Understanding Client Repertoire and Preference in Interventions

WILCZYNSKI TEXT LEARNING ASSIGNMENT Karsyn Kemsel Course: SPCE 680-806

Essay #1: Throughout my reading of chapter 4, I enjoyed learning about many topics that were discussed. I believe I will use what I learned throughout my career as a BCBA. One of the sections I found most interesting would-be client repertoire. Client repertoire is described as the skills that a client has already reached mastery criterion for. This chapter goes more into depth about the prerequisite skills that a client must master for the treatment to be effective. This is an important aspect of choosing which treatment would be best for the client. The chapter uses the example of video modeling. For a client to benefit from video modeling, there are other prerequisite skills the client needs to have for this to be effective. For example, the client must be able to attend, sit still, and imitate each step. When choosing the correct intervention for a client, it is important not to assume what skills a client may possess. A client’s repertoire should be assessed on an on-going basis. Making assumptions about what skills a client may have could decrease the treatment options for the client. Chapter 4 explains that if a client did not have the skills to complete a past treatment intervention, it should not automatically be ruled out. The client could have gained more skills and the intervention could be effective. The next topic I found interesting in chapter 4 would be behavioral cusps. These are explained as changes in behavior that has long term effects due to them altering the client’s access to other environments including reinforcers, punishers, new contingencies, and responses. Chapter 4 explains that practitioners often consider behavioral cusps when choosing which behaviors and/or skills that need to be altered. This is also a very useful aspect when it comes to choosing appropriate interventions for a client. This chapter was very interesting to me because it gave me new information about other factors that need to be considered when selecting an appropriate intervention.

Essay #2: I found the topics discussed in chapter five to be very beneficial when working with clients. This chapter explains client preference as well as how it relates to ethics. Throughout my experience in the field, I have found that conducting preference assessments efficiently is extremely important when implementing interventions. I found it very interesting that there are multiple strategies for using client preference in evidence-based practice. The chapter explains that preference assessments are done to identify strong potential reinforcers for the client. It is important to test if what the practitioner believes is a preferred item for the client, serves as a reinforcer. The chapter goes into depth about the ethical reasoning behind preference assessments. I learned throughout this chapter that a client has the right to reject treatments that are offered, if the client is “mentally competent.” I found interesting that preference can be determined for individuals as well as a group. Although, as explained in the chapter, for group preference to be determined, there must be certain pre-requisite skills in the client’s repertoire. The required skills need to be assessed to determine if a client is able to participate in a preference assessment. This is common among infants and toddlers. The pre-requisite skills that a client would need include being able to make choices, able to attend throughout the assessment, etc. Environmental enrichment was also an interesting topic discussed in chapter 5. This is used for clients that engage in high rate of stereotypical behavior such as hand flapping or rocking. This is used by presenting the client with toys, activities, and other attractive materials for them to explore instead of engaging in the stereotypic behavior. Throughout this chapter, I learned more about how beneficial client preference is and how it can be used in many ways. This will benefit me in the future when creating and implementing interventions.

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Wilczynski Text Learning Assignment

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