Written by: Monica Pellino MA, BCBA
Behavior is Communication
Behavior can occur for many different reasons, but it always serves as a way of communicating– whether the behavior is negative or positive. The basic functions of behavior serve 4 different functions: to gain attention, to access an item, to escape or avoid an event, or to access stimulation. When we are helping children with autism to communicate, we need to consider the child’s preferences, sensory needs, environment, and much more.
The ABC’s of Behavior
Many helpful tools can show us why a behavior is occurring and how to determine what a child is trying to communicate. If we organize one behavior into 3 simple steps, we can start to recognize a pattern.
Let’s start by choosing a frequently occurring behavior, and note what happens right before the behavior occurs– this is called the Antecedent, the “A” in the behavior ABC’s. The “B” is the Behavior that we are keeping track of. For example, you will note “crying and yelling” to describe tantrum behavior. Next, we follow up with “C,” which stands for Consequence.
Don’t be fooled by the word consequence, it simply means the event that follows a behavior or in other words, what happened next? As a consequence, you will note what happened after the tantrum behavior– Did anyone provide attention to the child? Was an item given to the child? Take note of how you respond to the behavior. After several instances of the same behavior, a pattern will start to show across times, locations, or events.
By looking at this pattern, we can see WHY a behavior occurs for a particular person, item, activity, etc., and determine how to respond.
Behavior is communication.
Positive Reinforcement
- What is the best way to make sure good behavior keeps occurring?
The simple answer is positive reinforcement! This easy technique has the power to reward positive behavior by providing a child with something they prefer- and it doesn’t have to always be a fancy prize or treat! We can reward children by pairing what they prefer with behavior-specific praise. This means, whenever a good behavior occurs, use specific language. Some examples are, “Great job holding my hand!”, to point out the correct behavior. This language helps reinforce the child by giving positive praise for the exact thing they are doing right.
To strengthen this more, try pairing their favorite items with positive language. In this example, you are rewarding a child with a lollipop for completing all of their homework. When giving the child their desired reward (the yummy lollipop) use behavior-specific language to increase the chance of the same behavior occurring again in the future. Over time, using positive praise alone will be reinforcing to maintain positive behaviors in children.
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Baylor College of Medicine. (2023). How Behaviors are Learned: The ABC Model. Baylor College of Medicine. https://www.bcm.edu/research/faculty-labs/luna-learning-to-understand-and-navigate-anxiety/caregiver-modules/module-10-parenting-strategies-for-managing-challenging-behavior/how-behaviors-are-learned-the-abc-model
Watling, R., & Schwartz, I. S. (2004). Understanding and Implementing Positive Reinforcement as an Intervention Strategy for Children With Disabilities. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 58(1), 113–116. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.58.1.113
