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Erin O'Connor,

Janell Deutsch

Paloma Palmer

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This resource helps educate about different categories that behaviors can be broken into and what these behaviors may be aiming to communicate. This site focuses on supporting parents and teachers in identifying these behaviors and their categories. If the behavior is perceived as negative, the next step would be to teach the child other skills or strategies to more effectively advocate for wants and needs. More information to support teaching these strategies will be found in the shelf "strategies to promote appropriate behavior in the classroom" and "teaching/reinforcing new behavior".

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All Behavior is Communicating Something - The Autism Helper

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Resources, tips, and materials to help you, help children with autism

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This resource takes us to a blog that discusses behavior as a form of communication for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The author describes examples of communication that they believe should be more widely accepted as a more natural form of communication for children with ASD. Some examples of this communication includes:

Meltdowns

Elopement

Biting

Hitting

Crying

Refusing to eat certain foods

Stimming

“Lack of communication”

Eye contact (or lack thereof)

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Behavior is communication.
This has become a catchphrase in the autism community. And for good reason. It's certainly true.

A child runs from a store and experts assure the frustrated parent that behavior is communication.

A parent asks for advice about why their recently diagnosed child bursts into tears at bathtime and experienced parents nod in sympathy. "Behavior is communication," they say.

A child refuses to eat anything but raw carrots and pancakes and the child's occupational therapist isn't the least bit surprised. Behavior is communication.

A child flaps at a wind-up toy that's stopped moving and the experts . . . somberly intone that the child doesn't know how to communicate . . . that he isn't aware of the adults around him and is "trapped in his own world", unable to share his joy with others.

An adult walks away from an autism researcher who is treating him as less than competent, preferring instead to tend his garden, and . . . cue the tragic music as the researcher looks on gravely and the viewer is made to believe that the autistic adult simply doesn't know how to have a proper conversation.

What's going on here?

Why is certain behavior treated as communication and other behavior treated as a failure to communicate, often in the same person?

Somehow a phrase that started out as a positive step toward understanding autistic behavior in the absence of language has become associated primarily with meltdowns, self-injurious stimming, eloping and other obvious signs of distress.

Why is that? Do autistic people only communicate distress through their behavior?

In case the answer to that question isn't obvious: No, we communicate a whole range of emotions and messages. But much of it seems to get lost in translation.

That toddler flapping at the wind-up toy? It looks to me like he's saying, "that was fun, do it again!" It's not his fault that the so-called experts in the room don't speak autistic as a second language.

Going Beyond the Obvious

Meltdowns. Elopement. Biting. Hitting. Crying. Refusing to eat certain foods. These are not the only autistic behaviors that are communication.

Stimming is communication. It's not enough to simply assume, "this person is stimming so they must be stressed or anxious." Sometimes stimming is about anxiety or sensory overload. But it's about so much more than that, too.

My stims are a language unto themselves. I have a stim for every mood, and while the physical movements may sometimes be similar, the feelings that go with them are distinctly different. My happy flapping is different from my grossed out flapping. My excited bouncing is different from my nervous bouncing. The autistic body is constantly communicating and it's saying so much more than "I'm in distress."

"Lack of communication" is communication. Autistic attempts to interact with others are often overlooked because they are atypical.

Did you know that an autistic person may express interest in something by studying it for a long time rather than directly engaging at first? Many of us like to understand how all the parts of an object work or how a person responds in different situations before we feel comfortable interacting. And persistent questioning, monologuing, or echolalia-often dismissed as unidirectional communication-are all signs that an autistic individual is seeking to connect.

Eye contact (or lack thereof) is communication. But it's not the kind of communication that most people assume. If I'm staring off to the side while you're talking to me, that's a sign I'm intensely concentrating on what you're saying. And if I'm making intentional intermittent eye contact? I'm more focused on "passing" to avoid looking odd than I am on listening to what you're saying.

And that's just one simple example of how using a neurotypical "dictionary" to interpret autistic behavior and body language can lead to chronic miscommunication. Understanding that behavior is communication is a good first step. But it's not enough to look at autistic behavior and guess, based on neurotypical experience, reasoning and cultural norms, what that behavior means or doesn't mean.

Only through accurate translation of autistic behavior can real communication occur.

For that to happen, autistic individuals-including autistic children-need to be allowed to communicate a broad range of messages in the ways that are natural for them. Forcing a child to make eye contact or to stop flapping is the equivalent of forcing them to speak a foreign language. It's telling them that if they want to use behavior to communicate more than distress, they'll have to speak another language because theirs is substandard and the people around them can't be bothered to learn it.

"Behavior is communication" has to apply to more than just a small subset of behaviors or it's no better than "quiet hands" masquerading as acceptance.
This post is part of the 2014 Autism Positivity Flash Blog happening today

acceptance communication flash blog social communication stimming

😉 not sure whether it's the words or colors or designs or all 3...i dont mind him doing it if he doesn't remove them or puts them back...but my mom is on the warpath about it you'd think she'd be more upset about my dad w dementia "fixing" his motorcycles but meh (we just ignore her and i let him when she's not home lol)

*does not adores cant edit on ipad

I totally understand what you're saying about trying to be invisible. And I often feel like what I think I'm communicating and what people are "hearing" by way of my body language are completely at odds with each other.

Yesterday I ventured way way way outside my comfort zone to record an interview on Autism Spectrum Radio. The host, Rob Haupt, asked some great questions and was easy to talk to. You can listen to our conversation here. Rob does a short intro and then the rest of show (about 35 minutes) is our conversation.

My friends Ibby Grace And Amy Sequenzia are editing an anthology titled "Typed Words, Loud Voices", a collection of works by people who type to talk always or sometimes. They're looking for essays, poems, stories or whatever form of expression you'd like to share your message in.

The full details about the book, including submission guidelines are at Typed Words, Loud Voices. Continue reading

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Behavior is Communication: Are You Listening?

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Behavior is communication. This has become a catchphrase in the autism community. And for good reason. It's certainly true. A child runs from a store and experts assure the frustrated parent that behavior is communication. A parent asks for advice about why their recently diagnosed child bursts into tears at bathtime and experienced parents nod...

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The Autism Research Institute outlines three categories for root causes of challenging behaviors that students with ASD experience. These three categories are as follows:

a biological basis

a social basis

an initial biological

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Challenging behaviors can be disruptive to daily life for individuals with autism. These include, but are not limited to, self-injury, aggression, property destruction, tantrums, disruptiveness, noncompliance, and repetitive behavior/stereotypy. According to ARI's E-2 database, approximately 59% of individuals with autism engage in self-injury, aggression, and/or destructiveness at some point in their lifetime.

Further, a recent follow-up study by Laverty et al. found that 44% of children diagnosed with autism engaging in self-injurious behaviors exhibited the same behaviors a decade later (Laverty et al, 2020). Due to larger body size and strength, these persistent behaviors can become more severe with age and impact the quality of life for individuals and their caretakers or parents.

Learn more: Read Challenging Behaviors in Adults with Autism by Stephen M. Edelson, Ph.D. and Marvin R. Natowicz, M.D., Ph.D.

Understanding and addressing challenging behaviors

The root cause of most challenging behaviors can be placed into one of three categories: a biological basis, a social basis, or an initial biological cause later maintained by social consequences.

Biological causes can include anxiety (Casanova et al., 2021), painful medical comorbidities such as GI distress (Muskens et al., 2017), or environmental sensory processing issues (Miller and Misher, 2016). Social causes generally relate to a desire for attention (positive or negative) or a desire to avoid or acquire a certain object or situation (Carr, 1977). Some behaviors can originate from an underlying biological issue, usually associated with pain or discomfort, but continue due to social consequences, like gaining attention, even after the pain has stopped (Carr and McDowell, 1980). Note that some challenging behaviors are caused by underlying genetic conditions (Shirley et al., 2016; Huisman et al., 2018; Kurtz-Nelson et al., 2020) and associated comorbidities.

