 the breadth of the intervention within and across environment/s (school,
home, and community);
 the situational constraints associated with each environment (e.g., number of
people to be involved; the level of commitment and support to the
intervention; demands on key stakeholders);
 the characteristics of implementers (e.g., basic beliefs regarding discipline;
previous experiences and/or training; relationship with the student);

 the individual teacher/designer beliefs, preferences, experience, and training.
Additionally, Bambara and Knoster (1998, p. 13) remind us that “support plans
are not just individualised but personalized. No one support plan fits everyone.”
For this reason, they argue that intervention plans should not only be hypothesis
based but also uniquely tailored to an individual’s daily school, home, and
community routines (i.e., have “good contextual fit” with setting/s of
implementation).
Four key recommendations, therefore, should guide the documentation of BIPs.

Plans should:
 draw directly on findings from the FBA, especially data related to the
antecedents and consequences for the problem behaviour;
 be hypothesis driven;
 take into account contextual features;
 consist of multiple elements.
The competing behaviours model
In addition to the previous three recommendations, plans should be documented

using a “competing behaviours” model (Horner, O’Neill, & Flannery, 1993; Riffel,
2009). The competing behaviours model enables FBA information to be directly
used to build a reliable and valid BIP.
The model consists of a step-by-step process to be completed in relation to the
problem behaviour or each class of problem behaviour (when several behaviours
serve the same function). The Rehabilitation Research & Training Center
(RR&TC) on Positive Behavior Support provides a basic 7 step-by-step process
model with matrix.

Figure 3.2 presents a generalised and example matrix with steps.
Document within the matrix:
(1) problem behaviour/s.
(2) predictor events (immediate antecedents) for problem behaviour/s.
(3) maintaining consequence of problem behaviour/s.
(4) setting events relevant to occurrence of problem behaviour/s.
Determine and then document within the matrix:
(5) desired behaviour in the situation (i.e., what behaviour/s do you really want
the student to do?).
(6) maintaining consequence for the desired behaviour.
Typically, the desired behaviour leads to a maintaining consequence that is
different from the consequence produced by problem behaviour.
(7) positive alternative behaviour (replacement skill) that will produce the same
maintaining consequence as problem behaviour.
Matrix
Example
Figure 3.2. RR&TC competing behaviours model with matrix and steps.

Textbook
Riffel (2011)
pp. 89-97 (Chapter 9, Behavioral intervention using a

problem-solving model).
RR&TC Competing Behavior Model Handout

www.apbs.org/files/competingbehav_prac.pdf
Competing Pathways Summary Statement: Sample and Blank Forms

includes an introductory powerpoint presentation by
Diana Browning Wright (2009)
An organisational format for the intervention plan
Figure 3.3 presents the format recommended in this course for behavioural
planning. Organisationally, the multi-component BIP is built around three distinct
component: prevent, teach, and respond. This prevent-teach-respond format is
well recognised in the PBS literature (see, for example, Janney and Snell, 2008;
Janzen, 2003; Riffel, 2009, 2011).
 Prevent component
strategies that prevent or decrease the likelihood of problem behaviour
occurring.
 Teach component
new replacement or alternative skills and extend existing skills related to
communication, social-emotional competence, and problem solving.
 Respond component
procedures that allow adults to respond to the problem behaviour when it
occurs in order to prevent injury or damage.

Each of these components will now be briefly introduced and broken down into
examples of further categories.
 physical factors  replacement skills  interrupting the

behaviour chain
 interpersonal  coping/ tolerance
factors skills  counter-intuitive
strategies
 programmatic  general skills
factors  emergency
procedures
Figure 3.3. Key components within intervention plan.
Prevent component
Preventative strategies are planned environmental changes based on information

gleaned from the ecological and ABC analyses within the FBA. LaVigna, Willis,
and Donnellan (1989, p. 62) describe these changes as attempts to “smooth the
fit” between the student and his/her environment by modifying the environment.
Ruef et al. (1999) call this practice re-engineering the environment. Bambara and
Knoster (1998) identify these environmental changes as antecedent support
strategies.
Hitzing (1992) argues that “too often a number of important environmental

influences such as the student’s curriculum, class size and composition, and staff
arrangements are taken as givens” (p. 152). Moreover, Strain, Wolery, and
Izeman (1998) recommend that “more resources should be focused on changing
instructional environments rather than making the behaviors stop” (p. 15). It
follows, therefore, that attention needs be paid to these strategies as they often
produce significant and durable changes in the problem behaviour.
LaVigna and Willis (1993) recommend three key ways to alter the environment.
They advise that changes be made to specific physical, interpersonal, and
programmatic factors identified within the ecological and ABC analyses of the
FBA. Examples include:
 physical e.g., change seating and student’s position in the room.
 interpersonal e.g., change teacher aide supporting the student during Maths.
 programmatic e.g., vary level of task difficulty during Maths.
By comparison, Bambara and Knoster (1998) recommend four types of strategies

for preventing or decreasing the likelihood of problem behaviour occurring. These
strategies are:
 modify a problem event e.g.,
 provide assistance and structure during transition times;
 use suggestive rather than directive language, such as “what should you
do now?”
 intersperse e.g.,

 mix mastered tasks with acquisition tasks for independent seatwork;
 schedule non-preferred activities such as cleaning among preferred
activities such as leisure.
 add events e.g.,
 state clear expectations for student performance at the start of each
session;
 provide a rich variety of activities from which to choose.
 block or neutralise e.g.,

 allow the individual to take frequent breaks during difficult work activities;
 provide time alone or time to regroup after a negative experience.
On the other hand, Chandler and Dahlquist (2010, p. 203) recommend a number
of preventative strategies related to sensory regulation/ sensory stimulation
functions. Strategies include providing:
 active, highly stimulating tasks in a rotational manner with passive, less
stimulating tasks.
 multisensory stimuli and individualising the types of sensory stimuli.
 noncontingent access to preferred activities and materials.
Prizant and Lauren (2011, Part 2) also advise that general prevention strategies
should be put in place when working with students with ASDs in order to maintain
a well-regulated state. Strategies they recommend include “the consistent use of
schedules, scheduled breaks, opportunities for choice, environmental
accommodations, and use of interactive styles calibrated to a person’s abilities”
(p. 34). In addition, when planning environmental changes for a student,
remember that many of these strategies will need to be faded as the student
learns new skills and the problem behaviour is reduced. Some strategies,
especially those required for a better quality of life, may become permanent
lifestyle adaptations. When planning environmental changes for the student with
ASD, take care to ensure that these changes are adequately balanced or
counteracted by other strategies within the framework. For example, if one
change aims to avoid or limit participation in noisy or crowded environments,
involvement in many meaningful activities will be eliminated (thereby decreasing
quality of life). Such a change, therefore, needs to be paired with positive
programming strategies that assist the student to cope and tolerate noisy and
crowded environments. As coping skills increase, the environmental change can
be faded.
Textbook
Riffel (2011)
pp. 99-105 (Chapter 10, Antecedent manipulations or
modifications for proactive planning).

