Kelly Moran

12-9-13
Sped 471: Applied Final Project

Student Description
The student I am working with is highly energetic. She loves to run around, jump,
and bounce her blue ball. The student, BG, has autism and is non-verbal but she can
produce some utterances that her family and staff can recognize. For example, the student
will utter, dra, dra, when she wants a drink of apple juice or, ba, ba when she wants
her blue ball. The student also produces the sound of each letter name, such as b, b for
the letter B. She can recognize letters and number 1-20. The student is also working on
using her new communication device that she started using this semester; BG is not yet
proficient in using this device, but she is becoming more familiar with it each day. To
express her excitement or happiness the student usually jumps up and down, screams, or
bounces her blue ball. The student will also run away from the paraprofessionals or
teacher as they are walking down the hallway or when she is out in the community. On
most occasions the student will stop if someone is blocking her way, but when BG runs
in the community it can get very dangerous.
Operational Definition
RG runs at least 7 feet away from the staff member that is walking or standing
next to her in the hallway or in a community setting.
The problem behavior described above occurs daily in the hallways, outside while
waiting for the bus, and in different community settings. For example, the student was
waiting on the sidewalk with the special education teacher, another student, and I. BG ran
away from the group and got very close to the street. She did not stop until I was able to
catch up to her. On other occasions, the student walks or stands with a staff member or

teacher without running away. The student can perform the target behavior in almost all
of the settings that the problem behavior is present.

ABC Data
The ABC data I collected helped to unlock a lot of the unknown antecedents to the
students running behavior. The student usually works with a teachers aid that she has
had in her classroom since she was in elementary school. This teachers aid can keep the
student from running down the hallway by talking with her and standing very close to
her. My observations showed that if the student was walking with another teachers aid
from our classroom she was more likely to run down the hallway. If the student ran down
the hallway with her normal teachers aid, she would walk back to the place she ran from
and then walk to her destination. In contrast, if she was in the hallway with the other
teachers aid, the student would run down the hall and the teachers aid would simply run
after her and give the student her ball when she got to he destination. The ABC data also
showed that the student would run away from the TA if the TA was walking slightly
behind or in front of the student or if the TA was talking with another teacher in the
hallway. If the TAs attention was not 100% on the student, then the student was more
likely to run away. There was a correlation between the number of students in the
hallway and the amount of times the student ran. During passing periods when there were
several students in the hallways, Student B got extremely hyper, jumped up and down,
and screamed happily. When these behaviors occurred the student was more likely to run
than when there were only a few other students in the hallway.



Functional Assessment Interview
Summary statement: The functional assessment interview helped me to develop several
possible functions for the students problem behavior. One of these functions is that the
student desires attention when the staff member she is working with is giving their
attention to someone or something else. Another possible function to the behavior is that
the student wishes to escape the constant reminders of the behavior she is supposed to be
performing.
I conducted my Functional Assessment Interview with my cooperating teacher
Kim Patton. We were able to conduct the interview during Mrs. Pattons plan time during
the day. As we worked through the interview we found that many of the questions were
not applicable to the students problem behavior. Many of the questions in section B, the
ecological events, did not have much connection to the students behavior. We found that
we had to pass over many of the questions to find questions that we could connect to the
students behavior. The final questions and answers are attached. Although some of the
questions did not fit well with the students behavior, there were some that helped to
identify the function of this behavior. We were able to identify that the student tends to
run away from staff members when the staff member she is working with is paying
attention to something else or if there is food in the area. The student is an extremely
impulsive eater so we have to carefully control he environment so she does not shove too
much food in her mouth, but there are some situations we cannot control. For example, I
was walking down the hallway with the student and the hall monitor had left a muffin on
his desk. The student ran away as we were walking down the hallway and she went right
to the desk and ate the muffin. We also learned that the student has a very unique set of

preferences. She enjoys bouncing a blue ball and she gets this reinforcer whenever she
performs preferred behavior in all parts of his school day. She also enjoys running and
she likes to be chased, so this has to be considered when analyzing the students problem
behavior of running in the hallway and in the community.

Functional Assessment Observations
Summary statement: According to the data accumulated during the functional assessment
observations, the student has show that she performs the problem behavior when staff
members attention is off of the student. The observations also showed that the student is
more hyper and more willing to run when there are several peers in the hallway for a
passing period.
While conducting the functional assessment observations it became more obvious
that the student is more likely to run away when the staff member is not paying careful
attention to the student. I also saw that the student got a lot more excited when she was
walking in the hallway during a passing period. This excitement caused her to run more
often than when the hallways had very few peers in them. One of the difficulties I had
when conducting the FAOs was the problem behavior I was observing did not occur that
often. There were only two 5-minute occasions in which I was able to observe the student
in the hallway and there was only one instance when I was able to observe the student in
the community. The limited amount of observation opportunities made it difficult to
observe 25 events of the behavior, but I was able to observe 15 events. Although it was
difficult to observe the student for an extended period of time, this type of observations
was beneficial for me. I was able to look at specific predictors of the behavior and

possible functions of the behavior as well. The observations helped me to narrow down
what usually causes the student to run away and why the student is running away from
staff members when she was in the hallway. The FAOs, along with the FAI and the ABC
observations, assisted me in developing two possible hypothesis statements for the
students problem behavior.