Though the root causes of challenging behaviors vary, the behaviors themselves are generally understood and addressed as functions of communication. This is especially true for individuals with autism because communication difficulties are a core symptom. These challenging behaviors, as with any other, are learned via modeling, association, and observation. Therefore, given correct positive supports and interventions, they can be modified and replacement behaviors and coping strategies can be learned.

Some challenging behaviors persist to adulthood due to unintentional reinforcement. For example, when self-injurious behavior like head-banging earns an individual their desired outcome, be it maintaining attention, getting a tangible item, or getting to participate in a desired activity, the individual receives reinforcement for that self-injurious challenging behavior. Similarly, when a tantrum leads to an individual getting out of undesirable activities like brushing their teeth or doing homework or making an unpleasant sensory experience stop, such as the sound of a vacuum cleaner or blender, the individual receives reinforcement for the tantrum behavior. In both cases, unintentional reinforcements for the challenging behaviors are given. While this stops the behavior for that moment, it also shows the individual that their social and environmental surroundings understand and respond to that behavioral communication technique. Without understanding the root cause and the communication an individual is trying to achieve, addressing these behaviors is very difficult.

"If we select an intervention based on the child's behavior only, and ignore the environmental reasons, we can - at best - stop the behavior temporarily. We cannot stop it for good because the reasons for it continue to exist" -

Context, behavior, and consequence

Challenging behaviors "do not occur in a vacuum" ( Lauren Moskowitz ) but instead depend on context and environmental surroundings. Providers cannot create successful intervention plans without understanding the context within which behavior occurs. Creating a timeline for each behavior allows providers to assess causes and potential support strategies. Elements include:

1. Setting events: Environmental/contextual/biological aspects that make an antecedent more or less likely to trigger a certain behavior―i.e., physical discomfort, social settings, tiredness, etc.

2. Antecedent: Anything that potentially triggers a specific behavior―i.e., "time to go to school", bedtime, dinnertime, grocery shopping, etc.

3. Behavior: the behavior itself―i.e., self-injury, screaming, violence.

4. Consequences: the outcome or type of reinforcement given―i.e., gaining attention or leaving an undesirable activity.

By viewing challenging behaviors in this framework, clinicians and families have options at four different levels where interventions can occur. However, trained professionals must complete a thorough multidisciplinary assessment to select the correct treatment strategies. Treatment depends on the root cause of the behavior.

Functional Behavior Analysis

Functional Behavior Analysis (FBA) is a standard assessment strategy used to discover underlying causes of challenging behaviors. An FBA identifies the context (setting events + antecedent) and function of an individual's challenging behaviors. Treatment plans and intervention strategies created in concert with a thorough FBA help guide the correct combination of preventive, responsive, and replacement strategies. Functional behavioral assessments generally include:

1. Interviews - with the individual, parents/caretaker, and/or teacher (or anyone else involved)

2. Direct observation - conducted across multiple settings, using multiple observers. Some helpful assessment tools include:

MAS (motivation assessment scale)

QABF (questions about behavioral functions)

FAC (functional assessment checklist)

Setting Events checklist

Contextual Assessment Inventory (CAI)

3. Functional analysis - experimenting to verify the function of the behavior. Examples include manipulating consequences in a standard vs. controlled setting or adjusting antecedents to assess the effect on the behavior.

Learn more: Watch Dr. Lauren Moskowitz's webinar, Assessing and Treating Challenging Behaviors, for detailed examples of these assessment tools and subsequent treatment options.

Treatment Options

After a thorough assessment is conducted, clinicians can determine the best intervention methods for individuals exhibiting challenging behaviors. Treatments created in concert with an FBA generally involve a combination of three strategies based on the framework outlined above:

1. Prevention strategies focused on changing setting events and antecedents and treating co-occurring medical issues to prevent challenging behaviors.

2. Replacement strategies focused on teaching alternative behaviors and coping mechanisms.

3. Response strategies focused on ensuring the consequences align with the behavior exhibited.

Learn more: Read Treating Challenging Behaviors for detailed information about treatment strategies.

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Challenging behaviors can be disruptive to daily life for individuals with autism. These include, but are not limited to, self-injury, aggression, property destruction, tantrums, disruptiveness, noncompliance, and repetitive behavior/stereotypy. According to ARI's E-2 database, approximately 59% of individuals with autism engage in self-injury, aggression, and/or destructiveness at some point in their lifetime.

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Positive Classroom Climate Promote Positive Behavior

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Positive Classroom Climate Promote Positive Behavior

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This article discusses the importance of creating a positive classroom climate. Creating a positive environment allows for student success within the classroom. The article also discusses how the creating a positive classroom could increase student learning and motivation.

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This is a great resource for classroom teachers. This provides an overview of positive behavior support. It also addressed different strategies teachers could implement in their classrooms.

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Positive behavior strategies are evidence-based, proactive approaches to changing challenging student behavior. Some examples of positive behavior strategies are pre-correcting and prompting and nonverbal signals.

There's a lot to think about when it comes to teaching. You plan and deliver lessons to cover the curriculum. You adjust your lesson plans to meet your students' needs. On top of it all, you manage student behavior.

You're not alone if you feel like managing behavior sometimes gets in the way of teaching. That's where positive behavior strategies come in. These strategies are also known as positive behavior supports, or PBS.

Why use positive behavior strategies?

Positive behavior strategies encourage you to see behavior as a form of communication. Every behavior sends a message about what a student needs. Some messages are easy to read. Some need more deciphering. (In those cases, a behavior specialist, a school psychologist, or other colleagues can help.)

Once you understand the message behind the behavior, you can better support students. As Jerome Schultz, PhD, puts it, "If you can read the need, you can meet the need."

Instead of reacting to challenging behaviors, you can proactively reduce them. Using positive behavior strategies can help you:

Build a trusting relationship between teachers, students, and families.

Instead of seeing behavior as a problem, you'll show empathy by looking at students with compassionate curiosity. With this view, you can shift your focus from "fixing" students to understanding them. You can also develop a more collaborative relationship with students by working together to understand when and under what circumstances a behavior occurs.

Teach and reinforce new skills.

Once you understand why a student behaves a certain way, you can respond more effectively. You can teach new behaviors that serve the same purpose. Many social-emotional learning programs incorporate specific strategies for teaching behaviors, like how to follow directions or ignore peer distractions.

Prompt you to consider multiple reasons for behavioral difficulties.

Students might not have the language or communication skills to express what they need. Or the behavior could be a way to avoid a difficult situation or task. Some students behave in negative ways to get attention or to get what they want. In other cases, they may be reacting to an environment that isn't supporting their learning. Or there could be a cultural difference. This may prompt you to take a culturally responsive approach to analyzing the behavior and your response to it.

As a classroom teacher, you may not have all the time, tools, or training to look at student behavior in depth. You can work with other school staff to do a functional behavior assessment (FBA). The specialist who does the FBA can work with teachers to create an appropriate behavior intervention plan.

What do positive behavior strategies look like?

Explore examples of positive behavior strategies:

To see a positive behavior strategy in action, watch this classroom video from Edutopia.

How do I put positive behavior strategies into practice?

Handling challenging behavior can be frustrating. Use this chart to reflect on where you are in your practice and where you might focus your next efforts.

Create a classroom layout that supports students.

