Role of Schedules of Reinforcement

Role of Schedules of Reinforcement To what extent are schedules of reinforcement more than just rules governing which responses will be reinforced? Illustrate your answer with basic and applied research examples. I am writing this essay in order to illustrate the role of schedules of reinforcement; basic and applied research examples provide evidence that schedules of reinforcement are more than just rules governing which responses will be reinforced. A schedule of reinforcement is defined as a rule that describes a contingency of reinforcement, those environmental arrangements that determine conditions by which behaviors will produce reinforcement (Cooper, Heron, Heward, 2007). There are two basic types in a schedule of reinforcement: a continuous reinforcement schedule (CRF schedule) is one in which each occurence of a response is reinforced, and an intermittent reinforcement schedule where each occurence of the response is not reinforced; rather, responses are occasionally or intermittently reinforced (Miltenberger, 2008). Ferster and Skinner (1957) studied various types of intermittent reinforcement schedules and described four basic types in this category: fixed ratio, variable ratio, fixed interval, variable interval. In a fixed ratio (FR) schedule, a specific or fixed number of responses must occur before the reinforcer is delivered; in a variable ratio (VR) schedule, delivery of a reinforcer is based on the number of responses that occur, but in this case, the number of responses needed for reinforcement varies each time, around an average number; in a fixed interval (FI) schedule, the interval of time is fixed, or stays the same each time; in a variable interval (VI) schedule of reinforcement, the reinforcer is delivered for the first response that occurs after an interval of time has elapsed (Miltenberger, 2008). There are also some variations on the basic intermittent schedules of reinforcement: a) the schedules of differential reinforcement of rates of responding and, b) the progressive schedules of reinforcement. Differential reinforcement provides an intervention for behavior problems associated with rate of response and that means that it is a variation of ratio schedule; delivery of the reinforcer is contingent on responses occuring at a rate either higher than or lower than some predetermined criterion (Cooper, 2007). The reinforcement of responses higher than a predetermined criterion is called differential reinforcement of high rates (DRH); when responses are reinforced only when they are lower than the criterion, the schedule provides differential reinforcement of low rates (DRL). There is also the differential reinforcement of diminishing rates (DRD) schedule that provides reinforcement at the end of a predetermined time interval when the number of responses is less than a criterio n that is gradually decreased across time intervals based on the individuals performance (Cooper, 2007). Progessive schedules of reinforcement by contrast, systematically thin each successive reinforcement opportunity independent of the participants behavior (Cooper, 2007), Progressive ratio (PR) and progressive interval (PI) schedules of reinforcement change schedule requirements using a) arithmetic progressions to add a constant amount to each successive ratio or interval or b) geometric progressions to add successively a constant proportion of the preceding ratio or interval (Lattal Neef, 1996). Additionally, applied behavior analysts combine the elements of continuous reinforcement, the four schedules of reinforcement, differential reinforcement of various rates of responding and extinction to form compound schedules of reinforcement. Concurrent schedules of reinforcement occur when a) two or more contingencies of reinforcement b) operate independently and simultaneously c)for two or more behaviors (Cooper, 2007). Discriminative schedules of reinforcement consist of a) multiple schedules -present two or more basic schedules of reinforrcement in an alterating, usually random, sequence; the basic schedules within the multiple schedule occur successively and independently and a discriminative stimulus is correlated with each basic schedule; the stimulus is present as long as the schedule is in effect- and b) chained schedules -the multiple and chained schedules have two or more basic schedule requirements that occur successively and have a discriminative stimulus correlated wi th each independent schedule (Cooper, 2007). Nondiscriminative schedules consist of a) mixed schedules -use an identical procedure to multiple ones but, without discriminative stimuli- and b) tandem schedules -identical to chained schedules, but also without the discriminative stimuli (Cooper, 2007). Now through basic and applied research examples from all types of schedules of reinforcement, it is going to be shown the role of schedules of reinforcement; the schedules of reinforcement play a major role in a behavior change program, and also in the acquisition and maintenance of a behavior. In