behavioral consultation paper

behavioral consultation paper - Transcript

Behavioral Consultation

Running Head Behavioral Consultation

Behavioral Consultation paper 2 Geetika Agarwal University of Missouri Columbia

1

Behavioral Consultation

The unfortunate things about this world is that good habits are so much easier to give up than bad ones W Somerset Maugham British novelist 1874 1965

It is the close observation of little things which is the secret of success in business in art in science and in every pursuit in life Samuel Smiles Scottish political reformer 1812 1904

Interest and research in human behavior has a long history With its application in consultation an indirect problem solving service involving a collegial relationship between the consultant and consultee Behavioral Consultation came into being The goals of such a consultation as deduced from the definition given by Bergan and Kratochwill are describing the problem in specific terms deciding upon a plan to deal with the client s concern implementing the plan decided upon and supervising the client s behavior The paper will discusses consultation from a behavioral perspective with specific emphasis on its key tenets i e use of reinforcement and punishment My impression and feelings from mental health consultation suggested that everyone teacher has a personal preference and orientation towards a problem concern and its important that a consultant try to bring the theoretical orientation of the consultation as close to the teacher s for a success consultation As I made a

2

Behavioral Consultation

transition towards a behavioral consultation I observed that Ms Kilmetz Ms K was more comfortable and willing to contribute during the discussions than Ms Finley Ms F Not only was Ms K actively contributing towards the development of the plan her attitude towards the student also seemed to become more positive Ms Finley Ms F who was evidently comfortable in the mental health consultation didn t show an obvious resistance or discomfort with the increased emphasis on behavioral intervention It is however important to note that owing to an absence of a real classroom case discussions with Ms F were largely theoretical with no opportunity for use to implement intervention from a behavioral perspective The foundations of a behavioral consultation are the its concepts of reward and punishment Punishment which is widely used in school system for behavior modification often in isolation is the first line of intervention for the teachers when faced with a difficult behavior in their classrooms Rewards on the other hand are used rarely and make contingent upon a desirable behavior During my discussion I asked both the teachers about their philosophy understanding and attitude towards rewards and punishment Ms K who according to me was more comfortable with behavioral approach stated that both the rewards and the punishment are extrinsic and do not really work for the student s behavior concerns She believed that the child had to be intrinsically motivated to be able to do anything or achieve a goal Her resistance to give rewards was evident in the behavior plan that was developed for one of the

3

Behavioral Consultation

students It was evident that she wanted the child to feel good with the progress and hence get motivated to work towards the goal It was a paradox to see her emphasis on feeling good and still not be comfortable with a mental health approach for consultation Ms K further added that every student has its individual needs that should be catered to when thinking about rewards and punishments As the discussion progressed it became evident that Ms K didn t clearly preferred group rewards over individual rewards She gave a few examples of the rewards occasionally employed by her when the students behave appropriately in her absence or during a particular class The rewards were tangible things like giving candies When asked specifically about use of rewards for individuals she stated that she gives verbal reinforces to encourage the student Ms F differ markedly on her views and attitude about rewards and punishment She expressed her strongly belief in rewards and but was apprehensive about using punishments As opposed to Ms K Ms F stated that she prefers using rewards to punishment She further added that for her rewards are not just tangible things but can also be occasional praises and appreciations for their efforts Ms F uses a lot of social reinforcers by displaying selected works of the students in the classroom and hallways for others to read This was an observation I made during my visit to her classroom Ms F added that

relationship with the teacher is an important factor and influences the effect of the rewards Ms K had also suggested something along the same lines when she