Provide flexible spaces like a reading corner to support different types of learning.

Position furniture to ensure smooth transitions.

Organize materials in safe and accessible ways.

Seat students near peers who model appropriate behavior and who can ignore inappropriate behavior.

Seat students near you so you can use strategies like active supervision and pre-correction.

Post and define positive behavior expectations.

With your students, co-create classroom expectations that are observable, measurable, positive, and understandable.

Limit expectations to three to five statements.

Explicitly teach behavior expectations.

Plan, teach, and practice expected behaviors.

Plan, teach, and practice routines and procedures.

Reinforce and re-teach routines, procedures, and expectations throughout the year.

Establish ways to monitor your classroom and frequently check in with students.

Have systems to respond to behavior.

Collect data to look at the causes of inappropriate behavior.

Collaborate with specialists to use data to create supports for individual students.

Explicitly teach and reinforce new skills aligned to appropriate behavior.

Set competence anchors for students.

Partner with families.

Gather information about students from families and caregivers.

Engage the family when a student demonstrates challenging behavior.

Follow up with families to share when a student is demonstrating positive behavior.

How can families support this at home?

Behavior expectations might be different at home than they are at school. It's important for families to know what's expected in your classroom. Talk with families about the behavioral expectations in the classroom and the language you use to talk about behavior.

This will help families understand new phrases they hear or behavior changes they see. Also, families may want to use the same expectations at home. Share with them these parent-child behavior contracts to get started.

Additional resources and research

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Positive behavior strategies: A guide for teachers

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Positive behavior strategies can help educators support students with challenging behaviors. Get examples of positive behavior strategies and tips on how to implement them in this guide for teachers.

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This video discussed Positive Behavior Support. It addresses how to implement the support and the benefits for students and parents.

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NHS England Workforce, Training and Education

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Positive Behavioural Support: It happens for a reason!

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This literature review discusses the side effects and shortcoming of punishment. Research indicates punishment-based interventions are effective in reducing maladaptive behaviors. Due to ethical reasonings, it is difficult to objectively evaluate the side effects of punishment.

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Punishment and Its Putative Fallout: A Reappraisal

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In his book Coercion and Its Fallout Murray Sidman argued against the use of punishment based on concerns about its shortcomings and side effects. Among his concerns were the temporary nature of response suppression produced by punishment, the dangers…

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This article describes practical reasonings for why challenging behaviors may occur for children and teens with ASD. These reasonings include:

Trouble understanding what’s happening around them

Difficulty communicating their own wants and needs, which can lead to frustration

Feeling highly anxious and stressed

Feeling overwhelmed by what’s going on around them

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Challenging behaviour in autistic children and teenagers

It's common for autistic children to behave in challenging ways or ways that are difficult to manage.

For example, autistic children and teenagers might:

refuse or ignore requests

behave in socially inappropriate ways, like taking their clothes off in public

behave aggressively

hurt themselves or other children - for example, by head-banging or biting.

Why autistic children and teenagers behave in challenging ways

Autistic children and teenagers might behave in challenging ways because they:

have trouble understanding what's happening around them - for example, what other people are saying or communicating non-verbally

have difficulty communicating their own wants and needs, which can lead to frustration

are highly anxious and stressed

feel overwhelmed by what's going on around them.

Your child's difficult behaviour might also have specific triggers, like the following.

Routines and rituals
Autistic children often like predictable environments, and they can get very upset if they can't follow familiar routines. For example, your child might be upset if you change the route you usually take home from school.

Transitions
Your child might not understand it's time to move on from one activity to another. Or like typically developing children, your child just might not want to.

Sensory sensitivities
Autistic children often have sensory sensitivities - for example, they might like feeling or touching particular surfaces or objects. Your child might get upset if they aren't allowed to touch.

Sensory overload
Your child might get upset if too much is happening around them, if they find a particular noise overwhelming, or if the light is too bright.

Unrealistic expectations
Autistic children can get frustrated if they're expected to do something they don't have the skills for, like getting dressed independently.

Tiredness
Autistic children can have sleep problems. If your child isn't getting enough good-quality sleep or is tired from an activity or situation, this can cause challenging behaviour.

Discomfort, pain or illness
This could include things like the feeling of clothes against skin, a prickly label, wet pants, a bump or pain. Check with your GP if you suspect there could be a medical condition causing your child's behaviour.

Other conditions
Your child might have other conditions as well as autism, like epilepsy, mood disorder or ADHD. These can all cause difficult behaviour. A medical assessment will help you to identify and manage these conditions.

Changing challenging behaviour in autistic children and teenagers

To change your child's behaviour, you need to understand what's triggering or causing it and what your child is getting out of it.

You can use the following steps to work on your child's difficult or challenging behaviour.

Step 1: Choose a behaviour
Choose one behaviour to focus on. For example, maybe your child yells at others when they're upset.

Step 2: Identify what triggers the behaviour and how it meets your child's needs
Keep a diary of the difficult behaviour for 1-2 weeks. It's a good idea to include two weekends in the diary. Family routines and behaviour can be different on weekends and weekdays.

Here's an example:

Difficult behaviour: got upset and yelled at brother

When: 4 pm, Monday 7 June

Where: in the car on the way home from school

What happened before behaviour: stopped at shop, intended to buy milk

What happened after: briefly tried to soothe child, then went home without buying milk

In this example, the trigger seems to be the change to the child's usual after-school routine. Note that sometimes there might be more than one trigger for a behaviour. And the behaviour met the child's needs because they got their routine back when the family left the shop.

Step 3: Make changes
Once you know what's triggering the behaviour and how it meets your child's needs, you can use the information to make changes.

Here are some ideas:

Organise predictable routines, perhaps using picture timetables.

Prepare your child for changing routines - for example, by giving your child a five-minute warning (this could be a visual warning like a clock). Using pictures can also help. In the example above, it could be a picture of a shop or milk. Social stories can be useful too - for example, a picture of school, then the shop, then home with a story like 'First mum picks you up from school, then you go to the shop, then you go home'.

Set up gradual introductions to environments that might be overstimulating. For example, start with short shopping trips during which your child gets something they like, or go when it's less busy.

Communicate clearly with your child. For example, make sure your child is paying attention when you explain what's going to happen. Use only one request or instruction at a time. Use language, symbols or pictures your child understands.

Teach your child how to ask for things they want or need. For example, your child could say 'help' or use a 'help' sign when doing a difficult task.

Plan for situations you know might be difficult. For example, don't do new things when your child is tired, or let your child take a favourite toy when you go somewhere that makes your child uncomfortable.

Calmly ignore your child's protests. But when your child is doing the right thing, give plenty of praise.

Cooperative behaviour helps autistic children and teenagers succeed at school and in relationships with others. You can encourage cooperative behaviour in autistic children by using strategies like setting limits, giving effective instructions and offering choices. You can also encourage good behaviour by using our 15 behaviour tips. Although these tips are written for typically developing children, you can adapt them to suit your child's level of development and communication.

Therapies and supports to improve communication and social skills

Improved communication and social understanding can lead to lower anxiety and less challenging behaviour in autistic children and teenagers. There are many therapies and supports that might increase your child's skills in these areas, and help you manage your child's behaviour.

A good first step is talking with your child's GP, paediatrician or psychologist, or another health professional who works with your child. They can help you find appropriate therapies and supports for your child. Psychologists, speech pathologists and experienced Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) practitioners can help you with behaviour management if the behaviour continues to be a problem or you need support to deal with it.

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Challenging behaviour: autistic children and teenagers

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It's common for autistic children to behave in challenging ways or ways that are difficult to manage. For example, autistic children and teenagers might: refuse or ignore requests behave in socially inappropriate ways, like taking their clothes off in public behave aggressively hurt themselves or other children - for example, by head-banging or biting.