the study of Kirby and Shields (1972), a systematic measure of changes in academic response rate and accuracy through a more direct approach to academic performance was conducted. The study was designed to measure the combined effects of an adjusting fixed-ratio schedule of immediate praise and immediate correctness feedback on the arithmetic response rate of a seventh- grade student and to measure possible collateral changes in study behavior. The study was divided into four phases: baseline, treatment 1, reversal, treatment 2. Using an adjusting fixed-ratio schedule, delivery of reinforcement was initially given for every two problems completed; then, the experimenter gradually increased the units of work or number of problems completed before delivering reinforcement. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the fixed-ratio schedule of praise and immediate correctness feedback in increasing the subjects arithmetic response rate and associated attending behavior. When students rate of correct problem solving was increased through systematic reinforcement, incompatible behaviors of non-attending decreased. It was also noted that during reversal, when all praise and immediate correctness feedback was withheld, the subject maintained a much higher level of arithmetic achievement and attending behavior than before treatment 1. The adjusting ratio schedule of reinforcement frequent contact with the student during early ph ases requiring small units of work, it requires no extra effort during later phases when large units of work are assigned. In the study of De Luca and Holborn (1992), the effects of a variable-ratio schedule of reinforcement on pedaling a stationary exercise bicycle were examined. A changing-criterion design was used in which each successive criterion was increased over mean performance rate in the previous phase by approximately 15%. The participants were 3 obese and 3 nonobese boys. The experimental phases were: baseline, VR-first subphase (the VR schedule of reinforcement was introduced after a stable baseline had been achieved), VR-second subphase (stability had been achieved in the first subphase), VR-third subphase (stability was achieved for the second subphase), return to baseline and return to VR third subphase. All participants had systematic increases in their rate of pedaling with each VR value, meaning that the larger the variable ratio, the higher the rate of response. The results indicated that the rate of exercise can be increased using a VR schedule of reinforcement. The introduction of the initial VR subphase of the changing-criterion design produced marked increases in the rate of exercise for all subjects. Rasmussen and Oneill (2006), examined the effects of fixed-time reinforcement schedules on problem behavior of students with emotional-behavioral disorders in a clinical day-treatment classroom setting. The participants were three elementary-aged students and the dependent variable for all 3 participants was the frequency of verbal disruptions. The study employed an ABAB withdrawl design, alternating between baseline and FI conditions -verbal praise and pats on the arm were provided, with a final brief schedule thinning phase for each participant. All participants exhibited variable but relatively high rates during baseline. Implementation of FT schedules resulted in immediate, substantial, and stable decreases for all participants. The results of this study demonstrate the use of FT schedules and their implementation in a day-treatment classroom setting with children with clinically diagnosed emotional or behavioral disorders. These procedures were effective in reducing disruptive verbal behavior and these reductions were maintained while the FI schedules underwent initial thinning. The effectiveness of fixed-time schedules has also been evaluated through data on both appropriate and inappropriate responses. In the study of Roane, Fisher and Sgro (2001), fixed-time schedules were used in order to reduce destructive behavior but also, to increase adaptive behavior. The participant was a 12-year-old girl who had been diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder and traumatic brain injury. There were two conditions: control condition and FT condition; with the exception of the FT schedule of reinforcement, the FT condition was identical to the control condition. During the FT condition, increases in two adaptive responses were observed, even though neither response was reinforced through direct contingencies. Similarly, decreases in destructive behavior were obtained under the FT schedule. The results suggest that, in addition to suppressing inappropriate behavior, FT schedules may also increase and stabilize adaptive behavior. Austin and Soeda (2008), validated the use of fixed-time reinforcer delivery with typically developing population. A fixed-time teacher attention was used to decrease off-task behavior in two third-grade boys. An ABAB was used with two phases: baseline (the teacher interacted with the boys in her usual manner) and