Applied Behavior Analysis
Helping children with autism
 

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SHAPING BEHAVIOR

Before you begin shaping any behavior you should be aware of the limitations of shaping.   These include but are not limited to shaping can be time consuming, progress is not always linear, harmful  behavior can be shaped, shaping requires consistent monitoring and shaping can be misapplied.

Once you have decided that shaping is appropriate to apply you will want to make sure it is as effective as possible.  You can do this by using a discriminative stimulus, using physical guidance (if appropriate) and by using an imitative prompt (if appropriate).