How are you adjusting reinforcement to reduce maladaptive behavior? Can you reinforce a more appropriate, alternative behavior to replace the maladaptive behavior?
As noted earlier, your preference survey will help determine potentially powerful reinforcers that can be used to motivate the student to use his supports. The maladaptive behavior in this case involves a lack of focus on getting to the next activity. How are you reinforcing behaviors that demonstrate a student’s focus on getting to the next activity?
What are some reinforcing consequences you can deliver either immediately following the desired behavior or following a practice session– things that this particular student enjoys, wants, seeks out, etc.?
For some students who struggle, a reinforcer might be needed to be added to his schedule as a reward for transitioning successfully among various parts of the day or tasks. Or the student can have a point card such that each successful transition is noted on the card and he then receives a reinforcer for a specific number of independent and timely transitions.
Are you using labeling and social praise to make the contingency between desired behavior and reinforcing consequence clear to the student?
Transitioning between tasks or classes successfully will result in naturally occurring verbal praise by supervisors or teachers and also a feeling of accomplishment and pride by the student. During the initial teaching, components such as verbal praise, high fives, thumbs up, or other ways to encourage, support and recognize the student’s growing ability would be effective.
What reinforcing consequences can you arrange that are more naturally or intrinsically connected to this targeted behavior?
Here are some elements to emphasize and arrange that are more naturally connected to the behavior of transitioning: When I move from point A to point B more efficiently, I get the job done sooner at point B. When I move from one task to the next more efficiently, I can finish that next task and might get to stop working sooner. When I move from one activity to the next in class more efficiently, I don’t miss the key instructions that my teacher provides about that next activity and can get that activity done correctly and on time. If I get it done on time, I might not have to finish it later in another class or after school at home.