noncontingent reinforcement-NCR (the teacher provided attention on an FT schedule). The findings indicated that NCR was an effective strategy for reducing the off-task behaviors of both boys, as immediate and sustained reductions in the percentage of intervals with off-task behavior were observed. Van Camp, Lerman, Kelley, Contrucci and Vondran (2000), evaluated the efficacy of noncontingent reinforcement with variable interval schedules in reducing problem behavior maintained by social consequences, comparing the effects of VT and FT reinforcement schedules with 2 individuals who had been diagnosed with moderate to severe mental retardation. Baseline and treatment conditions -with FT and VT sessions- were conducted in both participants. Although previous studies on the use of NCR as treatment for problem behavior have primarily examined FT schedules, results of this study indicated that VT schedules were as effective as FT schedules in reducing problem behavior. Carr, Kellum and Chong (2001), examined the effects of fixed-time and variable-time schedules on responding with 2 adults with mental retardation. Multielement and reversal designs were used to compare the effects of FT and VT schedules previously maintained on variable-ratio reinforcement schedules. The target behavior for the first participant was defined as making a penci mark on his name and placing the paper into the receptable. The target behavior for the second participant was defined as picking up a paper clip and dropping it in the receptable. The experimental phases were: baseline, FR 1 reinforcement, VR 3 reinforcement, FT, VT. The results showed that both FT and VT schedules were equally effective in reducing the target behaviors. Wright and Vollmer (2002), used a treatment package that involved an adjusting differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate responding (DRL) schedule, response blocking and prompts in order to reduce rapid eating. The participant was a 17-year-old girl who had been diagnosed with profound mental retardation. The experimental phases consisted of baseline and treatment condition, where an adjusting DRL procedure was introduced, along with blocking and prompts. The DRL intervals were determined by calculating the average IRT from previous sessions. The results showed that the treatment package was effective in increasing the IRTs between each attempted bite of food. The treatment package also resulted in an increase in the negative side-effects (increase in the levels of SIB and tantrums). However, the treatment continued despite these side-effects, which eventually decreased. In the study of Dietz and Repp (1973), a differential reinforcement of diminishing rates (DRD) schedule was used in order to decrease classroom misbehavior. The procedure that was followed was that reinforcement was produced when responding was less than a limit for a period of time, rather than when a response followed a specified period of no responding. Three experiments were conducted. In the first experiment DRD schedule was implemented to reduce the talking-out behavior of one 11-year old boy, classified as trainable mentally retarded (TRM) in a special classroom. The second experiment involved the reduction of talk-outs in a group of ten TRM students in an also special classroom, and the third experiment involved the use of a DRD schedule to reduce the verbal behavior of a group of 15 high school students in a regular class. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of DRD schedules in reducing classroom disruption both in individual and in group behaviors. In addition, the success with both TRM students and with high school students suggests the efficacy of DRD schedules across widely divergent groups. In the present study the use of positive reinforcement suggests also a nonpunitive method of classroom control. Roane, Lerman and Vorndran (2001), tried to examine if the reinforcing stimuli can be differentially effective as response requirements increase by evaluating responding under increasing schedule requirements via progressive-ratio schedules and behavioral economic analyses. In experiment 1 (reinforcer assessment), four individuals with developmental disabilities, who had been referred for the assessment and treatment of severe behavior problems, participated. The findings showed that one stimulus was associated with greater response persistence under increasing schedule requirements for all participants. Results also suggested that progressive schedules allow a relatively expeditious examination of shifts in reinforcer preference or value under increasing schedule requirements. In experiment 2, the correspondence between responding under progressive schedules and levels of destructive behavior under various reinforcement-based treatments was examined in order to evaluate the utility of the reinforcer assessment. Three interventions were selected: noncontingent reinforcement, DRA and DRO. Results indicated that the high-preference stimuli identified via this assessment were more likely