Personal Space Intervention Plan, Script

Personal Space Session Script

PERSONAL SPACE

Goals: 1. What is considered personal space? What is an invasion of personal space?

For Parents: 1. Understand the four functions of behavior. 2. Collect data to determine and assess the function of the child’s invasion of personal space.

For Child: 1. Have a better understanding of what personal space is and be able to determine when you are

respecting or invading personal space of another person. 2. Understand why maintaining personal space is important in a social context.

Together: 1. Determine alternative behaviors to fulfill the same function of the invasion of personal space

invasion.

Overview: This parent training session is designed to educate parents of children with ASD about personal space invasion. With an aim at determining the function of the child’s invasion of others’ personal space we will be able to determine a specific intervention plan to reduce this invasive behavior.

Materials:

1. Trainer script 2. Parent Handout of Session Topics 3. Session Handout and Activity Exercises 4. Session Videotape and blank ABC data sheet

5. Blank ABC data sheet(s) (for homework) 6. Two Blank Self-Monitoring Chart (one for

homework) 7. Behavior Regulation Worksheet 8. Behavior Reinforcement Worksheet

Objectives:

Working with the Parent: Functional Analysis 1. Identify when your child violates personal space. 2. Understand and be able to distinguish the four functions of behaviors. 3. Collect data in order to determine the function of a personal space invasion using an ABC data

sheet.

Working with the Child: Awareness and Behavior Change 1. Understand the concept of personal space and learn to keep track of personal space related

behaviors through visual representations and exercises. 2. Understand why personal space is important through Social Stories and Role Playing. Together: Encouraging Behavior Changing through Reinforcement Mechanisms 1. Brainstorm ways to promote good behavior: rule setting, planned ignoring, token systems


There are multiple ways to assess a personal space invasion behavior in children with ASD. Functional Analysis Technique can be used to

determine function and establish an alternative behavior to fulfill the same function. Self-Awareness technique used to teach children how to gage and adjust their behavior around personal space through monitoring, regulation, and evaluation. When used in tandem, a child will replace the unwanted invasion of personal space with a alternate behavior and become more self aware of his or her own personal space violations, allowing a feeling of volition.

Thank you all for your involvement in this program. The purpose

of this session is to establish a standard understanding of what

personal space is, and what constitutes a violation. This is an important topic for our

program because many children with ASD have difficulty maintaining appropriate

personal space between themselves and others. First, we must understand what personal

space is. In general terms, the personal space of a person is defined as being an arms

length away from other individuals.

And so, a violation of personal space is when an individual steps into another’s

arms length surrounding radius. Violations in personal space can be physical or verbal.

Physical violations of personal space include unwanted touching of an individual, such as

excessive hugging, caressing, poking. Verbal violations of personal space include

talking, yelling, or any verbal activity in close proximity to another individual.

Activity Sheet 1 asks prompts you to consider what a personal space violation for

each scenario would look like, let’s work through this sheet.

Introduction

Clinician Script & [Instructions]

Goal 1: What is considered personal space? What is an invasion of personal space?


Functional Analysis is a technique used to determine the function of

a child’s behavior. By determining the function of your child’s

personal space violation behavior we are able to consider why the child is acting with

these particular behaviors. By determining the why behind the behavior through an

identification of its function we are able to devise a specific intervention plan to stop the

problem behavior and promote an alternate behavior.

Behaviors are typically performed to satisfy four functions. If you think back to

our first session, Behavioral Principles, you’ll remember the four functions include

behavior to (1) gain attention, (2) experience a sensory stimulus, (3) escape or avoid a

situation, or (4) to gain a tangible reward. Most often with personal space violations, the

behaviors are done for the first two functions, to gain attention or experience a sensory

stimulus.

Below are some ABC sheets to show how the behaviors can play out. Each ABC

sheet shows an antecedent (preceding event), a behavior, and a consequence (what

happens as a result of the behavior). Take a look at the table below and then try to

complete Activity Sheet 2, matching a scenario to a specific behavior function.

Goal 1: Educate parents on the four functions of behaviors.

Clinician Script & [Instructions]

Working with the Parent – Functional Analysis


Function Antecedent Behavior Consequence

Attention Parent is not attentive to child (cooking, phone call).

Child constantly poking and hugging parent.

Parent discontinues activity and becomes attentive to nagging child.

Sensory Stimulus

Child sitting quietly. Child caresses mother’s hair because of its softness.

Sensory stimulation as child feels smooth and soft hair.

Escape / Avoidance

Child does not want to clean his or her room.

Child violates personal space of parent and screams in parent’s face.

Parent want to discontinue behavior and tells the child he or she doesn’t need to clean.

Tangible Reward

Parent refuses to buy child a toy.

Child violates personal space of parent and screams in parent’s face.

Parent wants to discontinue behavior and buys child the toy.