Functional Analysis Manipulations
Hypothesis Statements:
1. When in the hallway or when she is in the community during community-based
instructions, Student B will run at least 7 steps away from staff members to gain
attention from those staff members she is working with
2. When in the hallway or when she is in the community during community-based
instruction, Student B will run at least 7 steps away from the staff members to
achieve self-stimulation
The ABC data showed that the student ran away when several different antecedents
occurred. One of the most prevalent of these antecedents was when the staff member was
paying attention to someone or something else rather than the student. If the staff
members attention was not 100% on the student, than the student was more likely to run
away from the staff member. The ABC data also showed when the student got hyper or
excited she was also more likely to run away. For example, when there were several
typical developing peers in the hallway the student would jump up and down and scream
happily. Every time after the student jumped she ran down the hallway. Observations
taken during the FAO also support both hypothesis statements stated above. The student

ran away when the staff member walking with her was paying attention to something else
or if there were several peers in the hallway. The ABC data allowed me to identify the
antecedents that would predict the behavior and the FAOs proved that these actions did
serve as predictors for the students problem behavior. Finally the FAI, where I
interviewed the students special education teacher, I was able to confirm the situations I
thought would be predictors for the students problem behavior.
To prove the first hypothesis statement I conducted a functional analysis
manipulation in the main hallway the student usually walks down. The staff member
lightly held the students arm as they walked out of the classroom. Once out of the
classroom the staff member let go of the student and walked to the side of the student.
The staff member did not say a word to the student and he did not look at the student.
There were two different conditions that were measured during the FAM. In the first
condition the staff member talked to several other teachers and staff members that were
in the hallway. In the second condition, the staff member walked slightly behind the
student. When the student ran, the staff member grabbed the student and waited 5
seconds. The staff member continued the manipulation until the student got to her
destination. The event recording form and the graph are attached.
To prove the second hypothesis statement I would also conduct a functional analysis
manipulation in the main hallway the student usually walks down. A staff member would
walk with the student down the hallway when there are several peers in the hallway. I
would take data on the amount of times the student jumps, screams, and smiles before she
runs away. This information would be tallied and then it would be compared to the

number of times the student ran away from the staff member. The first functional analysis
manipulation was conducted and the data-recording sheet is attached.

Preference Assessment
Most students have several different items or kinds of food that they find
reinforcing. The student I am working with only works for one item, her blue bouncy
ball. Interviews with the students teacher made me realize that a preference assessment
was not necessary because the student would only pick her blue ball. The students
teacher said that she has recently tried to interest the student in different kinds of balls or
other items, but the student only works for the ball. The student has been doing extremely
well with a new curriculum and the teacher uses the blue ball as a reinforcer, so she does
not think a change will be coming very soon. The student does enjoy drinking apple
juice, but she gets that whenever she requests it so it would not be very reinforcing if she
can get the juice by jest asking for it.

Data Collection Technique
For this specific problem behavior I have chosen to use an event recording data
collection technique. This data collection technique is the most appropriate because the
problem behavior only occurs during specific times when the student is walking down the
hallway or if she is out of the school getting community based instruction. If I am taking
data on the student in the hallway I start taking data as soon as she walks out of the
classroom. If the student runs at least 7 steps away from the staff member she is working
with then I mark it as an occurrence of the problem behavior. When the student is getting

community-based instruction the data technique changes slightly. I take data on the
student is different phases. For example on a grocery store trip there are five walking
phases: walking from the school to the bus, walking from the bus to the store, walking in
the store, walking from the store to the bus, and walking from the bus to the school. I
record the time each phase starts and ends and then I take data during that phase. In the
community staff members have to keep the student closer to them for safety reasons, so if
the student runs at least 5 steps I mark it as an occurrence of a problem behavior.

