As I spoke of in earlier posts, Academic Ladder is a great self-monitoring tool that uses group contingencies, coaching, and similar well-known behavioral principles to increase writing behavior in academics. As we all know, publish or perish in academia. One of the questions that is asked in the self-monitoring tool is “how will you reward yourself?”
Work by people like Steve Hayes and colleagues tell us that our history shapes how we respond to certain verbal behavior (a full treatment of Relational Frame Theory is beyond this blog, but if you want to know, check out the tutorial at FoxyLearning.com or http://contextualpsychology.org). Therefore, how we respond to this term, “reward”, is going to shape whether our choices do, indeed, change our behavior.
For me, rewards are associated with happy things when I do something good or well. A massage. A mani/pedi. Fourbucks coffee.
But do they function as reinforcers?
The term reinforcer is often associated with terms such as “strengthen” or “protect”. Lately, I’ve been into home flipping shows, so forgive the analogy. Hopefully, it will help more than confuse.
If a table is bowing, one can reward it with a happy coat of paint, but the table won’t be any stronger. It might even break. It will look prettier, but won’t necessarily be more functional. However, if we reinforce it with an extra beam or some other structural improvement, it will be more functional.
So the same it is with reinforcers.
The rewards I have picked have not been quite as effective as they could be with regard to increasing my writing behavior. This tells me that I did not pick reinforcers. Does this mean Academic Ladder failed me? Nope. Not in the least. I’m still much better off with regard to writing than I was three years ago. I need to determine what my reinforcers are, not only for writing, but for procrastination.
What???? There are reinforcers for procrastination? Of course there are. We are lazy. The truth is that what we do needs to have at least occasional payoff, even if we are not aware of what it is. Now, some of us can wait longer for reinforcement. That is, some of us have more tolerance to delay to reinforcement than others. It’s not unusual that people’s tolerance to delay to reinforcement is considered to be a hallmark of maturity. It’s also not unusual that our tolerance to delay is less with new or difficult behaviors. This is a normal, human behavior. Writing is difficult for me, so my tolerance to delay to reinforcement is less. So, trying for that mani/pedi on Sunday if I write all week ain’t gonna work for me.
This is why Academic Ladder’s suggestion of using a timer works well for me. Instead of waiting until the end of a task/day/week for a “reward”, I can access smaller “reinforcers” throughout my task. I work for 10 minutes, I get 2 minutes of reinforcer. Back and forth, back and forth, until the job is done. Success! Now my biggest problem – what is the reinforcer for setting that first timer? Having my coach email me, or one of my teammates comment on my work, is definitely a reinforcer. I also find myself engaging in avoidance behavior when my coach writes to “check in” on me…I admit it….
I also have to have the self-control (i.e., the ability to delay reinforcement) to not engage in my reinforcers without engaging in the target behavior. For kids with autism and such, this isn’t an issue, because someone else is controlling the reinforcers. I suspect that’s why a lot of us were better at writing in grad school and fell off the wagon during the dissertation or during the tenure process. Now WE control the reinforcers, and that takes a lot of self-control.
Typically, those things that we naturally engage in are reinforcers. So what are my reinforcers? If I were my own client, I would be doing a systematic reinforcer preference assessment, which typically includes surveys and direct observation. But, it’s hard to be your own client, so I have to just try. As far as I can tell, these are my reinforcers, in no particular order:
brainstorming and working with colleagues
Facebook!!!!
Academichic and fashion blogs
My couch
Checking email
A glass of wine at the end of the day
Hmmm…no manicures, no massage, no haircuts, no chocolate here. These are the things, when left to my own devices, that I choose for myself. And I engage in these behaviors frequently across the day. I suspect that escape from task (for some, that can be procrastinating, for others, getting it over with) might be a reinforcer as well. I suppose that avoiding the review process might be a reinforcer for procrastination….but everyone is just a little different.
Now, I have to say this about reinforcers. What reinforces my behavior and how often I have to reinforce will be much different from what reinforces your behavior. We have different histories. So, maybe a massage and chocolate is YOUR reinforcer. No judgment. That’s OK, as long as it keeps your behavior consistent.
OK, so what about punishers? Things like the site where if you don’t meet your goal, a donation is made in your name to the Human Fund or something otherwise aversive?
