We love the folks at Self&Match when it comes to self-monitoring!

For more information, check out this CEU webinar. Robert Schramm also has a CEU webinar to watch that includes self-monitoring.

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5 steps to implementing a self-monitoring system:

1) Identify the target behavior.

This is something that you either want to increase or decrease

no more than 3 at once

Ideally, phrase them positively (eg: “No hitting” becomes ” keep hands to yourself”)

make sure the student understands the expectations

2) Select/design a self-monitoring system.

Decide on a way to measure the behaviour

examples: Whole interval recording, partial interval recording, frequency (tallies)

decide on a time frame for the system (eg: “all day”, “per subject”). Better to start with short periods of time

3) Choose reinforcers and how the student will earn them.

How many tallies, intervals until reward?

Does that number change (eg: changing criterion)

4) Teach the student to use the system.

Start with the teacher assessing the students behaviour and giving point

Then, the teacher assesses the student and tells him to give himself the point

Transfer control to the student – practice, practice, practice

make sure to observe, check, and give feedback about accuracy (that they’re reporting accurately)

5) Fade the role of the adult in the intervention.

Skills to target:

Skills must be mastered (not just learning the skill)

Skills must be mastered (not just learning the skill)

cTo reward the ABSENCE of a behaviour (eg: stimming): this can also either be a reward for a minimal number of instances (eg: count how many times he hit) or intervals without the behaviour (how many intervals without stimming). For intervals, you can use a partial interval recording and they assess their behaviour when the timer beeps. Depending on the behaviour, you can also use a whole interval where they have to review the entire interval (eg: did I steal food this morning?)

This can also be a changing criterion design – You could make them earn more checkmarks as they improve. We’ve used behaviour contracts where the criteria for reward started really low and then as they get better, raise the expectation. If the expectation becomes too predictable, you can also have the student work for a “secret number” of points to earn a reward.

Behaviour contracts can also be turned into self-monitoring.

Example 1:

We had a student who did really well with a token system and we let him control it. Every time the timer beeped, he would assess his behaviour and give himself a token if he was on task. This is a partial interval recording (not a whole). Whole interval recordings are difficult to transfer to self-monitoring.

Example 2:

A student who would make silly sounds in the community. He had a motivaider and a tally counter. he started with a 2 minute interval and when the motivaider vibrated, he recorded himself if the interval was successful(i.e., he followed the rules and no silly sounds). If it was, he gave himself a tally. If we saw him breaking the rules, he was instructed to reset the motivaider. When he could go 3 consecutive sessions with 3 or fewer resets, the interval increased (by 60 seconds). For every 20 tallies, he could get a preferred item.

Here’s a great blog that describes self-monitoring in more detail.

Here’s a website that can help you create your own self-monitoring system.