to reduce problem behavior or increase adaptive behavior than stimuli identified as less preferred. In summary, results of this study suggest that stimuli identified as similarly preferred via a commonly used preference assessment were differentially effective under increasing schedule requirements. Additionally, stimuli that were more effective under progressive schedules were more likely to produce decreases in problem behavior maintained by automatic reinforcement. The influence of concurrent reinforcement schedules on behavior change without the use of extinction was examined by Hoch, McComas and Thomson (2002). Two responses were measured: problem behavior maintained by negative reinforcement, and task completion in three children with autism. Moreover, the maintenance of behavior change was evaluated under conditions of increased response requirements and leaner schedules of reinforcement. The results showed that immediate and sustained decreases in problem behavior and increases in task completion occurred when task completion produced both negative reinforcement and access to preferred activities and problem behavior continued to result in negative reinforcement. The findings demonstrated that concurrent schedules of reinforcement can be arranged to decrease negatively reinforced problem behavior and increase an adaptive alternative response without the use of escape extinction. Tiger and Hanley (2004), described a multiple-schedule procedure to reduce ill-timed requests, which involved providing children with two distinct continuous signals that were correlated with periods in which teacher attention was either available or unavailable. Cammilleri, Tiger and Hanley (2008), conducted a study in order to assess the efficacy of a classwide application of the multiple-schedule procedure described by Tiger and Hanley when implemented by teachers during instructional periods in three elementary classrooms. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of a classwide multiple-schedule procedure when implemented by teachers in a private elementary school classroom. Conclusively, schedules of reinforcement are not only rules that govern which responses will be reinforced; they are substantial components of a behavior change program. CRF schedules are used in the acquisition of a behavior -when a person is learning a behavior or engaging in the behavior for the first time. Once the person has acquired or learned the behavior, an intermittent reinforcement schedule is used so that the person continues to engage in the behavior -maintenance of behavior (Miltenberger, 2008). In this way, schedules of reinforcement help in the progression to naturally occurring reinforcement, which is a major goal for most behavior change programs. It was shown that schedules of reinforcement can be applied effectively in different settings, behaviors, populations. They have been used to decrease inappropriate behaviors such as rapid eating (Wright Vollmer, 2002) or classroom misbehavior (Dietz Repp, 1973); to increase appropriate behaviors such as arithmetic response rate and attending behavior (Kirby Shields, 1972). They have also been applied in both typically developing children (e.g. Austin Soeda, 2008), and in children with behavior problems (e.g. Rasmussen ONeill, 2006). Schedules of reinforcement can have great effects in a behavior change program, but it is also very important to know how and when to apply the most appropriate schedule or a combination of them in a specific behavior. References Austin, J. L., Soeda, J. M. (2008). Fixed-time teacher attention to decrease off-task behaviors of typically developing third graders. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 41, 279-283. Cammilleri, A. P., Tiger, J. H., Hanley, G. P. (2008). Developing stimulus control of young childrens requests to teachers: Classwide applications of multiple schedules. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 41, 299-303. Carr, J. E., Kellum, K. K., Chong, I. M. (2001). The reductive effects of noncontingent reinforcement: Fixed-time versus variable-time schedules. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 34, 505-509. Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., Heward, W. L. (2007). Applied behavior analysis (2nd ed.), Schedules of reinforcement (pp. 304-323). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. De Luca, R. V., Holborn, S. W. (1992). Effects of a variable-ratio reinforcement schedule with changing criteria on exercise in obese and nonobese boys. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 25, 671-679. Dietz, S. M., Repp, A. C. (1973). Decreasing classroom misbehavior through the use of DRL schedules of reinforcement. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 6, 457-463. Hoch, H., McComas, J. J. and Thomson, A. L., Paone, D. (2002). Concurrent reinforcement schedules: Behavior change and maintenance without extinction. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 35, 155-169. Kirby, F. D., Shields, F. (1972). Modification of arithmetic response rate and attending behavior in a seventh-grade student. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 5, 79-84. Lattal, K. A., Neef, N. A. (1996). Recent reinforcement-schedule research and applied behavior analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 29, 213-220. Cited in Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., Heward, W. L. (2007). Applied behavior analysis (2nd ed.), Schedules of reinforcement (pp. 304-323). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Rasmussen, K., ONeill, R. E. (2006). The effects of fixed-time reinforcement schedules on problem behavior of children with emotional and behavioral disorders in a day-treatment classroom setting. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 39, 453-457. Roane, H. S., Fisher, W. W., Sgro, G. M. (2001). Effects of a fixed-time schedule on aberrant and adaptive behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 34, 333-336. Roane, H. S., Lerman, D. C. and Vorndran, C. M. (2001). Assessing reinforcers under progressive schedule requirements. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 34, 145-167. Tiger, J. H., Hanley, G. P. (2004). Developing stimulus control of preschooler mands: An analysis of schedule-correlated and contingency-specifying stimuli. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 37, 517-521. Cited in Cammilleri, A. P., Tiger, J. H., Hanley, G. P. (2008). Developing stimulus control of young childrens requests to teachers: Classwide applications of multiple schedules. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 41, 299-303. Van Camp, C. M., Lerman, D. C., Kelley, M. E., Contrucci, S. A., Vorndran, C. M. (2000). Variable-time reinforcement schedules in the treatment of socially maintained problem behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 33, 545-557. Wright, C. S., Vollmer, T. R. (2002). Evaluation of a treatment package to reduce rapid eating. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 35, 89-93.

Daughter from Danang Essay

In 1975 as the Vietnam War was ending, Mai Thi Kim sent her seven- year-old daughter Mai Thi Hiep, later known as Heidi from that war-torn country to the United States in â€Å"Operation Babylift†. This operation saved many Vietnamese children’s life and gave them an opportunity to grow up and out of post-war chaos. This happened to Heidi, as she explains in the film â€Å"Daughter from Danang†, in which 22 years after she was given up for adoption, decides to go back to Vietnam and meet her biological family. However, the theme of culture shock is explored in depth in Daughter from Danang, as Heidi finds herself adrift in an unfamiliar culture and failing to communicate and the unable to cope with reality. In â€Å"Operation Baby Lift,† many of the children weren’t actual orphans–bereaved of both parents and all other relatives. Most children were told, â€Å"You have to remember who you are,† by mothers and other family members who r elinquished them for adoption into North America. During the episode of â€Å"Operation baby lift†, American women from the adoption agency, who were all white with long blond hair and condescending English spoke to Vietnamese women holding their children, telling them in deliberately slow speech, â€Å"Don’t worry, I’ll give your daughter a good home†. Aslo, in another instance, when a Vietnamese woman decided to give her son to a white woman, she responded, â€Å"You have done a good thing for your son. You should be proud.† White women, presented as â€Å"saviors† came to coax these children from Vietnamese women whose babies were mixed of mixed race. This episode blatantly displays three key concepts of: ethnocentrism, stereotypes and prejudice from chapter 8. The white women from the adoption agency presented an ethnocentric attitude by evaluating the Vietnamese culture, according to the standards of their own culture. These women possessed standardized and simplified conceptions that taking these babies away from their biological parents and birthplace and to America was the best opportunity for them. This episode also display the utilization of stereotyping because these white women have assumed the the biased perspective that America is more advanced and will offer these babies more economic prosperity and opportunities. Here, these white women would be viewed as normal and superior, belonging to the â€Å"in-group†, generally the dominating group that they already associate with, or aspire to join. An out-group is simply all the other groups. They are seen as lesser than or inferior to the in-groups. The language, dialogue, and slow speech towards  the Vietnamese parents on the white women’s behalf also displayed prejudice, which can be characterized as an unfavorable attitude towards a social group and its members. Heidi was one such child that was saved from â€Å"Operation B abylift†. As Heidi’s birth mother, Mai Thi Kim, says that Vietnamese women who gave birth to mixed children – babies who were born from sex between an American military person and a Vietnamese woman – were