Teach component
Strategies under this component have an instructional basis and are therefore
related to changes in curriculum. Teaching is focused on changing students’ skill
repertoires so that they can deal better with their environment/s. Not surprisingly,
the teaching of an alternative, functionally equivalent, or replacement behaviour
to the problem behaviour is the focus of attention. Teaching, however, should not
be restricted to this area. Three teaching areas commonly addressed are:
 replacement or functional equivalent skill

associated with learning a specific skill that serves the same function as the
problem behaviour; linked to hypothesis; often involves a communication
component.
 coping and tolerance
associated with learning a specific skill that assists the student to better cope
with potentially difficult or frustrating situations that naturally occur in his/her
environment/s; often linked to hypothesis. For example, learning to relax,
learning anger management, learning how to obey a class rule, learning how
to manage upsetting situations.
 general skills
associated with learning a new skill or enhancing an existing skills related to
quality of life (e.g., building relationships, learning a preferred activity,
increasing self-esteem). It may also be broad skill that may modify problem
event and thereby avoid the need for problem behavior (e.g., learning to
make choices, learning self initiation, learning self management strategies).
Within this framework, each skill can be taught independently. While priority
needs to be given to teaching the replacement behaviour, it may be necessary to
teach a replacement skill in conjunction with a coping strategy or a general skill
or both. In all instances reinforcement and a reinforcement system needs to be
integrated into skills building.
Bambara and Knoster (1998, pp. 20-21) provide a number of recommendations

for successful planning within this component.
 Be sure the functionally equivalent or replacement skill serves the exact same
function as the problem behaviour. If the replacement skill does not produce
the same purpose in the same or less amount of time as the problem
behaviour, it will not be effective for the person.
 Select easy skills. When selecting a replacement skill, choose one that is
relatively easy for the individual to learn. If the alternative skill takes more
effort to produce than the problem behaviour, the person will not consistently
use it.
 Teach skills first that produce an immediate pay-off. Initially teach those skills
that will bring about the quickest results for the person. By doing so, problem
behaviours will be reduced rapidly, making it easier and more enjoyable for
the individual to learn more skills.
 Teach before problem behaviours occur. During or immediately after a
problem situation occurs is often the wrong time to teach an alternative skill.
Typically, people are not receptive to learning when they are upset. Teaching
after an incident may inadvertently teach the individual first to engage in the
problem behaviour, then use the alternative response (e.g., “First I will push
my books onto the floor, then I will ask for help!”)

Umbreit et al. (2007) specifically expand on these recommendations in relation to
replacement behaviours. They advise that the replacement behaviour should:
 Be something that the child can already do.
 Be supported by the natural environment.
 Be an actual behaviour rather than an outcome of the behaviour and fit
logically with the function of the problem behaviour.
 Describe an action or an activity that the child can do in place of the problem
behaviour rather than the absence of the problem behaviour.
Textbook
Riffel (2011)
pp. 107-117 (Chapter 11, Behavior teaching).
Respond component
These strategies, in the main, form the basis of a management plan for when the
behaviour occurs and therefore are viewed as consequence interventions. Scott
et al. (2005) reported that in “real world school settings”, staff continue to “select
punitive and exclusionary strategies, regardless of function” (p. 205). More
recently, Lambrechts, Van Den Noortgate, Eeman, and Maes (2010) reported
that staff continue to draw attention to or try to stop the problem behaviour rather
than responding in a planned and neutral way.
On the one hand, strategies to respond to problem behaviour when it occurs

include strategies to “manage the moment” and diffuse the situation. For
example, strategies such as redirection or reflective listening can be used to
respond to early signs (precursors) of the problem behaviour before it actually
occurs. On the other hand, in instances when the problem behaviour escalates
(e.g., meltdown, aggressive outburst), they include agreed upon emergency
procedures that ensure safety for all those involved and reduce the likelihood of
injury and damage.
Key types of responding behaviours are:
 Interrupt the behavioural chain

Redirection (to task and acceptable behaviour) is considered a prime strategy
in this area (Janney & Snell, 2008). So too are strategies that include
feedback (reminding the student what he/she is trying to do/achieve) and
reflective listening (acknowledging to the student that you have read the
communicative message of his/her behaviour). Introducing humour (to alter
emotional climate), providing a “stimulus change” (introduction of something
unexpected), and offering choices or alternatives may also be used to
effectively manage certain situations (e.g., taking a break). A number of
strategies may also be embedded into a sequence of responding actions. For
example remind the student what he/she is working for, redirect to task, and
provide positive feedback for re-engagement).
 Counter-intuitive strategies
These strategies include redirection to a potentially reinforcing activity,

redirection to an obsession or compulsive behaviour, and giving the person
what he/she wants (LaVigna & Willis, 1992).
 Emergency procedures
These strategies are to gain control in emergency situations when the
behaviour is “full blown.” They should put in place through discussion with
administration and parents and require adherence to ethics, law, and service
policy. It is essential that (a) both procedures and incidents are carefully
documented and (b) staff training is undertaken, both for student welfare and
staff well being and confidence (Allen & Tynan, 2000).
Recommendations for putting these situational management strategies in place

include:
 Be sure these strategies are used with other intervention components. It may
be tempting to use consequence strategies alone, because they are effective
in the short term. But note that they cannot bring about long-term results
without also teaching alternative skills or changing conditions that trigger
problem behaviour. In fact, using them in isolation may lead to increasingly
intrusive interventions as previous attempts fail.
 As with all strategies, be sure that these situational management strategies
are age-appropriate, respectful, and appropriate for inclusive settings. These
are minimum criteria for facilitating inclusion without stigmatising or
humiliating the person.
 Be sure there is a clear understanding of what crisis management is, what

constitutes an emergency, and how to respond. Crisis management uses the
least intrusive means to prevent individuals hurting themselves or others and
damaging surroundings. To prevent injury or damage, consider the least
intrusive intervention first. Can the furniture be moved? Can others be asked
to leave the setting? Can self-injury be interrupted? If physical restraint is the
only safety option, then extreme care should be taken to ensure that it is
never abused. A person should not be restrained longer than what is needed
to establish safety. The use of physical restraint has the potential to erupt into
a power struggle between the restrainer and the student. Team members
should observe one another to make sure this does not happen.
Increasing attention is being paid to crisis management as part of PBS

planning and intervention. Janney and Snell provide a useful flowchart of the
crisis cycle, with corresponding interventions (see Figure 3.4). Figure 3.5
provides an overview of risk management related to effective crisis
management.
Phase 3 Crisis
Not able to process info;
interrupt & protect
Phase 2 Escalation Phase 4 Begin Recovery
Interrupt: facilitate Can regain control or reescalate;
redirection or relaxation do not reintroduce antecedents
Phase 1 Trigger Phase 5 Recovery
Look for physiological signs: Able to process info
eliminate antecedents
Figure 3.4. Phases of crises cycle with intervention suggestions

(Janney & Snell, 2008, p. 67).

Figure 3.5. Risk management related to effective crisis management.
Janzen (1996, pp. 408-411) sees a strong relationship between crisis situation
(phase 3) and anxiety and panic: The danger of a crisis situation increases as
anxiety and panic increases. She believes anxiety and panic to increase when:
 Others panic and show fear or excitement.
 The student’s personal space is invaded.
 People talk too much or too loud.
 The student is pushed to give eye contact or to verbalise.
 The student is threatened with the loss of a powerful reinforcer.
 The student is restrained or engaged in a physical struggle.
Janzen also provides five guidelines for defusing anxiety.

 Listen to what the student says. It may provide a clue to the need or problem.
 Use reflective listening strategies.
 Tell the student to do something specifically e.g., relaxation routine.
 Reinforce the student’s every effort to self-control.
 Introduce a surprise (i.e., aim for novelty effect).
Moreover, Janzen sees the time following a crisis (phase 4) as a highly

vulnerable period: in which another crisis can be triggered. She advises staff to:
 Set the stage and remain calm, quiet, and supportive.
 Avoid nagging about the problem behaviour or what should have occurred.
 Not attempt to reengage until the student is totally relaxed.
 Structure the transition back to “normal” activity.
 Avoid the student returning to a difficult or disliked task.
Hodgdon (1999, pp. 224-228) suggests calming techniques that overlap with
those from Janzen. Techniques include:
 Communicate clearly what student needs to do: Either engage student in
“neutral” behaviour or make it clear what student is supposed to be doing.
 Talk less.
 Use yourself as a visual tool: Either use your body to make things happen,
use your body to communicate what should not happen, or use your body to
prevent things from happening.
 Wait…be aware of eye contact, and reduce the audience.
 Remind the student what he needs to do…then wait.
 As the student calms, prompt the appropriate behaviour.

