Why We Do
What We Do
I wanted to talk a little about the function of behavior, why we do what we do. It's a helpful thing to know when interacting with others and crucial to understand when addressing challenging behavior.
To state the obvious, all behavior has a reason.
We do something (i.e. engage in a behavior) to get some desired result.
Take a few seconds to think about why (the function) you are reading (the behavior) this blog post...
In ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis), we talk about four functions of behavior. Although the functions are usually described in simple terms they really can account for our complex behavior.
Below is a fun little infographic for you explaining the four functions. Notice that it's not all about challenging behavior!
Let's go back to the chart from above and add on the function.
So how does this help you at home with you're children? The number one reason...it allows you to teach your child more effectively!
Knowing that your child hates to do chores and always refuses to do them (escape) allows you to proactively set up a First-Then contract to avoid an argument and potentially a bribe.
Does your child pull you to the snack cabinet to get a snack (tangible)? Teach them to use a sign, picture, word, or word approximation instead.
If your child is engaging in challenging behavior, knowing what your child is trying to get or why they do what they do allows you to teach them a more appropriate way of getting it. Do they throw a fit because you said 'no' to the tablet? Set up a schedule and make a deal for how they can get it.
Knowing that your child is trying to get your attention by acting out allows you to ignore the challenging behavior and give them lots of attention for behavior you want to see more of. (Remember Positive Reinforcement!)
There are an infinite number of variations on the above and each child and family is different! It's impossible to 'figure them out' in a quick blog post! Our goal here is to give you something to think more about. If you want to discuss your child specifically, please email one of us!