Jamie Salter and Katie Croce are the co-authors of the Self & Match System. Jamie is a trained school psychologist and BCBA and spent time as an administrator in special education. Katie’s a BCBA and has been working as a behavioral analyst since 2006. She’s worked in public and private schools, inpatient hospitals, and in homes. Today, Katie works at a university within the school of education where she teaches applied behavioral analysis to undergraduate and graduate students.

Self & Match is an evidence-based self-monitoring system that’s been manualized. Jamie and Katie noticed that self-monitoring was often left out of a practitioner’s toolbox. They synthesized all of the research on self-monitoring with an accountability component into a format where professionals could pick it up and implement their own system. Here, they walk us through the five core steps of the Self & Match system and why it stands out from other interventions. They also show how to adapt the system to each learner, as it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. We discuss how Jamie and Katie fell in love with self-monitoring, the advantages of the strategy, and more.

On November 8th, Jamie and Katie will be giving a hands-on webinar on self-monitoring, complete with tools you can use to get started right away. Learn more by clicking the link below!

What’s Inside:

• Why self-monitoring should be included in every practitioner’s toolbox.
• The five basic steps of the Self & Match system.
• How to individualize self-monitoring to different learners.
• Information on Jamie & Katie’s upcoming webinar.

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Self & Match Upcoming Webinar – 11/8

Every ABA professional should be familiar with the four functions of behavior and how to identify them. Here, we cover those four functions, provide real-life examples, and give you tips on what you can do when you encounter each function. Although the functions of behavior are important, they aren’t always intuitive which makes them hard to spot. We can also accidentally reinforce problematic behavior when we’re unsure. 

Through their behavior, our students and clients are communicating something to us, and it’s our job to figure out what that is. To remember the four functions of behavior, we like to use the acronyms EATS or SEAT. The S stands for sensory, or things that are automatically reinforcing. In other words, it’s something that feels good. E stands for escape or avoidance. The A stands for attention, and the trigger is usually a lack thereof. Finally, the T stands for tangible or engaging in behavior because they want something. 

Make sure you check out our free functions of behavior worksheet by clicking the link below.

What’s Inside:

• The four functions of behavior and how to identify them.
• How to identify what’s being communicated through a certain behavior.
• Real-life examples of the functions of behavior.
  
  

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Functions of Behavior Cheat Sheet

As ABA professionals, a big part of our job is to reduce problem behaviors in our clients. Many times, we’re called in as a sort of fairy godmother, expected to make problematic behaviors disappear by waving a magic wand. It’s also common for problematic behavior to only be addressed when looking for an acceptable punishment or consequence, however, that’s not the best approach. Problem behaviors are always telling us something, and it’s our job to get to the root cause. Stressors can come from a lot of places at home and in the classroom, and it’s important to rule out things like medical or environmental issues.

When defining behaviors, it’s important to get as detailed as possible so you can begin tracking them. Data collection is important, but remember, it’s quality over quantity. ABC charts can help as well as partial interval recordings. You don’t have to wait until a client is on the brink of a meltdown to teach good behavior, as often things are too heightened to make the teaching stick. Teaching in a calm environment is much more effective. Changing how we interact with our students can make a huge difference as well. Focusing on their strengths and providing choices sets them up for success so they can work on things as a team.

To get our free frequency graph, click the link below.

What’s Inside:

• Why it’s important to address root causes of problematic behavior and rule out external factors. 
• How to collect data and define problematic behavior.
• How adjustments in your own behavior can set your students up for success.
• Strategies for dealing with problematic behaviors in the moment.

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Free Frequency Graph Template

It can be difficult to incorporate ABA principles in a classroom setting, and here, we provide tips on how to do so. It can be frustrating when you have children in the classroom that don’t seem to be picking up skills at the same rates as the rest of the class. Fortunately, ABA offers plenty of helpful solutions for those kids who might not fit into the standard boxes. For example, using visuals instead of relying on talking alone during teaching can help better support, certain learners. Timers can be a great aide as well.

Using reinforcement can be hugely beneficial too, both positive and negative. Some might be hesitant to use reinforcement because it feels like bribing, but it all depends on timing and when the reinforcer is introduced. It’s also important to set your students up for success when using reinforcement strategies so the end goal can be reasonably obtained. Sensory issues are common in the classroom and some kids might avoid situations or tasks because they’re uncomfortable. Having a special area with stim toys or relaxation items can make a huge difference. Teachers should also strive to incorporate socialization into their curriculum, as these are lifelong skills that make kids successful.

Check out our free resource on tolerating transitions by clicking the link below.

What’s Inside:

• How to incorporate ABA principles in general and special education settings.
• How to use visuals and reinforcement systems in the classroom.
• How to tackle sensory issues.

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Tolerating Transitions – Free Resource

An independent activity schedule (IAS) is a set of pictures or words that signals a child to complete a group of activities. An IAS enables the child to do activities independently with minimal supervision. It can give a child a chance to engage in purposeful activities at home or at school. Here, we cover the basics of putting an IAS together as well as provide tips on how to teach this to a learner.

In addition to the huge benefits an IAS can have in the classroom, it can also work wonders in a home setting. For example, using an IAS can help kids get tasks completed before getting access to their favorite TV show or video game. We’ll show you examples of what an IAS looks like so you can create your own based on your goals and preferences. We also cover the three main phases of an IAS, how to incorporate open-ended activities, prompting, and data collection best practices.

Click the link below for our free IAS resources.

What’s Inside:

• IAS examples and how to build one.
• How an IAS can help in both home and school settings.
• The three main phases of an IAS.
• IAS data collection best practices.

