NETwork Interventions Blog

Abbreviation Overload

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:49:00 GMT

The field of Behaviour Analysis is new for the majority of people. It is completely normal and understandable that you will not know the terms being thrown at you. If the NETwork team walked onto a building site, we would be lost and have a million questions as well, so let us share with you our expertise in Behaviour Analysis and help you learn how to define the following terms:

BA- Behaviour Analysis.
The science of behaviour and how it works. The exciting component of this science is that it can be used with any age group and any population. All of us engage in behaviour and all of us can benefit from Behaviour Analysis.

ABA - Applied Behaviour Analysis.
www.networkinterventions.com/about/what-is-aba

Applies the science of behaviour analysis to make meaningful changes in people's lives. The focus is on breaking down skills into smaller components and teaching to build up to the full skill. For example, you may wish to teach your child how to speak – that is the overall goal – your behaviour analyst will break that down into achievable steps to get there by implementing a program with support and prompts to help your child talk. A more concrete example is that if you want to teach your child how to buy things at the store you would need to break it down to how to identify coins, how to add the coins to get the total, how to hand the money over, how to wait for the change, how to get your receipt and bags and leave the store. You would teach each step until the entire sequence was mastered and your child was successfully purchasing items independently.

VB – Verbal Behaviour
www.networkinterventions.com/about/What-is-verbal-behaviour

Applies the science of behaviour analysis to language (as described by B.F.Skinner).
ABA and VB are NOT two different disciplines; they are both based on Behaviour Analysis. The study of verbal behavior is different from linguistics, or the study of language. Linguists are particularly concerned with the general practices of verbal communities, described in terms of the various grammars and vocabularies and phonetic units that characterize different languages. Descriptions of the form languages take don't tell us very much about the functions of those languages. VB focus on the function (in other words, WHY we are using our language). Research has shown that in order to best teach communication, social and other behavioural skills we must teach according to function as opposed to form.

IBI - Intensive Behaviour Intervention.
This is still Behaviour Analysis. How this term is used can vary from professional to professional and generally indicates an intensive teaching format of 20-40 hours with a focus on Intensive Teaching Trials, which is explained below.

There are countless terms floating around out there, but the important thing to remember is that Behaviour Analysis is a science and there are many ways to apply it. Each professional applies different procedures based on it. All programs should look different, because they should be created specifically for your child and your family.

Format of intervention

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:40:00 GMT

So you have deciphered the difference between the forms the Science of Behaviour Analysis can take and have started calling around to determine the professional that is best for your family. As you ask questions you see that some professionals are play based and others spend a lot of time at the table, but both say they are using Behaviour Analysis – so what is the difference?

Natural Environment Teaching
www.networkinterventions.com/about/what-is-net

Natural Environment Teaching can be described as teaching which is related to and occurs in an environment that your learner is motivated by. The professionals working with your child will work to create and capture your child’s interests and use those to teach the skills they are missing.

Examples
Your child’s interest in bubbles is a great way to teach them to ask for bubbles each time they want them blown.
Your child’s interest in painting is a great way to teach all of the colours.
Your child’s interest in dinosaurs can be a great way to teach reading.

With NET we want to create a willing learner who is eager to engage with us and learn what we want to teach them.

ITT – Intensive Teaching Trials.

This teaching is described as teaching which is unrelated to your child’s motivation. With this type of teaching your child will engage in a behaviour to obtain an item which is unrelated to the task they are doing.

Examples
If your child is interested in bubbles, they are given bubbles after they complete a maze.
Your child is allowed 3 minutes of painting upon completion of matching.
Your child is required to imitate 3 of your behaviours and is then given a dinosaur to play with.

This type of learning is best when you want to teach a whole bunch of skills very quickly.

It is crucial to note that the location of the teaching is unimportant. It doesn’t matter if you are at the park or at the table, what matters is if your child is motivated to engage with you in that moment or if they are engaging in a behaviour to go and do something else.

Generally most professionals will use a combination of both approaches when it is appropriate for your child.

So how do you decide who to work with?