Baseline Data
A graph of the data is attached.
Time
Date Start Stop Occurrences Total
12-2-13 10:55am 11:00am XXX 3
12-3-13 10:55am 11:00am XX 2
12-4-13 10:55am 11:00am XXX 3
12-5-13 10:55am 11:00am XXX 3
12-6-13 10:55am 11:00am XXXX 4

Inter-Observer Agreement (IOA)
The inter-observer agreement event recording forms are attached.
To assess inter-observer agreement I elicited the help of Mr. B, one of the TAs in
my students classroom. Mr. Brown has been working with this student for several years
so he is familiar with the problem behavior. I gave Mr. B the operational definition of the

behavior ten minutes before the student went into the hallway to walk to her gym class.
Mr. B and I walked with the student in the hallway and started collecting data as soon as
the student walked out of the classroom. Mr. Browns walked to the left of the student and
I walked behind the student so we could not see each others form while we were
walking. After the observation we compared our results and we matched with 100%
accuracy. We both marked that the students problem behavior or running away occurred
2 times while she was walking down the hallway to her gym class.

Kellys recorded occurrences 2
______________________ X 100 _____ X 100 = 100% agreement
Mr. Bs recorded occurrences 2

Reference List
Conroy, M. A., Asmus, J. M., & Sellers, J. A. (2005). The Use of an Antecedent-Based
Intervention to Decrease Stereotypic Behavior in a General Education Classroom:
A Case Study. Focus On Autism & Other Developmental Disabilities, 20(4), 223-
230.
The purpose of this of this article was to analyze the effectiveness of using
antecedent intervention strategies to decrease stereotypic behaviors (repetitive actions) in
children with autism spectrum disorder. The study used visual cue cards to signal when it
was okay to engage in stereotypic behaviors, a red circle on the card, and when it was
inappropriate to engage in stereotypic behavior, red circle with a line through it. The
results of this study show that when the student was presented with the no card his

stereotypic behavior decreased to 0.13 occurrences per minutes compared to the behavior
he exhibited with the yes card that was, 1.32 occurrences per minute. The student I am
working with tends to engage in problem behaviors when she feels like she is not getting
enough attention. The teacher can use a visual cue card to signal that s/he is paying
attention to the student. The card that the teacher hands to the student can simply say
walk with a line drawing of a person walking. This card will show the student that the
teacher is paying attention to her.

Day, H., Horner, R. H., & O'Neill, R. (1994). Multiple functions of problem behaviors:
assessment and intervention. Journal Of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27279-289
The purpose of this study was to examine three individuals with developmental
disabilities whose problem behavior, self-injury or aggression, served two functions. One
of the functions was to escape a difficult task and the other function is to gain access to a
preferred item. The individuals were taught to use the ASL sign for want when they
desired a particular item. The individuals were also taught an alternative way to signal
that they did not want to do an activity. On of the individuals was taught to say the word
go while the other two were taught how to use visual cue cards. The results showed
that the amount of problem behaviors decreased in all three of the individuals once they
received alternative communication training. The three individuals showed more correct
responses during the want training because the tasks were created so they were easy for
the students to complete, and they showed less success in the escape training because
the tasks were made more difficult. Although only one function was identified for my
students behavior during the assessment it is possible that there are more functions for

the problem behavior. If more data was taken than another function may be discovered.
This article shows that if two or more functions are discovered then the functions need to
be treated separately and be given separate interventions.

Morrison, H., Roscoe, E. M., & Atwell, A. (2011). An Evaluation of Antecedent Exercise
on Behavior Maintained by Automatic Reinforcement Using a Three-Component
Multiple Schedule. Journal Of Applied Behavior Analysis, 44(3), 523-541.
The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of exercise antecedent
intervention strategies on students problem behaviors. Four students with autism
spectrum disorder were selected and they were given preference assessments to
determine exercise and leisure item that were reinforcing. Students were given the chance
to interact with both items during different sessions then data was taken on their problem
behaviors (hand flapping, self-injury, and body rocking). The results show that all four of
the students problem behaviors decreased after the exercise item was used, and three of
the individuals behaviors decreased with both the exercise item and the leisure item.
Some of the strategies in this intervention may be used with my student. My student has
shown that she has a strong preference for playing with her blue bouncy ball. If I use
these strategies and give the student time to play with her ball before she goes into the
hallway, then she may be less likely to engage in her problem behavior.

Petursdottir, A., Esch, J. W., Sautter, R. A., & Stewart, K. K. (2010). Characteristics and
Hypothesized Functions of Challenging Behavior in a Community-Based Sample.
Education & Training In Autism & Developmental Disabilities, 45(1), 81-93.

