Direct Behavior Rating: Using DBR for Intervention

Overview

What is an Intervention?Who Can Use Interventions?What Role Does DBR Play in Interventions?How Do You Use DBR in Interventions?What are Some Examples of Interventions?

What is an Intervention?

A planned set of activities designed to change and improve desired behavior

Examples include:– Incentive Programs – Self Management Systems

Important Features of Interventions

Interventions are used to:– Collect baseline data

(student performance before intervention is put in place)

– Monitor and evaluate changes in behavior

Interventions continued

Because interventions promote change, we need tools to monitor change

Why?– Because it is difficult to monitor change without

the tools necessary to measure and record change

– Change needs to be measurable and quantifiable

What Role Does DBR Play in Intervention?

DBR scales are tools for measuring change within an intervention

They:– Quantify the effectiveness of the intervention in place– Provide baseline information on student behavior– Provide intervention data on student behavior– Allow adults to share intervention information in an

easy to understand format

How Can I Use DBR Within an Intervention?

DBR can be used to monitor progress and gather intervention data– Collect baseline data– Rate target student behavior– Monitor student progress– Communicate feedback to

students and parents– Be used as a self management

and incentive program rubric

Who Can Use DBR for Interventions?

DBR can be used by parents, teachers, children, administrators, and intervention teams to facilitate interventions designed to improve behavior. It is likely that many intervention applications will be paired with effective assessment and communication components using DBR.

Advantages of DBR Within an Intervention System

– Behaviors are explicitly defined – Ratings are pre-set so students and adults can easily

monitor behavior– DBR is defensible, flexible, repeatable, and efficient

Direct Behavior Rating Scale Example:

Two Types of Possible Interventions to Use With DBR

Incentive ProgramsSelf Management Systems

Incentive Programs

Incentive programs provide a system in which students are given feedback on their behavior and consequently rewarded for good behavior.

Using DBR Within Incentive Programs

Incentive programs with DBR establish behavior contracts and provide systematic feedback between the child and adult. The frequent feedback provided by DBR, combined with short term goals and incentives, function to promote positive behavior and reduce undesirable behavior.

Steps for Implementing Incentive Programs

1) Know what rewards are most realistic for the classroom and situation2) Pick appropriate reward for desirable behavior (praise, additional free-

time, sticker, candy, etc.)3) Establish how often student will receive feedback for behavior4) Establish criteria student must meet to obtain reward 5) Determine reward schedules (how often student will receive incentive)6) Explain behavioral contract to child by clearly outlining behavioral

expectations and incentives involved for exhibiting correct behavior (can be verbal or a written document)

7) Rate student behavior8) Provide feedback to student/reward student

Self Management Systems

• Promote student awareness of their behaviors (these perceptions should be accurate)

• Promote independence• Increase desired behaviors

while decreasing undesired behaviors.

• Allow students to monitor their behavior

Using DBR Within Self Management Systems

Self management with DBR components are often used as part of a behavior intervention given the opportunity to teach children skills needed to independently monitor and evaluate behavior. In self-monitoring, children use DBR to rate their own behavior, perhaps at the same time the adult rates the same behavior.

Steps for Implementing Self Management Systems

1)Explain rating system to student and teach student to self monitor

2)Have student rate behavior3)Rate student behavior for same time period4)Compare results with student5)Determine student’s accuracy of self management

by comparing their ratings against the ratings you created for same time period

6)Award student for accuracy in perception of behavior (optional)

Steps for Implementing Self Management Systems continued

Ideally, the student and teacher generated ratings should match.

Student Rating: Teacher Rating:

Steps for Implementing Self Management Systems continued

What is a match?– A match is when teacher and student ratings are within one point

of one another.– For example:

Student Rating: Teacher Rating: Match?

Yes

No

Incentive Programs and Self Management Systems Continued

See the protocols on incentive programs and self management systems for more information– www.directbehaviorratings.com/intervention/

index.html

Questions?