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In order to understand punishment and the potential side effects, it is important to understand punishment and reinforcement. This resource clarifies positive and negative reinforcement and punishment.

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What Are Positive and Negative Punishment?

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy is a widely used approach to treating individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities.

One of the key components of ABA therapy is the use of reinforcement to increase desired behaviors and decrease undesired behaviors.

Reinforcement can be either positive or negative, and punishment can also be either positive or negative.

What is Positive Punishment?

Positive punishment is the addition of an aversive stimulus following a behavior in order to decrease the likelihood of that behavior occurring again.

For example, if a child hits another child, the therapist may give the child a time-out, which is a form of positive punishment. The child is being given an aversive stimulus (being removed from the activity) in order to decrease the likelihood of hitting again.

What is Negative Punishment?

Negative punishment is the removal of a reinforcing stimulus following a behavior in order to decrease the likelihood of that behavior occurring again.

For example, if a child throws a tantrum in order to get a toy, the therapist may take the toy away, which is a form of negative punishment. The child is having a reinforcing stimulus (the toy) removed in order to decrease the likelihood of tantrums in the future.

Positive vs. Negative Punishment

Both positive and negative punishment can be effective in decreasing undesired behaviors, but they work in different ways. Positive punishment adds an aversive stimulus, while negative punishment removes a reinforcing stimulus.

Some experts argue that negative punishment is more effective and less harmful than positive punishment, as it does not involve the addition of an aversive stimulus.

However, it is important to note that punishment should only be used as a last resort in ABA therapy. Positive reinforcement, such as praise and rewards, is generally more effective in increasing desired behaviors.

Punishment should only be used when other methods have failed, and it should be used sparingly and with caution.

The Importance of Using Punishment Sparingly and with Caution

While punishment can be an effective tool in decreasing undesired behaviors, it should be used sparingly and with caution. There are several reasons for this.

Firstly, excessive use of punishment can lead to negative side effects, such as aggression, anxiety, and depression.

When a child is subjected to frequent aversive stimuli, they may become desensitized to it or even develop a sense of learned helplessness. This means that they may stop responding altogether or become resigned to their situation.

Secondly, punishment does not teach the child what they should do instead of the undesired behavior.

It only tells them what not to do. Therefore, it is important to pair punishment with positive reinforcement for desired behaviors.

Thirdly, punishment can damage the therapeutic relationship between the therapist and the child.

Children who are frequently punished may come to resent their therapist or view them as an adversary. This can make it more difficult for the therapist to build trust and rapport with the child.

In summary, while punishment can be an effective tool in ABA therapy, it should only be used as a last resort and with caution. It is important to balance punishment with positive reinforcement and ensure that its use does not lead to negative side effects or harm the therapeutic relationship between the therapist and the child.

The Potential Negative Side Effects of Using Punishment in ABA Therapy

While punishment can be an effective tool in decreasing undesired behaviors, it is important to consider the potential negative side effects that may arise from its use. Some of these side effects include:

1. Emotional Distress

Punishment can cause emotional distress in children, particularly if it is used excessively or without proper explanation. Children may feel anxious, fearful, or depressed when they are subjected to aversive stimuli. This emotional distress can interfere with the child's ability to learn and engage in therapy.

2. Aggression

Excessive use of punishment can also lead to aggressive behavior in children. When children are frequently punished, they may become frustrated or resentful towards their therapist and act out aggressively as a result.

3. Negative Attitudes Towards Learning

Children who are subjected to frequent punishment may develop negative attitudes towards learning and therapy altogether. They may view therapy as a place where they are constantly being reprimanded, rather than a place where they can learn and grow.

4. Learned Helplessness

When children are subjected to frequent punishment without any indication of how they can improve their behavior, they may develop a sense of learned helplessness.

This means that they may stop trying to improve their behavior altogether because they believe that nothing they do will make a difference.

It is important for therapists to monitor the potential negative side effects of using punishment in ABA therapy and adjust their approach accordingly.

If a child appears to be experiencing emotional distress or exhibiting aggressive behavior as a result of punishment, alternative methods should be considered.

In conclusion, while punishment can be an effective tool in ABA therapy, it is essential that therapists take into account the potential negative side effects that may arise from its use.

By doing so, therapists can ensure that their approach is effective while also minimizing harm to the child's emotional well-being and attitude towards learning.

How to Determine Which Type of Punishment is Most Appropriate for a Given Behavior

Determining which type of punishment to use in ABA therapy can be challenging, as it requires careful consideration of the behavior in question and the individual's needs. Here are some factors to consider when deciding which type of punishment to use:

1. The Nature of the Behavior

The first factor to consider is the nature of the behavior that needs to be addressed. Positive punishment may be more appropriate for behaviors that are aggressive or dangerous, such as hitting or biting.

On the other hand, negative punishment may be more effective for behaviors that are less severe, such as interrupting or talking out of turn.

2. The Individual's Sensory Needs

It is important to consider the individual's sensory needs when selecting a form of punishment. Some individuals with autism spectrum disorder may be hypersensitive to certain stimuli, making positive punishment particularly aversive for them. In these cases, negative punishment may be a better option.

3. The Individual's History with Punishment

It is also important to consider the individual's history with punishment. If they have had negative experiences with positive punishment in the past, they may be less responsive to it or even develop a negative attitude towards therapy altogether. In these cases, negative punishment may be a better option.

4. The Therapist's Comfort Level

Finally, it is important for therapists to consider their own comfort level with different forms of punishment. If they are uncomfortable using positive punishment, they may not implement it effectively or consistently. In these cases, negative punishment may be a better option.

In summary, determining which type of punishment is most appropriate for a given behavior requires careful consideration of several factors, including the nature of the behavior, the individual's sensory needs and history with punishment, and the therapist's comfort level.

By taking these factors into account and tailoring their approach accordingly, therapists can ensure that their use of punishment is effective while also minimizing harm to the child's emotional well-being and attitude towards learning.

Examples of Positive Punishment

Positive punishment can take many forms in ABA therapy. Here are some examples of positive punishment:

1. Time-outs: As mentioned earlier, time-outs are a form of positive punishment in which the child is removed from an activity following an undesired behavior.

2. Verbal reprimands: Verbal reprimands involve the therapist telling the child that their behavior is unacceptable or inappropriate.

3. Response cost: Response cost involves taking away a previously earned reward or privilege following an undesired behavior.

4. Overcorrection: Overcorrection involves requiring the child to engage in a corrective action following an undesired behavior. For example, if a child throws food on the floor, they may be required to clean it up as a form of overcorrection.

It is important to note that while these forms of positive punishment can be effective in decreasing undesired behaviors, they should only be used sparingly and with caution.

It is also important for therapists to pair positive punishment with positive reinforcement for desired behaviors and ensure that its use does not lead to negative side effects or harm the therapeutic relationship between the therapist and the child.

Examples of Negative Punishment

Negative punishment can also take many forms in ABA therapy. Here are some examples of negative punishment:

1. Time-out from preferred activities: This involves removing access to preferred activities, such as playing with a favorite toy or engaging in a preferred activity for a set amount of time following an undesired behavior.

2. Response cost: Similar to positive punishment, response cost involves taking away a previously earned reward or privilege following an undesired behavior. For example, if a child throws a tantrum during playtime, they may be asked to put their toys away for a set amount of time as a form of response cost.

3. Ignoring: Ignoring involves withholding attention or social interaction from the child following an undesired behavior. For example, if a child is interrupting frequently during therapy sessions, the therapist may ignore the interruptions until the child demonstrates appropriate waiting skills.