told that their babies would be taken from them because of their being â€Å"illegitimate† children, soaked in gasoline, and burned alive. Kim was scared of this fate for her daughter, thus giving her up made the most sense to her. Hiep was adopted by a single woman, given the name Heidi, and raised in the South. Not looking very Asian, Heidi was accepted in the community of Pulaski, Tennessee, home of the Ku Klux Klan. Various friends and relatives speak of her upbringing and she herself proudly claims to be 101 percent Americanized. By the time Heidi was in her twenties, Heidi’s relationship with her adoptive mother has ended in a swift and irreparable separation. She decides to search for her Vietnamese mother and the unconditional love she expects to re ceive from her. She also wants to get in touch with her roots. Heidi finally connects with Mai Thi Kim, her birthmother who has been trying to find her for years, through Tran Nhu, a consultant to the original â€Å"Operation Babylift† and a translator. She volunteers to accompany Heidi on the trip back to Vietnam and the reunion with her birth mother in Danang. The first meeting between Heidi and Mai Thi Kim at the Danang Airport is a highly emotional moment for the two women who have not seen each other for 22 years. Heidi is delighted to meet her birth mother and half-brother and half-sisters as well, The reunion continues with elaborate meals and a journey to the place where Heidi was born and the shrine of her deceased ancestors. But she grows more and more ill at ease with Vietnam and the customs of her relatives. Culture shock overtakes her in an episode where she is in a market; she is overwhelmed by the heat, smell of the fish, and high context behaviors and communication. She declares she wants nothing more than to go home as so on as possible. Heidi is seen being suffocated by her biological mother who continuously hugs, kiss her and touch her. In addition, her mother took every opportunity to show Heidi to people living in Danang. The concept of intercultural intimate conflict obstacles is displayed here. Heidi is  conflicted and is uncomfortable to the intimacy of spaces and high-context communication style.This feeling of disconnection from her Vietnamese family continuously grows and comes to a climax in a farewell party where her half brother speaks directly to a subject that Heidi does not want to deal with at all. It was at this moment that Heidi’s â€Å"brother† asked her to send money intermittently back from United States to support her family, saying, â€Å"Now we hope you’ll assume the filial responsibility a child has toward a parent.† This episode displays the key concept of intercultural individualism-collectivism relationship expectations. Heidi fails to understand that obligat ions are at the core of traditional Asian moral codes. She brings an individualistic attitude from America that money matters are best not talked about and can only interfere with genuine family relationship. What rapidly followed was powerful: the first time Heidi was able to express her need for space: â€Å"Don’t touch me! Get away!† through tears, as her brother followed her after she left the kitchen where the request for financial support was posed. Here in this scene, the concept of relationship conflict resolutions occurs. Heidi’s blood relatives in Vietnam react to Heidi’s hurt at the request for money. A male sibling says, â€Å"We’re trying to understand your situation and we hope you’ll try to understand ours. Let’s just be happy. Yes, let’s just be happy. Don’t try to force anything.† Heidi’s biological mother remarks, â€Å"We don’t speak the same language so it’s not clear. What does she know about the Vietnamese notion of love and emotion?†¦She doesn’t understand , it’s not good to force her. She’s still in shock. I’m afraid when she goes back, sheâ €™ll be angry†¦.It’s hard. Poor thing, she thinks I’m asking for money.† Her mother continues, â€Å"And all I know is how much I love her.† Another man in the room chalks it up to, â€Å"This is all just a misunderstanding.†To Heidi, she feels that her family are trying to impose financial obligations onto her being that she is a privileged American woman with a better quality of life. She grows to resent them when she leaves Vietnam. In the end of the film, Heidi is shown back at home in Tennessee, with her two daughters and husband. She seeks comfort in her grandmother’s home, leafing through photographs, looking through the fridge for food. Heidi’s grandmother urges her to re-visit Vietnam, to be open-minded about it. Heidi pushes back, â€Å"But you’re who I know† and confesses in a closing interview to closing the door  on the biological family. References Dolgin, G., Franco, V., Roberts, K., Griffin, B. Q., Pà ©rez, H., Van-Anh T. Vo., WGBH (Television station : Boston, M., & PBS Home Video. (2003). Daughter from Danang. [Alexandria, Va.]: Distributed by PBS Home Video Ting-Toomey, S., & Chung, L. (2012) Understanding intercultural communication, (2nd edition). New York: Oxford University Press.