Honestly, these will work in the short term. Punishment is quite effective for swift behavior change. Those of us who were spanked when we ran out into the street can attest to that. However, there are some caveats. Punishment doesn’t really teach us what to do, just what not to do. Maybe the rejection process has shaped up a repertoire of avoidance of writing for some of us. Also, you run the risk of other reactive responses, what we call respondent behaviors. Remember Pavlov? Or when you were grounded as a kid? There was typically some drama associated with punishment…and we don’t grow out of that.
So, the take home message? If you want to increase a behavior, you have to figure out what your reinforcers are. Typically, they are things that you typically do, but you have to have the self-control to access them only contingent upon your appropriate behaviors. You will want to set things up, in the beginning, to have frequent access to your reinforcers. Don’t wait a week or even a day. Then gradually build up a delay by increasing your time on task.
Now if I can follow my own advice, I’ll be ON FIRE.
I like the way they include color into their ensembles – always an issue for me. Being a terminal East-Coaster, spending a good part of my adult years in Washington, DC, I’m very good at dressing in shades of grey and black. Occasionally, I’ll add in blue. But typically, I look like either a cop or a tree.
Today is a snow day, and I’m almost done with grades – so, I might be able to post a longer blog later today. Considering the frequency of my posts, though, that’s doubtful. Have a great day and stay warm and safe!
You see, I am that professor. The one who teaches and neglects anything without a deadline. I needed someone to coach me.
And here it is. You check in each day with your team and talk about how your writing has gone. The team is there to provide reinforcement, and someone comments on your progress each day. There’s even a graph of your progress, and the progress of the team. How’s that for contingency management?
It’s also introduced me to the concept of using a timer to break up my day. I’m more on-task, and find myself writing much more. So, thank you, Academic Ladder! You’re worth the investment.
Alright, sports fans, let’s look at ABA. I’m gonna try to do this from a personal perspective.
So, here’s a news flash. I’m not perfect. Just ask my students on Rate My Professor.
Maybe it would be helpful to me to embark on some behavior change projects and document my foray into this behavior change stuff. Along the way, I’ll show you how different behavioral principles work, and why things you hear about might evolve the way that they do.
At this point, I don’t have this all fully conceptualized, but bear with me as I go about my behavior change.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot, especially since when I started this post, it was April. Yikes. OK, so I need to get on the stick a little.
There are lots of websites and blogs out there about “doing ABA” or “ABA as a treatment for autism”. I’ve been the “consultant for the ABA program” and an “ABA therapist”. Once, I got a hard-lined nasty-gram from a mother asking me why I dared to question that all BCBAs weren’t autism consultants. I’ve been told that ABA is a “proven treatment for autism”, and I’ve been called “vain” for being a researcher.
(BTW, I just checked my user stats and found out that I come up if you’re looking to date Zac Efron. Zac, if for some reason you need a behavior analyst, call me. Otherwise, I hate to say that I’ve never seen High School Musical).
So, what is this ABA? Is it a proven autism treatment? What is the hype? Should be believe the hype (to paraphrase Flavor Flav)?
Hmm….well, yes and no.
Baer, Wolf and Risley saw this coming. In 1969, there was this new field called Applied Behavior Analysis. People thought it might be a good idea to create a journal where Applied Behavior Analysis results could be published. They called it – you guessed it – the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. It still exists today, and boasts a huge readership. It’s also very tough to get published in JABA.
The field needed direction. What would be considered Applied Behavior Analysis research? Intervention? What are the operational definitions of ABA? Baer, Wolf and Risley set out to provide these definitions in their article “Some Current Dimensions of Applied Behavior Analysis”. You can read it here. You can also print a PDF File if you are so inclined. So what were the dimensions of Applied Behavior Analysis? Well, let’s see:
Applied
The intervention needs to address something important. Well, in this day and age, I would say autism is pretty darn important. But, so is the economy. Global warming. There are certainly other issues that are important to individuals. For example, my husband gets really annoyed when I forget to uplug my flatiron. Going to change the world? Probably not. Important to him? I would say so! That is, Applied is somewhat relative. That’s why programs and interventions are so individualized – they are contextual.
Behavioral
We change what we can measure or get reliable reports about. Maybe this is why people think that behaviorists don’t deal with thoughts, feelings, and what we call private events – we do, but not in a way some others might.
For example, I once implemented a functional communication training procedure for a child that reduced their problem behavior. The parent said to me, “it never occurred to me before that she might have an opinion”. Am I dealing with her opinions? No – that’s collateral. I’m measuring the times she made a choice. Steve Hayes has done some remarkable work in this area. Change the behavior, and the thoughts often follow.