The purpose of this article was to describe a study in which functional assessment
reports were submitted to an ethics committee who were in charge of reviewing the
behavior plans for all of the people in the state with developmental disabilities who
received behavior analytic services. Each of the reports contained an individuals age,
gender, diagnosis, and more or more topographical classes of behavior that were
assessed. A computer software was used to analyze the kinds of behavior and the
functions of the behaviors of adult individuals in community settings. Although the study
did not focus on a specific intervention program, it did help to determine the function of
many of the individuals behaviors in community settings. Of the functions that were
measured in the report, 62.9% of the behaviors were performed to gain attention. 40.7%
were performed to escape a situation, 29.9% to gain a tangible item, and 14.2% as an
automatic response. This study solidifies the theory that my student engages in her
problem behavior to gain attention in school and in the community.

Intervention Program
ANTECEDENT-BASED STRATEGIES
In order to compete with the problem behavior I would develop some antecedent
strategies that would decrease the likelihood that the behavior would occur. To start, I
would tell the staff member working with the student to pay as much attention to her as
possible and to limit the distractions that may come up while walking with the student
down the hall. Before the teacher or teachers aid walks with the student down the hall, I
would remind the staff member to limit distractions in the hallway so 100% of their
attention can be on the student. I would also remind the student to tap the teacher or

teachers aids arm if she wants attention. Before the student walks out of the classroom I
would model how to tap the teachers aids arm. The assessments taken have shown that
the student wants attention while she is walking down the hall. It is hard to determine
why the student wants this attention, but it is important that she can signal when she feels
she is not getting enough attention. Teaching the student how to tap the staff member she
is working with on the arm, will give her an appropriate way to request this attention and
it will help the staff members to stay focused on the student. It would also be important
for the teacher to hold the students ball in a way where the student can see it at all times.
When the student taps the teacher on the arm the teacher should make sure to hold the
ball in the students vision so she can see that the teacher still has the ball and she will get
the ball if she performs the desired behavior, walking to her destination.
ALTERNATIVE SKILLS
The replacement behavior I developed for the student does not necessarily complete the
task that needed to be completed, walking to the destination, but it fulfills the function of
the problem behavior, gaining attention from the teacher or teachers aid. If the student
feels like she wants the teacher or teachers aid to look at her she will be taught to tap the
teacher or teachers aid lightly on the arm. This will signal the person that they are not
giving the student the attention that she wants. The student I am working with is very
energetic and very strong, so it will be imperative to teacher her to lightly tap the teacher
so that she does not hurt anyone. . The reason I chose this alternative behavior is because
it serves as a way for the student to get the function she desires in an appropriate and
faster way. When the student participates in the problem behavior, running away from the
staff member, she does not get the attention she wants until the staff member catches up

to her. If the student learns to use the alternative behavior then she will get the attention
faster than if she had to wait for the staff members to catch her. Eventually I would like
the student to learn that if she walks down the hallway, she will receive verbal praise as
she walks. This is the end result I would want the student to achieve from this
intervention.
CONSEQUENCE-BASED INTERVENTION
When the student runs down the hallway the consequence is that she gets attention from
the staff member she is working with. The staff member has to chase down the student,
so she gets more attention than she was getting before she started running. The student
also received her blue ball once she got to her destination, no matter if she walked to the
destination or ran to the destination. The student loves this blue ball and 99% of the time
she will choose to work for it whenever she needs to complete a task. When she engages
in the alternative behavior, tapping the teacher on the arm to get her attention, the teacher
will also show the student the ball when s/he is giving the student attention so the student
can see she will get the ball when she walks to her destination. In this context the phrase,
giving the student attention, means giving the student verbal praise, looking at the
student, or simply talking to the student. If the teacher is interacting with the student in
some way the student will get the attention she desires and she will be less likely to
engage in the problem behavior.
DATA-COLLECTION SYSTEM
In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention program I will use a modified
version of the event recording form that was used for assessment in this program. The
sheet originally only had one area to mark occurrences of the problem behavior. I would

like to add a columns to keep data on the amount of times the student used the alternative
behavior and how many times the student exhibited the desired behavior. The procedures
for data collection are:
1. As soon as the student walks outside of the room start taking data collection
2. If the student exhibits problem behavior, running at least 7 steps in the hallway
and 3 steps in the community mark it as a problem behavior occurrence.
3. If the student engages in the alternative behavior, taps the teacher on the arm, and
then continues to walk to her destination mark it as an occurrence of the
alternative behavior.
4. If the student walks for the entire time mark it as an occurrence of the desired
behavior.
The problem behavior only occurs in specific situations so it does not occur very often.
To determine if the intervention is actually working the teacher would need to take
several days of data. The teacher should take data for at least 10 days, but 15 days would
give the teacher more information about aspects that are going well and things that need
to be changed.








COMPETING BEHAVIOR DIAGRAM FOR STUDENT B
No setting
events
identified
Antecedents:
Teachers
attention is on
something or
someone other
than the
student
Student runs
Student walks
Tap teacher on
the arm
Gain
teachers
attention