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:38:00 GMT

Do your research and ask questions, but remember to trust your instinct. This person will be working in your home and with your child. You will want someone you feel comfortable with. You should be able to ask questions and give input – you know your child best.

A few things you may wish to consider are the following:

Which approach do they use? Does the professional understand the above abbreviations? Do they understand the difference between the principles (these are derived from the science of BA) vs the procedures (these are defined by the specific needs of your child and how the science is applied)?
Will they go to various environments?
Will they work with your family and friends?
Do you feel they understand the vision you have for your family and child?
Do they take data? (They must take data or they are not using behaviour analysis)
Do they have supervision?
Will they accept crisis calls?
Will they train your extended family members?
Can anybody cover their work if they fall ill?

Above all remember that you steer your family. You may need help - we all do from time to time, but at the end of the day you are the person who makes the decisions and you should feel empowered by those you work with.

Ottawa Support Group Tonight

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:37:00 GMT

Hi Everyone,

Just a reminder about the support group tonight. 700 Industrial Ave. 7pm.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Ottawa Support Group Meeting

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:09:00 GMT

Hi everyone,

Just a reminder that the next WIMS meeting is Tuesday the 17th.

The presenter will be speaking about the trott program and the benefits of horse back riding for individuals with a developmental delay.

Email info@networkinterventions.com for more info.

Thank you,

NETwork team

Light It Up Blue

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:33:00 GMT

Only a few more days until World Autism Awareness Day (April 2).

Follow this link to learn more. http://www.lightitupblue.org/Markslist/home.do

We would love to see your photos and hear how you are showing your support.

Light It Up Blue

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:33:00 GMT

Only a few more days until World Autism Awareness Day (April 2).

Follow this link to learn more. http://www.lightitupblue.org/Markslist/home.do

We would love to see your photos and hear how you are showing your support.

1. Observation

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:39:00 GMT

The first step of a program will be to do an observation of your child. Your consultant will want to see what a typical day is like for your family. We want to see all environments that are typical for your child and family. This means we will come to your home, go to school or nursery, will play in the park or head to the grocery store with you. It can be very difficult to have a stranger come to your home, but your consultant is there to help and being honest will be the best way to move forward.

The more information we have about your strengths and struggles, the better we can program for your child. Don’t forget that we have families too, so we have seen many good and bad days and there is very little that will shock us!
During the observation, full or half day, we will complete an intake form with you. During this time we ask that your child(ren) are not present, so you can be as open and honest as possible. We never want to speak about your child in front of them – little ears are always listening. If it isn’t possible to have your children not overhear this time together, this portion of your observation can be held in clinic or via skype.

During the observation your consultant will give you a few, ‘getting started’recommendations. Following the observation you will be sent a document with observation results and recommendations for how to move forward with teaching. Your consultant will always present you with the level of contact that will give you the most support and work to achieve results rapidly, but you have the final say and we will always arrange to have a coffee with you and your spouse to determine the level of input that is best for your family.

2. Assessments

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:36:00 GMT

When you receive your observation results and recommendations, your consultant will inform you if your child requires further assessment. Your consultant will recommend one of the following assessments: Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills-Revised (ABLLS-R)

The primary purpose of a language assessment should be to identify specific verbal deficits and to serve as a guide for the development of an appropriate language intervention programme for the individual being assessed.

The Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills- Revised (ABLLS-R; Partington, 2006) is an assessment, curriculum guide and skills tracking system for children with autism and other developmental disabilities.

The ABLLS-R contains a task analysis of many of the necessary skills to communicate successfully and to learn from everyday experiences. The purpose of the ABLLS-R is to identify those language and other critical skills that are in need of intervention in order for the child to become more capable of learning from his/her everyday experiences.

The Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP)

The VB-MAPP is a criterion-referenced assessment tool, curriculum guide, and skill tracking system that is designed for children with autism, and other individuals who demonstrate language delays.

There are five components of the VB-MAPP, and collectively they provide a:

Baseline level of performance, meaning it assesses the skills your child currently has in their repertoire.
Direction for intervention.
System for tracking skill acquisition.
Tool for outcome measures.
(n)other language research projects.
Framework for curriculum planning.

