SP 26 9719 Mod 4.2 Antecedent Interventions

Preference assessment

What are antecedent interventions?

Antecedent Interventions in Special Education

Proactive, evidence-based strategies for preventing challenging behavior before it starts — a practical guide for special education teachers

Functional communication training (FCT)

High-probability request sequence

High-probability request sequence

What it is Deliver 3–5 simple, high probability requests rapidly before issuing a low-probability (difficult/non-preferred) request Who it's for Students who engage in refusal, delayed task initiation, or have difficulty with transitions between activities High-P criteria High-probability requests must have a history of at least 80% engagement — short, simple, and familiar to the student Find Low-P follows immediately There should be little to no pause between the last high-P request and the low-P request — momentum must carry over Reinforce every step Provide high-quality, immediate reinforcement contingent on compliance with both high-P and low-P requests Builds behavior momentum Establishes a pattern of "yes" responses that provides opportunities for the student to be successful early on and access reinforcement to build behavioral momentum to engage in activities

Functional communication training (FCT)

What it is Teach a functionally equivalent communicative response (sign, picture card, AAC device, verbal) to replace problem behavior Who it's for Students with complex communication needs who engage in challenging or interfering behaviors to access their needs Step 1 — Identify the Function Conduct an FBA to determine if the behavior is maintained by attention, escape, or access to tangibles Step 2 — Choose a Response The new communicative response must be easy to learn, quick to perform, and recognized by all adults in the setting Step 3 — Teach Explicitly Use prompts and immediate reinforcement every time the student uses the new response; gradually thin reinforcement Step 4 — Reduce Problem Behavior Withhold reinforcement for the challenging behavior (extinction); all team members must implement this consistently

Preference attention

What it is Teacher provides brief, focused attention to a student before a lesson, reducing their need to seek it disruptively Who it's for Students whose problem behavior (calling out, getting out of seat, talking) is maintained by teacher or peer attention Step 1 — Determine Function Use ABC data to confirm the behavior is attention-maintained; if escape-maintained, this strategy does not apply Step 2 — Find Student Interests Use an interest inventory, observations, or direct conversation to learn what the student enjoys talking about Step 3 — Implement Give 2 minutes of student-led conversation on their chosen topic before the lesson begins; let the student talk Step 4 — Monitor and Adjust Track frequency of problem behavior and reduce presession time as behavior improves; can use think-pair-share for groups

What are antecedent interventions?

Preventative by design Antecedent interventions change the environment before behavior occurs — not in reaction to it Based on SDs and MOs These strategies work by altering discriminative stimuli and motivating operations that evoke problem behavior FBA is the foundation Always conduct a functional behavior assessment first to identify why the behavior occurs before selecting a strategy Preference assessment required Identify potential reinforcers before implementing any intervention — match the reinforcer to the function Used in treatment packages Antecedent strategies are most effective when paired with consequence interventions like DR or extinction Reduces teacher stress Proactive management decreases disruptive behaviors while increasing appropriate, prosocial behaviors in class