Promoting Happiness Among Adults With Severe Disabilities: - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Promoting Happiness Among Adults With Severe Disabilities: Evidence-Based Strategies Dennis H. Reid, Ph.D., BCBA

Why Focus on Happiness?  Pursuit of happiness is a fundamental right  Happiness a primary concern of family members  Reductions in problem behavior

Early ABA Reference to Private Event of Happiness  Wolf, M. M. (1978). Social validity. . . Or how ABA is finding its heart. JABA, 11, 203-214.  Hits importance of things like happiness  By the first editor of ABA’s flagship editor  But since then . . .

In Some Ways, Happiness a Risky Venture in ABA  A private event  Usually measured by verbal report – can be risky  Verbal reports very difficult for people who lack vocal communication  Still, happiness is viewed by society as important . . .  For people with intellectual disabilities, it should not be taken for granted; it should be targeted and addressed like any other desired outcome

Qualifications  Happiness on day-to-day basis vs. major lifestyle changes  Focus on happiness and personal growth  That is, not in place of personal growth

Evidence-Based Protocol to Promote Happiness  Identify indices of happiness and unhappiness  Validate identified indices  Act to increase situations accompanied by happiness indices  Act to decrease situations accompanied by unhappiness indices  Monitor and evaluate routinely

Identifying Indices of Happiness and Unhappiness  Common indices  Happiness: smiling, laughing, yelling while smiling  Unhappiness: frowning, grimacing, crying, yelling without smiling Qualification for people with severe disabilities

Identifying Happiness Indices: Caregiver Opinion  Common practice  Concerns with validity  To promote validity:  Ensure familiarity of caregivers  Obtain caregiver consensus

Identifying Happiness Indices: Preference Assessments  How preference assessments relate to indices of happiness and unhappiness

Validating Happiness and Unhappiness Indices  Identify situations in which a person usually experiences happiness and unhappiness  Observe indices in above situations  Compare occurrence of indices across situations  Provide repeated choices

REFERENCE Identifying and Validating Indices of Happiness and Unhappiness among Adults with Autism (and severe intellectual disabilities) Parsons, M. B., Reid, D. H., Bentley, E., Inman, A., & Lattimore, L. P. (2012). Identifying indices of happiness and unhappiness among adults with autism: Potential targets for behavioral assessment and intervention. Behavior Analysis in Practice,5, 15-25 www.abainternational.org

Increasing Happiness  The importance of personal relationships  Role of familiarity of staff  Preferred vs. nonpreferred status of staff

Familiarizing New Staff for Working with Adults Severe Disabilities: A Case for Relationship Building Parsons, M.B., Bentley, E., Solari, T., & Reid, D.H. (in press). Behavior Analysis in Practice

Purpose  Evaluate effects of familiar vs. unfamiliar staff on behavior of adults with autism on severe end of spectrum  Evaluate effects of a familiarization process for new staff

General Procedures  Setting (work focus)  Participants 4 men with features of autism on the severe end of the  spectrum  DVs: happiness and unhappiness indices, compliance, problem behavior, on task  Familiarization program: fun time and phase-in

Developing a Relationship: Summary  Spend time doing things that the person likes to do  Fun Time Program  Establish familiarity (phase-in)  Occurrence of happiness indices during interactions suggests a good relationship

Increasing Happiness  The power of pleasant social attention  Impact on some problem behavior

Increasing Happiness  Providing individual choices  Choice opportunities must be provided based on individual skill level for responding with a meaningful choice

Increasing Happiness  Accessing preferences  Two-step process  1) identify individual preferences  2) embed in daily activities  Initial procedure to reduce problem behavior

Increasing Happiness by Reducing Unhappiness  Rationale: continuum of happiness and unhappiness  Impact on some problem behavior  Process  Identify situation with unhappiness indices  Eliminate the situation if possible  Alter the situation

Making Undesired Activities More Enjoyable: Example  Preference-Based Teaching  Reid & Green (2005)  www.behaviordevelopmentsolutions.com  Rationale  Some learners engage in challenging behavior to escape or avoid teaching programs  If teaching programs are fun, no need for challenging behavior

To Effectively Promote Happiness . . .  Happiness should be a goaled, desired outcome just like more traditional outcomes  Must have behavioral objectives for monitoring and increasing/maintaining happiness (indices)

Don’t Forget Support Staff  It is unlikely staff will effectively promote consumer happiness if staff are frequently discontented with their work environment

Reference for Increasing Happiness  Reid, D.H. (2016). Promoting Happiness Among Adults with Autism and Other Severe Disabilities: Evidence-Based Strategies.  www.behaviordevelopmentsolutions.com

 Contact:  Denny Reid; drhmc@vistatech.net  FINALLY, IN YOUR SUPPORT SETTING, HOW OFTEN DO YOU SEE INDICES OF HAPPINESS AMONG THE PEOPLE YOU SUPPORT?