4. Planned ignoring: This is similar to ignoring but it involves the systematic withholding of attention for specific behaviors that are deemed inappropriate while reinforcing other behaviors that are desirable.

It is important to note that while these forms of negative punishment can be effective in decreasing undesired behaviors, they should only be used sparingly and with caution.

It is also important for therapists to pair negative punishment with positive reinforcement for desired behaviors and ensure that its use does not lead to negative side effects or harm the therapeutic relationship between the therapist and the child.

Conclusion

Positive and negative punishment are two forms of punishment used in ABA therapy. Positive punishment involves adding an aversive stimulus, while negative punishment involves removing a reinforcing stimulus.

Both can be effective in decreasing undesired behaviors, but punishment should only be used as a last resort.

Positive reinforcement is generally more effective in increasing desired behaviors. It is important to work with a qualified ABA therapist to determine the most appropriate approach for each individual.

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Positive vs. Negative Punishment In ABA Therapy

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In this article, we'll explore the differences between positive and negative punishment in ABA therapy.

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Understanding how the environment impacts the development of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder is crucial for educators, parents, and caregivers. Creating an environment that caters to their unique needs can significantly enhance their overall well-being, enabling them to thrive and reach their full potential.

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Providing a comfortable, supportive, and fun environment helps children with ASD to grow and thrive.

Providing a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment is essential for the healthy development of all children, even more so for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Children with ASD typically experience communication and social difficulties, are reliant on certain rules or routines, and may be sensitive to sounds or touch. An environment that accommodates to the needs of children with ASD can help to boost their physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.

Firstly, it is important to provide children with ASD a comfortable and safe space for learning. The physical space should be structured based on the child's specific needs to create a conducive learning environment. For instance, the use of calm colours and comfortable lighting can be helpful for children who are sensitive to bright lights. Having a comfortable chair and sensory objects (such as a weighted blanket or wiggle cushion) can address the child's tactile needs. A cluttered-free environment allows children to move around safely and provides less distraction for learning. The use of relaxing background music or children's favourite songs may be useful for children who requires auditory input for sensory regulation. Hence, by addressing the sensory needs of children with ASD, this creates less disruption to their learning, improving their ability to acquire new skills.

Secondly, a structured and consistent environment provides a stress-free learning experience for children with ASD. Children with ASD typically learn best when they follow a routine as they understand the expectations of the activities. The use of visual aids, such as a written or picture schedule, can be extremely useful in informing the child of their daily activities. If the change in schedule is unavoidable, it is necessary to prepare the child well in advanced, providing details about the change as much as possible. This helps to alleviate the stress and anxiety caused by deviations from their routines, allowing them to cope better with changes. In addition, maintaining consistency in the techniques used to interact with the child and manage their challenging behaviors is also crucial. Parents and therapists/teachers can adopt the same techniques to help children with ASD to apply their knowledge and skills across different settings (e.g., home and school), thus reinforcing their learning. Specific situations can even be contrived at home to allow children to apply the skills learnt at school to home. For instance, in order to encourage children to request for help, parents can block their child's access to the television by removing the batteries of the remote control. This creates more opportunities for children to apply their acquired skills at a natural setting (i.e., at home). Therefore, with a highly predicted and consistent environment, children with ASD are able to learn with minimal stress and generalize their learning across various settings.

Lastly, as with most children, children with ASD learn best in a fun and engaging environment. Rewarding positive behaviors using social praises, toys, favourite snacks, or even physical touch can help to motivate children to display the behaviors more often. The learning of new skills can also be integrated with play to make it more exciting for children. For example, play-doh can be used to develop children's motor skills, such as rolling, pinching, and pressing. The singing of nursery rhymes or children's favourite songs can be used to elicit more vocalizations, promoting their language capabilities, especially for non- or pre-verbal children. As children with ASD may play with the toys in certain non-conventional ways, teaching them new and interesting ways of playing with toys can aid in expanding their play skills and improving social play with their peers. By providing an exciting and rewarding environment for children with ASD, they are more likely to learn better and most importantly, they will enjoy learning.

All in all, exposing children with ASD to the right kind of environment can positively affect their learning and development. Creating a comfortable, consistent, and fun environment can help them to grow and thrive, allowing them to realize their potential.

Written by Xiao Hui

References

Autism Society. (2020). Environmental Modifications for Children with Autism: How to Shape the Environment to Boost Success. Retrieved from https://www.autism-society.org/environmental-modifications-children-autism-shape-environment-boost-success/

Help Guide. (n.d.). Helping Your Child with Autism Thrive. Retrieved from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/autism-learning-disabilities/helping-your-child-with-autism-thrive.htm

Stages Learning. (2021). 10 Tips for Teaching Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Retrieved from https://blog.stageslearning.com/blog/10-tips-for-teaching-young-children-with-autism-spectrum-disorder

Providing a comfortable, supportive, and fun environment helps children with ASD to grow and thrive.

Providing a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment is essential for the healthy development of all children, even more so for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Children with ASD typically experience communication and social difficulties, are reliant on certain rules or routines, and may be sensitive to sounds or touch. An environment that accommodates to the needs of children with ASD can help to boost their physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.

Firstly, it is important to provide children with ASD a comfortable and safe space for learning. The physical space should be structured based on the child's specific needs to create a conducive learning environment. For instance, the use of calm colours and comfortable lighting can be helpful for children who are sensitive to bright lights. Having a comfortable chair and sensory objects (such as a weighted blanket or wiggle cushion) can address the child's tactile needs. A cluttered-free environment allows children to move around safely and provides less distraction for learning. The use of relaxing background music or children's favourite songs may be useful for children who requires auditory input for sensory regulation. Hence, by addressing the sensory needs of children with ASD, this creates less disruption to their learning, improving their ability to acquire new skills.

Secondly, a structured and consistent environment provides a stress-free learning experience for children with ASD. Children with ASD typically learn best when they follow a routine as they understand the expectations of the activities. The use of visual aids, such as a written or picture schedule, can be extremely useful in informing the child of their daily activities. If the change in schedule is unavoidable, it is necessary to prepare the child well in advanced, providing details about the change as much as possible. This helps to alleviate the stress and anxiety caused by deviations from their routines, allowing them to cope better with changes. In addition, maintaining consistency in the techniques used to interact with the child and manage their challenging behaviors is also crucial. Parents and therapists/teachers can adopt the same techniques to help children with ASD to apply their knowledge and skills across different settings (e.g., home and school), thus reinforcing their learning. Specific situations can even be contrived at home to allow children to apply the skills learnt at school to home. For instance, in order to encourage children to request for help, parents can block their child's access to the television by removing the batteries of the remote control. This creates more opportunities for children to apply their acquired skills at a natural setting (i.e., at home). Therefore, with a highly predicted and consistent environment, children with ASD are able to learn with minimal stress and generalize their learning across various settings.

Lastly, as with most children, children with ASD learn best in a fun and engaging environment. Rewarding positive behaviors using social praises, toys, favourite snacks, or even physical touch can help to motivate children to display the behaviors more often. The learning of new skills can also be integrated with play to make it more exciting for children. For example, play-doh can be used to develop children's motor skills, such as rolling, pinching, and pressing. The singing of nursery rhymes or children's favourite songs can be used to elicit more vocalizations, promoting their language capabilities, especially for non- or pre-verbal children. As children with ASD may play with the toys in certain non-conventional ways, teaching them new and interesting ways of playing with toys can aid in expanding their play skills and improving social play with their peers. By providing an exciting and rewarding environment for children with ASD, they are more likely to learn better and most importantly, they will enjoy learning.

