Denisa Mitrea

Psycho-Pedagogue and Consultant in Behavior Analysis

Coordinator of a team of behavior instructors, psycho-pedagogue and consultant in behavior analysis, also training behavior instructors, having the experience of being with therapists, children and their families for 7 years.

My approach is based on the global needs of the child, which I address through play, relying on connecting with the child and creating learning opportunities in the most natural way possible, generalizing to a variety of environments that the child encounters.

Presentation: The ABC of needs - Behavior functions and related needs

Abstract:

In the context of identifying the source of disruptive behaviors, what generates and maintains them, we look at one of the 4 basic functions of behavior and the types of reinforcers. Humanistic psychology talks about the fact that behind the function there is a need, a state of inner tension designed to make us act towards the restoration of balance and evolution. We propose a framework to identify this need and correlate it with behavioral function, providing an accessible method without requiring deep knowledge of applied behavior analysis terminology.

By transferring information from fields such as child psychology, age psychology and neuroscience, we bring essential concepts and elements into relation with applied behavior analysis. Our goal is to make this information more accessible in language and easy to understand, both for parents and teachers or therapists that are just starting out. We also aim to bring into practice behavior repertoires that we tend to leave outside ABA sphere (games, natural activities, information), wanting to create a more natural bridge between specialists and non-specialists.

We focus on three essential aspects: behavior, its function and the needs that underlie it. At the same time, we emphasize the practical applicability of these concepts, providing an exchange of skills and a better understanding of behavior. Thus, the idea of need becomes central, being placed in the continuation of the functions of behavior. This approach not only enriches the response repertoire of parents, teachers and therapists, but also facilitates a more effective collaboration between them, contributing to a better oriented and adapted intervention to the individual needs of the child and the child-adult dyad.