 Review the incident, reevaluate how it was handled, reinforce yourself or
staff, and regroup (take a deep breath and go back to teaching).
Textbook
Riffel (2011)
pp. 119-130 (Chapter 12, Consequence modification).
pp. 49-58 (Chapter 6, Crisis plans).
Optional reading (Readings Folder, Module 3)

Gable et al., 2009, pp 195-205 (Article on Rules, ignoring, and reprimands).
Koch, 2010, pp. 111-117 (Article on prevention of student meltdowns).
Putting it all together
Table 3.1 presents an overview the prevent-teach-respond BIP format adapted

from Ayres and Heed (2003). Before proceeding, spend some time examining the
three BIP components and examples of elements within each component. This
activity is aimed to consolidate core planning information presented to date.
Table 3.1. Overview of Planning Format (Ayres & Hedeen, 2003)
Prevent problem behaviour Teach new skills Respond to problem

behaviour
Decrease the likelihood of Teaching new skills involves It is important to plan for the
problem behaviour occurring by determining, first and occurrence of behaviours so
changing the physical, foremost, what the student that everyone is prepared and
instructional, and/or social needs to learn to replace the confident in how to respond.
environment. Attention is focused problem behaviour. Problem Some ways to defuse
on creating a positive learning behaviours serve a purpose situations are:
environment. For example: for the person and are an  Watch for signs/precursors
indication of a learning need. to the behaviour and
1. Change Physical Environment We then use our best
 Rearrange furniture or make changes to prevent
teaching strategies to help additional problems.
materials the person learn new
 Work at different locations in communication, social, and  Provide choices of
classroom. self-regulatory behaviours. materials/ activities.
 Seat students for safety and  Ask student to take a short
For example:
participation break.
 Communication skills,
2. Adapt Instructional  Take materials to the
Environment  Social skills, student.
 Change the difficulty, amount,  Relaxation,  Say nothing about the
or sequence of work.  Self regulation skills, behaviour while you
 Use visual strategies to assist continue to teach,
with steps of tasks.  Obeying class rules,
focusing on participation
 Include manipulatives and  Self-management skills, and provide positive
movement within session.  Self initiation skills feedback for any attempts
3. Change Social Environment to participate.
 Provide choice throughout  Redirect the person to the
day. task through nonverbal
 Increase opportunities for cues.
positive attention from adults  Compromise/adjust plan.
and peers.
 Protect yourself and others
 Give the student valued roles
in a nonintrusive manner.
and responsibilities.

Documenting the BIP
There is no one way to document a BIP. However, the need to devote time and
effort to strategy selection cannot be overemphasised. Data from the FBA should
drive decision making. Table 3.2 presents an example of a BIP for an adolescent
who hits peers in order to avoid participating in school activities.
Table 3.2. BIP Example
BEHAVIOURAL SUPPORT PLAN
Name: Ben G Date: April, 2008
IEP Goal: During HPE sessions, Ben will self monitor his behaviour and have no more
than one instance of pushing or hitting per fortnight.
Short Term Goal: Instead pushing or hitting of peers when he objects to participating in
HPE sessions, Ben will be prompted to ask for a break and will independently use all
identified self-calming strategies 50% of the time for 2 consecutive sessions.
Provide an overview of Take-a-break Program When any early signs of
activities to be undertaken - Script with Ben how to raise objection (face grimacing,
at the beginning of each hand and request a break; agitated hand
HPE session create a visual support. movements) remind Ben
- Role play using scenarios. about the reward he is
Give Ben a specific - Capture sequence on video, working toward.
responsibility at the have Ben install on his iPad,
beginning of each HPE and encourage watching on If signs increase,
session arrival at all subject lessons. encourage Ben to use his
- Introduce peer coaching when visual support to request
Commence HPE session relationships develop. a break and then
with low energy activities - Reinforce Ben with a sticker for undertake his relax
requesting a break during any sequence.
Provide some choice within
subject lesson.
each HPE session,
especially in relation to ball Relax Program When Ben either pushes
or high energy activities - With Ben identify preferred self- or hits, institute a
calming strategies. redirection sequence:
Provide clear expectations ignore behaviour, redirect to
- Capture sequence on video,
about transitioning from task, provide positive
have Ben install on iPad to
one activity to another, feedback for re-engagement.
watch and self-rehearse.
specifically monitor Ben’s -Add sequence to visual support If pushing or hitting
transitions, and give him card with Ben for instant persists, Ben is to be
positive feedback for rehearsal under staff direction. taken to the Responsible
transitioning in a calm - Reinforce Ben with a sticker for Thinking Room and
manner. undertaking relax sequence episode to be recorded in
during any subject lesson. the Incident Book.
Keep Ben separated from See Relax Program
Henry; he is the preferred Reward Program
target for hitting. - Ben to earn stickers for
Increase density of requesting break and self-
reinforcement for calming. Stickers placed on
appropriate interactions Reward card. When card is
and class participation full, Ben to spin wheel for 1
throughout the school day. of 3 chosen rewards.
Friendship Program
- Use socio-grams to identify a few
peers who like or tolerate Ben
and pair with Ben for group
work across subjects.
- Embed tactics on Handout
(Goldstein’s Friendship
Program) to set occasion for
friendship building.

The distribution of strategies and programs across Ben’s BIP highlights the multi-
element nature of this style of planning. Typical distributions of elements are:
 Prevent component often details 5 or more environmental changes that
decrease the likelihood of the problem behaviour occurring;
 Teach component details 3 or more programs related to building skills to
replace the problem behaviour, to better cope with potentially difficult or
frustrating situations, and to improve quality of life.
 Respond component often details 2 or more strategies to diffuse situations
when the problem behaviour occurs or to manage critical episodes.
Finally, Table 3.3 presents a checklist adapted from Bambara and Knoster (1998)
that may prove useful when developing intervention plans initially. A more
comprehensive list of strategies by Bambara and Knoster is available on-line at
the University of Delaware PBS Project website (see below).
Table 3.3. Checklist for Designing Intervention Plans (Adapted from

Bambara & Knoster, 1998, p. 29)
Design Component Response
Prevent component: Environmental changes
Does the plan include antecedent and setting-event modifications to prevent YN
problem behaviour from occurring?
Does the plan include modifications to make desired behaviours more likely? YN
Teach component: Teaching skills

Did your team consider all approaches to alternative-skill training (e.g., YN
functionally equivalent or replacement skills, social-emotional skills;
coping and tolerance skills)?
Do functionally equivalent or replacement skills serve the same function as YN
the problem behaviour?
If the plan targets multiple alternative skills, are the ones that produce the YN
most immediate effect for the child taught first?
Respond component: Situational management
Does the plan include consequence strategies for when the behaviour YN
occurs?
Does the crisis management plan address the three phases of a crisis: (a) YN
escalation, (b) eruption, and (c) deescalation?
Lifestyle features
Does the plan include supports that will improve the child’s quality of life? YN
Does the plan include long-term adaptations that will (a) help the child YN
maintain new skills, and (b) prevent problem behaviours from occurring?
Overall
Are the intervention strategies logically linked to the hypothesis? YN
Does the plan reflect individual and family preferences? YN
Are all the intervention strategies (a) age-appropriate, and (b) acceptable for YN
typically developing peers?
Can the plan be carried out in public without stigmatising the child? YN
Y - Yes N - No

