Communication Skills: Detailed Report on the Behavioural Approach

This report provides a detailed overview of the behavioural approach to communication skills. It examines key techniques such as observation, goal setting, and the use of token economies to modify and encourage desired behaviours. The report explores the importance of clear, measurable behavioural definitions, and the role of positive reinforcement and encouragement in motivating individuals. It also highlights the significance of social learning and role modelling in shaping behaviours. The report discusses the implementation of these techniques in various settings, including classrooms and therapeutic environments, and emphasizes the need for transparency and consistency in the application of the behavioural approach. Finally, it touches upon the practical applications of these methods, including scenarios where individuals might learn new behaviours by copying peers or therapists, and the use of token economies to facilitate positive changes.

Communication Skills-Behavioural Approach
The behavioural approach emphasises shaping behaviour and therefore skills
required include:
-observation,
-goal setting,
-detailed recording,
-defining activity in measurable behavioural terms only,
-transparency (age-and ability appropriate language),
-praise/encouragement (symbolically through token economy),
-effective role modelling.
Observation
The therapist will need to watch the individual in their usual environment e.g.
a classroom, their home etc. to interpret the type of conditioning that may
have occurred e.g.
A  B  C
The observer also needs to clearly define the activity in behavioural terms
only, to establish a baseline measurement from which changes can be
compared to e.g. week 1-individual hits out 21 times compared to week 12
when this is reduced to 8 times.
If observation is not possible then the individual may be asked to record
experiences in a journal/diary to aid the therapist to identify triggers, rewards
etc.
Goal Setting
Once the motivators etc. have been identified, the
therapist will begin to vary the environment to change
the target behaviours. This should be an open,
transparent activity where the individual is aware of w
hat is happening and why. Clear goals should be set
about the behaviours to be encouraged and
extinguished (to prevent manipulation) e.g. by week 12
we are aiming that your aggressive behaviour should
have reduced to……
Contracting- the service user, therapist and other staff/carers could actually
sign up to discussed behaviours to ensure the process is completely
consistent and transparent.

Praise/encouragement
As positive reinforcement has already bee n
highlighted as effective in motivating behaviour,
similarly it can be harnessed to specifically encourage
positive behaviours e.g. Well done, you have
attended for 3 weeks now so this shows a lot of
commitment.
Praise is always more effective if personalise d e.g.
Well done Alex, you have attended for 3 weeks now….
You need to ensure praise is not overused to prevent it
becoming less powerful and ‘expected’ by the individual.
Token economies are a useful way to communicate praise and rewards to
individuals e.g. individuals who are learning disabled, children etc. First
positive behaviour must be selected and put into language the individual can
understand clearly. Then appropriate rewards are selected which will be
specifically motivating to that individual. The service user must then complete
these desired behaviours to access the reward. The longer the token
economy is in the use, the more sophisticated the behaviour which the service
user can be trained/motivated to achieve (providing the reward remains
motivating for them).
Where have you seen token economies before?

Are we all on some sort of token economy? What rewards do you
access for specific behaviour?
Effective Role Modelling
Social learning is a very powerful tool. As it may have been the way in which
the individual learned about the world around them (and the inappropriate
behaviour they are demonstrating), this method
can be sued to motivate new, more positive
behaviours e.g. if an individual l earned to drink
by copying their peers, a support group with
new and powerful positive role models may
assist the individual to learn new behaviours.
Similarly the therapist can model new, positive behaviours for the service
users to hopefully adopt.
Can you give some examples of positive behaviours the therapist could
model?