A superstitious behavior is developed when a behavior is inadvertently reinforced by a behavior that precedes it. In Skinner’s example, pigeons were provided with non-contingent reinforcement in the form of bird seed every fifteen seconds and they developed idiosyncratic behaviors because they the bird seed inadvertently reinforced whatever behavior the pigeon was engaging in prior to getting the food. Most…
Congratulations! Your child is about to start school. It is exciting, but it can also be scary. Sending any child to school for the first time is hard for any parent, sending a child with special needs to school, especially one that has a difficult time communicating can be even scarier. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to…
Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is the most well researched and scientifically validated methods for teaching children with Autism new skills. It is based upon the behavior principle that what happens before a behavior and what happens after a behavior will determine if it happens again. If a person engages in a behavior and they do not get what they want,…
Does it feel like every time your child learns a new skill, it is not long before you take a step backwards and the strategies you were using stops working? Are you wondering what you are doing wrong or even if you are the problem? I promise, the problem is not you. In this video I share what the problem…
This week’s blog post is based upon a conversation I had this week with a friend who has a young child with Autism. With her permission, I will share a bit of her story. Her son has been fully potty trained for almost six months but recently started having accidents again. It is definitely not a medical issue. It is…
Choosing Effective Reinforcers Are Critical to Help Children With Autism Get the Most Out of ABA! In this video, you will learn how to choose reinforcers that are super effective without being distracting! Understanding this topic may save your child hours of learning, lots of frustration and you lots of co-payments! You Want to Tune In! This video is intended…
When dealing with tantrums, it always helps to be proactive rather than reactive. Tantrums are unpleasant for everyone, including your child. It is always better to just to avoid them. Us behavior analysts have a fancy term for proactive strategies– antecedent modifications. Antecedent modifications are things that you do before a behavior occurs to make it either more likely or…
Wondering why your ABA therapist is constantly asking you for reinforcers. Will there ever been an end to the dollar store trips? Find out why your therapist keeps asking for new stuff! Credits: Photo: Morguefile Sound effect: Incomputek Intro: Graeme Kan Video Production: Highlander Productions Disclaimer: This video is intended for information purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose…