Friiiday

Today was a loooong Friday. 

The dreary weather and less-than-summery weather did not help! But the blooming Magnolia trees were a pleasant surprise, even if it is March and they only bloom once per year.


Today started off with a TAG-Teach TM (not sure how to subscript here, but this is infact a trademarked term) type session...if you follow me, you know I recently discovered TAG-teaching  TM  as an ABA method and was itching to get into action...the reinforcement, the shaping...it's all a little dreamy for an analytic mind like mine. 


The basic idea is shaping; it is desensitizing, breaking large chunks into smaller ones and providing clear and concrete instructions (SDs) one at a time, this should all sound pretty basic to any ABA-ers out there.


The less than basic idea, is that through shaping procedures we can not only overcome anxiety related to certain tasks (food issues, anxiety related to work tasks, and so on), but we can also use reinforcement to effectively motivate behaviour in a way that social praise alone cannot do. As long as you have a plan for fading the reinforcement....TAG teaching is is a home run and as I found today...in just one session...IT REALLY WORKS! 

In honor of a little Dragon that made a HUGE first step today thanks to TAG Teach!

Because TAG-teaching TM sessions are short and intensive in nature, you do not need to be a drill Sargent (which, obviously if you know me, appeals to me); furthermore, you are much less likely to run into an issue of reinforcer satiation, since the click or tag you use to signify task completion is reserved only for TAG teaching sessions (if your an ABA-er you recognize that as reinforcer-deprivation). 


TAG-teaching TM  sessions are usually brief, and systematic. Large tasks (for example, today's was eating an orange) are broken down into more easily manageable steps. Only focusing on one step at a time, allows the student to master each step before being required to move on...it is brilliant...it is hard core ABA and I absolutely love it. 

Here are some of my thoughts for my upcoming TAG teach TM  sessions....

-Food desensitization
-Letter writing and number formation
-Tying Shoes
-Independent Bathroom Use
-Teaching gross motor activities


What are your thoughts? Have you used TAG Teaching TM ? 


Photos from freedigitalphotos.net