THINK RULES

#20 Think Evidence based Practice

use of data-based interventions along with clinical knowledge and expertise, while considering a student’s unique needs and preferences. Typically, this means that published peer-reviewed research has shown the intervention to have its desired effects when it has been implemented with integrity.

#1 Think Solution

Avoid admiring the problem; focus on a change strategy that leads to or results in a desired state of functioning or outcome.

#2 Think Behavior

Focus on the observable –see it, hear it, or some tangible product – because it allows for direct measurement and increased objectivity.

#3 Think Positive

Identify desired behaviors for improvement. This sounds incredibly easy but beware for many people it will be difficult because they have been reinforced to focus on problems!

#4 Think Situation

Research and experience shows us that people’s behavior is influenced by their environment. Children’s social emotional behavior often varies across social settings – home, school, daycare, after school programs – and with different people.This characteristic where behavior varies across situations is referred to as situation specificity.

#5 Think OTL (Opportunity to learn)

OTL stands for opportunity to learn. An opportunity to learn is an interactive process predicated on giving a child a question to answer, a problem to solve, or task to do and then waiting to see if and how the child responds. Once they respond, an adult has an opportunity to provide feedback and reinforcement.

#9 Think Time

Time is a critical variable for all interventions. The amount of time needed to learn about an intervention, the amount of time required to implement the intervention, and the amount of time that the intervention needs to be enforce are all concerns. Time is real and psychological. Educators routinely misperceive time. Time is the number one variable that determines whether adults initially find an intervention acceptable.

#12 Think SMART Goal

The acronym S.M.A.R.T. is used by many educators as a guide to the creation of goals for or by students. It stands for Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Relevant. Time-bound.

#13 Think GAS

GAS stands for goal attainment scale. A GAS is an individualized, criterion-referenced approach to describing behavior change and documenting intervention outcomes. It involves:

1. The selection of a target behavior,

2. An objective description of a desired outcome, and

3. Three to five descriptions of the target behavior that increasingly approximate the desired outcome.

#17 Think Stress Reduction

Stress involves a state of strain or tension. Stressors are events or conditions in one’s surroundings that trigger stress responses. Some stress responses, particularly early in children’s lives, disrupt brain development and undermine social functioning. Prolonged periods of stress are physically and psychologically unhealthy for children and adults.

Stress reduction often can be accomplished through five strategies:

• Exercise regularly, Following routines, Breathing techniques, Mediation, and Smiling/Laughing.

#22 Think Tell-Show-Do

People learn differently, but effective instruction always involves at least three components:

• Tell (verbal communication),

• Show (modelling the desired behavior/skill), and

• Do (mimicking and applying the desired behavior/skill).

(practice, monitor progress, generalize)

#10 Think KISS

Keep it Simple Sally!