The things that we can see and measure are everywhere. Can we just measure autism symptoms or skills kids with autism often lack, to the exclusion of the world around them? No – that’s silly. They are but one thing that we can measure.
To make matters a little more complicated, there’s more to this than seeing and measuring behavior. We also need to look at what’s triggering responding and what’s making us persist.
There are lots of things that trigger our responding. Sometimes we see something, like a sign that says, “Do Not Enter or You will be Eaten”. Maybe it’s something we hear, like a siren. Maybe it’s something we smell, like a latte. Whatever it is, it prompts us to respond. Our kids with autism are no different. It’s just that their triggers don’t necessarily seem logical, or they might not respond to as many as we do. And really, look around you. Does everyone respond the same way to the same triggers? Heck, no. So what?
We’re also very interested in tapping into the motivations of people. A simplistic, non-behavioral way of saying this is that we find out what is important, and make the learning relevant and important to the learner. I once had a teacher tell me “I don’t do that behavioral crap anymore. I used to give M&M’s to the kids when they were good, and put them in time-out when they were bad. Some kids got better, and some kids got fat.”
Of course. Because ABA is easy to learn and easy to do, and ABA is easy to mess up.
We’re also sometimes accused of “creating little robots” in the autism field. If you’re more in the area of reading, one of the criticisms of Direct Instruction is that children become champion decoders with no comprehension. Is this true?
Only if we don’t take into account the environment. Comprehension can be taught through behavioral methods. Variability and spontaneity can be taught as well. Again, it takes a skilled practitioner with lots of experience to untangle the complicated web that is behavior.
Analytic
We’re scientists. We’re objective. We show results on graphs and with data. As the late great Joe Lalli was fond of saying, “In G-d we trust. Everyone else must have data.” Testimonials aren’t enough. Nor are opinions. We also need to show that it’s our treatment, and our treatment alone, that made the difference. We do this through manipulation of the data.
This sounds arrogant. In fact, that might be why we’re sometimes branded that way. But it’s not. Let me explain. Let’s say you broke your leg, and the doctor explains that a typical treatment package consists of 5 days per week of PT, a low-carb diet, surgery, and standing on your head for at least one hour per day. You are really wondering about the head standing – what does this do? Does it make a difference? If I DON’T stand on my head, will my leg heal?
You ask your doctor, and she says, “Uh…I don’t know. We’ve just always done it with the head standing, and people report that it makes a difference”
You: “But I don’t stand on my head well, and besides, I’m implementing all these other treatments. Couldn’t they really be the reason that I’m getting better? And while we’re at it, why am I on a low-carb diet?”
Doc: “Because people say that people on a low-carb diet tend to be more compliant with the intervention. And maybe you can get better without standing on your head, but why take the chance?”
You: “Have you tested it? I really don’t stand on my head well. And well, I love bagels.”
Doc: “Uh, no…but I have plenty of testimonials here that say that it works. I gotta go….”
Yet, how many of us make decisions this way on a daily basis? I’ll admit that I’ve purchased the first car that I drove without taking data on all of the variables. Went on a diet without first taking baseline data on my dieting behavior. Used B12 supplements for my carpal tunnel. Did yoga for the slipped disks in my neck.
Yes, Gerry Shook, feel free to call me and ask for my certificate back.
Technological
This is where we get into the intervention piece in more detail. ABA is a “technology” of behavior change – that is, it’s supposed to be used. So, as behavior analysts, we’re supposed to give you the tools so you can use it, too.
Now, for many of you, you hope to read a book or a blog and get the job done. Again, remember that ABA is easy to do, but easier to mess up. So, you should be getting guidance along the way from someone who has studied this stuff in-depth. BCBA is a good start. You wouldn’t try to do post-surgery PT on that broken leg all by yourself, why would you try to implement a behavior change program on your own?
Conceptual Systems
ABA is not a bag of tricks. ABA is not a bag of tricks. It’s a systematic way to change behavior using changes in the environment and tapping into personal motivation. Not everyone is going to respond exactly the same way to a system, no matter how well-tested and user-friendly the system is. This is why there is no one, set “ABA Manual”. There never will be one. It’s all about the data. I wish things were more simple than that, but honestly, we’re complex animals.
Effective/Generality of Findings
When done correctly, interventions work, and work in a variety of settings and for lots of different people.
Uh, wait a minute. I’m confused. Didn’t you say that interventions are based upon individual data? Yes, I did, and they are. However, many times we use the same procedures as our framework for most of our clients. The details might change, but the general concepts will stay the same. That said, when the data say that things aren’t working, we’re not afraid to go “outside the box” for a solution. Then we test that solution on others to see if maybe we stumbled onto something that improves our practice. This is how we go about testing for effectiveness and generality of findings.