4

Behavioral Consultation

stated that the relationship between the teacher and the students is all that is important for the rewards or punishment to be effective Ms F further added that she likes to reframes everything positively and present it in an encouraging manner Ms F gave a few examples about on positive reframing in her creative writing class and stated that she wanted to highlight the strengths of each student and then help him identify and improve upon his weaknesses Continuing our conversation around motivating students I asked both Ms K and Ms F about the various factors situations etc that motivated the students Both the teachers stated that relationship between the student and the teacher was the key and often determined the effectiveness of the various rewards and punishment Apart from this they said that they were not very sure about it and could only make speculations They also resonated they eagerness to know the answer to this question Both the teachers shared their skepticism for external consequences being a motivating factor They were at lose of words and stated that they didn t have an answer to this question They reiterated the importance of a teacher student relationship as a component in the motivation of a student It was interesting to note various similarities in the thinking and conceptualization of both the teachers They emphasize the relationship between the teachers and the student for a successful discipline Also both the teachers prefer to reward the whole class over individuals These factors will evidently affect the various methods of discipline in their classroom They will be very

5

Behavioral Consultation

relationship oriented and work towards preserving the relations It is also possible that in their effort to maintain a good relationship with the student they may not be implementing rules or norms as rigorously or consistently as possible In addition to that if an intervention was to be suggested it seems as if they would be more receptive to a classroom wide intervention over individual plans This will be particularly true for instances that involve presenting tangible rewards and consequences For a successful consultation a consultant should keep these preferences in mind The teachers were also markedly different in their understanding and use of rewards and punishment in their classroom Ms K mentioned the use of BIST Behavior Intervention Support Team in her classroom management and suggested that she often uses their method for discipline This involves sending the child to a safe seat recovery room having them fill out a think sheet etc Ms K didn t mention the use of any rewards except for occasional candies for the class She also presented her skepticism for the effectiveness of external rewards Ms F on the other hand stated that she used a lot of rewards that were verbal in nature She praised and recognized the student s work by having them display it in the classroom and hallways It was evident that she employed verbal and social reinforcers with occasional tangible reinforces like brownies for the whole class As we discussed further I asked both the teachers about rules specific to their classroom and its enforcement They suggested that there were no specific discipline rules except for the ones outlined by the school They however

6

Behavioral Consultation

mentioned using rules specific to various activities related to the course being taught They stated that these rules are discussed in the beginning of the year The students are demonstrated how the rule looks like and a failure to comply often results in the loss of a privilege e g working with a partners etc Ms F emphasized consistency in outcome numerous times and stated that it was very important to set the expectations clearly make sure that the student understood the directions completely and knows what to expect incase he she fails to meet with the expectations She further reiterated that there has to be a consistency in the outcomes Both the teachers employed punishment to decrease the desirable behavior in their classroom Ms K seemed less vigorous about the demonstration of expectations but was clear about the consequences for any inability to comply From a behavioral perspective it would be important that Ms K be exposed to certain generic rules about consistency setting clean expectation logical consequences It will help her structure the various rules in her classroom and make classroom management more effective For a consultant it would be helpful if such a discussion and demonstration were employed to education the teacher on classroom rules its enforcement and communication with the students Ms F on the other hand seems to understand some of the key concepts very well but since I didn t have an opportunity to observe her put them to practice it is difficult for me to talk about the effective enforcement of the rules in her class However from the various discussions and interaction with Ms F it seems that she is able to

7

Behavioral Consultation

manage the classroom behavior very well She discusses difficult situations in the consultation meeting and shared her intervention for the situation which is effective and presents te teacher as being conscientious of basic concept of psychology and behaviorism Talking along the lines of rules consistence and clear expectations originated as an important characteristic of good discipline Ms F reiterated these concepts and Ms K stated that having individualized plan was also important for good discipline She emphasized individual needs of a student and stated that a good discipline should take into consideration every child s specific needs Both the teachers shared similar views about behavioral contracts and token economy but difference in their use of the same in classroom set up Ms F seemed to use token economy very often in her classroom as compared to Ms K She was also creative about using a token in various ways Ms F connected tokens with both tangible and social rewards and make that a classroom activity that everyone was aware of

The first part of the discussion gave me insight into individual teacher s philosophy understanding and receptivity towards behavioral consultation It also helped me understand the type of intervention strategies that thee teachers would be more receptive and open to Ms F who comes across as a very involved teacher emphasizes relationship with the students as an important component also believe in positive reframing of a child s achievement She believes in