Textbook
Riffel (2011)
pp. 119-130 (Chapter 13, Sample intervention based on
function).
Core reading (Readings folder, Module 3)
Janney & Snell, 2008, pp. 99-113, 118-119 (Chapter on Designing, using, and
evaluating individualized positive behavior supports).
Optional reading (Readings folder, Module 3)
Chandler & Dahlquist, 2010, pp. 223-251 (Chapter on Specific intervention

strategies to increase/decrease sensory regulation/sensory stimulation).
Zuna & McDougall, 2004, pp. 18-24 (Article on Using positive behavioral support
to manage avoidance of academic tasks).
Recommended WWW
ERIC Digest E592 (Links between FBAs and BIPs)
http://www.ericdigests.org/2000-4/bips.htm
Hieneman et al. (1999). Facilitator’s guide on positive behavioral support

(Designing support plans, pp. 51-68)
available at Learning@Griffith (under Resources)
http://www.apbs.org/files/PBSwhole.pdf
Riffel material on Writing behavioral intervention plans
under Resources at Learning@Griffith
Manitoba Education, Training, and Youth
Description of BIP design process, forms, & case studies
http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/specedu/bip/index.html
PENT, California Department of Education
Variety of forms and documents
http://www.pent.ca.gov/beh/behplan.htm
University of Delaware Positive Behavior Support Project
http://wh1.oet.udel.edu/pbs/tier-3-forms-and-tools/
Virginia Department of Education. (2005-2006).
Step 7 Develop & implement behavioral intervention plan
In Functional behavioral assessment, behavioral intervention plans, and
positive intervention and support (on-line booklet)
available at Learning@Griffith (under Resources).

Additional readings (Texts)
Consider only for theory in BIP report
Crimmins, Farrell, Smith, & Bailey, 2007, pp. 121-150 (Chapter on Plan design).
Glasberg, 2006, pp. 111-120 (Chapter on Plan design).
Hieneman, Childs, & Sergay, 2006, pp. 47-64 (Chapter on Developing a plan).
Janney & Snell, 2008, pp. 97-120 (Chapter on Plan design).

McConnell et al., 2001, pp. 41-56 (Chapter on Behaviour intervention plans).
Scott, Anderson, & Alter, 2012,
pp. 250-269 (Chapter 14, Behaviour support plans).
Umbreit et al., 2007, Part 2 Developing the Intervention

pp. 95-118 (Chapter 6, Teach the replacement behavior).
pp. 119-142 (Chapter 7, Improve the environment).
pp. 199-210 (Chapter 11, Behavior intervention plan).
Wheeler & Richey, 2010,

pp. 208-243 (Chapter on Planning behavior supports),
pp. 300-325 (Chapter on Teaching positive replacement behaviors).
Support programs
Behavioural programming follows established guidelines. As with any
individualised programming, the style and amount of detail needing to be
documented for any behavioural intervention will vary according to:
 the nature and complexity of the child’s learning needs;
 the program type (i.e., a task analysis for skills development in the teach
component versus the detailing of a specific technique for managing the
problem behaviour when it occurs in respond component.
 individual designer beliefs, preferences, experience, and training.
A critical feature of behavioural interventions is to document support programs in

a clear and simple manner (Janney & Snell, 2008; Riffel, 2009). Regardless of
the complexity of the plan and related programs, all staff implementing the
intervention must understand the total paperwork if positive outcomes are to
ensue. Data collection procedures also need to be straightforward because data
needs to be collected during or at the end of the teaching episode. Data
collection, therefore, must be doable under real teaching conditions.
Reading written material is rarely sufficient preparation to ensure sound

implementation. Some structured training needs to be provided to all staff
involved in the intervention. Training should provide not only explanation and
discussion of instructional procedures and data collection but also
demonstrations of how to implement the program. Moreover, staff are more likely
to implement the program if they understand not only the “what”, and the “how”
but also the “why” and how the program is linked to the overall plan and its focus.
Initial quality training increases the likelihood that intervention is implemented as
planned (i.e., program or treatment integrity), which in turn influences intervention
outcomes (see Figure 3.6).

Figure 3.6. Model linking BIP, program integrity, and outcomes (Cook et al.,
2012, p. 4).
Table 3.4 presents a support program example. Typical elements of this type of
program are:
 short-term goal statement
Short-term Goal = Behaviour + Condition + Criterion + Duration
see previous section on Goals.
 details on how to implement the intervention including instructional content,
specific strategies, reinforcement procedure, resource materials, and
organisational arrangements: the “what” and the “how”
see sections that follow on Task analysis and Antecedent control.
 data collection procedures to monitor progress as intervention proceeds.
designed around the targeted short term goal
see section that follows on Data collection.
Task analysis
Task analysis (TA) is a system of breaking more complex pieces of learning

down into behavioural chains. Over the years it has proven to be a reliable
method of increasing correct responses and decreasing incorrect responses
associated with learning skills. This applies to both activities of daily life and to
academics (Alberto & Troutman, 2009).
Marc Gold was the first to use the task-analytic method with persons with more
severe disabilities (see Gold, 1972). This process highlights three functions: the
method, content, and process of instruction.
1. Decide the way or manner in which the task needs to be performed (method).
2. Divide the task into steps, following the selected method (content)
3. Delineate the process for instruction including the teaching format (e.g.,
backward chaining, strategies), feedback to be given (correction and
reinforcement), targeted criterion level, and data collection procedures.

4. After instruction, evaluate if the student has reached criterion.
5. If not, change the process (format and/or feedback).
6. Check performance, and if the student has not reached criterion, change the
content.
7. Check performance, and if the student has not reached criterion, change the
method.
Table 3.4. Program Example
RELAXATION PROGRAM
Name: Ben G Date: May, 2008
Instead pushing or hitting of peers when he objects to participating in HPE sessions,
Ben will be prompted to ask for a break and will independently use all identified self-
calming strategies 50% of the time for 2 consecutive sessions.
Teaching Steps Strategies
1. Moves into a comfortable sitting V.C. It’s time for relaxation. Get comfortable, Move
position and closes eyes your arms and legs around to make them floppy.
Close your eyes.
Provide prompts if necessary.
Continue to provide prompts to keep eyes closed
throughout sequence.
Use a calm voice and speak slowly and softly
2. Takes in a deep breath through nose V.C. Take a big breath in through your nose and
count slowly: 1..2..3..4..5
Praise participation and quality of effort
3. Lets the air out through mouth V.C. Now let the air out very slowly through your
open mouth and count slowly: 1..2..3..4..5
Praise participation and how this behaviour pleases
you.
4. Takes two deep breaths in succession Repeat for 2-breath sequence.
Provide prompts if necessary.
Provide extensive praise for improved efforts.
5. Rubs outsides of legs in long, slow V.C. Now rub down your legs very slowly with hands
stokes and count slowly: 1..2..3..4..5
Rub down again and count: 1..2..3..4..5
Praise participation and quality of effort.
6. Takes deep breaths and thinks of lying V.C. to take deep breathes again and think of
on bed listening to music on iPad favourite activity - lying on bed and listening to
music.
7. Receives token and places on rewards Provide overall praise and differentially provide
card in pocket feedback on what steps of relax sequence particularly
pleased you. Give sticker if every step was
completed. Remind Ben what he’ll receive when his
rewards card is full and what he needs to do when he
does not want to participate in an activity.
V.C. - verbal cue. Prompt - model first; verbal instructions only if necessary.
When Ben is familiar with sequence,
start to replace V.C. with an indirect V.C. “What do you do next?” or “What’s next?”