All in all, exposing children with ASD to the right kind of environment can positively affect their learning and development. Creating a comfortable, consistent, and fun environment can help them to grow and thrive, allowing them to realize their potential.

Written by Xiao Hui

References

Autism Society. (2020). Environmental Modifications for Children with Autism: How to Shape the Environment to Boost Success. Retrieved from https://www.autism-society.org/environmental-modifications-children-autism-shape-environment-boost-success/

Help Guide. (n.d.). Helping Your Child with Autism Thrive. Retrieved from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/autism-learning-disabilities/helping-your-child-with-autism-thrive.htm

Stages Learning. (2021). 10 Tips for Teaching Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Retrieved from https://blog.stageslearning.com/blog/10-tips-for-teaching-young-children-with-autism-spectrum-disorder

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How Environment Plays A Huge Role on The Development of Children with ASD

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Providing a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment is essential for the healthy development of all children, even more so for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Children with ASD typically experience communication and social difficulties, are reliant on certain rules or routines, and may be sensitive to sounds or touch.

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Teaching This resource is valuable because it equips educators with effective strategies to address student behavior and layAppropriate Behavior - Project IDEAL

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This resource is valuable because it equips educators with effective strategies to address student behavior and lays the foundation for more comprehensive approaches to teaching appropriate behaviors.

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Step 1: Identify the problem behavior.

Step 2: Measure the problem behavior.

Step 3: Develop a hypothesis as to the purpose of the behavior.

Step 4: Choose an appropriate replacement behavior.

Step 5: Identify the current stage of learning.

Step 6: Determine the level of support.

Step 7: Track the new behavior.

Step 8: Fade assistance.

Step 1: Identify the problem behavior.

While many teachers can identify a problem behavior, a teacher who wants to change that behavior needs to specifically describe the problem behavior. Specifically describing the behavior means that any adult who knows the definition of the behavior could spot the behavior in the classroom. Additionally, systematic behavior change is designed to change one behavior at a time. Carefully defining the behavior will help a teacher to change the student's behavior in less time. Begin by asking yourself: What exactly do I want the student to do?

Examples of non-specific behaviors:

Stop disturbing other students

Be more respectful

Stop touching other students

Behave appropriately

Examples of specific behaviors:

Stay in his seat during the math lesson

Raise his hand before speaking

Not push or hit others

Complete his assignments

Step 2: Measure the problem behavior.

Why Measure Behavior?

To make your life easier as a teacher!

To gain valuable information on when, where, and how often a specific problem behavior occurs

To use this information to choose an appropriate behavior management strategy

To capture even the smallest signs of progress when attempting to change a student's behavior

Teachers are the masters of multitasking. They are responsible for academics, social skills, and behavior of each student in their class. In addition to using class-wide techniques to manage student behavior, a teacher can focus on changing a specific behavior in one student. Measuring a problem behavior in a single student can reveal when, where, and how often that particular problem behavior occurs. For example, a teacher notices that a student is frequently out of her seat during math. Each time the student is out of her seat, the teacher writes down the time each day for one week. The results show that the student is out of her seat most often during independent math practice for an average of 5 times during the 10-minute work session daily. The teacher infers that the student needs increased supervision, and possibly academic help, during independent math practice. When the teacher chooses and implements a behavior management strategy, the teacher can measure the student's behavior to monitor how the student responds to the behavior management strategy. With careful monitoring, the teacher can capture even small steps of progress, such as decreasing the average times out of seat from 5 to 3.

First, decide how to measure the problem behavior. For behaviors that have a distinct beginning and ending, count the number of times the behavior occurs within a given time period. This is called a frequency count. Results of a frequency count can be a number, such as 25 math problems answered in 10 minutes. Or divide the frequency by the time period to get a rate. The previous example expressed as rate is 2.5 math problems answered per minute.

Examples of frequency counts:

For behaviors that go on over periods of time, use a stopwatch or timer to measure how long the behavior occurs within a given time period. This is called duration recording. For example, duration can be the total amount of time out of seat during math or the length of time working before a student takes a break. Results of duration can be a number, such as working 4 minutes of a 10-minute work period. Or divide the duration by the time period to get a percentage. The previous example expressed in a percentage is 40% of the 10-minute period spent working.

Examples of Duration Recording:

Additionally, all behaviors can be measured using the Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence model (A-B-C). To use the A-B-C model, observe the student over a period of time and record what happens before the problem behavior, during the problem behavior, and after the problem behavior. What occurs before and after the problem behavior are often actions by adults or peers in the classroom.

A-B-C Model:

The model helps us to understand why a child is behaving in a certain way. Antecedents tell us about the context for the incident and may help us to identify triggers which set off a particular behavior. An antecedent may be an action performed by the student or by others in the environment. For example, an antecedent may be the teacher asking the student to sit down. The behavior is the student's problem behavior that the teacher is trying to change. In our example, the student's problem behavior is a scream in response to the teacher's request to sit down. Consequences tell us about what happened after the behavior occurred. Consequences may be performed by others in the environment. In the example, the consequence was that the teacher said "No screaming" and led the student to time-out.

A-B-C Model Example:

This is an example of an A-B-C recording. Note that some antecedent sections are blank. This means that the consequence for the previous behavior also served as the antecedent that triggers the next behavior. Record the consequence as it is observed, even if the consequence does not effectively change or stop the problem behavior. With some practice, teachers will be able to record the antecedents and consequences of their students' problem behaviors.

A-antecedents

B-behavior

C-consequences

What specific activity or event happened before the behavior?

What specifically did the child do or say?

What happened after or as a result of the behavior?

Step 3: Develop a hypothesis to determine the purpose of the behavior.

After clearly defining the behavior, we should carefully examine the problem behavior itself. Why does the behavior occur? How do we know when the behavior is about to happen? A student's behaviors will be repeated when the behavior yields his desired outcome. Ask yourself: What is the outcome when he demonstrates this behavior?

Examples of outcomes:

Does he get something he wants?

Does he get to avoid doing something?

Behavior occurs for two basic reasons: to gain something and to avoid something. Students may want to gain attention, tangible items, or sensory input. Or, students may want to avoid activities, difficult tasks, or assignments in a particular subject.

When the goal or function is to gain something:

Students may want to gain something, such as social attention from peers, the teacher, or other adults; access to tangible items such as a favorite toy or other objects such as the class computer; or to get some type of sensory experience or stimulation. They may intentionally act out by throwing a tantrum, yelling or shouting, grabbing an object from another person, making noises, acting as the class clown, or other inappropriate behaviors.

Examples of gaining attention or gaining item/objects:

When the goal or function is to avoid something:

Students may want to avoid something, such as academic tasks or uncomfortable social situations. They may intentionally break class rules to be sent to time-out, which also results in a break from academic instruction. They may avoid other students during social situations such as lunchtime, homeroom, or recess. It should be noted that a student may want to escape from activities that he finds unpleasant, even if the activity is easy or enjoyable for adults or other students. Escape: When the behavior results in the student being removed from a situation that he finds unpleasant.

Example of avoidance:

Step 4: Choose an appropriate replacement behavior.

At the beginning of the Behavior Change module, we discussed student motivation. Why should a student use the appropriate behavior a teacher wants to see instead of continuing to use the problem behavior? After all, the current behavior is working for the student! The new behavior to be taught must be carefully chosen by the teacher to be faster and more efficient than the problem behavior while meeting the same function for the student. For example, young children learn to talk because it is a faster and more efficient way to have their needs met. If a toddler cries, a teacher or parent must use a process of elimination to determine what the child needs. Is he hungry, tired, hurt, or wet? When a child learns to talk, he can specifically ask for what he needs and get it quickly. A child continues to talk because it is more efficient than crying and meets the same function of gaining adult attention or preferred items.

