Physical prompting, what is it and when does it become something more. In Physical prompting, what is it and when does it become something more, matters because it changes what a BCBA notices when decisions have to hold up in case conceptualization, intervention design, staff training, and literature-informed problem solving.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Florida Association of Behavior Analysis
Take This Course →Including ethics, supervision, and topics like this one. New live CEU every Wednesday.
Join Free →Physical prompting is not typically well defined in applied settings and can occur with a range of force that can vary greatly, but when the individual begins to resist everything can change rapidly. What was a mild physical prompt is now a "vigorous" physical prompt that is beginning to look and function like restraint. Individuals may resist physical guidance whether it's to discourage them from hitting or encourage them to remain seated. This presentation will focus on differences between physical prompts and restraint as well as factors that cause parents/guardians and the general public to deem restraints acceptable or unacceptable. Other topics will include 1) an examination of the concepts of accommodation and discrimination as they apply to individuals with special needs, 2) A clear, functional definition of restraint for parents, 3) The 3 types of control that are used with all people and WHY even mild restraint must sometimes be used as a form of control, and 4) the use of procedures that are definitely "against the will" of the child and may even result in a momentary restriction of the individual's rights.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | General |
| COA | 1 | — |
| FL MH/PSY | 1 | — |
Dr. Merrill Winston is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who has worked in the field of Developmental Disabilities for over 35 years. He has worked in small group homes, large residential facilities, secured facilities, family homes, and schools and has worked with a broad population who exhibited behavior problems that ranged from mild to life-threatening. Dr. Winston is comfortable working with both verbal and non-verbal individuals and both children and adults with a range of diagnoses. His strengths are relating to direct-care staff in a manner that sets them at ease as well as working in real-time with children and adults. Dr. Winston excels in public speaking and has given numerous presentations at various professional conferences throughout the country. His areas of interest are crisis prevention and intervention, psychotropic medication usage with special populations, and the development and implementation of training programs designed to increase the skill levels of parents, professionals, teachers, and direct-care staff.
Side-by-side comparison with a clinical decision framework
Research-backed educational guide for behavior analysts
Research-backed answers to common clinical questions
All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.