Increase Cooperation with Demands:
This is used when a student has a difficult time cooperating with a caregivers request to complete an undesired or difficult task. The most efficient and quickest way to change this behavior may initially require some unpleasant sessions for the student and consistency from his/her caregivers. However, it is based on waiting for the desired response and heavy reinforcement when completed.
This is used when a student has a difficult time cooperating with a caregivers request to complete an undesired or difficult task. The most efficient and quickest way to change this behavior may initially require some unpleasant sessions for the student and consistency from his/her caregivers. However, it is based on waiting for the desired response and heavy reinforcement when completed.
- First follow the guidelines in the prevention section outlining the task sequence. Set up a desired task, followed by a difficult (one that may elicit the undesired behavior) task, followed by a desired task sequence. Choose a difficult or undesired behavior that does not require a verbal response. Make picture sequence cards to clearly show the student what he/she will get to do when he/she is finished (all done) with the difficult task (“First this, then that). The final activity in the sequence should be a highly preferred activity.
- Give the instruction “Time to work” and prompt the student (if necessary) to start the first activity. Praise the student for completing the activity, give him/her a primary reinforcer and show him/her the next two items.
- Instruct the student to complete the next item (e.g., put pants on, difficult cognitive task) and prompt him/her through the activity. Follow the guidelines presented in the section for Response to Verbal Aggression, Response to Physical Aggression, and Response to Oppositional Defiance. Do not allow the student to leave the area (when dressing) or get up from the table (when working at the table) until the activity is finished. This may require physical prompting to complete and restrain the student from getting out of his/her chair. Caregivers will wait and ignore the undesired behaviors and heavily reinforce “good sitting” and “good quiet” immediately when the student sits appropriately or stops screaming. When the student is quiet and sitting remind him/her what he will do when he is finished with the undesired activity (e.g., “First pull up pants then you ride your bike”). Prompt the student through the task (only if he/her is calm but does not elicit the desired behavior on his/her own) and reinforce with a primary reinforcer and praise him/her heavily.
- Initially this may appear to be a “stand off” and he/her may engage in tantrums, physical aggression or verbal aggression for extended periods of time (e.g., 20-30 minutes). However, the student will learn that this does not work and the undesired behaviors will decrease quickly. He/she will quickly learn that he/she gets the reinforcement (primary and social) for completing the task.