To choose an appropriate replacement behavior:

Ask yourself: What could he do instead of performing the problem behavior? Remember, an alternative behavior is a behavior that serves the same function as the problem behavior, is age-appropriate for the student and easier or quicker to perform.

Examples of alternative behaviors:

Ask yourself: Would the problem behavior be appropriate if performed at a different level? Remember, some behaviors are inappropriate only when performed at extreme levels. Students generally need to speak at a moderate level, work at a moderate pace, and interact with others a moderate amount. Problem behaviors may be a behavior excess where the behavior is performed too often, or a behavior deficit where the behavior is performed too little.

Examples of appropriate levels:

Step 5: Identify the current stage of learning.

Before teaching a replacement behavior, we need to determine where the replacement behavior fits into the student's repertoire of skills. Thinking back to common thoughts about behavior, a student may not demonstrate an appropriate behavior if he doesn't know how, if he knows how to in some environments but not others, or if he doesn't have the motivation. Remember that teaching behavior is just like teaching an academic skill. If a student is not working on his addition sheet during math class, then he may not know how to do addition, he may need help with certain steps, or he may not want to do the sheet. Depending on the student's skill level, the teacher may teach addition, offer help, or offer an incentive. Ask yourself: Is any part of this behavior currently in his/her repertoire?

Examples in repertoire:

Then consider the stages of learning. Students master all skills, both academic and behavioral, through the stages of learning. Acquisition includes brand-new skills, such as a kindergarten student being taught for the first time to raise his hand to be called upon. Fluency includes previously taught skills that the student needs to perform more efficiently, such as a student who still counts on his fingers when adding. Maintenance includes previously taught skills that the student can routinely perform under similar circumstances, such as independently reading several books in the same reading level. And generalization includes previously taught skills that the student can perform in a variety of circumstances, such as using reading comprehension skills to read books, magazines, newspapers, and websites.

Stages of learning:

Acquisition: Learning the selected new skill

Fluency: Using the selected skill faster or better

Maintenance: Using the selected skill routinely

Generalization: Using the selected skill in different places whenever it is needed

Strategies for Stages of Learning:

During acquisition, the teacher should introduce the skill using examples, provide ample practice opportunities, and correct errors immediately after they occur. When the student can perform the skill correctly with supports on most opportunities, then he is ready to move to the fluency stage.

During fluency, the teacher should provide practice opportunities while gradually decreasing prompts and assistance. When the student can perform the skill independently on most opportunities, he is ready to move to the maintenance stage.

During maintenance, the teacher should provide practice opportunities and monitor the student to affirm that he can perform the skill independently over time. When the student consistently performs the skill over time, then he is ready to move to the generalization stage.

During generalization, the teacher should provide opportunities for the student to practice the skill with different people, different materials, or in different locations. When the student can independently perform the skill in various situations, then the student has mastered the skill.

Acquisition: Teach with examples and error correction

Fluency: Decrease prompts and assistance

Maintenance: Practice skill independently

Generalization: Practice skill with different people, different materials, or in different locations

Step 6: Determine the level of support.

Next use the identified stage of learning to determine the level of support needed to demonstrate the new behavior. Ask yourself: What supports does he need to demonstrate this skill?

Examples of supports:

Types of Support*

Prompts, error correction, and reinforcement are three types of support. Use most-to-least prompts for acquisition skills. An example of most-to-least prompting during handwriting is to begin by having a student trace his letters and, as the student progresses, have him/her write the letters instead of tracing. Use least-to-most prompts for fluency and maintenance skills. An example of least-to-most prompting during reading is to first allow the student to try to sound out a word and then offer help if she/he becomes stuck. Error correction can be used at any stage when a student makes an error. The teacher should stop the lesson or practice, briefly review the skill, and then provide additional practice opportunities. Reinforcement can be used in all stages to increase students' motivation to complete work or behave appropriately. Teachers can reinforce their students by giving praise, privileges, or small rewards.

Prompts:

Error correction:

Reinforcement:
* Read more about types of support in the Classroom Management module for this website.
Step 7: Track the new behavior.

By practicing a replacement behavior, a student moves through the stages of learning. He become more fluent in the behavior, can reliably demonstrate the behavior, and begins to demonstrate the behavior in new environments. Sometimes progress is noticeable through casual observation, and sometimes it is not. Teachers can use the measurement tools described above to both define and track behavior. Ask yourself: How do I know when he is improving?

Examples of improvement:

Ways to Track Behavior

Behavioral or academic skills can be tracked using a graph to show progress over time. A graph shows progress visually and can be easily shared with other teachers and parents to demonstrate change over time.

When graphing desired behaviors, teachers should look for an increase in the frequency or duration of the behavior over time. For example, for a student who does not ask for help, raising his hand 2 times per class is an improvement over raising his hand 0 times per class.

When graphing undesired behaviors, teachers should look for a decrease in the frequency or duration of the behavior over time. For example, for a student who works slowly, completing an assignment in 20 minutes is an improvement over completing a similar assignment in 30 minutes.

When graphing erratic and inconsistent behaviors, a graph that becomes more stable over time shows that replacement behavior may be stabilizing the problem behavior. For example, a student who consistently asks for help 2-3 times during class is an improvement over asking more than 10 times in some class periods and none in other class periods.

Cooper, Heron, and Heward (2007) provide a great deal of guidance in their textbook, Applied Behavior Analysis, on implementing contingency contracts and token economies with students who have emotional/behavioral challenges. These behavioral intervention systems can be applied with individual students as well as an entire class to change targeted behaviors.

A few other ways to improve the student's behavior:

A contingency contract is a behavior change system that offers a way for the teacher or parent to target a student's behavior and involve the student in correcting his own behavior. In this type of arrangement, the contingency contract specifies the relationship between the completion of a specified behavior and access to a specific reinforcer. This type of student contract describes the tasks and the reward and has a record of progress. Utilizing this type of contracting provides an individualized approach for a specific student or can be made with the entire class to work towards positive behaviors in the classroom. Contingency contracts are widely used in classroom, home, and clinical settings.

A token economy is another behavior change system that consists of: (a) a list of target behaviors to be reinforced, (b) incentives such as tokens or points that the student(s) receive for producing the targeted behaviors, and (c) a menu of items/activities that student(s) can exchange for the tokens or points they have earned. An example that many teachers use is a "treasure box" in which students can draw or select prizes (stickers, special pencils, small toys, etc.). Schools often have a school store in which students can turn in their tokens, tickets, or points for school supplies or other age appropriate items. There are several important considerations that teachers or parents must consider before implementing a token economy. Much thought will need to be given to how to begin, implement, maintain, evaluate, and remove such behavior change systems.

According to Cooper, Heron, and Heward (2007), there are six basic steps for implementing a token economy. These six steps are:

1. Selection of tokens,

2. Identification of the target behaviors or rules,

3. Selection of the backup reinforcers (e.g., 50 tokens will earn computer time),

4. Establishment of the ratio of exchange (e.g., completing an assignment in time will earn 5 tokens),

5. Writing procedures for when and how tokens will be dispensed and exchanged,

6. Field testing, or trying, the system and monitoring its impact.

A Group Contingency Plan. This utilizes a common consequence that is contingent upon the behavior of an individual member of a group, a part of the group, or everyone in the group.

For example, when working in a group the teacher can have all the group perform on a certain task (group project) to earn reward for the entire group (free play time for the group).

Step 8: Fade assistance.

