PLAY . In Applied Behavior Analysis, withholding reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior is called extinction. Despite this concern, DRO procedures can be highly effective in reducing significantly challenging behaviors. This time the alternative behaviour is one that is incompatible with the unwanted behaviour – they cannot occur at the same time. You determine that this behavior is maintained by socially mediated escape from a relatively difficult task. Another key to several types of differential reinforcement is identifying the function of the undesired behavior. In true ABA fashion, we love our initialisms. Differential Reinforcement: What You Need to Know. Differential reinforcement has a wide range of applications. You can provide him with an escape from the difficult task by giving him the answer or part of the answer and you can also offer an additional reinforcer (i.e. Six varieties offer options for behaviors to reinforce: We first talked about DR as part of the ABCs of ABA in Understanding Consequence for Interventions on Accessible ABA. Contact us at letsmasteraba@gmail.com. DRL procedures are perfect for when the response is appropriate to have in the learner’s repertoire, so you do not want to extinguish it. Your initial goal may be for the client to eat 25 cookies or less in one day. The behavior itself is not inappropriate, but the frequency in which the child engages in it is inappropriate. Providing reinforcement dependent upon the number of responses meeting or being below a predetermined limit during a specified time frame. Use DRO for those behaviors that are multiply maintained or where you have been unsuccessful in identifying the function. Be sure to read out post Functions of Behavior to learn more about identifying the functions of behavior. Music teachers, dance choreographers, and others are familiar with the concept of DRP (even if they are not familiar with the label). It’s unclear what the function is because he appears to engage in the behavior at random times across a variety of situations. Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO) procedures reinforce the absence of the target behavior. You must decide if the benefits of DRO for your client outweigh this possibility. This is when the timing of responses matter: whether it be chords played on an instrument, movements made by dancers, or number of basketball dribbles per step. Using Differential Reinforcement of Higher Rates of Behavior (DRH) systematically reinforces incremental increases in the rate of that behavior. Providing reinforcement dependent on the response occurring after a specified time frame with no occurrences. DRO. A basic principle of differential reinforcement is the concept of discrimination. There are times when a behavior is already in a student’s repertoire, but you may want to increase the rate of the behavior. This free download explains each type of differential reinforcement. Extinction may not be a practical intervention in all situations. DRA. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) has many tools in the toolbox but one of the most important is reinforcement, including differential reinforcement. Providing reinforcement for behaviour occurring within a minimum and maximum time limit. The second type is known as differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO). Check out this example: You work with a child who often becomes aggressive. Required fields are marked *. Consider this example: You work with a child who hits his supervising adult when he is asked to do something he doesn’t want to do. She has worked in this field since 2009 and strives to change the field of ABA to better respect the rights of the individual. Differential Reinforcement of Lower Rates of Behavior (DRL) procedures are similar to DRH procedures except you reinforce gradually decreasing rates of behavior. Sometimes clients engage in a desirable behavior at a rate far below what we want to see. Differential Reinforcement of High Rates of Behavior (DRH) is “reinforcing only after several responses occur at or above a pre-established rate” (Mayer, Sulzer-Azaroff, & Wallace, 2013). In order to ensure success, you set the initial criteria to achieve reinforcement at 8x/5 minutes. Any time you use an extinction procedure, be aware that you will likely experience an extinction burst. Get more information about DRO in our article: What You Need to Know About DRO. Make sure that you have a plan for keeping everyone safe if behaviors escalate to dangerous levels. When you calculate his baseline rate, you get 2/45 minute math block so you set your first criteria at 3. Although this procedure is simple, there are significant disadvantages as well. This means that your client may receive reinforcement after engaging in any other behavior, including other undesired behaviors such as screaming, flopping or having a tantrum. When dealing with intense or potentially dangerous behaviors, be cautious when choosing an extinction procedure. If you work with a child who consistently chews on his shirt and you identify that the behavior is reinforced by direct access to a sensory experience, provide an appropriate alternative item for him to chew on. Ensure you have the competence to implement this procedure or organize appropriate supervision. Take a look at this example: Your client seldom raises his hand in class to answer a question, especially during math block, even though he often knows the correct answer. Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO) is one of the 5 specific types of differential reinforcement procedures commonly used in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Because you target one behavior or class of behaviors, you often inadvertently reinforce other challenging behaviors. Why the future probability? An important component of differential reinforcement is extinction. This procedure is a great way to teach adaptive skills to clients. Imagine you are playing a competitive game of 5 Second Rule with family over the holidays, where the goal is to name 3 items in an unknown category in 5 seconds or less. Master ABA is owned and operated by Amelia Dalphonse, BCBA and Dianna Kelly in St. Petersburg, FL. One technique I like to use with differential reinforcement is shaping (check back for our future blog post about Shaping). Captcha loading...In order to pass the CAPTCHA please enable JavaScript. This does not need to be a specific alternative response. Differential reinforcement to the rescue! Accessible ABA content is reader-supported, which means if you click on some of the links in these posts, we may earn a small referral fee. For example, if attention maintains the challenging behavior, provide a quiet reprimand for inappropriate behavior and extended attention for alternative behaviors. For example: Your client says “hi” to everyone she sees, even if she has said “hi” to them in the last 5 minutes. Differential reinforcement (DR) is an intervention that reinforces one topography of behavior while putting all other responses on extinction. A good example of this type of differential reinforcement is a child who repeatedly washes his hands before lunch. Before the big holiday gathering, you and your partner practice naming 3 items on common lists, in under 5 seconds.At first your partner is only able to think of one item in 5 seconds – but you have 2 weeks before the party! Notify me of follow-up comments by email. I could flat out ask them, and for some people that may work. You also get early and discounted access to products and events. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.