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Free IAS Resources

There are several types of reinforcement you can use, and it’s important to know how to use each technique properly. Reinforcement is one of our most common tools, but we often hear from other teachers and practitioners that it isn’t working. At that point, it helps to ask more questions to try to uncover the problem. If reinforcement isn’t set up properly or doesn’t set the client up for success, then of course it won’t work! Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to ensure success with reinforcement, and we dive into them here.

The definition of reinforcement is using some type of item or preferred activity to increase the future likelihood of desired behavior. Many people get this concept confused, thinking negative reinforcement is when something bad happens and positive is the opposite when in reality, the goal of both is to increase the desired behavior going forward. Another thing to keep in mind is that with reinforcement, we’re focusing on reinforcing a behavior, not an individual. Each child will have different motivators, so use their interests to come up with reinforcement that works. Reinforcement shouldn’t happen only during challenging times; it should be an ongoing process.

To get a copy of our free reinforcement checklist, click on the link below.

What’s Inside:

• The difference between positive and negative reinforcement
• Why it’s important to use your clients’ interests when using reinforcement
• The difference between a reinforcement and a bribe
• Techniques to make reinforcement work for you

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Free Reinforcement Checklist

We implement task analysis as a way of teaching skills and taking data. Here, we dive into all things task analysis and how it can help you and your clients succeed. Task analysis doesn’t have to be big, and it’s really about breaking any size task down into smaller steps. We all do this on a regular basis throughout our everyday lives, especially when it comes to tackling a big project or assignment. Breaking things down into smaller parts makes things more manageable and achievable. Many of our students need this type of learning as well as an explanation of what each individual step means.  

Traditionally, when we think of task analysis, we think of basic tasks like showering and other hygienic care needs, but sometimes it can be used to tackle things like to-do lists. It can also help therapy teams work together and prioritize tasks to better serve the client and their goals. We cover how to come up with your task analysis list as well as how to know when to increase or decrease the amount of detail. We also discuss forward and backward chaining, creating a visual schedule, and why choose task analysis over other forms of data collection.

Make sure to check out our free task analysis template by clicking the link below.

What’s Inside:

• What is task analysis and how it helps makes life easier.
• How to compile a task analysis list.
• Forward chaining vs backward chaining.
• Why use task analysis over other forms of data collection.

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Often in an ABA program, we’re teaching kids multiple skills at once. For example, we might be teaching a student to mand for cookie, but we may also be teaching them to identify items, introducing gross motor imitation, and following directions. Students will sometimes engage in multiple responses because they believe that’s what you want to see, and that’s essentially what scrolling behavior is.

It's important to be aware of scrolling and know how to deal with it from the very beginning. Teaching skills "cleanly” is key so the student doesn’t run through any other responses from overlapping instruction. Scrolling can be physical or verbal, and kids often scroll because they’re looking for whatever will give them reinforcement. As practitioners, whenever we’re unclear on reinforcement contingencies, there’s a greater chance that scrolling will occur. We cover helpful tips and strategies to prevent and manage scrolling through error correction procedures and transfer trials.

To get a copy of our Visual Transfer Trial Cheat Sheet, head to the link below.

What’s Inside:

• What is scrolling and what does it look like when you’re working with a client?
• Why kids scroll and the types of scrolling they may exhibit.
• Strategies to prevent and work through scrolling behaviors.

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Visual Transfer Trial Cheat Sheet

Baseline data is so important and as an ABA professional, it’s key that we know how to use it effectively. Whenever we’re working with a client and we don’t seem to be getting anywhere in terms of changing a behavior, it’s helpful to return to the baseline and compare it to post-treatment. This gives you a really good picture of whether or not that treatment is working. Even when working with a challenging case, going back to reference the baseline data reveals a lot about that particular intervention.

Baseline data can refer to data related to skill acquisition and behavior reduction. We collect data on lots of things, but those are usually the two main areas. In other words, where we want to see a behavior increasing, and where we want to see it decreasing. We cover both as well as what kind of baseline data to collect. We also discuss when to take frequency or duration data, touch on ABC data collection, and the difference between pre-testing and baseline data.

For access to our free baseline reference guide, click the link below.

What’s Inside:

• What baseline data is and why it’s important.
• Skill acquisition and behavior reduction and what data to collect.
• When to take frequency or duration data.
• The difference between a pre-test and baseline data.

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How To ABA Baseline Reference Guide

Robert Schramm is a behavioral analyst and education and parenting specialist who’s really doing some necessary and valuable things for the field of ABA. Robert was an educator first and started out in physical education in California. He then moved into special education and became an occlusion specialist and was tasked with helping disabled children in regular classrooms. Robert eventually found his way to behavioral analysis in pursuit of finding a method of instructional motivation. He and his wife then moved to Germany for children with ASD. They also helped trained parents in behavioral analysis so they could use the techniques at home. Through that process, he discovered how to translate the principles to language and methods that parents can understand. This eventually led him to create the 7 Steps of Instructional Control.

Robert shares how he’s been able to train parents to become better than some of the practitioners he’s worked with in the states. Parent training models are becoming more prevalent, as it’s a more comprehensive approach to making a lasting impact. When everyone who spends time with a child knows how to work with them, they make a lot more progress. Robert also applies his principles to general parenting, as they aren’t dependent on any specific diagnosis. The principles help people develop better relationships throughout the entire household. Currently, Robert is working on a program called “Just 7 Steps” to help families become better parents through behavioral analysis.

What’s Inside:

• How and why Robert created the 7 Steps of Instructional Control.
• Why parent training is so important.
• How the 7 Steps helps parents with all types of children.

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Just7Steps.com
Just 7 Steps on YouTube
Just 7 Steps Podcast