1. Increasing Attendance and
Peer Interactions
Angela Houseknecht

2. Meet the Student
Student: Nicole Grade: 6, Caucasian School: Sinking Springs
Elementary School
Teacher: Mr. H (homeroom)
Family: Parents in process of separation. Mother is seeking
support from teachers, graduate student consultation, counselor,
and medical doctors. Has older sister attending York College.
Medical History: Headaches, stomach cramps/ nausea, possible
IBS/ anxiety. Mother has history of migraines.
Important Variables: According to mother, child has no school
friends, student “dreads” “feels too sick” to go to school. Student
denies being bullied but parent suspects that bullying was an issue
in the past. Long history of difficulty with social interactions.
Mother wants child involved in solution. Mother is optimistic about
teacher/ consultation support.

3. Meet the Student
…More important variables:
No IEP or interventions used or used in the past
Shy, quiet, and prefers independent activities over
social activities
Absent* 16 days
- September 5, 2012- November 23, 2012
- Blocks of 3 or 4 days at a time
Previous help with reading and math
Bothered by her lack of friends

4. Meet the Student
Strengths:
Respectful of teachers,
homework completion,
following directions,
teachers like her,
friendly and kind disposition,
agreeable, and communicates well with adults
Likes:
Enjoys video games, the computer, her sister’s
help, and pizza, soccer, she mentioned a new class
mate and another girl as potential friends

5. Absences:
Date AM/PM Reason
9/5/12 AM/ PM Illness (exc)
9/6/12 AM/ PM Illness (exc)
9/14/12 AM/ PM Illness (exc)
9/19/12 AM/ PM Illness (exc)
10/10/12 AM/ PM Medical (exc)
11/5/12 AM/ PM DR Note (exc)
11/6/12 AM/ PM DR Note (exc)
11/7/12 AM/ PM DR Note (exc)
11/8/12 AM/ PM DR Note (exc)
11/12/12 AM/ PM DR Note (exc)
11/13/12 AM/ PM DR Note (exc)
11/14/12 AM/ PM DR Note (exc)
11/27/12 AM/ PM
11/28/12 AM/ PM
11/29/12 AM/ PM
11/30/ 12 AM/ PM

6. Setting
Sinking Springs Elementary School Grade 6 Demographics
(2011):
- Student/ Teacher 16:1
- Preforms above state average in Math (94%) and
Reading (90%)
- 702 students
- 78% white, 7% black, 6% 2 or more races 5%
Asian, 3% Hispanic 0% Native American
- 13% eligible for free/ reduced lunch (state wide
38%
- District spends $9,753 per pupil (62% instruction,
32% support services, 5% other)
www.education.com

7. Setting
Mr. H: - MA ED 2010 & 8th year teaching elementary ED
- Successful track record/ parents request this
teacher
- Afterschool running club and volunteers in the
summer with team building exercises
Mr. H’s Homeroom Class:
- 4 tables of approx. 6 students
- Rules, schedules, expectations, assignments
clearly posted
- Orderly, high rate of student participation, very few
call outs, little to no behavioral issues (verbal redirections)
- Majority of students are preforming average or
above average, a few students with support services
- Team teaching system

8. Anecdotal Report
Antecedent: The teacher verbally prompts the
class to find a partner or for a group.
Behavior: The student does not seek out a
group or partner. She tends to wonder around
the room. If she does speak to a student it’s so
quiet and with no eye contact that her peers do
not react. The student then goes to the teacher
and requests that she be placed in a group/
partner.
Consequence: The teacher assigns her a
partner.

9. Target Behavior (PII/ PAI)
- Avoids peer interaction, specifically during group/ or
partner assignments or games
- Avoids attending school “feels sick”
- Often “floats around the room” when confronted with a
group/ partner assignment that requires peer
interaction
- Student will either ask the teacher to assign her to a
group/ partner or wait until all groups/ partners are
formed
- Consistently opts out of voluntary group activities such
as games
- Possible long history of avoidance

10. Anecdotal Report
The perceived function of the behavior is
avoidance. The student is avoiding initiating
contact with her peers. The behavior is
reinforced when the teacher initiates contact for
her.

