Parent 1
My foster son, Johnny, is having trouble at school. The teacher reports that he is not
taking part in class discussions. When I ask if she has noticed if he is paying attention,
she tells me that he appears to be listening to her lectures and her questions. I asked if
this lack of participation has always been the case or if it is something new. She said
that at the beginning of the school year, he raised his hand and answered several
questions during science and math classes, but his answers were incorrect. She told
him he was wrong and then called on other students. What could be causing Johnnys
lack of participation? What can we do to help him?
Parent 2
My foster daughter, Sarah, has been with us for 6-months. She endured some pretty
harsh neglect while with her biological mother. They had very little money, and Sarah
was malnourished when she came to live with us. Recently, when cleaning her room, I
found food hidden in the corner of her dresser drawer; under her bed; and behind one of
her dolls. Were worried about her eating food that may have spoiled. What could be
causing this behavior, and what can we do to change it?
Parent 3
Jessie is four years old. He came to live with us about three months ago. I love to take
him to the mall! He is so excited and wide-eyed when we go into the toy store. We dont
have much money ourselves and are on a pretty tight budget, so I cant always buy him
a toy. I hoped that he would just enjoy the outing. After several recent outings, he has
begun grabbing toys off of the shelves and hiding them in his pockets. If I try to take
them and place them back on the shelves, he falls to the floor and begins screaming so
loudly that everyone in the store begins staring. I usually give in just to end the tantrum.
What could be causing him to behave like this? How should I handle this situation?
Write a 4-5 page narrative essay in which you include the following:
Introduce yourself and establish yourself as a credible representative by presenting some background information about your education and expertise in the field, as well as a brief overview of the science of ABA.
Include each parents question and provide your recommendations for modifying the behaviors.
Include explanations of the contingencies at work maintaining the target behaviors, i.e., reinforcement, punishment, and motivating operations, and possible approaches to modify the behaviors of concern (brief behavior modification approaches).
Discuss mock future communications you received from each of these three parents regarding the successes they encountered when implementing your suggestions.
Conclude with a paragraph that leaves your audience with an inspiring thought or quotation that reflects your joy in making a difference in the lives of those who are struggling.
