Lesson 7: Teaching Functional Skills

Attention

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:

• Identify the importance of teaching functional skills using Behavior Management techniques
• Write appropriate Functional Skill Development Plans

Teaching

Teaching Skills is the primary use of Behavior Management techniques!

I know it seems wrong, but the best use of Behavior Management techniqes is NOT to take care of "bad" or "unwanted" behaviors but to teach people how to do things and to motivate and reward them for doing them!

Functional Skills

Functional Skills are specific to the environments in which they occur. They are goal specific, adaptive, and they prevent behavior problems.

Thinking this way will well prepare us to be able to contend with the kinds of behavior problems we encounter...particularly when we find out that "not knowing how to do something" is a source of frustration, anger, giving up, and acting out! This is the most common reason for kids acting out.

What kinds of Skills?

• Educational Skills
• Home Skills
• Social Skills

Why use Behavior Management?

Remember that Behavior Management is a way to MOTIVATE people to do things. By providing reinforcers we make it more likelty for them to do the desired behavior. In order to MAKE THE EFFORT to learn a new skill (particularly when old skills have "worked") requires more than just instruction...we need to reward the effort and success as well!

Assessment

Lesson 7 Quiz

1. Why do we need to discuss “skill training” in a Behavior Management class?
2. How is Behavior Management applicable to “skill training”?