Task analysis continued
Over the years, many researchers have built upon Gold’s initial work. Guidelines
that emanate from more recent literature include:
 each step within the content task analysis should be written in terms of
learner response not teacher assistance;
 each step within the content task analysis should be written as a simple
declarative statement with only 1 active verb; avoid negatives, qualifications,
and conjunctions;
 the task analysis should be modified as instruction proceeds and learning
occurs; these ongoing changes should be noted on the original
documentation with dates showing when specific changes were implemented;
 if learner performance is poor, review task analysis systematically - starting
with the process (e.g., strategies may need to be more powerful), followed by
the content (e.g., more difficult steps may need to be broken down further),
and finally the method (e.g., an alternate performance strategy may need to
be utilised).

#5: Behavioral Chaining and Discrete Trial Training
Sections related to chaining, task analysis, and data collection
Antecedent Control
Antecedents are factors in the instructional environment over which the teacher is
able to exercise some control. These factors not only increase the chance that
correct responses will be made in the future but also provide proactive prevention
for errors or problem behaviours. We all respond to cues in the environment in
order to get information on how to respond correctly. For example, we all pay
attention to the traffic light and walk across when it turns green. Green is the cue
for walking. We have learned this through experience of the consequence that
we can usually walk across the street without the interference of other traffic. We
are under the stimulus control of the colour of the traffic light because we know
that it is an important feature of the situation to pay attention to. Some students
with special are unable to focus their attention on the salient features of a given
situation. The aim of antecedent or stimulus control is to arrange the instructional
environment in a manner that focuses the attention of the learner on the aspects
of the task that give the person information for correct responding.
Prompts are one of the most popular antecedent control techniques used in
teaching students with special needs. However, it is important to remember that
while this technique may assist the individual to succeed with a task, the
individual may become overdependent on the prompt. Teachers, therefore, need
to watch for signs of prompt dependency.
Different types of prompts are delineated in the ABA literature. These include:
 within stimulus prompts (e.g., making use of the natural stimuli by darkening
the outline of a piece of wood to be sawed);
 extra stimulus prompting (e.g., adding a gesture, physical assistance, or
verbal prompt that is referential to the natural cue);

 redundant prompts (e.g., adding a powerful but unrelated feature such as
using colour to indicate which button to press in a sequence).
Guidelines for using prompts are:
 view instructional prompts as temporary;

 be sure that the student is attending before you provide the prompts;
 use prompts that focus the student's attention on natural cues;
 use prompts natural to the setting and activity;
 use prompts that are not stigmatizing and are appropriate for the student's
chronological age;
 give enough time after the instructional prompt to allow the student to focus
on the natural cues and to initiate a response.
Verbal prompts are perhaps the most widely used and misused type of prompt.
Good verbal prompting describes needed performance (e.g., let’s walk) or calls
attention to specific stimulus characteristics (e.g., the light is green, let’s walk).
Direct prompts should be faded to indirect statements as soon as possible (e.g.,
Is the light green? What do you do?). Physical assistance also is widely used. It
involves the teacher touching or physically guiding the student or the task (e.g.,
to move more quickly across the road). Visual prompts or visually cued materials
are increasingly used to facilitate learning and reduce problem behaviour. See
Topic 2 for examples of how pictorial cards, schedules, and video materials are
used within behavioural conditioning procedures.

#4: Antecedent Control
Data collection
Data collection is an integral to instruction and needs to be systematically and

carefully interspersed within teaching episodes. Data collection should be as
unintrusive to the teaching/learning process as possible and be the minimum
necessary for monitoring and evaluation purposes. As programmer, the teacher
can select from a wide variety of direct (quantitative and analytic) and indirect
(qualitative and descriptive) procedures. Increasingly, students with special
needs are being taught to self-monitor, self-evaluate, self-record, and self-
reinforce their own behaviour using direct procedures (Dixon & McKeel, 2011;
Parker & Kamps, 2011).

Tables 3.5 and 3.6 present data collection sheets to support Ben’s long- and
short-term goals detailed in his BIP (see Table 3.4).
Table 3.5. Data Sheet Example for Long-Term Behavioural Goal
DATA SHEET
Name: Ben G Date: April, 2008
Long term goal (key overall goal for at least 6 months)
During HPE sessions, Ben will self monitor his behaviour and have no more than one
instance of pushing or hitting per fortnight.
Instructions
Self monitoring is not to be instituted until Term 3
Staff to record behavioural occurrences during HPE, and then graph data and discuss with Ben at
the end of each day on which HPE is scheduled.
Use data to show improvement and give praise or encouragement to try harder. Don’t reprimand.
Date Frequency Frequency Comments  data graphed &

Hitting Pushing discussed with Ben
Table 3.6. Data Sheet Example for Short-Term Goal
DATA SHEET
Name: Ben G Program: Relaxation
Short term goal (for a term)
Instead pushing or hitting of peers when he objects to participating in HPE sessions, Ben
will be prompted to ask for a break and will independently use all identified self-calming
strategies 50% of the time for 2 consecutive sessions.
Date Sits Closes Deep Rubs Quiet Overall Sticker

Down Eyes Breaths Legs Thinking Comments Given
- Yes, step in sequence of sufficient quality of performance If not, write brief note.

Recommended WWW for intervention strategies
By centres
 OSEP Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions &
Supports
http://pbis.org/
 University of Delaware Positive Behavior Support Project
http://wh1.oet.udel.edu/pbs/tier-3-forms-and-tools/
 University of South Florida, PBS project
http://flpbis.cbcs.usf.edu/tiers/tier3.html
 Supporting Positive Behaviour in Alberta Schools: An intensive individualized
approach
By specific resources
 Towards inclusion: From challenges to possibilities - Planning for behaviour
(Manitoba Education On-line manual).
http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/specedu/beh/index.html
 Riffel books and powerpoint on Positive Interventions and Effective Strategies
(PIES). For example:
- Autism, Asperger, PDD NoS; ADHD; ODD or non-compliant behaviour
- early years; technology & PBIS
under Resources at Learning@Griffith
 HandsOnScotland Toolkit to encourage emotional well being (e.g, sections on
anger/aggression, anxiety, self harm)
http://www.handsonscotland.co.uk/nav1.html
 Reducing behavior problems in the elementary school classroom (IES
practice guide)
https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/PracticeGuide/4
 Behaviour and social skills
http://www.ldonline.org/indepth/behavior
 Sensory processing
http://www.spdfoundation.net/
 Sensory issues in autism
http://www.autism.org.uk/sensory
Locate intervention strategies to:

Final thoughts
Designing a BIP and related support programs is not an easy task. The challenge
is how to document the individualised intervention in a sufficiently simple manner
that effective instruction and monitoring will ensue. Take time now to read about
how to avoid the common pitfalls when designing a BIP.
Hirsh et al., 2017, pp. 369-379 (Article on FBAs and BIPs:

Avoiding and addressing four common challenges related to fidelity).
Another paper worthy of a quick read is provided by Morgan at Utah State

University.
Morgan, R.L. (2009). How to mismanage behavior intervention plans. Available at

https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.googl
e.com.au/&httpsredir=1&article=1250&context=sped_facpub
In addition, a number of checklists have been developed to evaluate the quality

of support plans. For example, the RR&TC benchmarks introduced in Module 1
has a section on BIPs (see Table 3.7) that is worthy of inspection. A more
comprehensive evaluation rubric has been developed by Browning-Wright,
Saren, and Mayer (2005). This rubric is available under Course Content, Module
3 folder, Key resources).
Table 3.7. Benchmarks for Effective Practice (Rehabilitation Research &