11. Conjoint Behavioral Consultation
Multidisciplinary meeting: Principal, HR teacher, Sci teacher,
Math teacher, Mother, Father, Sister, Student, Myself
The Parent’s main concerns:
- Physical Symptoms/ IBS/ Headaches, Sensory Integration
disorder, diet, loosing hair,
- Stress and family changes
- Student feels school is “too hard” particularly science
- Possible learning disability
- Often seen “zoning out”
- Social skill deficit
- Attendance

12. Conjoint Behavioral Consultation
Multidisciplinary meeting: Principal, HR teacher, Science
teacher, Math teacher, Mother, Father, Sister, Student, Myself
The Parent’s main concerns:
 Physical Symptoms-- Currently seeing MD
 Stress and family changes – Counselor scheduled
 Student feels school is “too hard” particularly science--
teacher will give her extra help and attendance will make it
easier
 Possible learning disability –Principal examined record and
attendance is the primary issue affecting her academics
 Often seen “zoning out” -- teacher will call on student more
 Social skill deficit -- grad student ABA intervention
 Attendance-- grad student CB intervention

13. Behavioral Objectives
1. Nicole will attend 4 out of 5 school days or
80% of the school week for 2 weeks.
1. When given a verbal prompt by Mr. H to join
a group/ partner Nicole will ask a peer “will
you be my partner/ in my group?” 100 % of
the opportunities for 2 weeks.

14. Dimension and Rationale
Frequency
- Goal 1: is to increase the number of days the
student is in attendance
- Goal 2: is to increase the number of times she
asks a peer to join a group or form partnership

15. Dimension and Rationale
Event Recording: Data Collection Sheet
• Directions: In table 1, please mark the student’s daily
attendance by writing “X” Yes student is in attendance or “O”
No the student is absent. In table 2 for each opportunity for
group or partner formation, write a brief description of the
activity (ex. writing with partner) and mark “X” Yes the
student initiated group/ partner formation or “O” No the
student did not initiate group/ partner formation.
• Student: Nicole
• Observer: Mr. H
• Behavior: Daily attendance and initiating partner/ group
formation for partner/ group activities in Mr. H classroom

16. Single Subject Research Design
Multiple Baseline
- Measuring the same person with 2 behaviors
in the same setting
- PEI Possible goal of generalization to
additional settings such as math (Mrs. P) and
science (Mrs. C) where group/ partner
interaction opportunities are even more
frequent

17. Treatment Integrity Issues with
Baseline Data
Delays due to chronic absences and a delay in beginning the
project (one clearance arrived very late).
Student was absent 16 days (did not return after thanksgiving
break until 12/3/12)
According to PII, PAI (checked today), and anecdotal report
the student consistently avoids every opportunity to initiate
partnership or group formation (not known to be successful)
Since the student and parents have become aware of my role,
the student has been in attendance for the last 3 days
including today. The student also made one attempt to find a
partner. Parental-influence may be a powerful enough
reinforcer.
Teacher became confused with definition of behavioral
objective and data sheet was corrected after a brief email
exchange.

18. Intervention
Meeting with parents, teachers, counselor, principal,
and student Friday 12/7/12 8:00am
Behavioral Contract: presented to teacher, parents,
and administrator
Student Version
Teacher Version
Team Tickets
Pizza Party

19. Interventions and Rationale
Antecedent/ Consequence control
- Teacher prompt
- Teacher removes reinforcement of avoidance by
directing the student to engage with peers
- Teacher provides more opportunities
Behavioral Contracting
- Student understands and complies with written
instructions
- Acquire social skills through practice
- Also parents want to be involved
Token Economy
- Team ticket system is already in place
- Expanded team tickets to reinforce behavioral
contract goals
- Pizza party for class if she choses

20. Results:
0
1
2
3
4
5
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8
NumberofOccurances
Absences and Peer Interactions
Absences
Peer Interactions
Baseline Sub-phase 1 Sub-phase 2

21. Results:
• Nicole attained 15 tickets
• Nicole attained 2 tickets from initiated peer
interactions and 13 for attendance
• She kept the tickets and did not want to do the
pizza party

22. Intervention and Treatment
Integrity Issues:
• The teacher forgot to give the student her first week’s
attendance on the predetermined date. Student
reminded teachers and received reinforcement the
following Monday. This issue did not occur again.
• The teacher forgot to present the student with the
option of the pizza party at the predetermined date.
The student took an additional 3 weeks to decide
against the pizza party.

23. Discussion:
• Treatment integrity issues:
• Data collection
• Delivery of reinforcers
• Possible reinforcers; parental influence, teacher
classroom modifications, counseling
• Absences
• Variables:
• Sensory Processing Disorder
• Parental Separation
• Undiagnosed physical illness

24. Discussion:
The Successes of the Intervention:
• Increased/ consistent attendance
• Teacher reports a positive change in mood and an
increase in social interactions with peers in the form of
short casual conversations.
• Teacher reports a more receptive attitude towards
peers and is seen smiling with friends
• The staff and parents were able to share concerns and
address the students needs and make
accommodations.
• The student’s teachers and parents remain in
communication and share information.

25. Discussion:
Recommendations:
Social-skill acquisition
Student referred to the school counselor for;
IEP
504 behavior plan
Special services
A suitable referral
or anything else as deemed necessary by the school
counselor, parents, and administrator.