Extending positive behavioral support to young children with challenging behavior.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

One way to address the needs of children with challenging behavior is through positive behavioral support. Two of the essential features of positive behavioral support include individualized functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and the utilization of comprehensive interventions (Koegel, Koegel, & Dunlap, 1996).
In this study positive behavioral support technology was investigated with young children with challenging behaviors. This research expanded the previous work in positive behavioral support by (a) conducting FBAs, baseline, and intervention sessions in preschool classrooms; (b) implementing multi-component interventions with preschool children; and (c) training early educators to implement the functional analysis conditions and the intervention procedures.
The participants included four boys, age four, with severe challenging behavior. Three boys were enrolled in early childhood special education programs and one was enrolled in a community childcare center. Comprehensive functional behavioral assessments were conducted to verify three problem activities and the antecedent events and maintaining functions of the challenging behavior. Reversal designs were used to evaluate the effects of the various functional analysis conditions. Multi-component interventions were selected from the following: tolerance for delay of reinforcement, transition warnings, choice of reinforcer, picture schedule, prespecified reinforcer, noncontingent reinforcement (NCR), high-probability request sequences, and functional communication training. Three of the four education teams were trained to implement the interventions. To evaluate the effects of the intervention, a multiple baseline design across activities was used for three participants and an AB design was used for one participant.
Data were collected on the dependent measures using a 10-second partial interval and latency recording system. Challenging behavior, engagement, latency to challenging behavior, and use of the communicative replacement were coded.
The results of this study demonstrated that functional behavioral assessment and comprehensive interventions implemented during typical preschool activities decreased the challenging behavior of the participants. First, data obtained from the functional behavioral assessment identified two functions of challenging behavior: to obtain tangibles and attention. Second, the results of the comprehensive interventions showed a significant decrease in challenging behavior, an increase in appropriate requests, and maintenance or increase in engagement. Third, three teachers were taught to implement the comprehensive interventions.