+ Why was the R.E.A.L. Model developed?

Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who have received ABA treatment do not generalize to the extent needed.

Programs can rely too heavily on curriculums and difficulties with generalization of skills becomes a common theme. Resources to help practitioners to teach for generalization within intensive behavioral treatment are often absent.

Conceptually the research has addressed the importance of promoting generalization. However, there is a gap from theory to practice especially with systematically teaching for generalization within ABA programs of high intensity. It is one thing to promote generalization of a few skills or procedures and quite another for programs consisting of structured treatment 25-40 hours a week. Developing and progressing intervention procedures needs to be programmed throughout the child’s entire waking hours.

• Case conceptualization to teach for generalization is needed to develop a functional analytic framework to develop and progress for the different types of generality across a child’s day.
• A representation of the child’s day and evening needs to be formulated to analyze the natural environments where the behaviors learned are expected to change and generalize. This starts in assessment and throughout intervention.
• Generalization needs to develop and progress in the same systematic manner as planned intervention lessons taking into account the child’s entire day.

What does this mean?

Over the 25 years R.E.A.L (Recreating Environments to Accelerate Learning) has successfully been trained and implemented within ABA treatment for hundreds of children with ASD, The R.E.A.L. Model, Rethinking Generalization evolved into a book that every practitioner can now access.

The R.E.A.L Model provides the practitioner with the needed “how to” tools to teach for generalized behavior change effectively.

How?

The book breaks down the multi-complexities of generalization into 5 unique training levels – starting with simple stimulus control to building complex repertoires while systematically teaching for the generalization of behaviors expected. Behaviors learned have greater generative qualities giving the child the ability to contact new environments, new change, and greater adaptability and independence.
ABA practitioners understand it is one thing to know about generalization and quite another to get children with autism to generalize. If you struggle with developing programs for successful generalized behavior change, The R.E..A.L. Model, Rethinking Generalization is for you. Why? Because the work is done for you.

+ What is the R.E.A.L. Model?

The R.E.A.L. Model teaches for generalization across five levels which systematically changes environmental antecedents and consequences in order to increase skill acquisition and accelerate learning within any existing ABA program. The structure of each generalization level allows for observable, measurable accountability as to how a concept, verbal operant, skill, or repertoire was acquired based on the environmental conditions present. Each level provides the practitioner with a behavior analytic structure by which treatment is evaluated and targets selected to teach for the generalized behavior change expected.The R.E.A.L. Model begins the behavioral process to teach for generalization during stimulus discrimination training of concepts and the teaching of skill acquisition taught in a highly structured environment. The process continues when systematically introducing stimuli and contingencies within the natural environment or bring aspects of the natural environment into the training session.Special emphasis in bridging concepts and skills in order to teach complex repertoires follows, establishing multiple-control, and generalized social behavior to the verbal community. Data indicate skill acquisition across all ABA program areas.The R.E.A.L. Model does the work for the practitioner by providing a systematic framework to teach for generalization so practitioners are more successful with increasing the child’s skill acquisition across all applied settings.

+ How does it compare to other models? How is the R.E.A.L. Model different?

Individuals with ASD have difficulties generalizing from a structured learning environment to the “real world” independent of their functioning level. This is likely attributable to the degree they are affected by the disorder and their individual learning styles which, in turn, affects their rate of acquisition and maintenance of new concepts, skills and language repertoires taught. Many practitioners have attended or provided trainings on generalization, but have struggled with treatment integrity in the utilization of generalization procedures. The R.E.A.L. Model is a comprehensive behavior analytic guide for planning and programming across 5 unique levels of generalization within intensive behavioral treatment. The R.E.A.L. Model can be used with any traditional ABA program rather than the practitioner using it as a another curriculum resource. Why? Because it was specifically designed to critically analyze the generality of behaviors from the same behavior analysis perspective used to address any operant behavior. The practitioner is given the tools needed for case conceptualization to plan, sort, develop and progress intervention programs needed to remediate targeted deficits by use of the Real Matrices. Deficits are grouped by concept discrimination, skills for self-care and play and verbal operants that allow the child to functionally communicate and develop language skills. These behaviors help the child develop the repertoires needed to increase the his/her ability to fully function in life at home, in the community and in society. But what makes the R.E.A.L. Model unique is that teaching for generalization starts from the beginning of the child’s ABA program and is systematically progressed to the end of treatment. A behavior analytic framework is provided at each level of generalization so the practitioner can bring the needed training principles into natural the environment and/or bring aspects of the natural environment into the training setting to teach for successful generalization. Involving the parents in the process is emphasized and key to successfully teach the needed generalization skills in the child’s daily life with family, peers and in the community. Essential is the focus on concept formation and bridging concepts and skills in the shaping of behavioral cusps where the outcome of the generalized behavior change exposes the child to new experiences, environments, responses, and has generative qualities.

+ Who is it suitable for?

Any individual who is receiving an intensive ABA based program. The R.E.A.L. Model can easily be incorporated in any existing ABA program.

+ What is the success rate?

All clients will acquisition with The R.E.A.L. Model. Data indicate acquisition to increase in complexity and strength when The R.E.A.L. Model is used. The child’s generalization ability increases from structured treatment to natural environments representative of child’s daily life with family and the community. Families report getting their child back and having a meaningful relationship with them for the first time.