Behavior Management

This page is dedicated to inform others on various strategies that can be implemented at home regarding your child's behaviors. Below I have provided some helpful behavior management tools, specifically applied behavior analysis (ABA) strategies. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

What Is Applied Behavior Analysis?

"Applied behavior analysis (ABA) uses interventions that are supported by research. The interventions are used to improve socially significant human behaviors. Socially significant behaviors are those that are important to the child' development. The main areas of development are social skills, language, academics, daily living, self care, and vocational abilities" (Helton & Alber-Morag, 2018, para. 12). 

What Is Behavior?

Behavior refers to the acts themselves, observable and measurable (not an emotion such as stress or laziness). It serves a purpose and meets a specific need. If an individual is taught an appropriate and alternative way of getting the same needs met, old behaviors can be unlearned (weekend), and new behaviors can be learned (strengthened). 

How Are Behaviors Learned And Unlearned?

Learning and unlearning behaviors occurs by changing what happens after a behavior occurs. Since a behavior serves a specific function or purpose:

1. We need to understand the purpose, or function of behavior-why it occurs?

2. Once we find the function of a behavior, we must develop an appropriate and functionally equivalent behavior (replacement behavior). We must teach the individual an appropriate alternate behavior that will allow the individual to get what they want appropriately. 

3. To maintain this new behavior, we must learn how to appropriately apply consequences to straighten and increase the new behaviors and weaken maladaptive behaviors. 

Identifying the Four Functions of Behavior

(S.E.A.T.)

ABC’s of Behavior

ABC: Analysis consists of 3 parts: Antecedent, Behavior, and Consequence and is a tool to figure out the functions of behavior.

Antecedents: are triggers. It occurs immediately before the behavior. For instance, instructions, the presence of a person, item/objects, or a certain activity. Even changes in the environment/schedule can be considered an antecedent.

Behaviors: refer to the acts themselves. A behavior is observable and measurable. It is not states of emotions such as: laziness, frustration or stress.

Consequences: occur immediately after the behavior. Consequences can change behavior to either increase or decrease it. If a behavior is reinforced or strengthened, the behavior increases. If a behavior is punished, the behavior decreases. In other words, consequences can either strengthen or weaken behaviors.

As a caveat, a single behavior may serve multiple functions. It can start off with a particular function and change in the middle.

For example: While waiting in line, children may become restless because they are bored or simply unoccupied. They can exhibit behaviors such as yelling (attention seeking) and jumping in line (sensory/automatic reinforcement),or running down a grocery isle (escaping) and grabbing a package of cookies (tangibles).

Antecedent Interventions

Basic strategies used to prevent the behavior from occurring:

Priming: A way to signal the child an instruction, demand or an activity is approaching. Examples: countdowns; using a visual schedule to prime the activities. If a dentist appointment is approaching, prime the child that the appointment is approaching and explain with visuals, what to expect.

Premack principle: First_____, then______; First, do your homework, then you’ll earn tablet time. We are teaching the child to work for their reward. It’s very important to have a high reinforcer to increase motivation.

Choice making: Providing a choice of an activity, or an item, mitigates maladaptive behaviors, by allowing freedom and therefore increasing rapport. A stronger rapport results instronger instructional control and compliance.

Shared Control: Taking turns on choices of activities. For instance, child led activity; then adult led activity.

Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behaviors (DRA): Providing reinforcement (reward) for appropriate behaviors and placing all other maladaptive behaviors on extinction, then teaching the child an alternative replacement behavior that serves the same function.

Non-contingent reinforcement (NCR): Providing reinforcement freely; without any contingencies. Often used to satiate attention seeking behaviors.

Visual Schedule:A schedule is used to visually show the child what activities are next so the child is not caught off guard, which may trigger a behavior. It is important for the schedule to include the timeframe for the activity to allow for priming in between activities. It is suggested to prime the schedule throughout the day.

Token systems: utilized during intermittent schedules of reinforcement. The procedure one might use when implementing tangible reinforcers such as stickers or coins. The child will collect these "tokens" for engaging in desired behavior. After the child has collected a set number of tokens, the child can "cash in" and receive a large reward in which they had earn. Below are two examples of token boards (PDF Files).

Social Story: Social stories are individualized short stories that depict a social situation that your child may encounter. These social stories are used to teach communal skills through the use of precise and sequential information about everyday events that your child may find difficult or confusing, thus preventing further anxiety on the part of your child. Below are two examples of social stories depicting distant learning and COVID-19 (PDF files). 

Reference

Helton, M. R., & Alber-Morgan, S. R. (2018). Helping Parents Understand Applied Behavior Analysis: Creating a Parent Guide in 10 Steps. Behavior analysis in practice, 11(4), 496–503. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-018-00284-8