Function Junction:Behavior Matters

In part one of a conversation Cissy and Susan have with Bridgette and Chandeep, they talk about the importance of understanding the meaning behind words and actions.  They discuss a student who is doing and saying things that can be upsetting and do not match the situation.  It is a reminder to teach replacement behaviors and HOW you want the student to ask for what they need.  Have a listen and stay for the question.  Come back for Part 2 next week.

Cissy shares a story about a student who engaged in several behaviors for which the function  seemed to be attention.  She shares how she recruited help to assist the student and provide some of the attention that the  student wanted.  Have a listen and get some ideas.  Hang around for the question at the end to test your understanding of ABA concepts.  

Susan talks about a student who had significant behavior challenges that were not addressed appropriately by a teacher.  Susan became more involved as a different teacher was assigned to work with him.  Several important issues are discussed, such as consistency of implementation across people, what can be ignored, ruling out medical conditions, etc. Have a listen and give the question a shot too. 

Nicholas Guillerman returns for another conversation with Susan and Cissy.  It is easy to see that Nicholas has the pivotal skills that researchers talk about.  Have a listen and get some ideas from his organization and planning.  We hope you also enjoy the question about ABA at the end.

All of us have our behavior shaped and changed almost every day.  Sometimes, the person changing our behavior is very aware and actively trying to change it.  Sometimes, the person changing our behavior may not be aware that their actions are having an impact.  Have a listen and see if you have had your behavior changed the way Cissy has.  Stay for the question about extinction, reinforcement, and rule governed behavior.

Join us for the second half of our conversation with Dr. Mary Lasater.  She shares wonderful insight on working together for students with special needs.  Her stories are insightful and fun.  Hang out for the question about ABA concepts.

Dr. Mary Lasater discusses some great things happening at the University of Houston  Victoria regarding ABA, Masters degrees, and other special Ed programs. She has researched important issues such as inclusion and video modeling.  She is also a co-creator of a program for training para-educators. Have a listen and stay for the ABA question.

Susan talks about how a teacher's punishment procedures lead to her performing a Functional Behavior Assessment that taught another teacher about data collection as well as a solution for the student's behavior that needed a change.  The ladies talk about other examples of punishment and reinforcement in a way that they hope makes behavior change easier to understand.  Stay for the question.

Cissy and Susan have a great conversation with Tisha Gonzalez about helping individuals with autism develop social skills. Tisha and Sandra run Bee Social in San Antonio and are doing great things for their clients. We hope you enjoy part 2 of this interview.

Susan and Cissy have a great conversation with Tisha Gonzalez about helping individuals with autism develop social skills.  Tisha shares great information about a resource for families of students who take the STAAR Alt-2 test (one of the versions of the state test for school age students in Texas).  Tisha and Sandra Jacobs have Bee Social which runs social skills training for individuals with autism and related disabilities.  Stay for the question at the end of part one.  Come back next week for the second half of the conversation.