Introducing a New Skill? Be Creative. Be Fun. But, Be Effective Too.
In case you didn’t know, I like to write programs for learners. I love instructional design. Program writing is a creative thing for me. It’s a world that I can get lost in. It’s a world that I love.
However, sometimes I have to reel that creativity in which is what I want to talk about this week. Yes, sometimes we have to curb our creative impulses as BCBAs. This idea was sparked by a recent discussion on teaching “big” and “little” concepts, and I realized it warranted a deeper dive.
I know a great many BCBAs who are naturally creative and colorful in their approach. It’s an art! And, I love it! We are the BCBAs that take extra care to make sure our learners workspaces or rooms are decorated. We enrich their token boards with their favorite characters. We make sure that they have Paw Patrol underwear for their toileting programs. This is what makes us good at what we do. We want to help children and often get very enthusiastic about creating unique interventions and stimuli to get them tuned in!
In this eagerness to innovate, we sometimes overlook whether our creative methods are actually the most effective for our clients.
For instances, when designing interventions, we might make them more complex than they need to be. Where we aim to enrich our kiddo's environment and our intentions are pure, we inadvertently introduce complexity that may hinder the learning process. And, what’s worse, we unknowingly end up sacrificing our learner’s learning—and stimulus control—so that we might indulge our own creative appetites. So, it’s important to remember that simplification is key in many teaching scenarios, especially in the beginning stages of teaching a skill. Complex interventions and stimuli can defeat the purpose of the actual teaching endeavor.
Ok. What am I saying here?
Let me share a couple of examples to illustrate this point. Once, I worked with a child learning to put on socks—a brand new skill! The BCBA in charge instructed the their student supervisee to buy plain, white socks with grey heels and toes, as these markings make it easier for the child to identify the correct way to put on the socks. However, the supervisee, wanting to go above and beyond for their learner (and bless them for it!), bought colorful, character-themed socks instead. While well-intentioned, this actually complicated the learning process. The BCBA had to gently guide the supervisee back to the simpler, more effective option.
I think we all have been there. Sometimes, in the beginning stages of a new skill, basic is better than breathtaking.
Another common scenario involves teaching concepts like big and little—which I wrote about recently. Often, for visual material, BCBAs use characters from a kiddo’s favorite TV shows, thinking this will engage them more (and it may). However, the additional pizzaz of visual elements can distract from the core concept of size differentiation at the beginning. A simpler approach, using basic shapes of different sizes, can be far more effective in the initial stages of learning.
Teaching emotions is another area where simplicity often yields better results. For many of our learners, emotional recognition isn’t the easiest. Yet we might overstimulate our kiddos in the beginning stages. Most often, we’ll start by using complex images of preferred characters or famous people as they display various emotions. But, starting with basic emoticons might help children focus on the essential, salient facial features that denote different emotions like the eyes and the mouth. As they master these basics, more complex images can be gradually introduced.
Now, with that said, don’t stop thinking creatively. Our creative impulses stem from a desire to provide the best for the children we work with. We want to create engaging, enriching environments to make the experience a better one for our kids. That’s a good thing! But don’t create at the cost of learning. In some instances, effective teaching often starts with very simple. These foundational steps are crucial for building more complex skills later on.
What do you think? Get back at me with comments and questions!
Martin Myers is a BCBA with a passion for helping improve the field of ABA. He is the creator of BxMastery, with over 4,000 goal ideas, sequenced, to inspire your programming. With 10+ years of experience in the field, he’s dedicated to empowering others and fostering positive change through effective leadership and communication. Connect with Martin on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for more insights and updates.