Almost 40 years later, we have a good body of literature out there on which to base our treatments. Many of our interventions are shown to be effective for lots of different populations in many different circumstances. Functional Analysis is a good example of an effective, generalized procedure. But we are still learning. We will never be done testing ABA interventions, for any population – we still have a lot to learn about effectiveness and generality of findings. Anyone who tells you differently should be questioned.
Well, that only took the better part of 6 months to write. Y’all can wake up now… I’m done.
I didn’t go anywhere. I mean, I really didn’t go anywhere.
The problem is that I got creative. Try to avoid creativity whenever possible. The theme that I picked for my blog wouldn’t let me log in and post. Luckily, an upgrade solved that problem. Then, it had been so long since I posted I forgot my password… Oh, the trials and tribulations of a blogger who has a life outside of their blog!
What’s up?
Well, I’m still following PeaceBang and her beauty tips. The courses got done, and I finished a book chapter on the digital divide and virtual therapy. Look for that to be published early next year. I’ve also started a research wiki: http://bartholdresearch.pbwiki.com. Be forewarned, though, that it’s really more of a notebook for me and my research interests. There are many typos and some of it might not make sense. Comments are welcome!
Right now, I’ve been looking at adult outcomes for children with autism, while navigating the job market and teaching three courses a semester. That might be why this blog isn’t as updated as it should be? Anyway, the literature review has been relatively easy – there isn’t much out there about adults and where they end up. What is out there isn’t necessarily promising. I’m also noticing that there is nothing, as far as I can tell, about elementary programs for children with autism. It would be hlepful to me if anyone can forward things that they know of in these areas.
Our kids grow up. As practitioners, we have these kids in our lives for a few years, and then they move on. However, we talk a lot about Early Childhood building the foundation for the future. If you are a social constructivist, behaviorist (are they really that different?), etc…,we all agree that what happens before shapes what we become. So why isn’t there more empirical information? I don’t know. I guess that’s what I’m going to find out. Keep an eye out for what I find out. I’ll keep you more regularly posted, I hope…
I think this blog should take some time away from being the stuffy professor blog, and have a little more fun and a few more laughs.
Summer is all about kicking back, or in my case kicking myself for all of the things I “should” be doing. After all, I have time now! Let’s see what could get done:
Paint my husband’s den.
Finish writing that book on child psychopathology.
Create a game for behavior analysts based upon World of Warcraft.
Write up my research articles.
Conduct 8 more studies.
Figure out how to single-handedly stop global warming.
Lose 100 pounds
Buy a house and flip it
Start my own mail-order business
But, such is the path of the overachiever. So, let’s take this a little bit at a time. How about washing my kitchen floor, where bits of last week’s lunch still happily reside untouched? Or the closet that is overflowing with pictures, including that really embarrassing one from 9th grade when I tried to cut my bangs? (For those of you 80′s girls, remember how easy Teen magazine said it was???? I’m pretty sure my Mom kept a few of them in case I needed information on the correct way to wear electric blue mascara.)
Nah. IVillage is much more inviting.
I’m disorganized, and I can’t clean up!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kxBfrXp7mQ
To be fair, I have done one syllabus and a lit search for a chapter I’m writing. And, my bedroom closet is about 75% organized. I do think that’s something. Today, I’m hoping to finish the website for my course and return that pesky overdue library book that sits on my desk gathering fines every time I look at it. Oh, and find my Zen at hot yoga.
Seriously, who does HOT yoga in the summer? I’m paying someone to make me sweat. Couldn’t I just do some sun salutations in the parking lot and be done with it? Someone explain my logic to me.
Isn’t there some witty behavior analytic tome to be had here? A research article in JABA to guide my misadventures in summer? I’m sure the answer lies in academe somewhere – shape the response, reinforce frequently, yadda, yadda.
I’m on it. I have an idea, but no, I’m not sharing. If it means that I can make my fortune using behavior analysis without the rat race, well dammit, it’s better than my other plans of being the cannon player for the “1812 Overture”. Every time I share an idea, it either gets stolen or someone exposes me for the doofus that I am.
Guess you will just have to wait and see what unfolds.
I wanted to post a blog about a Special Interest Group that I am now co-chair of (don’t hit me, Grammar Girl!).