8

Behavioral Consultation

highlighting the positive and helping the student identify the shortcoming in their work over picking their mistakes and then helping them correct it She seems to be very receptive to any input and help from outside that will help her understand the kids better She seems open to new ideas and suggestions and is also willing to put in an extra effort if a child requires it She seems to be comfortable in both behavioral and mental health approached to consultation Ms K on the other hand emphasis classroom outputs and uses that as a measure of student success She doesn t believe in providing external rewards

and does that with reluctance Ms K presented a contradictory thought during the discussion Though Ms K identifies that each child has individual and specific needs that should be address she still expresses her preference for classroom wide intervention and rewards over individual consequences This has significant implications for consultation as it is evident that a classroom based behavior plan intervention will be better received than individual plans Also it is possible that Ms K will be intrinsically motivated to implement intervention for the whole class then individual During the course of consultation with Ms K a behavior plan was developed with the intention of improving Roy s classroom academic performance Ms K was enthusiastic about the plan and took significant responsibility of the intervention However her enthusiasm and motivation dipped after a week She stated that the plan wasn t working Although we had communicated that the results will be slow a lack of quick developments seemed

9

Behavioral Consultation

to easily frustrate her She felt as if her efforts don t pay off quickly Although it doesn t fall in the purview of the consultation process but a direct instruction about goals and expectation is required to lowed the frustration experienced by her From a consultation point of view it will be difficult to keep her motivated all along the intervention process should there be no quick progress Hence the consultant will have to device a way of communicating even smallest of results

The second part of the discussion was centered on the classroom management and discipline techniques employed by the teachers and their attitude around the same Using specific elicitors I asked them about the specific disciplinary rules that were enforced in their classrooms Both the teachers stated that they used the set of rules outlined by the school for their classroom discipline They however suggested using specific activity related rules and guidelines They gave examples of rules for reading silently working in group privilege of reading on a bean bags etc They added that these rules were communicated to the student at the beginning of the school year Ms F mentioned demonstrating the rules to the students in the various settings The enforcement of these rules was very different for the two teachers Ms K used punishment more actively i e a loss of desired activity or something that the student likes if they violated the rule where as Ms F suggested that if the students violate of a rule it costs them time in recess or time on bean bag etc She also suggested that a lot of consequences were natural outcomes of their

10

Behavioral Consultation

disruptive behavior Ms K was more oriented towards the use of punishment where as Ms F was more oriented towards positive reinforcement and social reinforces Her techniques match closely with the concept of response cost and natural outcomes Also there was a logical consequence for all the negative behavior Ms F uses verbal and social reinforcement as readily as she used tangible rewards and systematic positive reinforcement Ms K on the other hand

primarily uses punishment removal of desirable activity or presentation of aversive stimuli going to safe seat recovery room to reduce the undesirable behavior Also my Ms K does not have a built in positive alternative to the punishments suggesting that there is no positive reinforcement for a child who engages in desirable behavior Ms K mentioned BIST very often during the conversation and it seems as if she relies on BIST for the behavior problems in her class and expects the team to come up with interventions and strategies for the behavior problems in her classroom Also her emphasis on pedagogy and educational outcomes dictates the success of any intervention plan This is very important for a consultant to know since the success of the consultation process is contingent upon the academic gains made the child Though Ms F seems to be using the various reinforces and punishes in a balanced way Ms K relies a lot of punishment and BIST Her use of punishment is disproportionately more than the use of any other reinforcer From my discussion with the teachers I felt that Ms F was much more systematic and

11

Behavioral Consultation

explicit in the consequences of the behavior both positive and negative Ms K on the other hand seems to be a little vague in her plan She assumed that the students know the rules and what are the consequences Although it is difficult to say if the consequences were logical or arbitrary it would be worthwhile to observe and talk to her a little more to gain a better understanding on the use of punishments in her classroom As I was bringing our discussion to a closure I asked the teachers to pick some of the behaviors that were a source of constant concern for them Interestingly both the teachers picked talking in the class as a major behavioral concern Both of them suggested that they correct student from talking disruptively in the class everyday and also find it difficult to control I asked them about any rule that was present around it and what were the consequences if a child does talk disruptively to which they mentioned the use of punishment i e going to the safe seat recovery room missing recess time etc as the consequences for talking in the class Although these were not effective for a few kids such a consequence did affect majority of the students