Another purpose of tracking the new behavior is to know when to decrease support. As a student moves through the stages of learning, he will need less assistance to demonstrate the replacement behavior. Decreasing assistance moves the student toward the ultimate goal of being able to perform the replacement behavior independently in a variety of situations. Ask yourself: How can I increase his independence by decreasing the level of support?

Examples of increased independence:

Student needs less help to demonstrate skill.

Student needs less reinforcement to demonstrate skill.

To decrease levels of support, teachers can alter prompts and fade reinforcement. To alter prompts, use visual rather than verbal prompts because visual prompts can be used independent of the teacher. Provide minimal guidance or prompting for the student to perform the replacement behavior. To fade reinforcement, teachers can extend the amount of time or number of activities to be completed before delivering reinforcement. Or, teachers can use a token economy to delay rewards. To read more about reinforcers, please refer to the Classroom Management module for this website.

Decreasing the level of support:

Decrease the level of prompts

Visual rather than verbal prompts

Minimal guidance or prompting

Fade reinforcement

Extend amount of time or number of activities to be completed before delivering reinforcement

Use token economy to delay rewards

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Teaching Appropriate Behavior - Project IDEAL

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Advice for teachers to use steps to promote behavior changes in their students.

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IRIS Center- Strategies for Challenging Behaviors in the Classroom

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IRIS Center- Strategies for Challenging Behaviors in the Classroom

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This is a great resource for teachers seeking for strategies to use for challenging behaviors within the classroom. This resource addresses the multi-tiered system of supports. Some low-intensity strategies are also presented in this resource.

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The DEC Recommended Practices are designed to help improve the learning outcomes of young children (birth through age five) who have or who are at-risk for developmental delays or disabilities. Please note that, because the IRIS Center has not yet developed resources aligned with DEC Topic 8: Transition, that topic is not currently listed on this page.
Instruction

INS1. Practitioners, with the family, identify each child's strengths, preferences, and interests to engage the child in active learning.

INS2. Practitioners, with the family, identify skills to target for instruction that help a child become adaptive, competent, socially connected, and engaged and that promote learning in natural and inclusive environments.

INS3. Practitioners gather and use data to inform decisions about individualized instruction.

INS4. Practitioners plan for and provide the level of support, accommodations, and adaptations needed for the child to access, participate, and learn within and across activities and routines.

INS5. Practitioners embed instruction within and across routines, activities, and environments to provide contextually relevant learning opportunities.

INS6. Practitioners use systematic instructional strategies with fidelity to teach skills and to promote child engagement and learning.

INS7. Practitioners use explicit feedback and consequences to increase child engagement, play, and skills.

INS8. Practitioners use peer-mediated intervention to teach skills and to promote child engagement and learning.

INS9. Practitioners use functional assessment and related prevention, promotion, and intervention strategies across environments to prevent and address challenging behavior.

INS10. Practitioners implement the frequency, intensity, and duration of instruction needed to address the child's phase and pace of learning or the level of support needed by the family to achieve the child's outcomes or goals.

INS11. Practitioners provide instructional support for young children with disabilities who are dual language learners to assist them in learning English and in continuing to develop skills through the use of their home language.

INS12. Practitioners use and adapt specific instructional strategies that are effective for dual language learners when teaching English to children with disabilities.

INS13. Practitioners use coaching or consultation strategies with primary caregivers or other adults to facilitate positive adult-child interactions and instruction intentionally designed to promote child learning and development.

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The DEC Recommended Practices are designed to help improve the learning outcomes of young children (birth through age five) who have or who are at-risk for developmental delays or disabilities. Please note that, because the IRIS Center has not yet developed resources aligned with DEC Topic 8: Transition, that topic is not currently listed on this page.

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This resource is highly valuable because it addresses the common challenge of reinforcement not yielding the desired results. It offers tips, tricks, and guidance on making reinforcement strategies more effective. By exploring various types of reinforcement and troubleshooting common mistakes, you can enhance your success in using these techniques with clients, ensuring a more positive outcome.

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How to Make Reinforcement Work | Effective Reinforcement

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Learn how reinforcement works and strategies to use reinforcement at home to help reinforce positive behaviors and reduce challenging behaviors.

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ATN/AIR-P Video Tool Kit: Positive Reinforcement Strategies For Your Autistic Child

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Learn how to differentiate between and to apply positive and negative reinforcement.

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This resource shows gives access to a moment durning an autism workshop. It gives a visual example of how behavior can be used as communication, especially for students with ASD that are nonverbal or have minimal verbal communication abilities.

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Autism Workshop: Behavior as Communication

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In this brief video, you will discover valuable tips for supporting the success of students with autism in a general classroom.

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Helping children with autism succeed in a general ed classroom

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The environment can significantly impact a student's behavior. In this article, they explore how to create a supportive and inclusive classroom setting to minimize inappropriate behaviors in students on the autism spectrum.

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Challenging Behaviors Tool Kit

As you learn to think like a detective about your child's behavior, your observations (or the FBA) are likely to show that behavior occurs at specific times, with certain people or in particular environments. You and your team will need to tune in, learning to recognize the signs of increasing tension, anxiety or frustration that eventually lead to challenging behaviors.

Often there is a ramping up, or escalation period, and learning to recognize that early and using many of the approaches here can help to calm a situation and prevent behavioral outbursts. Sometimes these signs may be very subtle-red ears, a tapping foot, heavier breathing, higher pitched speech-but it is essential that everyone on the team responds to the importance of tuning in and working towards de-escalation.

Changing the environment can often reduce behavioral episodes. Expand situations, relationships, places and opportunities that are successful. If possible, try to adjust or avoid situations that are triggers for challenging behavior. Incorporate ways to reduce frustration and anxiety and increase understanding. Below are some things to consider when working to create a more successful environment:

Organize and provide structure:

Provide clear and consistent visual schedules, calendars, consistent routines, etc. so that the person knows what is coming next.

Inform transitions and changes:

Recognize that changes can be extremely unsettling, especially when they are unexpected. Refer to a schedule, use countdown timers, give warnings about upcoming changes, etc.

Use Visual Supports:

Pictures, text, video modeling and other visuals are best for visual learners, but they are also critical because they provide information that stays. The ATN Visual Supports Tool Kit provides a step-by-step, easy-to-understand introduction to visual supports. Provide a safe place and teach when to use it: A calming room or corner, and/or objects or activities that help to calm (e.g. bean bag) provide opportunities to regroup and can be helpful in teaching self-control.

Remove or dampen distracting or disturbing stimuli:

Replace flickering fluorescent lights, use headphones to help block noise, avoid high traffic times, etc.

Pair companions or staff appropriately for challenging activities or times:

Some people are more calming than others in certain situations. If going to the store with dad works better than with mom, focus on that and celebrate successes.

Consider structural changes to your home or yard:

These changes might address some of the specifics of your situation to increase independence or reduce the risks when outbursts occur. Making Homes that Work includes a range of potential changes that can be made to reduce property damage, improve safety, and increase choice and independence.

"One of the barriers that we often find for children with autism in toilet training has to do with the condition of the bathroom itself. Often times we find that people with ASD can be very tactfully defensive so the space itself needs to be as neutral as possible. There needs to be enough room around the toilet so people don't feel too confined. It is really helpful if the space is warm and you address other types of sensations around the toileting experience. For example, is it cold, is there a fan running, is the light too bright, or not bright enough? You can sometimes help encourage people to use the toilet if the bathroom is a friendly place for them to be"
- George Braddock, President, Creative Housing Solutions LLC

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Adapting Your Environment | Autism Speaks

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Things to consider when working to create a more successful environment and minimize challenging behaviors.