When trying to change a behavior like personal space invasion, it’s important to

consider the details of the child’s behavior. Activity Sheet 3 asks you to brainstorm

about your child’s personal space invasions – whose space is you child typically

invading? Where and when do these space invasive behaviors happen? And what does

this behavior entail, what type of behavior is it? Take a look at Activity Sheet 4 and use

it to reflect on your child’s behaviors.

Hopefully now you have a better understanding of the past personal space

invasive behaviors you’re child has participated in. Now we must focus on the current

behaviors. Activity Sheet 5 is an ABC Data Collection Sheet. During the next few

weeks take note of your child’s behaviors and complete Activity Sheet 4. This

information will allow us to identify the preceding event to the behavior, the behavior

itself, and the consequences of it. Then we can assume the function of the behaviors,

allowing us to have a better understanding of why your child acted the way he or she did.

Goal 2: Collect data to determine and assess the function of the child’s invasion of personal space.


It is important to establish a “standard measurement” of personal space for your

child. A typical measure of personal space is an arm’s length away from another person.

Activity Sheet 5A is a visual example to share with children, showing the boundaries

between oneself and others. It first identifies intimate space as being about half an arm’s

length from someone. This space is reserved for close interactions, like hugging or

comforting parents, close friends or family members. We next identify personal space as

an arm’s length away from another person. Personal space is the typical conversing

space between two people. Social space is the next interpersonal distance that is shown,

which is about 4 feet from another person, or the distance you would stand from new

acquaintances or strangers. Then, public space is any measurement greater than 8 feet –

for example speeches, lectures, or performances. Take a look at this worksheet and walk

through the different space zones with your child, identifying where certain interactions

might occur. Following Activity Sheet 5 there are two sheets, each containing boxes for

each type of interaction. Depending on which design your child prefers, cut the boxes

out and keep them together and readily available. When experiencing different social

situations, draw your child’s attention to which “circle area” he or she is entering, and

explain the appropriate personal space behaviors with these areas.

Goal 1: Have a better understanding of what personal space is and be able to determine when you are respecting or invading personal space of another person.

Working with the Child – Self-Awareness


When it comes to self-awareness, it is also important for your child to know what

is okay to touch and what is not okay on other people. Activity Sheet 6 provides visuals

for the parts of the human body which are public, meaning they are okay to touch with

permission of the person, vs. private, meaning they are not okay to touch. Often times

children with ASD touch body parts of others (i.e. breasts) for sensory stimulation – they

are squishy and movable – this is when personal space violations can become a serious

issue. Walk through this Activity Sheets 6A (male body) and 6B (female body) with

your child and place the smiley faces on places of the body that are okay to touch in

public, and the X’s on the private parts of the body that are not okay to touch in public.

A good way to talk about this with your child is to use “The Bathing Suit” rule – parts

that are private and not okay to touch in public are the parts of a person’s body that are

covered when he or she is in a bathing suit. I have included a blank social story after this

activity that you can complete with a specific example of relevant and problematic sexual

behavior.

Activity Sheet 7 is a “Red, Yellow, Green” Scale of personal space. This scale

allows an increased awareness of personal space behaviors and violations as well as a

way to monitor the behavior. Work with your child to familiarize him or her with the

scale and what each color represents in regards to personal space. Consider personal

examples of personal space invasion behavior and identify them in terms of red, meaning

“stop”, yellow meaning “slow down”, or green meaning “go”.


It is important that children understand why they must follow the rules of personal

space and respect others’ boundaries. Providing a rationale is key to behavior change and

general understanding of personal space behavior. Activities 8A and 8B are Social

Stories aimed at showing your child why respecting the personal space of others is

critical in social settings. The job of a social story is to play out a specific scenario, with

its preceding events (antecedent), the behavior itself, and the consequence of the

behavior. First, Activity 8A (Social Story) is a social story to help your child gain a

general understanding of personal space and why it is important in social situations. In

this case, a child is violating the personal space of his friend and his friend get angry with

him. This example teaches that with a personal space violation comes unhappiness of

others. At the end of the social story there is a suggestion offered of an alternate way to

behave in order to avoid a negative consequence. Activity Sheet 8B is a Social Story that

targets a child’s behavior function. In this case, a child is violating personal space to gain

the attention of others. Talk through these Activity Sheets with your child, and together

work on Activity Sheet 8C to create your own social story based on the experiences your

child has had with personal space.

Goal 2: Understand why maintaining personal space is important in a social context.


Now that we have brainstormed about your child’s past personal space behaviors,

recording data as it corresponds to their current behavior, we will be able to determine the

function of your child’s behavior – that is, why is your child invading the personal space

of others. Lets remember that the four functions of behaviors include attention, sensory

or stimulus, escape or avoidance, and tangible reward. After thinking about the behaviors

your child does, considering to who, where and when, and what the behavior consists of,

what can we guess the function of the behavior is?