Training Center on PBS)
Features Benchmarks of Quality
Behavioral intervention strategies are clearly linked to the functional assessment information
Intervention (hypotheses/ summary statements)
Plans support team designs a behavioral intervention plan that includes:
-descriptions of the behaviors of concern, goals of intervention, and patterns identified
Hypothesis-based through the functional assessment
intervention -modifications to the social or physical environment that may prevent problem behavior
Intervention plan and /or increase the likelihood of alternative appropriate behaviors
components: -specific behaviors (skills) to be taught and/or reinforced that will:
Environmental modifications a) achieve the same function as the problem behavior, and
Replacement skills b) allow the individual to cope more effectively with their circumstances
Managing consequences -strategies for managing consequences so that reinforcement is maximized for positive
behavior, and minimized for problem behavior
Crisis management goals of intervention and specific replacement skills are incorporated into the
individual’s overall support or educational plan (e.g., ISP, IEP)
Other supports if necessary to insure safety and rapid de-escalation of the individual’s behavior,
crisis management procedures and criteria for their use are determined
behavioral intervention plan facilitates achievement of broad goals identified by the
team, & promotes the durability of behavior change
everyone working with the individual on a regular basis is familiar with the
behavioral intervention plan & agrees to implement its strategies

Topic 2: Recommended behavioural strategies
This second topic within the module deals with a number of behaviourally-based
strategies are recommended for use within the BIP (primarily within the teach
component). Strategies include differential reinforcement of appropriate
behaviour and emotional conditioning procedures.
Differential reinforcement of appropriate behaviour

Differential reinforcement “refers to reinforcing a behavior in some situations, but
not in other situations” (Kearney, 2008, p. 83). Differential reinforcement of
alternative and appropriate behaviour (DRA) is one type of differential
reinforcement that facilitates learning. An allied procedure is differential
reinforcement of alternate behaviour (Alt-R). Other procedures are differential
reinforcement of other behaviour (DRO), and differential reinforcement of low
rates of behaviour (DRL).
 differential reinforcement of alternative and appropriate behaviour (DRA)

reinforcing the student following the performance of a prespecified alternative
and appropriate (replacement) behaviour;
 differential reinforcement of alternative and incompatible behaviour (Alt-R)
where the specified alternative (replacement) behaviour is physically and
functionally incompatible with the problem behaviour.
 differential reinforcement of other behaviour (DRO)

reinforcing the student for absence of the problem behaviour (and presence
of other behaviours) during a specified period of time;
 differential reinforcement of low rates of behaviour (DRL)

reinforcing the student for engaging in lower rates of the problem behaviour
during a specified period of time;
To better understand the difference between DRA, Alt-R and DRO, examine
Table 3.8, which lists examples of programs with embedded procedures.
Table 3.8. DRO, DRA, and Alt-R examples (Zirpoli, 2005)
Behaviour being reinforced per program

Target behaviour
DRA Alt-R DRO
Out of seat Asking permission In seat Absence of
Running Walking Standing still Absence of
Talking out Raising Hand Being quiet Absence of
Differential reinforcement of appropriate behaviour (DRA) involves reinforcing the

student following the performance of a prespecified appropriate behaviour. In
order to increase the likelihood that the student will use the appropriate
(replacement) behaviour and not the problem behaviour, Cooper et al. (2007)
recommend selecting behaviour/s that:
 are within the student’s existing repertoire;
 are reasonable, given the student’s current skill set and motivation levels;

 will be supported in the student’s natural environments (school, home, and
community).
Zirpoli and Melloy (1993) provide the basic conceptual framework for this strategy
by highlighting the “differential” component in two broad areas of application.
Differential reinforcement refers to two primary applications of reinforcement to
maintain or increase the occurrence of appropriate behavior. First, a behavior
may be reinforced only when it is exhibited following an appropriate
discriminative stimulus (SD). For example, the behavior of talking in class may
be appropriate under some situations, but not appropriate in others. By
reinforcing talking only when it follows certain antecedents (e.g., when the
teacher asks a question) and not reinforcing talking at other times, teachers can
apply differential reinforcement to talking behavior. A second application of
differential reinforcement refers to the reinforcement of one target behavior
while other behaviors are ignored. Thus, as the reinforced behavior increases, it
becomes differentiated from the other behaviors, related or unrelated, that are
likely to decrease in the absence of reinforcement. When reinforcing behaviors
that are incompatible with, or provide an alternative to, inappropriate behaviors,
caregivers are using differential reinforcement to increase appropriate
behaviors. Generally differential reinforcement increases the rate, duration, or
intensity of behaviors that children already have in their repertoire, but do not
perform at acceptable levels. For example, a child may know to raise his hand
to get the teacher’s attention, but frequently calls out the teacher’s name in the
middle of an assignment, interrupting other students. When the teacher
responds to the hand-raising instead of calling-out behavior, the child learns
which behavior is effective in getting the teacher’s attention. (pp. 167-168)
Inherent within this framework are a number of other salient features. It is

important to note that DRA is a technique that:
 is used to develop stimulus control; involves the selective and “deliberate
reinforcement of the specified behavior when, and only when, it occurs under
the specified stimulus conditions” (Falvey & Grenot-Scheyer, 1995, p.147).
 provides consequences for alternatives to the problem behaviour, not the
problem behaviour itself. Unlike noncontingent reinforcement (Vollmer, Iwata,
Zarcone, Smith, & Mazaleski, 1993), differential reinforcement essentially
strengthens one set of responses in contrast to another.
 can be augmented by other strategies.
For DRA to be effective, careful consideration needs to be given to:

 setting a measurable and observable goal;
 selecting the quality and quantity of reinforcer/s based on student preference;
 establishing a “doable” reinforcement schedule that has a goodness of fit with
the context in which the reinforcer/s will be delivered;
 monitoring of behaviour and consistent delivery of reinforcement when earnt.
Finally, Chandler and Dahlquist (2010, p. 139) recommend a number of

strategies related to the positive reinforcement strategies for intervention,
including DRA.
 Consider using the reinforcer that the child currently obtains for challenging
behaviour to reinforce the appropriate replacement behaviour.
 Stop providing or prevent the delivery of the reinforcer that the child currently
obtains for challenging behaviour.
 Use differential reinforcement (DRA) to increase the appropriate replacement
behaviour.

 Provide more reinforcement for appropriate behaviours than the child
currently receives for challenging behaviour.
 Provide positive reinforcement to peers who engage in the appropriate
replacement behaviour.
 Continue to identify the appropriate replacement behaviour: Tell the child
what to do versus what not to do.
 Whenever possible, redirect the child to the appropriate replacement
behaviour.
Zirpoli, 2012, pp. 257-287 (Chapter on Reinforcement strategies).

#6: Consequence control
Sections and on-line readings related to reinforcement, reinforcement
schedules, and differential reinforcement procedures including DRA
Alberta Education. (2008). Supporting positive behaviour in Alberta Schools: An

intense individualised approach pdf
Key Element 6: Positive reinforcement
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/inspb1/html/supporting_positive_behaviour
_red.pdf
O’Brien & Repp, 1990, pp. 148-159 (Article on Review of reinforcement-based

procedures).
Webber & Scheuermann, 1991, pp. 13-19 (Article on Differential reinforcement).
Witzel & Mercer, 2003, pp. 88–96 (Article on Rewards and motivation).

