Establishing a Reinforcement Network to Increase Consultants' Effectiveness in Training Parental Behavioral Management

a particular child. The parents were referred for training in behavioral management by the daycare staff responsible for the child's daily care. The parents had attended training classes in behavioral management with little success being reflected in the child's behavior. The daycare staff had attempted to establish a behavioral management project in the home but had not been able to maintain it. It was clear a system had to be established that closely monitored the parents, while recording and rewarding their cooperative effort to follow suggestions. After two planning visits a home-based behavioral management project was begun, with the mother identified as the primary monitor and reinforcer. The inappropriate (target) behaviors chosen were specific-ally home-based problems and included refusing to eat at mealtime, hitting mother, and refusing to sleep alone. The appropriate (substitute) behaviors included eating meals when presented, absence of hitting, and sleeping alone. To assume the maximum success of the project and to minimize the consultant's time spent actively involved with parents, the following reinforcement network was established. (1) The child was monitored and rewarded by mother for substitute behaviors. Stars on a wall chat with established trade-in values were used as the primary reinforcement system. Praise was paired as a secondary reinforcer. (2) The mother was provided maskery feedbacks and reinforcement by the child's success as indicated by wall chart. She was also monitored and reinforced on a daily basis by praise from father for adhering to project plans. Daycare social work