Free Operant Observations are appropriate for all children, and are simple to do regularly in a classroom setting if an observation can be scheduled during a time when a child has the opportunity to choose from among many different, possibly reinforcing, items or activities (e.g., free play). These are appropriate assessments for children who engage in challenging behavior when preferred toys are taken away, because items are never removed after selection or engagement. When conducting a Free Operant Observation, the observer may discover highly-preferred actions or activities that are not typically thought of when brainstorming reinforcers, such as dancing to music, engaging in stereotypy, or escaping adult attention. Typically, Free Operant Observations are not conducted with edible items.
自由操作性观察适合所有的孩子,如果一个观察可以安排在孩子有机会从许多不同的,可能加强的项目或活动(例如,自由玩耍)中选择的时间,那么在课堂环境中定期进行观察是很容易的。这些都是适当的评估,当孩子参与挑战行为时,首选的玩具被拿走,因为物品从来没有被删除后,选择或参与。当进行自由操作观察时,观察者可能会发现在头脑风暴强化物时通常不会想到的高度偏爱的行为或活动,比如伴随着音乐跳舞,参与立体感的活动,或者逃避成年人的注意。通常情况下,免费操作性观察不是针对可食用物品进行的。
Although Free Operant
Observations may not be as accurate at determining
preferences as MSWOs, MSWs, and Paired Stimulus Preference Assessments (i.e., trial-based assessments), these are appropriate for children who are unable to select between highly-preferred and low-preferred items. For example, if you conduct a Paired Stimulus Preference Assessment and noticed that the child always selects items from one side (i.e., side bias), a Free Operant Observation or Single Stimulus Preference Assessment should be conducted instead. Further, trial-based preference assessments require that the implementer have prior knowledge to which items are likely to be highly-preferred or low-preferred by the child. When an implementer is unfamiliar with the child, a Free Operant Observation would be an appropriate preliminary preference assessment, because a wide variety of items are simultaneously available and no prior knowledge of the child’s preferences is required. These assessments may not provide information about a wide variety of potential reinforcers if a child always interacts with only one item (e.g., chooses to play with one toy for the entire observation).
虽然自由操作性观察在确定偏好方面可能不如 MSWOs、 msw 和配对刺激偏好评估(即基于试验的评估)那么准确,但这些对于那些无法在高度偏好和低度偏好之间进行选择的儿童来说是适当的。例如,如果你进行了一个配对刺激偏好评估,发现孩子总是从一侧选择项目(即,侧偏) ,那么应该进行自由操作观察或单一刺激偏好评估。此外,基于试验的偏好评估要求执行者事先知道哪些项目可能是儿童高度偏好或低度偏好的。当一个实施者不熟悉儿童时,免费操作观察将是一个适当的初步偏好评估,因为可同时获得各种各样的项目,不需要事先了解儿童的偏好。如果一个孩子总是只与一个物品互动(例如,在整个观察过程中选择玩一个玩具) ,这些评估可能不会提供各种潜在强化物的信息。
Free Operant Observations may be naturalistic or contrived. In a naturalistic Free Operant Observation, the child is permitted to engage freely in a typical, everyday environment. For example, a teacher may set aside 15 minutes to unobtrusively observe a new student in the free play area. In a contrived Free Operant Observation, the teacher intentionally sets up a predetermined number of items within sight and reach of the child. For example, for a non-ambulatory child, a teacher may to put a variety of items within the child’s reach prior to the session start. A contrived observation may also be helpful if some potentially reinforcing items (e.g., electronic tablet, water table) are not typically available.
自由操作观测可以是自然的或人为的。在自然主义的自由操作观察中,孩子被允许在一个典型的日常环境中自由地参与。例如,老师可以预留15分钟,在自由活动区悄无声息地观察一个新学生。在一个人为的自由操作观察中,老师故意在孩子的视线范围内设置一定数量的项目。例如,对于不能走动的孩子,教师可以在课程开始前将各种物品放在孩子够得着的地方。如果一些潜在的强化物品(如电子药片、地下水位)通常不可用,人为的观察也可能有帮助。
For both types of observations, the teacher observes the child for a predetermined amount of time without interference. The items the child approaches consistently and engages with for the longest are considered the child’s highest preferred items, and the items that the child does not approach are considered the child’s lowest preferred items. It is important to (a) perform assessments regularly because preferences may change, and (b) regularly assess whether the child is able to scan two or more items on a surface, as MSWOs, MSWs, and Paired Stimulus Preference Assessments may be more accurate in determining preferences than Free Operant Observations.
