PROFESSIONALISM

AND MONITORING

PSY 3570: Practicum with Special Populations

What’s the Big Deal?

For an A in this course, you need at least a 97% or higher in both of the Professionalism and Monitoring categories

These categories are very important because they hold you accountable for:

Behaving professionally both in taking data and in interactions with others at WoodsEdgeAND

Behaving properly as a tutor to increase and maintain treatment

First, let’s talk about

Professionalism…

Where does my Professionalism Score

come from?

Attire

Acceptance of Feedback

Book Checks

Getting Codes Signed

Interactions with

Supervisors/TAs/Classroom

Staff/Teachers

Professionalism Slip

Professionalism Feedback Sheet

Name __________________ Child's Name__________________ Date/Procedure________________ Problem ______________________You have lost __________ points. This is your _____ week making this error.

Timeline for

Professionalism Scores

Week 1(Training Week): Take FAKE

data except for last day of training

week

Weeks 2 and 3: Take REAL data with

warning points (fake professionalism

scores)

Week 4 and on: Taking real data,

receive real professionalism scores

Important Information

1500 Possible Professionalism Points

Possible Common Errors: Missing %

No initials

No codes

Warning Slips Weeks 2 and 3

Raise awareness of common mistakes

Possibly get many in the beginning

Review Professionalism Slip with Shift TA if have questions

If you get more than

9 warning points…

Basic practicum alerts Support Coordinator (SC)

SC schedules a meeting with you

TA or supervisor could help as well

When it comes to Real Points…

Tough point deduction policy

When you make the first error, you typically

lose 3 points (see list of expectations in

syllabus for full list of point deductions)

When you make the same mistake a

second time, you lose DOUBLE the first

point deduction

If you make the same mistake three times,

you lose TRIPLE the first point deduction

… and so on …

Example

1st offense:

9/27 – Billy – Missed phase change – loss of 3 points

2nd offense:

10/12 – Billy – Missed phase change – loss of 6 points

3rd offense:

10/14 – Billy – Missed phase change – loss of 9 points

4th offense:

11/3 – Billy – Missed phase change – loss of 12 points

Now, let’s talk about

Monitoring…

What is Monitoring?

The time where a graduate student

supervisor will observe your tutor behavior in

order to ensure correct procedure

implementation

This is a check for treatment integrity –

making sure we are implementing

procedures correctly and consistently so that

the kids can progress through the classroom

Also gives supervisors the chance to help

you out

Important Info about

Monitoring Scores

You will get a score 2 times per

week

Each score is worth 100 points

Loss of 2 points per error

A graduate student supervisor will

give you feedback for about 5

minutes after he/she observes

your performance

2nd Week at WoodsEdge

(the week after training week)

You will get your first monitoring scores

They will be “fake” points

This means you will be observed by your supervisor and he/she will give you feedback but it will be a practice run

This week is an opportune time to ask your supervisor to watch a problematic procedure so that you can get feedback on something more difficult before you start getting a real grade for it – This would be beneficial to your kid in the long run also

3 Types of Monitoring Scores

Standard DTT

Arrival/Departure

PECS

Potentially a fourth, outside the

booth activities

Components of a Standard DTT

Score

Your supervisor will be looking for the following before the response:

Before StartingDetermines procedure and phaseGathers materialsSelects effective reinforcer (preference assessment)

Antecedent ConditionsArranges materials appropriatelyChild attendingPresents SD as written in a neutral tone

Components of a Standard DTT

Score

Your supervisor will be looking for the following for the Consequences of a Response:

Correct Response Immediately delivers reinforcer (<1 s)

Appropriate reinforcer voice

Tangible given (approx. every 3 trials)

Engages with student and tangible

Incorrect Response Blocks response before made if possible

Repeats SD while following prompt hierarchy

Follows incorrect responses with neutral “good” (no tangible) (does not reinforce)

Provides ELO or new trial (does not end on an incorrect response)

Components of a Standard DTT

Score

Your supervisor will be looking for the

following across all trials:

Pacing (4 LOs per minute)

Does not leave the child idle for more than 5

s

Inter-trial Interval (3-5 s)

Follows through with all demands

Records data at least every 3 trials

Does not attend to problem behavior

Components of an Arrival

Score

Booth ready

Bus at Correct Time

Transition ring

Reinforcer if needed

Reinforce appropriate walking

Provides appropriate prompts with all tasks

at locker

Get PECS book

All belongings put into bag

Components of an Departure

Score

Tutor/child has PECS book

Transition ring

Reinforcer if needed

Bus at correct time

Provides appropriate prompts with all tasks

at the locker

Notebook in bag

Cleans up booth

Example of the PECS Form

Components of the PECS

Form

Specific form for each phase

Supervisor will look for correct

implementation of the items for each

subphase

Spend some time reading the specific

subphase for your child ahead of time!

During feedback sessions…

Your supervisor may also give you feedback for anything not specified on the forms that needs a little more work

The first time this happens you will not get any points deducted

If you do not implement the feedback, you will lose 2 points on the next monitoring score

If you do not a third time, you will lose 4 points

Be aware that if you do not implement feedback you risk losing professionalism

Not sure what the supervisor is talking about?Ask for clarification

Ask for a model

Ask to be observed another time for more feedback

Disagree with the feedback/suggestions?Offer your suggestion in a non-combative way

Did the SC tell you something different? Let the supervisor know

Be cool, ask to be observed

I think I screwed something upBring it to someone’s attention

We can invalidate the data

Fixing the problem is way cooler than ignoring it

One more note…