Semester

Fall

Date of Graduation

2012

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

PhD

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Claire St. Peter

Committee Co-Chair

Elisa Krackow

Committee Member

Elizabeth Kyonka

Committee Member

Michael Perone

Committee Member

Richard Walls

Abstract

Behavior intervention plans based on the function of problem behavior are more likely to be effective than non-function-based plans. However, plans developed by teachers often do not address behavior function. In addition to ensuring that teachers can write function-based behavior intervention plans, it is also important to ensure plans are implemented with a sufficient degree of fidelity. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate a multi-component training package to train teachers to write function-based behavior intervention plans and to accurately implement differential reinforcement of alternative behavior for escape-maintained problem behavior. Twenty public school teachers of children with emotional and behavior disorders participated in a 7 hr training. The training package consisted of video-modeling, didactic instructions, self-monitoring, and rehearsal. Data were collected using the Behavior Support Plan Qualitative Evaluation Guide on the quality of written plans produced by teachers during the training. Experimenter-developed treatment integrity checklists were used to collect data on the accuracy with which differential reinforcement of alternative behavior was implemented during role-plays. A pretest/posttest control group design was used. Statistical and visual analysis indicated increases in the quality of the written behavior plans and in the accuracy with which they implemented differential reinforcement of alternative behavior.

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