Depending on the function of the behavior, we can encourage the child to engage in a

different behavior that satisfies the same function. There are a few different ways to

promote positive behaviors and discourage negative personal space invasions. Activity

Sheet 9 walks through a few suggestions.

Goal 1: Determine alternative behaviors to fulfill the same function of the invasion of personal space.

Working Together – Encouraging Behavior Change through Reinforcement

Mechanisms


Design Activity Sheets to teach about: 1. Rule setting / establishment

! Prevention ! Realize it isn’t that straight forward before things change

o General rule but give kids prompts in cases that can break it o Limit on time of hugs

! Prompt child that “there is going to be a lot of kids and there’s a lot of personal space and if u are too close I’m going to tell you you’re yellow”

o Go over social story, circle reminder, stop light before we go out o Birthday party – stay in green zone

! BUT if u are playing tag its ok ! BUT if u want to hug someone its ok

2. Planned Ignoring – don’t tell them what not to do

! Remember you can ____ if you want my attention ! Shift attention – just ignore the behavior and redirect it ! No No’s – focus on what they should be doing instead ! Don’t touch, don’t talk, don’t engage

3. Rewarding

! Catch you being good – reinforcement program o Catch your child being good when he/she is respecting PS, being

appropriate ! Comment on things when they are doing what you want them to do

o Want kids to be able to respond to praise ! If kids need more concrete reinforcements, then clinician can design a token

system / reward Introduce section with Cultural implications:

! Other countries have different rules ! Sometimes its hard to figure out – this is what’s happening for kids with ASD ! Constantly in another country ! Perceptions

This session was developed by Natalie Santacesaria. Natalie is a Junior

Undergraduate student at the University of Rochester, studying

Psychology and Biology. She aspires to attend Nursing School in the Fall

of 2016, to eventually achieve her Masters in Mental Health Nursing.


Citations: Scientific Research: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25100326 Intervention Program Techniques: https://www.autismspeaks.org/docs/family_services_docs/sk/General_Strategies.pdf Teaching Kids about Personal Space: http://amomwithalessonplan.com/mommy-fun-fact-20a-teaching-respectful-boundaries/ Behavior Functions: http://www.educateautism.com/behavioural-principles/functions-of-behaviour.html Circle Program: http://visuals.autism.net/main.php?g2_itemId=221 Personal Space Social Story: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/316166836311188595/ Good and Bad Sexual Touching: http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/healthybodies/files/HealthyBodiesAppendix-Boys.pdf


General Outline for Intervention Program:

Objectives:

Working with the Parent: Functional Analysis 1. Identify when there is a violation of personal space. 2. Understand and be able to distinguish the four functions of behaviors 3. Parent will collect data in order to determine the function of a personal space invasion using an ABC data

sheet.

Working with the Child: Awareness and Behavior Change 1. Understand the concept of personal space and learn to keep track of personal space related behaviors through

visual representations and exercises. 2. Understand why personal space is important through Social Stories and Role Playing 3. Learn alternate ways of behaving to achieve a goal.

Objectives:

Working with the Parent: Functional Analysis

1. Identify when there is a violation of personal space.

a. Brainstorming Sheet 4 – who, where, when, what/how – Your child

b. Activity Sheet 1 – How would each situation become a violation?

2. Understand and be able to distinguish the four functions of behaviors.

a. Activity Sheet 3 – Matching function to behavior

3. Parent will collect data in order to determine the function of a personal space invasion using an ABC data

sheet.

a. Activity Sheet 5 – Big chart for daily data collection

Working with the Child: Awareness and Behavior Change

1. Understand the concept of personal space and learn to keep track of personal space related behaviors through

visual representations and exercises.

a. Circles – 2A, B. Activity Sheet 6A – Self monitoring 5 point scale

2. Understand why personal space is important through Social Stories and Role Playing

a. Activity Sheet 6B – Social Story

3. Learn alternate ways of behaving to achieve a goal.

a. What is ok to touch? What’s not ok to touch? If you need someone’s attention, here’s a way to do it.

Encouraging Behavior Changing: Reinforcement Mechanisms for Parents

1. Planned Ignoring

2. Token systems


Parent Objectives: 1. Identify when there is a violation of personal space.

Functional Analysis: 1. Understand and be able to distinguish the four functions of behaviors 2. Parent will collect data in order to determine the function of a personal space invasion using an

ABC data sheet.

Self-Awareness: 1. Learn what it means to self-monitor behavior and how to keep track of all personal space related

behavior on a self-monitoring chart. 2. Determine what method is best to regulate or change individual child’s behavior once he or she is

aware and monitoring it. 3. Determine what method of reinforcement is best to evaluate an individual child’s behavior.

Personal Space Intervention Plan, Script

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