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.