If you liked the post below and would like to engage in discussions about topics related to the teaching of behavior analysis, sign up for the Teaching Behavior Analysis Listserv (TBA-L) at our website: http://gator.uhd.edu/~williams/tba/
Right now, most of our discussion is geared towards University professors, but we feel that it’s too narrow. Anyone who teaches anyone how to change behavior should be considered welcome. Staff trainers, parent educators, community leaders, managers, etc… should join the discussion! You don’t have to be a member of the Association for Behavior Analysis to join, and anyone is welcome!
Please come and join us so we don’t get too lonely….
OK, OK, so I am a little behind on the blogging. You will forgive me, I hope?
I had a boss who once gave me a behavioral blessing: “May all your chains be concurrent.”
Huh?
The University of South Florida online behavioral dictionary (I believe based upon Verplank’s classic) defines concurrent chains as:
Two or more chain schedules that are simultaneously available. See also chain schedule and concurrent schedules of reinforcement.
OK, we will. Here’s chained schedules:
A chain schedule of reinforcement involves two or more simple schedules (CRF, Fl, VI, FR, or VR), each of which is presented sequentially and signaled by an SD. Only the final or terminal link of the chain results in primary reinforcement. See also homogeneous and heterogeneous chain schedules.
Let’s now delve into concurrent schedules:
Two or more schedules independently arranged but operating at the same time, reinforcements being set up by both.
So what did this gentleman mean?
What he means is that, in behavioral terms, we rarely work on simple schedules. Usually, our behavior is being reinforced on several different schedules at once. If all of those schedules are nice and rich, reinforcement is abundant. Life is good. If one of them is punishing, well, maybe there are enough other concurrent schedules to balance things out. Sometimes, one schedule triggers another one to go into effect. And, believe it or not, there are schedules of punishment just like there are schedules of reinforcement. So, when you feel like there is a domino effect going on, well, maybe there is.
And they say that behaviorism is parsimonious.
Why do I bring this all up? Well, I was planning on writing this post from the ABA Autism conference, to tell you all about some really cool intervention that I learned about for the first time. While that didn’t happen, to say that the conference wasn’t a fruitful learning experience would be an untruth. I learned that you can have someone reinforce and punish your behavior at the same time.
I find it fascinating to watch academics at work, maybe because I’m trying to figure out the scene. Often, I teach my students to give feedback using the “praise sandwich” – a little of what you liked, something to change, and end with something to keep. I also tell people to not give and take things personally. Although I try to practice what I preach, I admittedly do better in some ways and not so well in others. The way that the praise sandwich works in academia is very interesting to me. There’s room for all of us here in this big chasm that is ABA. The Lovaas people. The VB people. The PRT/NLP people. Non-autism people. Etc… Different viewpoints promote discourse, and lead to rich concurrent chains (of reinforcement, one would hope).
So can you dislike someone, or even someone’s work, and still say that they influenced your career? In my mind, absolutely.
What does this have to do with behaviorism?
I was talking with someone at the conference about exclusion training. While the procedure is quite complicated, the idea is relatively simple…teaching both exemplars and nonexemplars allows for discrimination and class formation. So, I form two classes “what I like”, and “what I don’t like”. The more adept I become at class formation, I can refine them. Soon, I can like an idea but not its presentation, or a messenger but not the message. I can take some ideas and leave others. Reinforced, incidentally, by concurrent schedules (whoa! and sometimes concurrent chains!). What I like is as omnipresent as what I don’t like, and I receive reinforcement or punishment for how I express these private events. It’s the same reason that I tell my students there is no such thing as a bad placement. At the very least, exclusion training is happening, and you learn what NOT to do.
Confused? So am I sometimes. It all boils down to: life is complicated, the three term contingency rarely happens in isolation, and that behaviorism is just as complicated as life itself. That’s what I love about it.
Incidentally, if you get all jazzed up about this like I do, check out the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science http://www.contextualpsychology.org/. I wasn’t able to attend the conference (two weeks away from work was too much), but they are doing some really cool things that I think a lot of autism people should be paying attention to.
My hope is that I got you interested and thinking, but didn’t make your eyeballs bleed. Next post will be a blatant commercial….
So I came across the most brilliant site/blog I’ve seen in a while, aside from Grammar Girl (which, technically, is a podcast). PeaceBang, a UU minister, has created Beauty Tips for Ministers (http://www.beautytipsforministers.com/). While most people will see this is a makeup and grooming site, there is something that we, as clinicians, can take away from PeaceBang too.
