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Educational Strategies and Academic Gains

Issues:

- Many youth are significantly behind academically but don’t have access to coursework that fits their skill level

- Only High School level courses are offered.

- Vocational instruction is offered. But without basic math and reading skills, youth have difficulty meeting vocational goals or obtaining employment.

Example profile at one male residential program

- Average age of youth is 17.2 years old

- Mean ELA Grade Level: 3.7

- Mean Math Grade Level: 2.4

- Teachers are tasked with having to teach a classroom made up of youth with a variety of skill levels because they are grouped by dorm or behavior concerns rather than academic ability.

- Without the basic foundations of math and reading, subsequent coursework becomes more difficult

Solution: Data Driven Education Model

- Utilize precision teaching methods to increase the rate of learning for students who are behind.

- Use advanced data analytics (i.e., micro, meso, macro, meta analysis) to pinpoint deficiencies and create an environment that supports outcome-based learning.

- Train and coach teachers to utilize differentiated instruction techniques in programs where they are teaching large groups of students of all different abilities.

Student 1 Example:

- 18 year old male at residential program:

- Baseline rate = 25 math facts per minute x1.1 learning rate

- Fluency instruction 4-5xs per week: 70 math fact per minute.

- Accelerated learning rate by more than x2

Typical “good student’s” average rate of learning is 1.4

At this rate this student would make up 2 grade levels worth of learning with this intervention

Juvenile Justice - Staff Training and Coaching

Use Behavior Science-Informed Methods for Staff Training & Coaching

Issues:

Many staff training sessions are lecture-based. These sessions are not behavior science-informed and do not include follow up coaching. Research shows that without the use of follow up coaching, trainees are unlikely to be able to apply skills learned in a lecture style training in the real world. When follow up coaching is part of training, staff application of knowledge and skills increases to 80% which is much greater than other training methods. Please refer to the bottom line in the table below: .

Staff are frequently taught about mental health and behavioral disorders but not taught strategies to work with youth diagnosed with them.

After lecture-based training, staff can often verbally describe the facility operating procedures, but they do not actually implement correct procedures when they are on the job.

Solution:

Use evidence-based Behavior Skills Training (BST) methods: explanation, demonstration by instructor, practice by staff with feedback from instructor, and repeating these steps as needed until able to pass a competency checklist. When practical, extend from role-play practice to real life practice with youth.

Follow BST with the vital coaching component, led by BCBAs, to ensure staff are able to consistently apply the skills they have been trained on when they are on the job. Such coaching also presents positive reinforcement that motivates staff to continue correct procedure.

Behavior Skills Training and follow up coaching should be used to effectively train staff:

- facility operating procedures

- safety and security protocols (see Youth Search BST Training Procedure below)

- youth interactions/boundaries

Common Features of Intervention Plans Prepared by Behavior Analysts

Prevention – Reduce triggers that escalate problem behavior: Methods for staff to remove or avoid presenting triggers that may escalate problematic behavior. Such triggers may include the use of commands or coercive interactions or specific conditions that have been identified for individual youth (previous trauma, fears).
Prevention – Use triggers that improve cooperation: Methods for staff to use body language and words that will most likely result in cooperative behavior.
Functional communication: Strategies for staff to teach youth to communicate their wants and needs (functional replacement of problem behaviors).
Cognitive techniques: Strategies for staff to remind youth when and how to use cognitive techniques recommended by the youth's mental health professional such as coping skills, acceptance, thought stopping, awareness training, competing response training, muscle relaxation, deep breathing, attention-focusing (on neutral or pleasant stimuli to remove attention from anxiety-producing stimuli), and self-calming.
Positive consequences: to increase desired social skills and replacement behaviors that reduce the need for youth to engage in problem behaviors.
Behavior contracts: to identify goals and rewards, and to specify the related contingencies (what, how much, who, when, where)
Self-management procedures: that can gradually reduce youth over-dependence on direct care staff.
Group-oriented positive contingencies: to produce improved pro-social behaviors and learning skills.
Active participation strategies: to increase engagement and success in instructional settings, such as fluency-based learning, choral responding, and response cards.

FABA Recommendations for How Behavior Analysts and RBTs Can Work with Problem Solving Teams

Triage: Facility-wide data collection should guide the identification of youth with highest priority needs for support by the problem solving team.

Problem solving team collaboration: Behavior analysts should collaborate with the problem solving team, including mental health professionals, to develop highly effective interventions. The team can select only the most effective, ethical intervention procedures. These may include proper supervision procedures for youth who may engage in high risk behaviors. The problem solving team would restrict the use of aversive or coercive procedures or those that may increase some problem behaviors (e.g., withholding attention after problem behaviors.)

Coaching: Behavior analysts should provide training and follow up coaching to support positive direct care staff interactions with youth throughout the day.

Goal Setting, Data Recording, and Progress Monitoring: The problem solving team should collaboratively set measurable goals to monitor the progress of youth. This includes interpretation of data trends and modifications to intervention procedures (as needed).

Collaboration with Physicians: Data are shared with physicians and psychiatrists to support progress monitoring and timely adjustments to psychotropic medications

Peer review: When youth are not making adequate progress, the problem solving team can seek additional expert peer review from other professionals who can assist with intervention design and troubleshooting. Expert peer reviewers can be identified at regional and state levels.

In August 2023, an online survey was conducted with Juvenile Justice facility and program personnel in Florida. The respondents included Administrators (71%), Medical or health care professionals (14%), Managers (7%) and Supervisors (7%).

On a scale from 1 to 10, 90% of the respondents reported that support from Behavior Analysts and/or RBTs is essential (10 maximum rating) in their facility/program.

92% of the respondents reported that ABA services provide important strategies for daily staff-to-youth interactions that align with and support therapies provided by mental health professionals in their facility/program.

92% of the respondents reported that staff and/or supervisors want support from Behavior Analysts or RBTs.

58% of the respondents reported their youth request support from Behavior Analysts or RBTs.

92% of the respondents reported they have used Behavior Analysts in staff training programs.

67% of the respondents reported their facility would benefit from additional ABA services.

Excerpts from open-ended responses include:

With some of our youth, ABA is the most important part of the treatment team. ABA has repeatedly turned around self-harm in many of our most disturbed / difficult youth. It has helped reduce aggressive behavior and the ABA therapists think outside the box to motivate youth and prompt engagement / pro-social behavior.
ABA services play an important role in our program. This is from training our staff to have a better understanding of youth's behavior and why the behaviors are displayed.
…strategies dealing with this population more impactful than traditional services
My experience has been great with ABA services and they are really helpful.
Working with the behavior analysts in the program has opened up our eyes to different ways of dealing with and addressing certain behaviors. Their role is essential to the residential setting.
They are very informative, involved with their assessments and observations of youth and staff.

They have been very instrumental in the progress of youth who have struggled significantly at the facility. We continue to see tremendous improvement with youth after they begin to receive services from the ABA team.