DIMENSIONS GRIDSSteve Ward, MA, BCBA

Whole Child Consulting, LLC

www.wholechildconsulting.com

http://www.facebook.com/wholechildconsulting

My student can’t/won’t _______, unless:

• -• -• -• -• -• -• -• -• -• -

“My student can’t/won’t ______,• …and we have to work on grade level and we have to

work for the 90 minute block and he can’t have any supports that the other students don’t have.”

If consequences are truly working• You don’t need to be such an antecedent magician, and

you probably shouldn’t be

• If escape extinction, wait outs, or punishment are truly working, schools should almost never need them by Halloween. *Some on-going reactive measures may be necessary as you continue to “raise your bar”, but it these should be of minimal duration and of decreasing intrusion.

Reading and group responding• My student is behind in reading and doesn’t attend well in

group

Your first dimensions grid (simple)

Easier Harder

1:1 or 1:2 Larger groups

Easy content (phonics, easy sight words, language)

Harder content (blending, rhyming, “silent e”)

You might develop 2 separate types of programming (prescribed dimensions are in bold)

Easier Harder

1:1 or 1:2 Larger group

Easy content (phonics, easy sight words, language)

Harder content (blending, rhyming, “silent e”)

Easier Harder

1:1 or 1:2 Larger group

Easy content (phonics, easy sight words, language)

Harder content (blending, rhyming, “silent e”)

Another simple example of split programmingEasier Harder

Match-to-sample Listener responding (e.g., “give me ____”

No travel required Travel required (walks 10 feet)

Easier Harder

Match-to-sample Listener responding (e.g., “give me ____”

No travel required Travel required (walks 10 feet)

A more complicated example (“Come here”)

Easier HarderShort distances Long distances

Can see potential reinforcer Cannot see potential reinforcer

Is engaged in activity of modest interest

Is engaged in high-interest activity

Reinforcement for each success Occasional reinforcement

Powerful reinforcer Weak reinforcer

What would you do next? I’d remove the contract.

Easier HarderShort distances Long distances

Can see potential reinforcer Cannot see potential reinforcer

Is engaged in activity of modest interest

Is engaged in high-interest activity

Reinforcement for each success Occasional reinforcement

Powerful reinforcer Weak reinforcer

Then, I’d probably start to thin the schedule of reinforcement

Easier HarderShort distances Long distances

Can see potential reinforcer Cannot see potential reinforcer

Is engaged in activity of modest interest

Is engaged in high-interest activity

Reinforcement for each success Occasional reinforcement

Powerful reinforcer Weak reinforcer

Speaking with sufficient volume

Easier Harder

With an echoic prompt Without an echoic prompt

With recent prompts and/or reinforcement

Without recent prompts and/or reinforcement

With easy material (confident) With harder material (less confident)

With familiar people With less familiar people

With one person With a group of people

In a mand context Speaking for uninteresting reasons

In case you’re not familiar

Meet Alex-at intake, in April, 2015, Alex:

-was 9 and had received ABA programming for 6 yrs.

-loved drawing, painting, blocks, and especially Legos. He was extremely rigid and controlling with these activities.

-was capable of manding “help” and manding attention, but did each infrequently

-was usually cooperative with Heidi, as long as she taught the way he liked

-DEMANDED confirmation of accuracy

-was intolerant of corrections

Dimensions Grid for correction tolerance

Easier Harder

Task completed with at least 90% accuracy

A lot of errors made

Thick reinforcement for tolerance of corrections

Little/no reinforcement for tolerance of corrections

Efficient progress following correction

Full correction procedure (inefficient for student)

Calm, positive teacher attitude Disappointed, frustrated, or cold teacher attitude

Do you remember the first slides (i.e., “My student can’t/won’t _____ unless…”)?

• Dimensions Grids are also relevant to the other end of training (i.e., mastery).

• So, having seen Alex’s first video and first Dimensions Grid for tolerating corrections, would you say our job is done? Has he mastered tolerance of corrections?

Dimensions Grid for correction tolerance (Bold for Phase 2)

Easier Harder

Task completed with at least 90% accuracy

A lot of errors made

Thick reinforcement for tolerance of corrections

Little/no reinforcement for tolerance of corrections

Efficient progress following correction

Full correction procedure

Calm, positive teacher attitude Disappointed, frustrated, or cold teacher attitude

Dimensions Grid for correction tolerance (Bold for Phase 3)

Easier Harder

Task completed with at least 90% accuracy

A lot of errors made

Thick reinforcement for tolerance of corrections

Little/no reinforcement for tolerance of corrections

Efficient progress following correction Full correction procedure (less efficient)

Calm, positive teacher attitude Disappointed, frustrated, or cold teacher attitude

Credit Heidi

Aggressive Behavior Episodes

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What would you like to target?Easier Harder