Presented by
Associate Professor Amanda Richdale
Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, La Trobe University
Now that we have assessed our client’s behaviour on at least 3 occasions, we are ready to assess for trend.
If we are looking to increase a target behaviour, we would only proceed to intervention if the baseline data were low and flat, or decreasing. If the behaviour was already high, highly variable, or increasing, we may be reluctant to intervene because the behaviour may be increasing naturally. The same logic (in the opposite direction) would apply if we were are aiming to decrease a target behaviour.
Examine the baseline data for:
- Level of target behaviour (Low / High)
- Trend (Decreasing / Increasing)
- Variability
- Based on your examination, determine if it is appropriate to begin intervention
Activity
Based on your graph, describe the level of your clientís behaviour.
- If you’re teaching a new behaviour, is your client already producing the behaviour at the level you desire? Yes / No
Based on your graph, describe the trend of your clientís behaviour.
- If you’re teaching a new behaviour, is your client developing the skill naturally, at the rate you desire? Yes / No
- If your goal is to reduce a problematic behaviour, is the behaviour naturally reducing, at the rate you desire? Yes / No
Based on your graph, describe the variability of your client’s behaviour.
- Was your client’s production of behaviour stable? Yes / No
If you answered ‘No’ to the first 3 questions, it is likely that it is appropriate to deliver intervention.