The overall results of the VB-MAPP will provide valuable information that will serve as a guide for the development of an effective individualized language, social skills and learning curriculum.

3. Cleaning House

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 08:54:00 GMT

Your observation and assessments are complete- Now what? Next you will have a consultation evaluation, where we come to your home and teach you the programmes that have been created specifically for your child, but what can you do in the mean time?

There are many reasons implementing a program can be difficult, but there are steps you can take to minimize those barriers. Below we have created a checklist of some of the areas you may like to consider and talk about with your spouse and/or family members prior to getting started. Things you may like to do or discuss prior to implementation.

Things to consider

Who do you want involved in the programming? NETwork encourages families to have all the key players in their child's life involved.
What are your ‘house rules’? What is most important to you and your family and what are the areas you are struggling to gain control over that are a priority?
Do you want to get school or nursery involved? If so, you may wish to speak with them and provide them with your consultant’s details so they can get in touch.
Are you and your spouse on board with everything? Are their areas you may wish to discuss with your consultant to make sure you are on the same page and implementing consistently?
What is your schedule like? Are there things that you can decrease to make sure that you are not focusing on too much? If everything is a priority nothing is a priority. Are you and your spouse available to be equally involved? If not, how can you compromise and find a nice balance?
Do you want your consultant to view a play date? If so, you may wish to speak to a friend and arrange a play date and let your consultant know.
Do you need to speak with your child or their siblings about what you are doing? If you would like guidance on how to approach this with your children you can email your consultant for some help. Here at NETwork we are passionate about working with siblings to ensure they are never left out – they can be very important teachers! Speak to us about our sibling programmes.

Assessments

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:40:00 GMT

This week I have been working on an ABLLS-R assessment and I realized one of the biggest barriers to completing this assessment accurately. The barrier is the assessor!

As a professional it is easy for me to fill in the graph objectively.

Q: Is the child able to share items with others? A: Will make single attempt.

Q: Does the child request using eye contact? A: 80% of the time.

As a parent this may become more difficult. I know I find it much more difficult to assess the people close to me. OUR needs and desires often cloud the assessment and we fill things in based on what we wish it was like, rather than what it is actually like. This is completely normal and to be expected - we want the best for those that we love.

How can we overcome this interference of love?

1. Complete the assessment over time. If you feel to overwhelmed or emotional, put it down and come back to it later.

2. Recruit the help of friends, family or a professional who can give you a move objective description of your child's skills.

3. Remember that an accurate assessment will ensure you teach your child the proper skills, which will allow them to reach their potential more rapidly.

We all view those we love differently. We highlight strengths and minimize struggles - there is nothing wrong with seeing your child in the best light, but when it comes to assessments just remember that honesty, even if it hurts, is going to move your child forward fastest. Get your support network in place and remember to rely on those that love you and see you in the best light.

Ottawa Support Group Meeting Tomorrow

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:42:00 GMT

Hi Everyone,

Just a reminder that Walking in My Shoes is meeting tomorrow evening at 7pm at 700 Industrial Dr.

Get in touch at admin@networkinterventions.com if you would like further information.

I look forward to seeing you all there.

Shelley

Assessments

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:14:00 GMT

In our March newsletter, which will be sent out shortly, we will be discussing assessments and what to expect when starting an ABA program.

We are sure you have many questions and if you would like to send them to us, we will be sure to add the answer to the next issue.

Thank you,

The NETwork Team

Check us out on facebook

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:12:00 GMT

NETwork has Facebook timeline.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/NETwork-Interventions/183298708430380#

Ottawa Parent Support Group

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:33:00 GMT

Hi Everyone,

The next Walk in My Shoes Parent Support meeting is next Tuesday, March 20 from 7:00 to 9:00.

The location is 700 Industrial Ave,suite600

Several are registered but there is still space should you wish to attend.

I look forward to seeing you next Tuesday.

If you have any questions please get in touch at admin@networkinterventions.com

Shelley