Categorizing Behavior
Behaviors occur and depending on the child may occur frequently. By applying antecedent strategies and consistent consequences we can work to decrease undesired behaviors. Responding appropriately to a behavior depends on the purpose of the behavior. All behaviors can be categorized into one of the following: attention, access, escape, or sensory.
Attention
If you are talking with a friend and the child is screaming your name, the behavior may most likely be for attention. If the behavior is not dangerous, then you can ignore the behavior. When the child is not upset, work on teaching the child to ask for attention appropriately by saying your name or tapping your shoulder rather than screaming. The child can also work on waiting until you are done with your conversation and ready to provide attention.
Access
When a child is in a tantrum at a store because they want a candy bar, this may be for access to the item. If this is a common behavior, you can prepare. Access can be provided to something different, or they can get the candy bar later. A parent may say instead of a candy bar, you can have a piece of gum in the car or if they go to the store three times without a tantrum, then they may pick out a candy bar of the fourth visit. This will again be determined by the child’s age, developmental level, and other factors. What works for one family may not work for another.
Escape
A child ripping up math homework is often looking to escape the assignment. Homework is a required task at school and needs to be completed. However, you can use the first/then strategy. First homework, then TV time or another preferred item or activity. Breaks can also be provided. Have the child choose the first 10 problems they want to complete, take a break, then finish the assignment. Breaking down larger or more difficult tasks will allow the task to seem more manageable.
Sensory
The last purpose for a behavior is that it feels good. A child may wet themselves because they like the warm feeling. To address this behavior you may consider providing a heating pad that they can hold or a blanket if they desire that warm feeling. Another child may bang their head because it temporarily relieves a toothache. If you feel that your child may not be feeling well or is acting abnormally, always consult your pediatrician to rule out medical causes.
Action Steps
The last piece of the puzzle is to put everything into action. Repeat the rule and consequence if the rule is broken. You can say the rule one time, then walk away to deny attention. Praise successful approximations and any aspect of the desired behavior that occurs. For example, if you say, “come here” and your child/teen stomps to you Say: “I like how you followed my direction to come here.” Although, we don’t want the child to stomp every time we request them to “come here” we want to work towards the desired behavior.
In ABA, we like to think of it as “shaping”. We are looking for close approximations of the desired behavior. You wouldn’t expect a kindergartener to do long division. In kindergarten, the expectation is identifying numbers. First grade teaches basic addition and subtraction. By the time you reach fourth grade, then you are ready to solve a long division math problem. Teaching appropriate behavior works in a similar way. Step by step until the end goal is achieved.
Remember to stop and redirect inappropriate behavior that is dangerous then provide the consequences. Ignore protests, use time as an advantage when a child is emotional. For example, you can say, “go to room and calm down then come back and talk about it.” If you notice your child acting out of character or complaining of pain, contact your pediatrician to schedule an appointment.
You only have one relationship with your child. Make sure that it is a positive one! Positive relationships foster trust, security, and love.
Resources:
Latham, G.I. (1990). The power of positive parenting. North Logan, UT: P&T Ink.