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Antecedent An event that occurs prior to the target behavior. A child smiles every time her mother peeks over the edge of her crib, so the mothers peeking is antecedent to the child's smiling.

Aromatic contingent aversive The use of a noxious odor held under the students nose immediately following an undesired behavior. Some examples of aromatics are crushed garlic, ammonia, and cigarette smoke. This is a level IV procedure.

Before or after school detention A school intervention which is administered outside of the school day, where by a student reports to a supervised study hall for an assigned period of time (usually thirty minutes to two hours). The detention must take place in a non-reinforcing environment. This is a level II procedure.

Behavioral contracting Behavior contracts are written documents, mutually agreed upon, between teachers and students (and other individuals if needed) which specify expected behavior, positive and negative consequences, time frame of the contract and review dates. The contract is then signed by all the parties participating in the contract (parents, teacher, students, etc.). This is a level I procedure.

Behavioral intervention An intervention designed to alter the subjects behavior in a very specific, directly observable fashion. An example could be the reduction of a students out of seat behavior through the use of positive reinforcement of in seat behavior.

Behavioral momentum A procedure used to increase compliance. The procedure includes identifying a minimum of three requests with which the student has a high probability of compliance. Three high probability requests are made before making a low probability request.

Behavioral objective A clearly stated goal for a behavioral intervention. It must be stated in terms that are easily understood by someone who is unfamiliar with the case, and it must describe a precise final behavior as its goal. An example would be: to decrease Jane's screaming during the Pledge of Allegiance to less than 1 occurrence per week.

Chaining A procedure in which responses are reinforced in sequence to form more complex behaviors. As each new behavioral link is added, only the most recent link needs to be reinforced. In skills where the completion of a task might in and of itself be reinforcing, backward chaining may also be used. In this system, the last component task is taught first, then next to the last, and so on, gradually moving toward the first task. This is a level I procedure.

Consequence An event that occur immediately following the target behavior. For example, if a child gets a piece of candy whenever he screams, then that piece of candy is a direct consequence of his screaming.

Contingent A response is said to be contingent upon a behavior if that response directly follows the behavior and is a direct result of performing the behavior. If a child gets a hug for cleaning her room, the hug is contingent upon cleaning the room.

Contingent observation A student who is doing something inappropriate is told to step away from the activity for a few minutes, sit in a chair near by, and watch the appropriate behavior of other students. The teacher deliberately attends to the other students who are behaving appropriately. The student rejoins the activity after a few minutes of observation, and when the student performs the appropriate behavior, she/he is reinforced. This is a level I procedure.

Continuous schedule of reinforcement A schedule of reinforcement in which each occurrence of a response is reinforced. Continuous reinforcement is frequently used to begin teaching sequences or to shape new behaviors. When continuous reinforcement is stopped, the behavior stops almost immediately. This is a level I procedure.

Differential reinforcement of alternative behaviors (DRA) A procedure designed to reduce a given behavior by ignoring that behavior and reinforcing specific behaviors that are alternatives to the target behavior. This is a level I procedure.

Differential reinforcement of functional communicative behavior (DRC) A procedure designed to reduce a given behavior by ignoring that behavior while reinforcing a functional communication skill. This is a level I procedure.

Differential reinforcement of high rates (DRH) Reinforcement is given for performing some behavior at increasingly higher rates. This is a level I procedure.

Differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior (DRI) A procedure designed to reduce a given behavior by ignoring that behavior and reinforcing specific behaviors that are physically incompatible with the target behavior. This is a level I procedure.

Differential reinforcement of low rates (DRL) Reinforcement is given for performing something at increasingly lower rates. This procedure is usually used for behaviors that occur at such a high rate or are so ingrained into the student's behavior or patterns, that a large immediate drop in occurrence is unrealistic. This is a level I procedure.

Differential reinforcement of other behaviors (DRO) A procedure in which a reinforcer follows any appropriate behavior the student emits. No reinforcer follows the target problem behavior. DRO always contains a predetermined length of time or interval. After each interval, the student is reinforced for any appropriate behavior, but never for the target behavior. This is a level I procedure.