Behavioral consultation like the mental health consultation has its its strengths and weaknesses During the course of my consultation with the teachers I had limited exposure to the implementation of intervention from a behavioral perspective since only one of the teachers presented with a case that required attention One of the strengths in this consultation lies in its structures approach

12

Behavioral Consultation

towards a problem A structures step wise approach works well in school settings where there is a lot of emphasis on systematization Also when time is limited efficiency can be increased with a structures methodology Another strength of behavioral consultation lies on its emphasis on understanding the behavior in a functional sense For the intervention it is required that the teacher and the consultant discuss in detail the behavior and come to a consensus on what needs to be targeted Intervention and plan evaluation are also an important aspect of behavioral consultation as it gives the consultant and the consultee a chance to revisit their plan frequently and make appropriate changes Behavioral consultation is very quantitative in nature and any progress can be charted to show the teacher child school personnel etc the outcome of the consultation process It is easier to account for the effectiveness of the intervention process

As expected this approach has its set of weaknesses that needs to be taken into consideration while working through this mode One of the weaknesses in this approach is its dependence on the reports and description from the teacher The consultant may or may not be actively participating in the observation of the behavior in which case the consultant s only source of information is the teacher which can have its own set of biases and omissions The consultant should always be wary of accepting everything the teacher says at its face value and should ask questions to assess the truthfulness accuracy and objectivity of the information Another shortcoming in this approach along the lines of the first one is the

13

Behavioral Consultation

dependence on teacher for the implementation of the intervention Since the teacher is not trained in behavioral intervention there will be instances where she would falter and make mistakes The intervention may not be implemented the way a consultant envisions or designs it which can affect the outcome of the plan in addition to this teachers personal preferences with certain procedures over the others will influence her delivery of the rewards punishments or any other consequences in the behavior plan Although it is not possible in a consultation relationship for the consultant to delivery the intervention personally they should however train demonstrate and model to the teacher the correct ways of implementing the plan Also a consultant should try to identify any possible sources of biases and resistance that may interfere with the effective implementation of the designed plan Another concern that is often raised has to do with the nature of consultation itself rather than issues with consultant or the consultee As is evident behavioral consultation is fairly structured and at various points requires the consultant to be direct the process However it being a consultation relationship which is an equal standing collaborative setup the consultant has to refrain from dictating and dominating the course of consultation In my experience with behavioral consultation I was faced with the above challenges and consider the above mentioned weaknesses as an a shortcoming Although I didn t feel that as compared to a mental health consultation application was behavioral consultation was wider in a school setting I also found

14

Behavioral Consultation

myself completely dependent and driven by the teachers reports of the behavior Also I had no way of checking or monitoring the teachers implementation of the behavior plan and had to wait for her to give her feedback In addition to this I identified situations where I felt a need to educate the teacher about some basic tenets of behavior therapy and use of rewards and punishment but my role as a consultant restricted me from venturing such an instructional role

For all future opportunities this experience has been very helpful and has reiterated to me that fact that every teacher has its personal style and preference for the type of consultation and my effectiveness and success will depend upon how I am able to cater to their individual needs

15

Behavioral Consultation

Appendix 1 What according to you are some of the rewards incentives and positive consequences that seems to work well with the student in your class and this age group in general 2 What according to you are some of the negative consequences or punishments that can be effectively used with the student in your class and this age group in general 3 Do you think that any of the above seem to motivate the student towards a desired behavior If not then what according to you are some of the ways in which children can be motivated to behavior appropriately 4 What according to you are some of the key features of a good disciplining technique 5 Does your class adhere to a set of specific rules If yes then how do you communicate the rules and the expectations around them to the students Also how do you ensure that the rules are enforced in your class effectively

16