Emotional conditioning procedures
For many students with special needs, especially those with ASD, problem
behaviour may be related to stress (emotional tension, panic, fear, or excitement
arising from unmet need or environmental pressure). Emotional conditioning
procedures are often used to reduce problem behaviour by modifying emotional
responses or reactions to certain situations.
Many of these procedures involve covert (psychological) conditioning. As they

have both a behavioural and cognitive bases, these procedures are more
commonly identified as cognitive-behavioural strategies or cognitive behaviour
management (CBM) strategies (see Attwood, 2004a,b; Friend & Bursuck, 2006).
Although CBM procedures have traditionally been developed for use with the
nondisabled population, they are increasingly being used in the field of special
needs. Friend and Bursuck (2006) recommend that students should be taught
these procedures in three main steps.
 Discuss the strategy with the student and present a rationale for its use.
 Model for the student what you expect.
 Provide practice and feedback.
Three of the most common procedures used to assist students with special
needs gain self-control are relaxation training, systematic desensitisation, and
cognitive picture rehearsal strategies. In the planning model used in this course,
these procedures should be documented under coping/tolerance skills within the
Teach component of the BIP.
Relaxation training
Relaxation training involves active relaxation of each of the major muscle groups.
Specific techniques and steps for achieving progressive muscle relaxation are
documented in Schloss and Smith (1998), Goldstein (1999), and Lopata, Nida,
and Marable (2006). Cautela and Groden (1978), Janzen (2003), Lytle and Todd
(2009) provide information about relaxation and allied activities (e.g., yoga,
aromatherapy) for stress reduction with children and adults on the spectrum. For
an example, see Table 3.4 (Ben’s relaxation program) in previous topic. This
program is based on strategies recommended by Buron (2006) and shows how
muscle relaxation can be paired with other strategies to facilitate self calming.
Cognitive picture rehearsal
Cognitive picture rehearsal strategies involve the use of specifically designed

visual materials (e.g., cards, sheets, books, videos) to develop self control. This
rehearsal strategy is also referred to as imagery based role play (La Vigna &
Willis, 1992).The effectiveness of this strategy and its many forms are well
documented in the literature.
The Stop-Think-Do (e.g., Petersen and colleagues, 1995, 2002, 2004) and Stop-
and-Think strategies (Knoff, 2005) have become widely recognised for their use
of visual materials to teach a diverse range of students (including those with
more mild disabilities) interpersonal, problem solving, and self management skills
in order to promote social-emotional competence and reduce the likelihood of
problem behaviour. An offshoot strategy is Stop, Think, Do, Act (SODA), a very
effective intervention strategy for students with Asperger syndrome (Bock, 2001;
Linn & Smith Myles, 2004). For a raft of supporting powerpoint presentations and
resources related to the Stop-and-Think technique, see
http://www.projectachieve.info/

Figure 3.7. SODA visual learning strategy (Bock, 2001, p. 274).
The Friends program for preventing and treating anxiety in children and youth
also includes a range of visual strategies and tools. Additionally, the Turtle
Technique (Joseph & Strain, 2003; Webster-Stratton & Hammond, 1997) is
specifically designed to help young children with additional needs control anger
and handle disappointment.
Figure 3.8. The Turtle Technique (Joseph & Strain, 2003).

CSEFEL training material, 2006f, Module 2: Handout 7.
http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/training_preschool.html

Consequence maps provide another example of a participatory-based strategy to
increase self regulation and self-directed behaviour. This strategy uses visuals to
map situations in which desirable and undesirable behaviours are paired with
positive and negative consequences, respectively. This strategy can be
particularly powerful because it encourages co-joint discussion and problem
solving between student and adult (Tobin & Simpson, 2012). Figure 3.9 presents
an Angry consequence map created for a student who exhibited noncompliance,
aggression, and classroom disrobing.
Figure 3.9. Feels Angry consequence map (Tobin & Simpson, 2012, p. 72).
On the other hand, The Incredible 5-point Scale (Buron & Curtis. 2003) uses a
visual scale to teach social and emotional concepts. The example below shows
how the scale can be used for appraising stress.
Figure 3.10. The 5-point Scale strategy (Buron & Curtis, 2003).
Available as part of Autism Internet Module @ www.autisminternetmodules.org

Social stories (Gray & Garand, 1993) also are proving invaluable in assisting
students with ASD and other developmental disabilities to interpret problematic
social situations. A social story is a short personalised story written from the
student's perspective and aimed to inform the student about the “what” and “why”
of given situations. Gray (1994) argues that social stories are effective because
they:
 are visual;
 identify relevant social cues and provide accurate information for students;
 describe expected behaviours;
 take away social interference in order to maximise learning.
Initially, Gray recommended that 3 types of sentences (descriptive, perspective,

and directive) be considered when developing a social story for an individual. The
formula to follow for most stories was to write at least 2 to 5 descriptive and
perspective sentences for every directive sentence in the story. Social story =
1 directive statement + 2 to 5 descriptive and/or perspective statements.
Gray (2000) then recommended 3 additional types of statements (affirmative,
control, and cooperative). For example:
 affirmative – enhance meaning; express common opinion
“Many people wear bike helmets. This is an intelligent thing to do.” (p. 18)
 control – identify strategies to assist recall of story
“When someone says ‘I changed my mind’, I can think of an idea becoming
better…like a caterpillar changing into a butterfly” (p. 33)
 cooperative – identify what others will do to support
“My mom and dad will try to remain calm, while I learn...” (p. 34)
Currently, Gray (2010) recommends 10 criteria as a guide to writing quality social

stories. Table 3.9 presents these criteria.
Table 3.9. Social Story (SS) Criteria Adapted from Gray (2010)
Name Social Story (SS) Criteria Description
1. One goal Goal of SS is to share accurate information using a process, format, voice
and content that is meaningful, descriptive, and also physically, socially,
and emotionally safe for the audience.
2. Two-step discovery Authors gather relevant information to improve the understanding of the
audience, and to identify the specific topics of information to share in the
SS.
3. Three parts SS must have a title and introduction that clearly identifies the topic, a body
& a title that includes detail, and a conclusion which summarises the information.
4. FOURmat SS must have a format, which clarifies the content and enhances meaning
for the audience.
5. Five factors define SS must have a patient and supportive voice and vocabulary defined by
voice & vocabulary five factors. Factors are: first or third person perspective; positive and
patient tone; past, present, and/or future tense; literal accracy; and
accurate vocabulary.
6. Six question story SS answer relevant questions describing the context (where); time-related
development information (when); relevant people (who); important cues (what); basic
activities, statements of behaviours (how); and the rationale (why).
7. Seven types of SS include descriptive sentences (statements of fact and/or information
social story that everyone knows) with option sentence types: perspective sentences
sentences (describing thoughts, feelings, beliefs of other people); 3 coaching
sentences (suggested responses for the audiences, responses for his/her
team, self coaching statements); affirmative sentences (enhance meaning
of surrounding statements; partial sentences (to encourage audience
pariticipation and check for comprehension).