Direct instruction Active teaching or explicit instruction which explains to students exactly what they are expected to learn, demonstrating the steps needed to accomplish a task, and providing opportunities for practice and improvement. This is a level I procedure.

Enforced relaxation A type of manual restraint that also teaches the student to relax. Physical restraint is used until the student can control his/her own behavior. Special training must occur to prevent pain or injury to the child. A students record documentation should show the duration and justification for the application of each restraint. This is a level IV procedure.

Exclusionary time out A procedure in which a student is removed from a reinforcing setting into a setting with lower reinforcing value, but not a time-out room, in order to decrease or eliminate an undesirable behavior. The purpose of this procedure is to remove the student to a different setting (which can be in or out of the classroom) as a means of denying access to reinforcement. This is a level II procedure.

Extinction The non-reinforcement of a previously reinforced response. This procedure involves ignoring the behavior or withholding reinforcement for a previously reinforced response. In all cases, when inappropriate behavior is being ignored, another behavior which is appropriate should be reinforced. Extinction is a technical procedure that requires staff training. This is a level I procedure.

Fading The gradual elimination of a stimulus that controls a specific behavior. This can be applied to the gradual reduction of a verbal prompt, as well as to the gradual reduction of some behavioral procedure or program. This is a level I procedure.

Food delay A procedure in which a meal is contingently delayed for a period of up to two hours. This does not cover delay of food within the normal mealtime, but delay beyond the normal mealtime. This is a level II procedure.

Forceful physical guidance A procedure in which the appropriate body part or parts are "put through" or physically guided though the proper motions, in spite of mild resistance on the part of the client. This might be used as part of an over-correction procedure. The guidance used is always the least needed and is faded out as quickly as possible. This is a level III procedure.

Full cleanliness training A form of over-correction used in toilet training students, including low functioning students. Students are required to go through all the steps of cleaning themselves up after soiling themselves. This includes washing or showering, cleaning the clothes, getting clean cloths, and dressing. This is a level II procedure.

Graduated guidance The combined use of manual guidance and fading with a systematic reduction of manual guidance. Enough pressure is used to guide the movement, but does not force it. This is a level I procedure.

Group reinforcement response contingency The entire group gets a reward when one member reaches a prearranged goal. (Note: this is not a punishment technique, rather a method of applying reinforcing consequences to groups). Criteria can be evaluated on (1) an individuals specific performance (2) random average of two or three students (3) average of high student and low student scores. This is a level I procedure.

Human rights review The procedure used to guarantee that a students rights to life, liberty, and privacy are not violated. For more information, please refer to appendix H of the Utah State Board of Education Special Education Rules (Selection of least restrictive behavioral interventions for use with students with disabilities).

Inhibiting devices Any device that inhibits, but does not restrain a response, such as a baseball cap to inhibit head scratching. These devices are not to be use as an alternative to programing. This is a level III procedure.

Intermittent interval schedule of reinforcement A schedule in which reinforcement is made contingent upon a specific response occurring after a set time limit. This is a level I procedure.

Intermittent ratio schedule of reinforcement A schedule in which reinforcement is made contingent upon a specific number of responses before being reinforced. This is a level I procedure.

Intermittent schedule of reinforcement A schedule of reinforcement in which some, but not all, of the occurrences of a response are reinforced.
Intermittent reinforcement increases the rate of responding and makes the established behaviors more stable and habitual. This is a level I procedure.

Intrusive Any procedure that a student prefers to avoid.

Intrusive behavioral intervention Decelerative behavior interventions (some Level II and all Level III and IV, appendix H of the Utah State Board of Education Special Education Rules, selection of least restrictive behavioral interventions for use with students with disabilities) that require written parental consent prior to implementation.

Least Restrictive Behavioral Intervention (LRBI) A behavioral intervention that limits the degree to which it affects the subjects normal, non-target behavior to the smallest amount necessary to change the target behavior. This is explained further in appendix H of the Utah State Board of Education Special Education Rules- selection of least restrictive behavioral interventions for use with students with disabilities.

Lunch detention Also see before and after school detention. Detention where the time is made up during the student's lunch period. Lunch detention is usually conducted in an isolated, quiet location, while still providing the student an opportunity to eat his/her lunch. This is a level II procedure.

