Practical Examples of Discriminative Stimuli
There are many concepts that applied behavioral analysis, or ABA therapy, uses to help children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) build the communication, social and daily life skills with which they often struggle. All of these concepts, of course, are based in scientific research and evidence, which is what makes ABA therapy the leading treatment for children on the autism spectrum.
One of those concepts is known as discriminative stimulus (SD). The technique helps to teach patients how they are supposed to respond to different stimuli around them.
The way it does this is by being able to distinguish between different characteristics for any situation. How the patient responds to these stimuli determines how the ABA therapist will reinforce the different concepts.
There are many practical and easy-to-understand examples of discriminative stimuli, which we’ll describe in more detail below.
Read more: Discriminative Stimulus in ABA Therapy
Table Of Contents
What is Discriminative Stimulus (SD)?
Discriminative stimuli are events or cues from the environment that will signal to a child that if they exhibit a desired behavior, they can achieve a reinforcement action. Simply put, when an SD happens, it signifies to the child that if they exhibit a behavior in a certain way, they’re likely to be rewarded or achieve the desired consequence.
SD is rooted in the concept of operant conditioning, which is at the core of ABA therapy. It states that the consequences of behaviors determine whether those behaviors are strengthened or weakened in the future.
In other words, if a certain behavior results in a positive consequence, the child is more likely to exhibit that behavior. Conversely, if a certain behavior results in a negative consequence, they are less likely to repeat it in the future.
ABA therapists use this concept to try to strengthen desired behaviors and weaken undesired ones.
What are the Different Types of SD?
There are three main types of SD.
The first is verbal instruction. This can be a spoken command or cue, such as “pick up your toy.”
The second is visual prompt. This can be a written word, a gesture, an object or a picture — any of which are meant to guide the child’s behavior.
The third is an environmental cue. This can be any environmental change that would signal that’s it’s the appropriate place or time for a specific behavior.
What are Some Practical Examples of SD?
Discriminative stimuli are actually all around us and apply to all people — regardless of their developmental abilities.
One main example is a stop light. When the stop light is green, it tells people that it’s OK to drive their car through an intersection. When it’s red, it tells people that it’s time to stop.
In fact, all traffic signs are an example visual prompts in SD. The reinforcement for all these SDs is that they keep drivers and passengers in cars safe while they’re on the road.
The sound of a doorbell signifies that there’s someone at your door and you have to go see who it is, which serves as the reinforcement.
From a child’s perspective, a common SD is seeing their mother in a room. When they do, the desired behavior is identifying her and calling out to her by saying “mom” or “mama.” The reinforcement of that SD is getting the attention of the mother, which is useful for any number of purposes.
How are SDs Used in ABA Therapy?
ABA therapy focuses heavily on SDs as a way to teach desired behaviors. They are crucial in providing children on the autism spectrum with the consistent and clear cues that they need to help guide a change in behavior.
SDs will help these children understand what they’re supposed to do, which in turns makes the process of learning much more effective. ABA therapists will systematically integrate SDs into the treatment plan so that children can eventually generalize the new skills that they learn to different situations and environments.
ABA therapist will use all different types of SDs during sessions, depending on what behavior they are working on with the child. An example could be having a green light turn on at a certain time that would signal it’s OK for them to leave their room.
Once this concept is introduced and understood in sessions, it can be applied for mornings. A device with a green light can turn on at a certain time in the morning, which then tells the child they are allowed to leave their room.
Other visual prompts, verbal instructions and environmental cues will be used to help guide how the child behaves in a number of ways.
Blue Gems ABA Uses SD in All Treatment Plans
SDs are a key feature of ABA therapy. They are used by ABA therapists to help patients understand what is expected of them in certain situations and modify their behaviors accordingly.
At Blue Gems ABA, our BCBAs are well-versed on SDs and how to integrate them properly into a specific ABA treatment plan that’s catered to your child’s unique strengths and challenges.
To learn more, please contact us today.
617-297-7998
617-340-3371
info@bluegemsaba.com
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