Example: Applied Behavior Analysis and Community Living
The following principles of ABA are represented in the above example:
- Antecedent Intervention. The modified menu with color photos
Roberto, Don, and Paul are regular customers at the restaurant. They are also persons with intellectual disabilities. They like to visit the restaurant two to three days each week. Roberto lives at home with his parents while Don and Paul both live in an apartment not far away from Roberto’s house. The three men typically arrive in the mid-morning when the restaurant is not busy but there are also fewer staff at work. It takes a bit longer for orders to be made.
Within the past few months, Roberto, Don, and Paul have engaged in challenging behavior while waiting for their orders. They yell the names of the employees, trying to get their attention. Sometimes the men step behind the counter and walk into the food preparation areas. The restaurant manager contacted Roberto’s family and the group home where Don, and Paul live. Family members of the three men, the restaurant manager, and the group home director met to discuss strategies to support Roberto, Don and Paul. Together, the team identifies a number of strategies to address the problems occurring at the restaurant. Staff members will turn on a small timer when an order is made. The timer is set for three minutes, the average amount of time it takes to prepare an order. At least one restaurant employee agrees to check in with the men while they wait for their food. The employee will ask the men about their day and what they are going to eat. Staff members who work with Don and Paul offer to include Roberto in a social skills activity at Don and Paul’s home. The three men learn ways to politely request when a food order will be ready. Roberto, Don, and Paul practice these new skills before going to the restaurant. They receive verbal praise for using it during the practice sessions and while speaking with employees at the restaurant.
The following principles of ABA are represented in the example:
- Positive Reinforcement. Verbal praise provided while the men wait.
- Antecedent Intervention. Providing direct instruction, using the timer.
- Alternative Behavior. Request to know how long the food will take.
Jeanne describes a functional behavioral assessment. The restaurant manager says he will work with Roberto and his team to create a plan. The plan will make it possible for Roberto to continue visiting the restaurant. Jeanne observes Roberto at the restaurant while collecting Antecedent-Behavior-Analysis (ABC) data. Wait times greater than five minutes are associated with Roberto’s problem behavior. Jeanne and Roberto’s family decide to use a tolerance for delay strategy. This will help Roberto increase the time he waits for his food without engaging in challenging behavior. Tolerance for delay can be used to gradually extend the time a person waits before a reinforcer becomes available. The team decides to use the timer to gradually extend Roberto’s waits for food at the restaurant. Over time, Roberto learns to tolerate longer periods of time his food is available at the restaurant.
The following principles of ABA are represented in the example:
- ABC Data Collection. Observations in which the antecedent, problem behavior and consequence are recorded over several days and times.
- Positive Reinforcement. Keep going to restaurant.
- Tolerance for Delay. Increasing time between when the order is placed and when Roberto receives his order.