Manual guidance Physically guiding a persons hand, leg or body through a set of motions in order for them to complete a task. For example, holding a child's wrist and moving it back and forth to wipe a window clean. This is a level III procedure.

Manual restraint The use of the minimum amount of force necessary to hold or restrain a recipient. The restraint may continue only so long as the the student presents a danger to her/himself, others or property. Manual restraint may be used only after less intensive methods have been attempted without success, or in emergency situations where the student is presenting a clear danger to self, others or is severely destructive towards property. This is a level IV procedure.

Mechanical restraint Mechanical restraints, other than those prescribed by a physician, therapist or used as safety procedures during transportation, may only be used when necessary to keep a student form injuring her/himself or others. They may not be used in lieu of programming to eliminate self-injurious behavior. Restraint must be regularly checked to ensure regular circulation, and the student must be given frequent opportunities (every hour) for exiting the restraint to see if the self-injurious behavior continues. This is a level IV procedure.

Movement suppression This procedure involves requiring a student to face the wall for 3 to 4 minutes with their hands by their sides. A staff member stands behind the student and loudly reprimands or prompts the student if they attempt to leave. This is a level IV procedure.

Negative practice over-correction A procedure in which the student is required to practice the offending response over and over again, for an extended period of time. An example would be requiring a student who frequently runs in the hall to run the length of the hall ten times for each offense. This is a level II procedure.

Negative reinforcement A procedure where a an aversive stimulus event or object is removed contingently upon a response, usually immediately following the response, resulting in the likelihood that the response will be strengthened or maintained. This is a level III procedure.

Neutral practice over-correction/contingent exercise A student repeats an action neither restitutional nor related to the desired behavior. This often takes the form of contingent exercise. This is a level II procedure.

Nonseclusionary time out A technique for reducing behavior that denies a student the opportunity to receive reinforcement contingent upon a response for a fixed period of time. In using this procedure, the student is not removed from the instructional setting; rather, the teacher denies the student access to reinforcers through manipulation of the environment (such as having the student place their head down on their desk, or sit slightly outside the boundaries of the group) which signals a period of the time during which such access is denied. This is a level II procedure.

Observational learning modeling After observing a modeled response, the observer exhibits that response. This is a level I procedure.

Participant learning model A person learns by both watching someone act and actively practicing the behavior as she/he watches. This is a level I procedure.

Peer involvement The use of same and/or cross-age peers for academic tutoring, structured social engagements, and/or as peer "buddies". This is a level I procedure.

Positive practice over-correction A technique for increasing the frequency of a particular behavior or skill. The student is required to intensely practices the appropriate behavior. The practice can be for a set period of time or a specific number of repetitions of the appropriate behaviors. Positive practice may involve motor tasks or academic tasks. This is a level II procedure.

Positive reinforcement A procedure where a stimulus event or object is presented contingently upon a response, usually immediately following the response, resulting in the likelihood that the response will be strengthened or maintained. This is a level I procedure.

Prompting The procedure in which a cue (visual, auditory or physical) is presented in order to facilitate a given response. This is a level I procedure.

Recreating the scene This procedure uses movement suppression in a repeated sequence (generally three times) for misbehavior. The student is prompted through the misbehavior and movement suppression is applied---this sequence is repeated three times. This procedure is particularly effective when significant time delays occur between occurrences of misbehavior and initiation of recreating the scene procedures. This is a level IV procedure.

Reinforcement Any stimulus (pleasant or unpleasant) which increases or maintains behavior over time.

Reinforcing value The reinforcing value is how desirable the reinforcer is to the subject. Reinforcers with a high reinforcing value are very desirable and are able to motive behavior more than reinforcers with a low reinforcing value. The reinforcing value changes based on both environmental changes or on personal changes. For example, water would have a high reinforcing value for someone who has not had water for a full day, but would have a lower reinforcing value for someone who had just finished drinking a glass full.

Required relaxation The agitated individual is required to spend a fixed period of time in relaxation after each occurrence of agitation. No forceful physical guidance is permitted. This is a level II procedure.

