Greek special educators' behavior analytic skills

Abstract

The present study examined the ability of 52 special teachers in determining the underlying function of challenging behaviors in children with developmental disabilities and in linking the identified function with relevant intervention. Participants were presented with three questionnaire vignettes describing behavior maintained by attention, task avoidance and sensory consequences. They were then asked to identify the likely causes of the behaviors from a table of three possible functions and to link them with relevant intervention from a pool of 11 forms of intervention. The results indicated that teachers can reliably identify the cause of the behavior but they are not yet able to link function with relevant intervention without the provision of adequate support. The implications for teachers' in-service training in the implementation of behavior analytic interventions are briefly discussed.

Self-injurious behaviour, non-interventionism and practitioners’ needs

“…The identification of the function of the behaviour is not an issue of high concern (Berryman et al, 1994; Oliver et al, 1996), but the subsequent link to a suitable intervention is (Weigle, 1995, 1997; Ntinas et al, 2007).…”