Helping the Less Fortunate Essay

If I were a president of an organization, that made millions of dollars each year; I would create an organization within my organization that caters to the less fortunate. My organization would help to remove people off of the streets and give them a place to live, feeding the homeless in soup kitchens while passing out clothing, and also funding the education of those who cannot afford it. I believe that taking random people off of the streets and giving them a place to live is very important. As president of a million dollar a year business, I would definitely give the homeless a place to live. For example, I would send people out into the streets to search for random homeless people. I would pay for motels for a single person for a month and two for families because there are much more people to provide for. I will not just give people a place to stay; I would also find jobs for them. The jobs may be low paying, but it will help the homeless to get off of the streets. This may not help everyone, but it will take many off of the streets. Opening a soup kitchen will definitely increase my interaction with the â€Å"little people†. I think that having actual former poor people serve the poor is what will set my organization apart from others. I would do this because I know that the servers will connect with the poor on a personal and emotional level. This will ensure that the servers are very passionate about what they are doing. As president of the organization, I would also personally serve the homeless food while interacting with them to make them feel comfortable. I would ensure that they have faith that one day things will get better. Also, I would collect clothing and give to the homeless while feeding them. This will give them food on their stomach and clothes on their back. The clothes may not be in the best condition, but something is always better than nothing. My organization would also stress the importance of education. I believe that education is everything. I would ensure that everyone that enters my program have a very fortunate future. I would go into high schools and find that are below the poverty line. I will not stress the GPA of an individual. The person may have had to leave school for a period of time to help provide for his or her family. Although finding these individuals may be difficult, I am sure the process will run smoothly with the help of the school staff. I would focus on students that have the drive to want to go to college. I may be funding the education, but I will need the student’s full cooperation. The individual’s will have to provide documents proving that he or she is has little income, or receiving no income at all. My organ will provide funding for everything that an individual needs to attend college. This will include tuition, books, meal plans, housing and anything else the child needs for school. These procedures will be taken to ensure that the students have no worries while pursuing an education. It is very important to give back to the â€Å"little people†. Providing, shelter, jobs, food, clothes and education; will decrease poverty. This may not benefit the majority, but it will at least help some people out. Every homeless person that receives help counts. A million dollar a year organization would definitely remove many people at least a step away from the poverty line.

Essay on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Attention Deficit Disorders have become a very highly controversial topic during the last decade. Attention Deficit Disorder, also known as ADD, is a broad, almost generic term for the different types of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders. The Diagnostic and Statistical manual of the American Psychiatric Association offers us this definition: â€Å"ADHD is a disorder that can include a list of nine specific symptoms of inattention and nine symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity.† In addition, the Concise Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia provides this interpretation: â€Å" (a) chronic, neurologically based syndrome, characterized by any or all of three types of behavior: hyperactivity,†¦show more content†¦Frequently the behaviors of children affected by ADHD will parallel those of a normal child, other times, the child can be uncontrollable. Most children with ADHD have problems with interacting with other children or when asked to complete a task, especially if additional distractions are present. More frequently, children suspected of having ADHD are evaluated by their intellectual, academic, social and emotional functioning. The evaluation often includes input from the child’s teacher(s), parent(s), and others adults that frequently interact with the child. There are questionnaires that will rate the child behavior that are often used by the parents and teacher of the child. (See Addendum 1) Being that the behavior must last for at least six months, a log of behavior is also encouraged to be kept. According to Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders (CHADD), four subtypes of ADHD have been defined as follows: ADHD -- Inattentive type is defined by an individual experiencing at least six of the following characteristics: 1. fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes 2. difficulty sustaining attention 3. does not appear to listen 4. struggles to follow through on instructions 5. difficulty with organization 6. avoids or dislikes requiring sustained mental effort 7. often loses things necessary for tasks 8. easily distracted 9. forgetful in daily activities ADHD --Show MoreRelatedAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd )1710 Words   |  7 Pages Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD which