Choice Making

Increase on-task engagement



v Why are choices important?

Choices can increase the independence, motivation and on-task behavior
while decreasing the challenging behaviors and rigidity pattern seen for
children with behavioral problems.



v What kind of choices are there?

You can offer choices for example:

§ Between activities (coloring or reading) or

§ Within activities ( red crayon or blue crayon)



Choices can also be incorporated during the daily activity schedule or
also during the work situations. They can be choices of

§ Whom to work/play with

§ Where to work/play with

§ When to work/play

§ Whether to do an activity or not



v How can one give choices?

The best way to offer is through the "forces choice method".
This means asking a question that offers two specific options. For
example, If you have a child who does not have consistent demands and
hard for you to manage a behavior. You can use a Forced choice method
"Do you want to watch a movie or read a book"? vs asking
"What do you want"?



This provides the opportunity to the child to pick the activity and
still parents got to pick them which they had available at the time.



v When one should give choices?

Anytime, mealtime, chore or daily schedule, leisure time, in community,
or during the therapy sessions are some great times to offer choices.
The choice making can be incorporated at anytime for any activity you
are having a struggle.



v Some examples of choice making (Strategies for parents for mealtime)

§ Do you want to have potatoes or carrots with your bread (within
activity)?

§ Do you want juice to drink or nothing to drink (within activity, a
choice of refuse)?

§ Do you want mom to put dinner on your plate or do you want to do
yourself (who)?

§ Do you want to sit on the end or on the side of the table (where)?

§ Do you want to eat now or in 1 minute (when)?



v Researches behind the choice-making strategies ( ABA Perspective)

Study: This investigation was conducted in an effort to systematically
extend the emerging data base having to do with choice-making
opportunities and the behavior of students with disabilities. In
particular, the current analyses examined the effects of choice-making
on the problem behavior and task engagement of three high school
students with intellectual disabilities as the students performed
domestic and vocational activities.



Findings of the study: Multiple baseline and reversal designs
demonstrated that the choice conditions reduced problem behaviors and
increased task engagement for all participants. Data having to do with
student affect and task productivity were less consistent. The findings
on the relationship between choice making and problem behavior replicate
and extend a growing literature on the desirable effects of
choice-making for individuals with disabilities. The results are
discussed in terms of recent developments in behavioral support, as well
as the need for ongoing conceptual and applied research.



References

1) Pinellas County Schools, St. Petersburg, FL

(2) Division of Applied Research and Educational Support, Department of
Child and Family Studies, Florida Mental Health Institute, University of
South Florida, Tampa, FL

(3) Department of Child & Family Studies, Florida Mental Health
Institute, University of South Florida, 13301 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard,
33612 Tampa, FL



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