Name Social Story (SS) Criteria Description
8. A GR-EIGHT SS should have one formula and seven sentence types to ensure that the
formula story describes rather than directs.
9. Nine makes it mine SS should be tailored to the individual preferences, talents, and interests of
the audience, where possible.
10. Ten guides to This ensures the goal that guides SS development is evident in its editing
editing and and use.
implementation
For a variety of conventional social story examples, see Crozier and Sileo,
(2005), Janzen (2003), Gray (1993, 1994a,b, 1995a, 1999, 2010), and suggested
websites. See Hagiwara and Myles (1999) for an example of a social story
presented on computer with visual and auditory stimuli and Xin and Sutman
(2011) for an example of using the Smart Board in teaching social stories. Comic
strip conversations, also developed by Gray (1995a), are drawn social stories
and incorporate simple symbols and figures. Together with social stories, these
behavioural supports are successfully being used with “any student with below-
average verbal language ability” (Glaeser, Pierson, & Fritschmann, 2003, p. 15).
Multimedia intervention strategies are also

emerging. Video priming and self-modeling, in
particular, has proven to be a powerful tool in
reducing problem behaviour in students with ASD
and other developmental disabilities. The work by
Buggey (e.g., 1998, 2009, 2012) provides the
research base and a range of real-life applications
for video self modeling. If students are not visual
learners, self-operated auditory prompting
systems (e.g., Alberto, Taber, & Fredrick, 1999)
can be considered.
WWW sites
 Center on the Social & Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL)
Module 2, Social-emotional teaching strategies, Handout 7 turtle technique
http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/training_preschool.html
 Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding
Available from the World Wide Web:
http://www.thegraycenter.org
click on Social stories
 Stop and Think approach powerpoints and resources
http://www.projectachieve.info
 Visual strategies for improving communication & solving behavior problems
http://www.usevisualstrategies.com
 Visual support material (including social stories) for ASD
use search function
http://www.polyxo.com/
 Video modeling and social skills development:
Scott Bellini and Tom Buggey’s resources
http://techpsych.blogspot.com.au/2009/07/video-modeling-and-social-
skills.html

 Video modeling
www.watchmelearn.com
Adams, Gouvousis, VanLue, & Waldron, 2004, pp. 87-94(Social stories).
Agosta, Graetz, Mastropieri, & Scruggs, 2004, pp. 276-287 (Social stories).
Barry & Burlew, 2004, pp. 45-52 (Social stories).
Boutot, 2009 (Article on Using “I will” cards and social coaches).
Buggey & Ogle, 2011, pp. 52-70 (Video self-modelling).
Buggey et al., 2011, pp. 25-36 (Video self-modelling).
Buggey, 2012, pp. 102-110 (Article on video self-modeling).
Cihak et al., 2012, pp. 3-11 (Video modelling with PECS).
Crozier & Sileo, 2005, pp. 26-31 (Article on social stories).
Dodd, 2005, pp. 164-180 (Chapter on Visual supports).
Dooley et al., 2001, pp. 57-61 (Article on activity schedules & transitions).
Downing & Peckham-Hardin, 2001, pp. 62-68 (Article on daily schedules).
Ganz et al., 2008, pp. 79-94 (Article on social scripts and visual cues).
Goldstein, 1999, pp. 419-505 (Relaxation).
Gray & Garand, 1993, pp. 1-10 (Social stories).
Groden & LeVasseur, 1995, pp. 287-306 (Article on picture rehearsal strategies).
Hodgdon, 1999, pp. 160-176 (Article on establishing rules & guidelines).
Janzen, 1996, pp. 188-208 (Book section on visual strategies).
Kimball et al., 2003, pp. 40-45 (Article on computer-cued schedules).
Kuoch & Mirenda, 2003, pp. 219-227 (Social stories & young children with ASD).
Litras et al., 2010, pp. 1-9 (Article on video self-modelled social stories).
Lopata, Nida, & Marable, 2006, pp. 20-25 (Article on relaxation).
Lowry Apple et al., 2005, pp. 33-46 (Article on video modeling).
Mechling & Moser, 2010, pp. 76-84 (Video preference assessment for watching
self, adults, or peers).
Reynhout & Carter, 2007, pp. 173-182 (Australian article - Social story efficacy
with a student with ASD and moderate intellectual disability).
Sansosti, Powell-Smith, & Kincaid, 2004, pp. 194-204 (Lit review - social stories).

Spencer et al., 2008, pp. 58-61 (Social stories & young children with ASD).
Tobin & Simpson, 2012, pp. 68-75 (Consequence maps).
Vandermeer, Beamish, Milford, & Lang, 2013 (Australian article - iPad-presented

social stories).
Xin & Sutman, 2011, pp. 18-24 (Using the smart board in teaching social stories).
Module summary
This module has provided a comprehensive overview of behavioural intervention
planning. We will now recapitulate the major points.
 The behavioural intervention planning process involves:

 formulating SMART goal/s;
 designing a multi-element BIP according to prevent, teach, and respond
components;
 documenting support programs when fine grained teaching details are
necessary;
 developing data collection sheets with links to goals (and related student
performance) for monitoring purposes.
 It is critical that a BIP is developed according to findings from the FBA, with
key consideration being given to the function/s that the problem behaviour
serve/s for the student.
 Behavioural programming needs to be an integral part of other individualised

planning.
 Behavioural programming needs to have reinforcement strategies and

systems embedded into teaching details.
 Interventions should be selected according to not only student needs and

abilities but also likelihood of acceptance by the student.
It would be appreciated if you could complete and return the Evaluation

Sheet for Module 3

4204EDN, Positive Behavioural Support
Module 3 Evaluation
1. What were the most useful concepts and readings associated with this module?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. What aspects and readings were least useful in this module?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. What improvements would you suggest to this module?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
4. Please recommend material from the World Wide Web that you feel should
be included in this module.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
5. Please feel free to make any other comment about this module.
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Thankyou
Please return to: Dr Wendi Beamish
School of Education and Professional Studies
Mt Gravatt campus Griffith University
176 Messines Ridge Road MT GRAVATT QLD 4122

Positive Behavioural Support 4204EDN: Intervention Planning

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GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY

Arts, Education, & Law

POSITIVE BEHAVIOURAL SUPPORT

Convenor: Dr Wendi Beamish

Module 3: Intervention planning .....................................................................................63

Introduction to the module ................................................................................63

Topic 1: Design of intervention plan and support programs............................... 65

Understanding casework and assessment tasks ..............................................65

Getting started .................................................................................................65

Behavioural intervention plan ...........................................................................69

Support programs ............................................................................................ 83

Topic 2: Recommended behavioural strategies ...........................................................91

Differential reinforcement of appropriate behaviour ..........................................91

Emotional conditioning procedures ..................................................................94

Module summary ............................................................................................................100

Module 3 Evaluation....................................................................................... 101

Furthermore, behavioural programming needs to be practical, realistic, and

Phase 1 Functional Behavioural Assessment (FBA)

Prevent Teach Respond

Associated support programs

Figure 3.1. The Positive Behavioural Support Process model.

4204EDN Module 3 Griffith University 63

 develop a framework for documenting a behavioural intervention plan (BIP)

 understand the theoretical and practical bases for a number of practices,

 display basic competence in behavioural intervention planning.

What will you need to do?

 familiarise yourself with the literature related to this style of behavioural

How long should you spend on this module?

4204EDN Module 3 Griffith University 64

 understanding casework and assessment tasks,

Understanding casework and assessment tasks

 brief rationale explaining links to baseline data;

4204EDN Module 3 Griffith University 65

Helpful starters also include these materials.

Recommended WWW reading

Manitoba Education, Training, and Youth

In general, goals should be written:

4204EDN Module 3 Griffith University 66

 formulate goals according to baseline performance and measurement of the

 Write goals according to the formula

Quinn et al. (https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED426523) provide sound examples of goal

4204EDN Module 3 Griffith University 67

 not using behavioural terminology

4204EDN Module 3 Griffith University 68

Recommended WWW reading

Alberto & Troutman, 2009, pp. 23-52 (Chapter 2, Behavioral objectives).

Behavioural intervention plan

Decision making may also be influenced by:

4204EDN Module 3 Griffith University 69

Four key recommendations, therefore, should guide the documentation of BIPs.

The competing behaviours model

In addition to the previous three recommendations, plans should be documented

4204EDN Module 3 Griffith University 70

4204EDN Module 3 Griffith University 71

pp. 89-97 (Chapter 9, Behavioral intervention using a

Recommended WWW reading

RR&TC Competing Behavior Model Handout

Competing Pathways Summary Statement: Sample and Blank Forms

An organisational format for the intervention plan

4204EDN Module 3 Griffith University 72

Prevent Teach Respond

 physical factors  replacement skills  interrupting the