| Course | BA440 Behavior Intervention |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 1 |
| Paper type | Discussion board post |
| Length | About 410 words, 2 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 discussion post |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BS in Psychology |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for BA440 Unit 1
"Make the Tantrums Stop" Was Only Half a Goal: A BA440 Unit 1 Discussion Board Post
BA440 · Unit 1 Discussion Board Post
Posted by [Student Name]
The writer, the agency, the family and the classmates are composite; the sources cited are real.
Initial Post
Mateo is five, has autism and speaks in short phrases in Spanish and English. I am a registered behavior technician with an in-home applied behavior analysis agency in Spokane, Washington, and I work with him three afternoons a week. At intake, his mother said one thing: "Make the tantrums stop." When she cooks dinner or takes a phone call, Mateo cries, drops to the floor and kicks the cabinets, sometimes for twenty minutes.
Baer et al. (1968) described applied behavior analysis as applied when it changes behavior that matters to the person and society, not behavior that is merely convenient to study. Tantrums clearly matter to this family. But my supervising behavior analyst asked a second question: what do the tantrums get Mateo? Her assessment showed that they reliably brought his mother back to him.
A goal that only removes a behavior leaves the child with no way to get what the behavior was getting.
So the plan now has two goals. Tantrums should decrease, and Mateo should learn to say "Mama, play" or tap a picture card to ask for her attention, which she will honor as often as she can at first. The second goal is what makes the change socially significant: it gives him a way to reach his mother that works in a busy kitchen.
Van Houten et al. (1988) argued that clients have a right to effective treatment, including programs that teach functional skills and procedures chosen for their effectiveness and supported by ongoing evaluation. A plan that reduced tantrums by ignoring them alone, without teaching anything, would fall short of that standard.
When have you seen a goal change once the team asked what a behavior was for?
Reply to Kendra
Kendra, the teen you described who swears at chores is a strong case. A replacement such as asking for a five-minute delay might meet the same need and be easier for the family to accept.
Reply to Owen
Owen, I agree that safety goals come first. Van Houten et al. (1988) would add that even urgent goals should come with a skill to teach, so the child gains something as well as losing a behavior.
References
Baer, D. M., Wolf, M. M., & Risley, T. R. (1968). Some current dimensions of applied behavior analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1(1), 91-97. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.1968.1-91
Van Houten, R., Axelrod, S., Bailey, J. S., Favell, J. E., Foxx, R. M., Iwata, B. A., & Lovaas, O. I. (1988). The right to effective behavioral treatment. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 21(4), 381-384. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.1988.21-381
What the BA440 Unit 1 assignment asks for
The opening BA440 board asks what makes a behavior change socially significant, illustrated with an example. Describe a request from a family or teacher, real or composite, and explain how asking what the behavior achieves changed the goal. Propose a replacement behavior that meets the same need. Draw on the applied dimension of behavior analysis and on the right to effective treatment, explaining why teaching a skill matters as much as reducing a behavior. Note who judged the goal important. End by asking classmates a question that invites their own examples. Plan roughly 400 words for the opening post, then two replies, each suggesting a replacement behavior or a missing view.
How this BA440 Unit 1 example is built
The post opens with a mother's request at intake and a five-year-old who cries and kicks cabinets while she cooks. Baer, Wolf and Risley are cited on behavior that matters and reports the supervisor's question about what tantrums get Mateo. A highlighted line warns that removing a behavior leaves a child with no way to get what it was getting. A paragraph names two goals, fewer tantrums and asking for attention, and explains why the second makes the change significant. A paragraph applies Van Houten and colleagues on teaching functional skills. Replies propose a delay request for a teenager and pair safety goals with skills. The closing question asks classmates when a goal changed once a team asked what a behavior was for.
Where the points sit in the BA440 Unit 1 rubric
Those grading the opening post want a goal reframed by function, not a definition of social significance copied from a text. Proposing a replacement behavior that meets the same need shows the core logic of intervention. Linking the goal to the applied dimension and to clients' rights earns credit. The family's view of what matters should appear. Replies should add a replacement behavior or a stakeholder whose view was missing, rather than agreeing. Cite Baer, Wolf and Risley and Van Houten and colleagues in APA style, keeping children and families composite. A brief statement of how the new skill will be measured often strengthens the post noticeably. Name the replacement plainly.
BA440 Unit 1 help: mistakes that cost points
Many posts on social significance define the term and stop there. Others propose reducing a behavior without saying what the person will do instead. Students frequently treat the referral's wording as the goal without asking what the behavior achieves. The family's own priorities are commonly left out. Replies tend to praise rather than suggest. Before posting, ask what the behavior gets the person and write a replacement that gets the same thing more appropriately. Name who will honor the replacement and how often. In replies, offer a replacement skill for a classmate's case or a view they may have missed. Keep every family composite and unidentifiable throughout the post.
Get a BA440 Unit 1 example written to your instructions
Send the Unit 1 prompt and the rubric. A custom post explains socially significant behavior change through one case. The first is free and comes back in 24-48h. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
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BA440 Unit 1 questions, answered
What makes a behavior socially significant?
It matters to the person and the people around them, improving daily life in a meaningful way.
Why teach a replacement instead of only reducing behavior?
Removing a behavior leaves a gap; a replacement gives the person another way to get what they need.
What should replies add?
A replacement behavior or a person whose view of the goal was missing.
Where can I find a free BA440 Unit 1 sample paper?
This page holds the complete BA440 Unit 1 post on reframing a composite five-year-old's tantrum goal, with two replies.
What replacement behavior does the BA440 Unit 1 sample propose?
Saying "Mama, play" or tapping a picture card to ask for his mother's attention while she cooks.