Behavior Modification Plan and How to Make Them Work

January 7, 2012Leave a comment

The following is an example of a behavior modification plan. It is essential when working with a child with an emotional disability to come up with a game plan to help them succeed and meet their goals. This specific behavior modification plan is based on attendance, but behavior modification plans can be created around anything from raising their hand to be called on to not running away during school hours. The same ideas can be used at home to create success in family life. Just be creative and think of what the specific child’s needs and interests are so that the behavior modification plan is applicable to them. It is essential to be consistent with the behavior modification plan for the first week to month and then as the child becomes more successful they can be weaned from the plan back to normal daily life.

Sample Behavior Modification Plan

Target Behavior

Classroom Attendance: This is important to ensure the child is receiving a full education, where the child is learning responsibility as well as their curricular goals.

Appropriate behavior, regular attendance, to be increased
Inappropriate behavior, irregular absence and extreme tardiness, to be decreased

Classroom attendance to improve, so that child is missing only one day a month or less; only when child is sick or needs to attend pertinent appointments. Absence to be parental approved with call to school. This will help the child to learn appropriate material and build consistent interactions with classmates.

Reinforcement

Attendance to class will be rewarded with token daily, which will help child earn larger reward.
Daily reinforces can help children see accomplishment, while larger prize helps them to see importance of consistency.
Child will receive token daily after sitting through, completing, class.
Final prize can be gauged by child’s interest and should be largely rewarding to them.

Data Collection

Attendance will be taken daily and noted in teacher’s log.
This log can be used to determine progress.
Child should start attending more regularly and continue their positive behavior over two months time.
Child will be observed over two months time with evaluations weekly on progress toward goal.

Helping those with Learning Disabilities Find Success

January 6, 2012Leave a comment

In order to help those with learning disabilities to find more success with academics and social-emotional skills, it is important to support their needs. Some possible ideas that may help include extrinsic motivation, rewards, intrinsic motivation, and grading (Smith, 2004). Extrinsic motivation is used when teachers and parents use enthusiasm to convey to children that they can and will succeed (Smith, 2004). It is important to use these when children really will succeed, so that the children will find reward in their work and be willing to try for success next time. Rewards can include verbal praise or alternative benefits to the child (Smith, 2004). It is important to remember when using reward that the child’s main focus should be the task and not the award, so that they do not become dependent on a reward. Intrinsic motivation is keeping the child task oriented and with internal motivation (Smith, 2004). The best way to convey intrinsic motivation is by displaying one’s own hard work for success to others. Children normally find this motivation from their own families. Grading is used in most cases to motivate children to work hard, but this system can be very defeating to those with Learning Disabilities. They may find more support from group projects, portfolios, narrative evaluations, and personalized grading that does not put them in direct competition with their peers, which they cannot beat (Smith, 2004).

Students need many tools in order to find academic success whether they have learning disabilities or not. It is important to personalize their supports and remember that those with learning disabilities may need more help to find success than their peers. This does not mean that they are limited, just that they are more challenged in finding success.

Reference

Smith, C.R., (2004). Learning Disabilities: The Interaction of Students and Their Environments (5^th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

Intellectual Disability and Different Intellegences

January 5, 2012January 5, 20121 Comment

The following reviews the meanings of intelligence, as well as, how this applies to those with an intellectual disability, and the characteristics of those with intellectual disabilities that results in their eligibility for special education.

The definitions of intelligence included the wide array of possible categories of intelligence. The categories could include: book, social, problem solving, abstract, imaginary, mathematical, scientific, spiritual, plus many more. According to dictionaries, intelligence can be defined as being informed, understanding, and obtaining knowledge or being knowledgeable. The early warning signs of Mental Retardation (Intellectual Disabilities) can include the inability to obtain and retain knowledge resulting in a child that has developmental delays. In other words, a parent may notice their child is not talking, walking, ect on the same time line as their peers. Depending on the severity and acuteness of the parent, the child may be diagnosed at a different stage in development.

The next step, if you suspect an intellectual disability, is to get the child tested. Tests using Standard Scores must be used to qualify a child for special education and special services. The following represents the use of Standard Scores as the rating scale, which qualifies a student for MR or having an intellectual disability. The numbers are taken from IQ tests with a standard or average score of 100

Diagnosis: Standard Scores

Severe Mental Retardation: 62 or below (Preschool Severe Delay is below 56)
Moderate Mental Retardation: 77 to 63
Mild Mental Retardation: 85 to 78 (or 1 ½ standard deviations on one area)

Different diagnosis and different children have different needs for treatment and schooling. It is important to remember how much brain development is occurring in the first three years of life and seek help as soon as a problem is suspected. Ask the your child’s school psychologist for more information or look for a Developmental Pediatrician in your area.

Should My Child be Talking? Could My Child Have a Speech Delay?

January 4, 2012January 4, 2012Leave a comment

It is important to be proactive if you worry your child may have a speech delay. Some easy ideas to work on speech with your child may be to make sure that they are not using a bottle for an over extended period or using a pacifier into the toddler years. A child should give up the bottle by age 10 to 18 months. Most speech therapists suggest drinking through straws to help children to strengthen their mouth muscles. They can also practice blowing bubbles or windmills. Speech can be learned through reading, games, and songs. Interact with your child as a positive role model of what speech should sound like but do it in a friendly, inviting way so that your child wants to be involved.

If your child still seems behind, bring it up to your doctor, the early intervention starts the better the results. Speech can be a sign of other issues like learning disabilities or mental retardation, but it is not necessarily what is going on with your child. It is best to address the problems as they arise, so if right now it only seems like speech is the issues, just address the speech.

A Child With Needs

Early child development from a mom and professional.

Month: January 2012