This document outlines steps for conducting a behavior change project, including choosing a student, defining their problem behavior, collecting baseline data, developing an intervention, and ensuring generalization. It provides examples and resources for each step, such as forms for recording antecedents, behaviors, and consequences (ABC charts), methods of data collection like duration, event, interval, and latency recording, and strategies to maintain behavior change over time and in new environments. The overall goal is to help students improve social behaviors through systematic observation, objective definition of issues and replacement behaviors, data-driven interventions, and continued support.

1. Behavior Change Project
Steps and Resources
Dr. Mary Little
Jillian Gourwitz

2. Step 1: Choosing Your Student
• Select a student that you feel needs assistance
with increasing or decreasing social behavior.
– Examples may include: gaining teacher’s attention, transitioning
between subjects and/or classes, interacting with peers, class
participation ,ect.
• Include a short description of the
student providing relevant
behavioral information.
Relevant information should include the student’s
age, gender, grade level, academic levels, as well
as, a review of the student’s records.
• Resource- Record Review Form

3. Step 2: Operationally Define Behavior
Instead of calling this a “Temper Tantrum” how would you operationally define
this child’s behavior?
Possible Operational Definition: child lies on the floor and cries out.

4. Step 3: Answer the following questions
and generate your hypothesis
• Under what circumstances is the problem behavior most likely
or least likely to be observed? (where, when, who, what, why)
• What consequences or results predictably follow the problem
behavior? (What do they get? What do they avoid?)
• What other issues are important influences on the behavior?
Resource- ABC Charts
Student: Time Begin:
Observer: Time End:
Date: _____________________
ABC recording involves documenting the student'
s behavior and the
events that immediately precede and follow it. The more specific and
precise the description, the more useful the data will be.
A - A n t e c e d e n t s
describe activity and specific
events preceding the behavior
(e.g., specific interactions)
B - B e h a v i o r
describe exactly what the
student said or did
C - C o n s e q u e n c e s
describe events that followed
or results of the behavior
(e.g., reprimands, d e l a y s in
activity)
ABC Recording Form
Example from Video

5. Steps 4-7
• Provide the rationale for selection of the
problem behavior. Why is it important or
necessary for this behavior to be changed.
The child cannot lie on the floor and cry out for attention in public.
• Operationally define what the Replacement
behavior should look like FOLLOWING your
intervention.
The child will walk up to his parent and tap them on the leg.
• Write a COMPLETE behavioral objective for
the replacement behavior.
The child will walk up to his parent and tap them on the leg, to gain their
attention, without prompting on 4 out of 5 observations.
• Identify the student’s characteristics and
strengths the will facilitate the behavior
change
– Resource- Student Interest Inventory

6. Step 8: Develop a
Behavior Support Team
• Determine who should be on the team.
• Consider different environments and
resources.

7. Step 9 and 10: Data Collection and
Baseline Data
• Identify the appropriate system of data collection.
• Provide a rationale for the selection of this method.
• Attach a copy of the data collection sheet.
• Collect baseline data for at least 3 days or 5 data
collection sessions.
– Resource- Data Collection Forms
Duration Recording
Student: ________________________________ Observer: _________________________
Setting: ________________________________ School: ___________________________
Target Behavior: ___________________________________________________________
Definition: ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Date Time Begin:
Time End:
Total Duration:
Average Duration:
Date Time Begin:
Time End:
Total Duration:
Average Duration:
Date Time Begin:
Time End:
Total Duration:
Average Duration:
Date Time Begin:
Time End:
Total Duration:
Average Duration:
Date Time Begin:
Time End:
Total Duration:
Average Duration:
Event Recording
Student: _ _____________________ Observer: ___ ______________________
Setting: __ ________________ School: ___ ______________________
Target Behavior: ____________________________________________________
Definition:
Date: Time Begin:
Time End:
Total
Frequency:
Total Time:
Rate (Frequency / Time):
Date: Time Begin:
Time End:
Total Frequency Total Time
Rate (Frequency / Time)
Date: Time Begin:
Time End:
Total Frequency Total Time
Rate (Frequency / Time)
Date: Time Begin:
Time End:
Total Frequency Total Time
Rate (Frequency / Time)
Date: Time Begin:
Time End:
Total Frequency Total Time
Rate (Frequency / Time)
Duration Recording Event Recording
Interval Recording
Student: _____________________________ Observer: _____________________________
Setting: _____________________________ School: _______________________________
Target Behavior: ____________________________________________________________
Definition: _________________________________________________________________
Type: Partial Interval or Whole Interval Length of Interval: _____
Date:
Time Begin:
Time End:
Number of +
Total Intervals
% of Intervals
Date:
Time Begin:
Time End:
Number of +
Total Intervals
% of Intervals
Date:
Time Begin:
Time End:
Number of +
Total Intervals
% of Intervals
Interval Recording
Latency Recording
Student: _______________________________ Observer: ___________________________
Setting: ________________________________ School: _____________________________
Target Behavior: ____________________________________________________________
Stimulus Cue: _______________________________________________________________
Behavior Starts: _____________________________________________________________
Date Time Begin:
Time End:
Total Latency:
Average Latency:
Date Time Begin:
Time End:
Total Latency:
Average Latency:
Date Time Begin:
Time End:
Total Latency:
Average Latency:
Date Time Begin:
Time End:
Total Latency:
Average Latency:
Date Time Begin:
Time End:
Total Latency:
Average Latency:
Latency Recording
Time Sampling
Student: ____________________________ Observer: _____________________________
Setting: _____________________________ School: _______________________________
Target Behavior (1): ________________________________________________________
Definition (1): ______________________________________________________________
Length of Sampling Unit: ______________ Second Student: _______________________
Student:
Date:
Time Begin:
Time End:
Number of +:
Total Samples:
% of Samples:
Student:
Date:
Time Begin:
Time End:
Number of +:
Total Samples:
% of Samples
Time Sampling
Example from Video

8. Steps 11 and 12
• Develop a behavioral intervention strategy
• Implement the intervention and collect data
for at least a week
• Provide graph documenting the intervention
– Resources: link to behavioral intervention website
and video for graphing data.

9. Steps 13 and 14
• Analyze the data and determine the
effectiveness of the intervention
• Identify 3 strategies you may use to ensure
generalization and maintenance.
Appropriately gain
attention in the
classroom.
Appropriately gain
attention in the
cafeteria.
Appropriately gain
attention at recess.

10. References
Data Collection Forms
Received from EEX 6612. Martin, S. & Vasquez, E.
Images
penavan.edublogs.org
business.phillipmartin.info
lakeshorelearning.com
Clipartof.com
Websites
http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/
http://www.pbis.org
http://www.interventioncentral.com
http://florida-rti.org
Video
Vasquez, E. (2010). University of Central Florida
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/32985435/Excell2007.mp4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpSfThUv_pc