对于这两种类型的观察,老师观察孩子一个预先确定的时间没有干扰。儿童一贯接触并长期参与的项目被认为是儿童最喜欢的项目,儿童不接触的项目被认为是儿童最不喜欢的项目。有规律地进行评估是很重要的,因为偏好可能会改变,有规律地评估孩子是否能够扫描一个表面上的两个或多个项目,因为 MSWOs、 msw 和配对刺激偏好评估在确定偏好方面可能比自由操作观察更准确。
Before beginning, you should collect the following materials:
Data collection sheet
Naturalistic environment (e.g., free play, resource room) or predetermined variety of items
在开始之前,你应该收集以下材料: 数据收集表自然的环境(如,自由玩耍,资源室)或预先确定的项目种类
Now you and your child are ready to begin.
现在你和你的孩子已经准备好开始了。
1. Set up your contrived environment
or lead the child to the naturalistic environment. For example, you might bring a child into a resource room and tell her to play freely, or for a non-ambulatory child, you might set up a predetermined variety of items within her sight and reach.
1.建立你的人为环境或者引导孩子去自然的环境。例如,你可以把一个孩子带到一个资源室,告诉他自由地玩,或者对于一个不能走动的孩子,你可以在他的视线范围内预先设置各种各样的物品。
2. Observe the child unobtrusively, and record the following on your data sheet during each trial:
2. 注意观察孩子,并在每次试验的数据表上记录下列内容:
Whether the child approaches an item (i.e., reaches out and takes it).
孩子是否接近一个物品(例如,伸出手去拿)。
Whether the child engages with the item. For engaging with toys, this might include pushing buttons on the toy, swinging the toy around, or otherwise manipulating the toy. Engagement does not necessarily have to be manipulating the toy as it was intended, but should not include problem behavior (e.g., throwing the toy, breaking the toy).
孩子是否参与这个项目。对于玩具,这可能包括按动玩具上的按钮,摆动玩具周围,或以其他方式操纵玩具。参与并不一定要按照玩具的意图来操纵它,但不应该包括问题行为(例如,扔玩具,摔坏玩具)。
The duration for which the child plays with the toy (i.e., the amount of time between the child’s approach and rejection of the toy). You may also record the child’s engagement in other activities. For example, you might record the duration of time a child engages in stereotypy, dances to music, or moves into spaces without other children. We don’t typically think of these when we are brainstorming reinforcers, but if these are highly-preferred by the child, they may serve to reinforce target behaviors. For example, a child might get a break from teacher interaction or be allowed to engage in stereotypy contingent on responding.
孩子玩玩具的时间长短(即从孩子接近玩具到拒绝玩具之间的时间长短)。你也可以记录孩子参与其他活动的情况。例如,你可以记录一个孩子从事刻板印象、随着音乐跳舞或者没有其他孩子进入空间的持续时间。当我们头脑风暴的时候,我们通常不会想到这些强化物,但是如果这些是孩子们高度偏好的,他们可能会强化目标行为。例如,一个孩子可能会从老师的互动中得到休息,或者被允许参与到对回应的刻板印象中。
You may also record the child’s engagement in other activities. For example, you might record the duration of time a child engages in stereotypy, dances to music, or moves into spaces without other children. We don’t typically think of these when we are brainstorming reinforcers, but if these are highly-preferred by the child, they may serve to reinforce target behaviors. For example, a child might get a break from teacher interaction or be allowed to engage in stereotypy contingent on responding.
你也可以记录孩子参与其他活动的情况。例如,你可以记录一个孩子从事刻板印象、随着音乐跳舞或者没有其他孩子的情况下进入空间的时间。当我们头脑风暴时,我们通常不会想到这些强化物,但是如果这些是孩子们高度偏好的,他们可能会强化目标行为。例如,一个孩子可能会从老师的互动中得到休息,或者被允许参与到对回应的刻板印象中。
3. Continue recording approaches, engagement, and duration of engagement with each item until you have completed the predetermined observation time period.
图3。继续记录每个项目的方法、参与度和持续时间,直到完成预定的观察时间段。
4. At the end of the session, record items that were within view and/or reach of the child that he or she did not approach. It will be useful for future trial-based Preference Assessments to identify items that may be low-preferred by the child.
图4。在会议结束时,记录孩子看得见和/或能够到但他/她没有接近的项目。未来基于试验的优先选择评估将有助于确定儿童可能偏好的项目。