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Modifying
Inappropriate Behaviors Part 1: Why is my child
acting like this?
Modifying
Inappropriate Behaviors Part 2: Consistency is Key
from About.com
For more articles visit
www.bridges4kids.org.
Modifying Inappropriate Behaviors Part 1: Why is my child
acting like this?
We have all heard the praises of
Early Intervention repeated again and again. We know that it
works. We know that the earlier we begin working with an
Autistic/PDD child, the better chance he/she will function
like other children. Recently the American Academy of
Pediatrics published new Early Screening Guidelines that help
to identify children who may be in need of early intervention.
These are helpful, but they don't answer the question on
everyone's mind. What can I do at home to change the Autistic
behaviors?
Everyone who has to deal on a daily basis with an Autistic/PDD
child knows that from time to time behavioral modifications
are necessary. There are some behaviors that Autistic children
exhibit that are socially unacceptable and whether you are a
parent, caregiver, teacher or have some other close
relationship with the child, you wonder what to do. How to
change these behaviors, however, can be a challenge.
Research has shown that there are things which can be done to
help change behaviors and turn the behavioral patterns of the
child to other behaviors, so that he/she can cope with the
stresses of society. The first step is to identify the
behaviors that are inappropriate. Find out details of what
happens when the behavior occurs. Look at what happens before
the behavior is exhibited. Is there a pattern or a "trigger"
that starts the behavior? Look at the reactions of others to
the behaviors. Do their behaviors toward the Autistic child
lead to more inappropriate behaviors? Look at the consequences
of the behavior. Is the behavior harmful to the child or
others?
Next, attempt to discover the purpose the behavior serves to
the child. All behaviors serve a function. They are not
random. Whether it is to gain attention, gain a tangible
object, escape from a consequence or release tension, each
behavior is there for a reason. Sometimes the reasons are
known only to the child, but in many cases they are able to be
discerned, if you only look closely. Remember too that some
behaviors are the result of other Autistic characteristics.
For example, many Autistic children have receptive language
deficits. To some people, a child not paying attention to what
he/she is told to do, is a sign of rebellion or defiance. In
reality, to the Autistic child, it may be a sign that he never
processed the message to do the action in the first place.
Once the behavior is determined and its function analyzed, the
next step is to identify alternate, acceptable behaviors with
which you wish to replace the inappropriate ones. In Part 2,
some strategies for teaching alternate behaviors will be
presented.
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Modifying
Inappropriate Behaviors Part 2: Consistency is the Key
The purpose of finding alternatives when dealing with
inappropriate behaviors in the Autistic/PDD child is two fold.
First, it is to create "socially acceptable" behaviors which
can become the "normal" behavior of the child. Secondly, to
find behaviors which meet the needs that the original behavior
met. It does no good to find a new behavior if it doesn't meet
those needs. It then simply becomes more of a reason for
frustration.
The focus of an alternate behavior should not simply be to
"control" the inappropriate behaviors, but to use the new
behavior to increase the skills of the child. For example, if
the child hits when he/she becomes overwhelmed, teaching the
child to say or sign "break" when he/she starts to become
frustrated might work. It would allow the caregiver or parent
to know that the particular thing going on is causing a
sensory overload problem, and to therefore change what is
happening to lessen the stress on the child. Of course, as
this is done, consistency must be maintained. The parent can
not expect the child to learn that saying "break" will lead to
a reduction in the stress caused by over stimulation, if it
sometimes does and sometimes doesn't. Close observation of the
child often can help the parent determine when a child is
starting to have problems with sensory overload or
frustration. Many children will hold their hands over their
eyes or ears prior to acting out. When we find the "indicator"
of the behavior, then we can intervene early and it presents
an excellent learning opportunity.
Finding alternative behaviors is sometimes difficult. The
child may not have the skills necessary to perform the new
behavior. In the example above, if the child has problems with
expressive language, he may not be able to say the word. This
easily could lead to more frustrations than the were present
before the new behavior was begun, and therefore backfire on
the parent/caregiver. If the desired behavior is not something
the child already has in his/her repertoire, then it must be
taught first and integrated into the behavioral patterns of
the child.
One key to teaching an alternative behavior is the development
of a system of reinforcement. Rewards can be small things that
the child has shown a desire to have, but they often do not
have to be tangible. Autistic children, like all others, have
an innate desire to please those with whom they are in close
contact. Simple praise may be enough to help reinforce the
appropriate behavior. One thing to keep in mind is that many
Autistic children have difficulty "reading" body language and
facial expressions. In order to avoid these problems,
something that shows pride in what they have accomplished, but
does not require the child to make a judgment on the meaning
of an expression would be applause. When the child meets the
expected behaviors, verbal praise accompanied by hand clapping
is an excellent reinforcer.
Many people think that if a system of positive reinforcement
(rewards) is used to teach a new behavior, then it must follow
that a system of negative reinforcement (punishments) must go
along with that when the child does not meet the goals. This
is not true. The lack of a reward is a strong negative
reinforcement. Usually, other means are not needed, if the
system of rewards is established and followed consistently.
Identifying behaviors that need change, and teaching
acceptable replacement behaviors is a time consuming process
for both the parent/caregiver and the child. If used, however,
this process has worked successfully for many people, both as
individuals and in the educational setting. The keyword for
working with this process is consistency. By consistently
following a pattern of positive reinforcement, behaviors can
be taught that will benefit the child in his/her efforts to
meet social expectations.
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