by Ashley Ponce BCBA, LBA
**These are suggestions from a BCBA. This is no way recommendations saying these exact examples will work for your student/client. Each student/client requires strategies to be individualized to them.
- Task Analysis
Task Analysis involves breaking down a complex task into manageable, step-by-step instructions. For example, teaching a child to wash their hands might include steps like:
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- Turn on the water
- Wet hands
- Apply soap
- Rub hands together
- Rinse hands
- Dry hands
These steps can be paired with pictures or verbal prompts, providing clarity and structure. Task Analysis is versatile and can be applied to teaching various behaviors, such as classroom routines like turning in assignments or organizing backpacks. This strategy ensures students understand what’s expected of them, increasing their independence and confidence.
- Premack Principle
The Premack Principle pairs a less preferred activity with a preferred reward, motivating students to complete tasks. For example:
Visual Representation: Some of our students may require a visual representation of the Premack Principle. You would provide them with visual pictures that can be replaced as needed of what you want them to complete “first” and for the section “then”, you would place a picture icon of what they would earn access to for completing their work or the previous step. For example: If a student has a hard time with transitions from class to class, you may place a picture of the place you are going in the “first” box and an icon of a preferred item in the “then” box (First we are going to the library, then you will earn a sticker, etc.)
Verbal Cue: If your learner doesn’t require a visual, just stating the Premack Principle can also be beneficial. Remember to provide this cue before an interfering behavior occurs. For example, if you know your student flops to the floor whenever transitions happen, you can tell them “First we are going to the library, then you will earn a sticker.”
It’s essential to tailor rewards to individual preferences. Offering an incentive that aligns with a student’s interests (e.g., extra recess or listening to music) increases its effectiveness.
- Functional Communication Training
Functional Communication Training is replacing an inappropriate behavior with a communicative response that serves the same function. Have you heard that all behavior is communication? This is true! All of our students/clients engage in behavior because they are trying to communicate their wants or needs! Every behavior has a specific function: Escape, Sensory/Automatic, Attention, or Tangible. If you are curious about the function of your student’s behavior, look at their BIP or speak to the LSSP or BCBA who conducted the FBA.
You will need to provide your learners with a script of what they can say in place of the inappropriate behavior. For example:
Escape: For a student or client who is refusing to complete work. You could provide the student with a verbal script “I need help”, “this is too hard, please help”, or “I need a break”, etc. This is so in the future; the learner will instead engage in an appropriate behavior of requesting help or a break instead of refusing to complete work.
Attention: For a student or client who is engaging in Physical Aggression or another interfering behavior due to wanting attention from peers or staff, you can teach them a script “come play with me”, “come talk to me”, etc. The hope is that the learner will in the future engage in a communicative response to gain attention instead of engaging in Physical Aggression or another interfering behavior.
Tangible: For a student who is engaging in an interfering behavior because they want something (toys, edibles, etc.) You can provide them with a script “I want a snack”, “I want the iPad”, “I want ____”, etc. The hope here is that the learner will see it’s easier to communicate their request for access to something rather than engage in the interfering behavior.
- Positive Reinforcement
Something is ADDED and increases the likelihood of the behavior happening in the future. For example: You give your student a sticker for cleaning up. This may increase clean up behavior in the future.
It is important to find out your students or clients interests, does your student like high fives or praise? Or do they prefer earning break time or listening to a specific song? You can use these interests to be used as reinforcers to increase behaviors you want to see more often.
If you do provide positive reinforcement in the form of tangibles (toys, stickers, etc.) Be sure to pair praise with the tangible item. Students need to know why they are earning access to their tangibles. For example, your student earned a sticker for cleaning up. Before delivering that sticker, you should tell the student “I like how you cleaned up, here’s your sticker”.
- Visuals
Visual supports provide students with clear expectations and structure. These can include:
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- Token boards
- Transition icons
- Visual schedules
- Expected behavior charts
Visuals can even be a token economy where you list the expected behaviors for the student to engage in for them to earn tokens. For example: You would have the expected behaviors written out on the board (following directions, keep hands to yourself, and using kind words) on the same board where you have how many tokens they need to earn.
*See my post where I talk about how to create and implement a token economy!
- Data Collection
Data collection doesn’t need to be hard or scary. You just have to find the right way to collect data for you. If you have a classroom full of multiple students then you probably won’t be able to take frequency (counting each time the behavior occurs). What may be easier for you is to collect partial interval data. In partial interval data you are looking to see if the target behavior occurred for ANY PART of the interval (predetermined length of time). Again, if you have a large classroom, you won’t be able to collect data on target behaviors occurring every 30 seconds, but you can try collecting data on interval lengths of 5, 10, or 15 minutes (does the target behavior occur at any time during these lengths of time). This will be good information to see if the target behaviors or increasing or decreasing.
Conclusion
These strategies—Task Analysis, Premack Principle, Functional Communication Training, Positive Reinforcement, Visual Supports, and Data Collection—equip educators with practical tools to support student growth and behavior management. By tailoring these approaches to individual needs, we can foster a more inclusive and productive learning environment for all students.
