Countoons: A Tool for Self Monitoring

Teaching a self-monitoring system to your students can help change their behaviors. Self-monitoring involves defining the behaviors, measuring them, and then evaluating to determine if the student reaches a pre-defined goal.

Self-monitoring can include a checklist of items that the student must complete, tally marks for specific behaviors, or pictures the student circles to indicate a behavior. Countoons are a fun self-monitoring tool that can be used to have children monitor and record their own behavior.

Countoons uses stick figures and picture icons to model the appropriate behavior that your student should be exhibiting and it should also show the unacceptable behavior.

• Start by creating a simple visual Countoon with an icon for the inappropriate behavior, an icon with the appropriate behavior, an icon which depicts the reward your student can earn by practicing good behaviors and finally, add a tracking measure such as smiley and frowny faces. If your student is older, you can use a tally mark system with specific behaviors.
• Identify a motivating reward such as a favorite book, toy, or game that your student can earn by exhibiting good behaviors
• Choose a specific time of day to implement this program, explaining and modeling to your student how the system will work.
• Start by setting the success criteria low to show your student that they can be successful early in the process, encouraging them to strive to meet their goal. Gradually increase the expectations as your student becomes proficient with the program.

Countoons (originally developed by Kunzelmann, Cohen, Hulten, Martin & Mingo, 1970) are cartoon versions of recording devices that students use to count their behaviors. Countoons are a simple visual representation of expected behavior and inappropriate behavior and a contingency for earning a reward. Students are taught to use the tool to self-monitor their behavior. An in-depth description of Countoons can be found in the article Using Countoons to Teach Self-Monitoring Skills by Patricia M. Daly and Patty Ranalli.

• Child's Age: 6-10, 11-13
• Planning Effort: Moderate
• Difficulty Level: Moderate

Visual representations at the skill level of the students

1. Identify the inappropriate behavior that you want to decrease and the appropriate behavior you want to increase.

2. Identify a reward the student can earn and the contingency for earning the reward.

3. Explain and model for the student how the Countoon works

4. Practice using the Countoon with adult guidance.

5. Identify a time to implement use of the Countoon.

6. Remind the student what they need to do to earn the reward.

7. Implement the Countoon and revise as needed.

8. As appropriate behaviors increase, make decisions for fading the use of the Countoon.