Intervention Support Plan

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Intervention Support Plan The proposed intervention for self-injurious behavior presented by the client in the case study is applied behavioral analysis. This intervention employs the concept of behavioral reinforcement. Bayat (2015) noted that ABA integrates activities that support positive behavior change into therapy. Therapists use ABA to improve the client’s communication skills, boost confidence, eradicate inappropriate behaviors and increase the ability to express feelings. This paper presents an intervention support plan for the behavior change of the client presenting with self-injurious behavior.

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The support plan creates a base on which the behavioral analysts can achieve the targeted behavior change. The plan defines the target behavior and outlines the procedures followed by the analyst to reduce and modify behaviors presented by the client.

Target behaviors’ operational definitions Self-injurious behavior- This behavior is expressed by individuals with intellectual disabilities.

It culminates in injury and self-harm (Matson, 2018). This behavior occurs when the child is unable to express emotions and communicate with other people. The child retorts to SIB to attract other people’s attention. The self-injurious behaviors include head banging, biting, and hitting one’s body parts.

Effective communication – The client in the case study is non-verbal. Therefore, ABA targets to improve his ability to use gestures and communicate effectively.

Social interactions - Social interaction refers to the exchange between two people (Matson, 2019). It is an important aspect of a child’s life. Therefore, improving social skills can reduce self-injurious behavior presented by the client.

Expressing emotions– A child with an intellectual disability experiences difficulty in expressing emotions. The applied behavioral analysis aims to increase the client’s ability to express emotions.

Antecedent procedures Antecedent procedures play a crucial role in altering the environment before the targeted behavior occurs. The purpose of these procedures is to reduce the chances of the target behavior occurring (Furniss & Biswas, 2020). In this project, the antecedent procedures include maintaining the targeted variable of reinforcement. Maintaining the variable ratio is essential in eradicating SIB. Exceeding the variable-ratio could contribute to challenging behaviors.

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sImportantly, the analyst needs to strengthen appropriate behaviors with behavior-specific praise.

The other procedure is to pair the behavioral analyst with reinforcement throughout the intervention process. The purpose of pairing is to introduce instructional control and ensure the virtual experience is not exceeded. The third procedure is to mix and vary interventional tasks when appropriate. The next step is to appraise the client’s target behavior at the start of every session. Reviewing behavioral expectations is a beneficial way of starting therapy sessions (Matson, 2019). The analysis needs to inform the client of the behaviors that could earn tokens and those that do not. This process enables the child to understand therapy expectations.

Replacement procedure The replacement procedure includes continuous implementation of momentary differential reinforcement of other behaviors (DRO). The behaviors targeted for reinforcement are expressing emotions, using gestures to communicate, socializing, and self-control. This process will involve setting the Motive-aider for three minutes. The Motive-aider will go off when the client exhibits self-injurious behavior. The analyst will ignore the initial self-injurious behavior and indicate a minus sign to the corresponding box. If the Motive-aider goes off, but the client does not show self-injurious behavior, the analyst will deliver behavior-specific praise.

The analyst will indicate with a plus sign on the corresponding box and give the client a token.

The analyst will allocate time after each therapy session for reinforcement and review of behavioral expectations. Importantly, the analyst will explain the outcome of the session, including the tokens earned.

Consequential Procedures The therapist will engage the client in various activities and identify signs of selfinjurious behavior. Once a SIB is detected, the therapist will advise the client to avoid

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inappropriate behavior. If the behavior persists, the analyst will intentionally ignore the client and carry on with the current activities (Furniss, & Biswas, 2020). Upon completing current activities, the analyst will redirect the client to a new activity. The analyst will engage and praise the client once he ceases the self-injurious behavior.

Short-term goals The program is expected to help the client reduce self-injurious behaviors by 50% in the first three months. Implementing applied behavioral analysis services will also boost the client’s ability to express emotions and demonstrate self-control by 30% within the same period.

Long-term goals The key long-term for the current project is to reduce the client’s self-injurious behavior by 90% within one year of implementing the ABA. The other long-term goal is to boost by 100% the client’s confidence, express emotions, and engage in social interactions after a year of ABA.

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Generalization and Maintenance Procedures The client will be provided with a morning and an afternoon therapist. Using different therapists in these sessions helps avoid monotony (Furniss, & Biswas, 2020). Therapists will be replaced after six months. Replacing the therapists helps in accounting for generalization across time. Importantly, the program will involve social outings during which the therapist will assess the client’s behavior to determine if ABA can sustain appropriate behaviors in new environments. Social outings will also enable the client to develop new skills necessary to navigate different environments (Furniss & Biswas, 2020). The therapist will withdraw treatment gradually once the client manages to control the self-injurious behavior. The therapist will withdraw tokens and other reinforcements to help the client adapt to natural settings.

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References Bayat, M., (2015). Addressing Challenging Behaviors and Mental Health Issues in Early Childhood. Routledge, Furniss, F., & Biswas, A. B. (2020). Self-injurious behavior in individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions. Springer Matson, J. L. (2018). Handbook of Childhood Psychopathology and Developmental Disabilities Assessment. Springer.

Matson, J. L. (2019). Handbook of intellectual disabilities: Integrating theory, research, and practice. Springer.

Matson, J. L. (2021). Functional Assessment for Challenging Behaviors and Mental Health Disorders. Springer.