is often referred to as childhood hyperactivity, it s a severe and chronic disorder for children. It is one of the most prevalent childhood disorders, and affects 3% to 5% of the school-age population. Boys outnumber girls three or more to one. Children with ADHD can experience many behavioral difficulties that often manifest in the form of inattention, being easily distracted, being impulsive, and hyperactivity. As a result, children withRead MoreAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd )1744 Words   |  7 PagesI chose to research Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, otherwise known as ADHD, in culture and child development for the following reasons. First, it is important as educators that we understand the difference between restlessness and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children. Secondly, we must be conscious of the origins of ADHD, how to recognize it, the myths and prejudices against it, and kn ow the most appropriate intervention strategies. Educators must also realize that evenRead MoreAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd )1495 Words   |  6 Pagesoccasionally forget to do their homework, get fidgety when they lose interest in an activity, or speak out of turn during class time. But inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are all signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a neuro-development disorder and can start as early as three years old throughout adulthood. People with ADHD have trouble focusing on tasks and activities, this can have a negative impact on the individual in different ways. It can make the child feelRead MoreAttention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd )1699 Words   |  7 Pageshas had some difficulty sitting still, paying attention and even controlling impulsive behavior once or twice in our life. For some people, however, the problems that occur slim to none in our life occurs in the lives of theirs every day and interfere with every aspect of their life inclusive of home, academic, social and work. . The interaction of core ADHD symptoms with co-morbid problems and neuropsychological deï ¬ cits suggests that individuals with ADHD are likely to experience problems in academicRead MoreAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)1259 Words   |  5 PagesAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly found disorder in children in the United States. Statistics show that the male to female ratio for children with ADHD is eight to one. 4.4 million Children between the ages four to seventeen have diagnosed with ADHD (Cheng Tina L et al.). African American children are at a higher risk for having ADHD. Caucasian children are least likely to have ADHD. 2.5 million children receive medication for ADHD, but African American childrenRead MoreAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd )1002 Words   |  5 PagesAbstract There are many disorders that are first diagnosed whether it is during infancy, childhood or adolescence. The disorders range from intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, communication disorders, all the way through to elimination disorders. Attention-deficit and disruptive disorders are the most common. All including AD/HD, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and unspecified disruptive disorder. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is one of the most commonRead MoreAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd )1058 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (or ADHD/ADD.) While much is known about these disorders and how they affect the education of children, there are only a few known methods that consistently help an affected child focus and target in on what they need to learn. Medication for children With Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder must be used as an aid to help the affected child to focus and comprehend information being presented to them. Children with Attention DeficitRead MoreAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd )978 Words   |  4 Pagesin diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children since the 21st century. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the increase has been seen as a difference from, â€Å"7.8% in 2003 to 9.5% in 2007 and to 11.0% in 2011† (p. 4). Many questions arise concerning why the numbers are on the rise, especially when boys are 7.6 percent more likely than girls to receive the diagnosis of ADHD. When should the line be drawn between a disorder, and hyperactivity that comes withRead MoreAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd )1552 Words   |  7 PagesATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER Seth was a second grader at West Elementary. He constantly got reprimanded by his teachers for not paying attention in class. He could not understand the information given to him during the school day. He thought he was stupid and useless. But he was not. His parents got him tested by a doctor for ADHD. He is one of many kids in the United States who have been recognized as having it. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a major issue in the educationRead MoreAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd ) Essay700 Words   |  3 PagesWhat is ADHD? Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects almost 10% of American children between 13 and 18 years old, as well as 4% of U.S. adults over 18. Only a licensed mental health professional can provide an ADHD diagnosis, after a thorough evaluation. ADHD has three primary characteristics: Inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Inattentive: Are effortlessly distracted, fail to catch details, are forgetful, and regularly switch activities. Find it difficult to focus