Behavioral Observation

Definition: Recording of the verbal and non verbal behaviors (actions and reactions) of an individual

This is all about Speaking, listening, writing, personal, social domains (holistic picture)

What to observe

 A behavior reported by teacher in referral form or during interview

 Open observation… following the child from one setting to other (shadowing)

Whom to observe?
 One child’s behavior?
o Assess interaction (Adult-child, Child-child, child –adult)
 A group of children’s behavior? E.g.
o Ability to share, take turn
 Whole group
o All children have mastered one skill?

Where you want to observe (Range of settings)

 Classroom
o Peer interaction (child-child interaction)
 Note the content of the speech
 Gestural exchange
o Classroom activities (solving mazes, puzzles, coloring etc)
o Responding to teacher (Adult child interaction)
o Sitting idle (the most precious moment to look into the world of the child. The most
patience requiring too…!! )
 Sit aside, be passive, act like an object like chair or table in the class.. Silent but
having a hawk eye! (non participant observation)
 Play ground
o Get yourself free from responsibility of supervision of child or do observation in
presence of teacher in play ground.
o Do play ground observation before making the first interaction with child.
 Dining hall
o Behavior in the queue to dining hall
o Who arranges seat for him? Teacher or he himself?
o Who opens the lunch box
 Can use fork, spoon independently?
 Can clean up the spills?
 Can he share with others? Snatches lunch?
 One into one session
o During interview
  Content of speech
 Use of gestures
 Experiences
 Problems
o During session activity
 Activity level
 Response toward reinforcers
o During administration of a tool e.g. BGT
 Focus on responses, actions of client not the scoring
 Frustration level , responses to failures

What to do with data

 Interpretation
 Support interpretation of behaviors with example one word speech e.g. dada mama, unusual
features e.g. ….
 Why he can’t do some tasks?
o Mismatch of curriculum?
o Physical limitation
o Distractibility
 How to present recording
o Charts
o Graphs
o Description

 Enjoy people watching is the ideal research method

 Compulsory before an interview
 Observe in natural settings
 It does not require conversation advantage is
 Observation information helps developing questions to be asked
 Idea method for studying commonplace nonverbal behavior like gestures, postures, seating
arrangement in which people may not be consciously aware of how they are acting.
Disadvantage
1. Patience
2. Time consumption
3. No control …. Who will come, what will happen
Types
1. Casual
2. Systematic
Example
Drinking behavior # of drinks , type of drink, number of sips per drink , time to consume, total time in
bar, weight estimate, age estimate etc