Response Any observable behavior. Some examples are standing up, speaking, crossing your eyes, blinking, or swallowing.

Response cost A procedure in which a specific amount of an available reinforcer is contingently withdrawn following a response. Response cost is often used with token economy programs. Response cost must be less than the total amount or number of reinforcers available (e.g., never go in the hole). Response cost procedures are often referred to as fines. This is a level II procedure.

Restitutional over-correction The student is taught to assume responsibility for the disruption of the environment caused by his/her inappropriate behavior by restoring the environment to better than it's original condition. This is a level II procedure.

Satiation The procedure in which a large amount (e.g., frequency or number) of a reinforcer is given so that it loses it's effectiveness and the behavior ceases to occur. This is a level III procedure.

Schedule of reinforcement A schedule of reinforcement defines when reinforcement is to be give. They can be based on time (an interval schedule) or on a number of occurrences of the behavior (a ratio schedule).

Seclusionary time out A procedure in which access to the source of reinforcement is removed by placing the student in a supervised setting, for a specified period of time, in a well lighted room, specifically chosen for its low reinforcing value. If the students misbehavior continues at the end of the prescribed time, the time may be extended until the student complies, but for no longer than 55 minutes. Time out procedures that exceed 55 minutes are considered emergency interventions, covered in section IV of appendix H of the Utah State Board of Education Special Education Rules (Selection of least restrictive behavioral interventions for use with students with disabilities). This is a level III procedure.

Self-management Strategies that involve a students management of his/her own behavior through the systematic applications of of behavioral principles (e.g., self monitoring, self reinforcement, self evaluation). This is a level I procedure.

Shaping A procedure by which new behaviors are developed through the use of systematic reinforcement of successive approximations toward the behavioral objective. This is a level I procedure.

Startle response/verbal reprimand The of a sudden and loud verbal statement or physical action in order to startle the student to gain his/her attention. Startle techniques frequently consist of a loud "NO" or a slap on the desk with and open hand to create a loud sound. Verbally chastising the student also falls into this category. This is a level II procedure.

Stimulus Anything in the environment that causes a behavior to occur. This could be anything from a loud noise that makes a person jump, to a verbal request that gets a person to perform some action.

Structured recess A systematic recess intervention for students that require a high level of structure during the recess period. Students are taught specific game rules and appropriate play behaviors and are reinforced for appropriate behavior during these activities. This is a level I procedure.

Target behavior The specific behavior selected for intervention.

Taste aversion contingent aversive The use of a substance with an unpleasant taste immediately following an undesired behavior. The most commonly used substances are: mouthwash, vinegar, lemon juice and water. This is a level IV procedure.

Token economy A system of individual reinforcement in which tokens (chips, check marks, paper money, etc.) are given after the occurrence of a target behavior. The tokens are used later to obtain access to backup reinforcers (food, toys, privileges, etc.). To be successful, a person must be reinforced for behavior that is already occurring as well as successive approximations of behavior we wish to establish. Token systems may not deprive participants of constitutionally guaranteed rights. Individual program plans rather than token systems must be used for management of problem behaviors. This is a level I procedure.

Tracking Daily or weekly behavioral or academic tracking that results in feedback and/or contingent reinforcement to a student during the school day. Tracking can also include public posting. Data are collected regularly, evaluated and program adjustments are made as needed. This is a level I procedure.

Visual Screen A contingent response in which a loose band (ie. sweat band, head band) is placed over a students eyes for a short period of time, to eliminate visual stimuli. The purpose is to decrease visual stimulation and thus its inherent reinforcing value to the student. This is a level III procedure.

Water mist contingent aversive The use of a spray of water mist to the students face to terminate an undesirable behavior. This is delivered by means of a spray bottle. The effective component of this procedure is the shock produced in the student without physical harm. This procedure is not appropriate for minor problems such as talk-outs, nonattending, etc. This is a level IV procedure.

Work detail A disciplinary consequence which requires the student to complete a specific task of labor or engage in a task for a specified time, under the appropriate supervision of a school staff member. Examples of assigned tasks are cleaning up litter in the school yard, sweeping the halls, scrubbing lockers, and washing walls. This is a level II procedure.