Like ministers, we are in the helping profession. We see a need, and try to fill it. For many of us, our career begins to define who we ARE. Our dirty little secret is that we think about that kid’s reinforcement schedule in the shower. We dream about cool ways to teach intraverbals. Admit it, you’ve done it. In the interim, we’ve forgotten about ourselves, inside and out. We buy clothes not because they look good, but because they can withstand banana and goji berry stains. We can run around in sweats and “sensible shoes” (if shoes at all). Manicures are chipped before they get a chance to dry. Makeup? Forgeddaboudit.
But then we leave work. And we’re still not in full face. Maybe we feel frumpy and not worth the effort, or maybe we justify our look by saying that we’re “low maintenance”. Maybe we’re too tired. Maybe that last necklace broken was the last straw (can you tell I worked with kids with severe behavioral issues for many years?). Our hair looks like crap, and our roots are showing. We are the last thing on our to-do list.
Much of the lack of attention might be shaped by circumstance. Some of it might be personality. People who are fixated on the outside tend to be less effective clinicians. To be honest, a person dressed to the nines on an interview gets knocked down a few pegs, IMHO.
However, maybe taking a little “me time” would help our kids in the long run. A little gloss on the lips before heading out the door would be great – it’ll probably be gone by the time we get to wherever we’re going, but so be it. It raised my confidence to the point where I have a little more energy to give to my child. The fabulous bag might actually end up being a reinforcer. We’re modeling appropriate social behavior when we get to work well-groomed. And some of our kids just need a little nudge to show their fabulous sense of style! I actually had one kid early in my career who told me to go back and get my tips redone. She was right.
But that’s only 1/2 of the equation.
OK, now that we’ve worked on the outside, let’s face that we probably need to work a little on the inside. When was the last time you went to the gym? Did a little yoga and meditation to work off the stress of a 3-hour tantrum? Went to a high-energy Spin class to work off the energy of find that just-right reinforcer? We need to make the time, and if we’re not, we’re going to burn out. The field in and of itself has a high turnover and little balance. It’s the nature of the beast. However, we could be creating that beast ourselves by not taking care of ourselves. Put down the ramen noodles and put in that Tae-Bo tape, for crying out loud!
Sure, these kids deserve 100%. For the hours when you are at a family’s house, that child should have your full attention. In order to do that, though, you need to learn to live in the moment. Meditation, spirituality, and physical and mental balance have been reported to help. I’m still developing my practice, and I’ll talk about my journey and resources that have helped me along the way in the coming months.
Another thing we don’t talk about enough is listening to our “inner voice”. This paragraph will probably draw some ire, but so be it. In ECE and Psych programs, we learn how to interact effectively with families and protect the children. Families and children are paramount. Important stuff. I agree. Absolutely.Families are our priority. However, you will be NO GOOD to anyone if you don’t follow your intuition and don’t take care of yourself. I am a huge believer in following your intuition. If you get that funny feeling, then you won’t be happy in the situation. Chances are you’ll burn out or end up in a pickle. If something doesn’t feel right, SPEAK UP. If you’re getting sick all of the time because you’re working too many hours, SPEAK UP. If you want to work in pairs, SPEAK UP. If you feel like you’re being pushed to your limit, SPEAK UP. I’ll speak for myself and others when I say that I won’t know what you need unless you tell me.
Here’s one that I’m still working on, and hopefully you can do as I say, not as I do. Take on only what allows you to maintain balance. Notice I did not say don’t take on more than you can handle. Many of you multitask well and work 28-hour days. If your family, schoolwork, personal life, and/or work life is suffering because of too many committments, then scale back. I am personally working with the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to increase my balance. As a behavior analyst, that might be hard for some of you to fathom. In fact, much of what Stephen Covey says is not anti-behavioral. I’ll deal with that more in the coming months.
“But what about the children? What will happen if I’m not there?”
Chances are, you are a great clinician. But if you’re not comfortable or happy, there is probably someone out there who is a better fit. The family will be fine. I’m willing to guarantee that there is a family out there that you will “click” with. Remember, a family getting clinicians for 5 hours at 100% is getting the same intervention as a family that’s getting 10 hours at 50%. It’s not just about the hours, but the quality of those hours.
I’ll try to explore some of these thoughts in the coming months, along with how some of the things you are doing in your clinical work might help you in your personal persuits. Have a great month and talk to you soon!
This blog is by Chris Barthold, a researcher and clinician for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. This blog will not specifically be about autism all of the time, and might be about being a professional or something totally out of the ordinary. Hope you enjoy it!
