Juliana O’Hara November 1, 2023

Behavior Case Study

Name of Student: Elijah

Date of Birth: January 28, 2017
Age: 6
School: Citrus Grove Elementary
Grade: 1st
Examiner: Lauren Spagnol
Date of Testing: 9/27/23-10/20/23

Background Information
- Elijah is a six-year-old African American student in 1st grade at Citrus Grove Elementary
School. His home life consists of living with both his mom and dad, and he is the only
child in his family. Elijah has a close relationship with his cousins, who also attend the
same school and frequently visit his home. Despite the presence of his cousins, Elijah
tends to be independent and prefers to work on his tasks throughout the school day alone.
Even though he prefers to engage in individual work over group work, he enjoys
participating in class discussions, particularly during “turn and talk” sessions, but often
struggles to stay on task, getting easily distracted. This distraction often hampers his
ability to follow classroom procedures and stay on task, making it difficult for him to
absorb the material being taught. Despite his enthusiasm for class discussions, he faces
difficulty refraining from calling out answers, disrupting the flow of the lesson.
Additionally, he has a tendency to tattle on his peers intentionally, attempting to get them
in trouble. Elijah also experiences brief emotional breakdowns almost every day,
especially when he doesn't get what he wants, leading to challenging moments in the
classroom. In terms of academics, Elijah performs at a high level. His overall grades for
the first quarter of the school year included 88% for math, 90% for language arts, and
100% for science. His assessment scores range from 80-100% in the following domains:
phonics, comprehension, high frequency words, identifying letters and sounds. Despite
the challenges he faces in the classroom environment, Elijah's determination and work
ethic serve as a testament to his potential for continued academic success.

Statement of Problem or Target Behavior

- The target behavior for this study is speaking out in class without raising his hand to be
called on. Elijah consistently demonstrates this behavior, frequently interrupting the
teacher and his peers by speaking out of turn without adhering to the classroom
procedures. Despite multiple reminders and prompts, he struggles to refrain from
impulsively calling out answers or comments during various class activities and
 discussions. This disruptive behavior hampers his ability to engage effectively in
classroom learning experiences, hindering both his own learning and that of his
classmates.

Data Collection

Three Days of Baseline Data

Date Calling Out (Number of Times)

9/27/23 8

9/28/23 10

9/29/23 9

The baseline data showcases the number of times in which Elijah exhibits calling out behavior
over a span of three days. The provided data was collected during math instruction sessions,
which occur between 12:15 pm and 12:55 pm each day. The data indicates the frequency of his
disruptive behavior, highlighting a recurring pattern of calling out during this subject in the
afternoon sessions. This targeted observation during math instruction aims to gain a
comprehensive understanding of Elijah's calling out behavior, enabling the development of
effective intervention strategies to address this issue and improve his classroom engagement.

Three Weeks of Intervention Data

Date Calling Out (Number of Times)

10/2 (Day 1) 2 times

10/3 (Day 2) 4 times

10/4 (Day 3) 2 times

10/5 (Day 4) 3 times

10/6 (Day 5) 5 times

10/9 (Day 6) 4 times

10/10 (Day 7) 2 times

10/11 (Day 8) 1 time

 10/12 (Day 9) 0 times

10/13 (Day 10) 2 times

10/16 (Day 11) 2 times

10/17 (Day 12) 0 times

10/18 (Day 13) 0 times

10/19 (Day 14) 1 time

10/20 (Day 15) 4 times

The intervention plan for Elijah commenced on Monday, October 2, focusing on reducing his
calling out behavior during math instruction. Over the course of 15 days, the data reveals a
notable decrease in the instances of calling out in comparison to the baseline data. The consistent
decrease in calling out incidents demonstrates the positive impact of the intervention plan,
indicating progress in improving Elijah's classroom behavior and enhancing the overall learning
environment.

Intervention (Behavior Chart)

Baseline/Intervention Graph
Description of Intervention

Before conducting my intervention process, I administered a “What Motivates You” worksheet

to Elijah. Through this worksheet, I discovered that he strongly likes receiving a prize from the
class treasure box. I used this information to shape my intervention approach in this case study.
For the intervention process, I implemented a behavior chart tailored to Elijah's preference for
receiving prizes from the class treasure box. To address his calling out behavior during math
time, I explained the new approach to him and together we brainstormed a goal, which consisted
of raising his hand and waiting to speak in class. The behavior chart, monitored from Monday to
Friday over three weeks, featured a smiley face for less than 3 instances of calling out, a straight
face for 3 to 4 instances, and a frowny face for more than 4 instances. Each day, I recorded the
number of instances and shaded the corresponding face on the chart. Along with the behavior
chart, I also utilized proximity control, ensuring my presence near Elijah to provide support and
encouragement. By combining the behavior chart and proximity control, the intervention aimed
to reduce the frequency of his calling out, fostering a more focused and productive learning
environment. Data was consistently collected at the specified time during math instruction to
track his progress and adjust the intervention as needed.

Results and Conclusions

The implemented intervention, utilizing the behavior chart and proximity control, led to a
significant reduction in Elijah's calling out behavior during math instruction. The data collected
over the three-week period demonstrates a clear improvement, with instances of calling out
steadily decreasing. From Day 1, where he called out 2 times, to Day 15, with 4 instances, there
was a consistent decline in disruptions compared to the baseline data. Notably, on Days 9, 12,
and 13, Elijah exhibited no instances of calling out, indicating his growing ability to control his
impulses and adhere to classroom procedures. The behavior chart, coupled with his motivation to
earn prizes from the class treasure box, proved to be effective in reinforcing positive behavior.
The increase in calling out behavior on the last day could potentially be attributed to heightened
excitement due to an assembly going on later on in the day.

Despite the slight increase in calling out behavior on the last day, most likely attributed to
heightened excitement from an upcoming assembly, Elijah's overall progress throughout the
intervention period remained positive and consistent. As the intervention was successful in
reducing calling out behavior, it is crucial to maintain consistency in the implemented strategies.
Continued reinforcement of positive behavior through the behavior chart and proximity control
will be essential to sustaining these improvements. Additionally, ongoing communication with
Elijah's parents and teachers is recommended to ensure a collaborative effort in supporting his
behavioral progress.
Following the successful intervention period, I continued to monitor Elijah's behavior closely. To
build on his progress, I adjusted the criteria for the behavior chart to reinforce even more positive
behavior. Specifically, I modified the chart to assign a smiley face for zero instances of calling
out, a straight face for 1 to 3 instances, and a frowny face for more than 3 instances. By setting
higher standards for positive behavior, I aimed to encourage Elijah to consistently raise his hand
and wait to speak during math instruction.

Overall, the intervention process was certainly successful. It showcased the positive impact of
tailored strategies and collaborative efforts in addressing challenging classroom behaviors.
Elijah's progress highlights the importance of understanding individual motivations and
preferences when designing interventions, ensuring a more effective and targeted approach to
behavioral improvement.