14 Feb Part 2: The Second Step in Tackling Any Problem Behavior
While assessing the problem behavior of an autistic child is important, it is only the first step. You must also determine what happens directly before and after the behavior to understand what causes it. This will also help you figure out the proper way to stop this behavior.
Learn from autism mom and Board Certified Behavior Analyst Dr. Mary Barbera as she discusses the proper techniques for treating problem behavior.
What We Learned from this Video:
- After assessment, we need to determine the set of circumstances where the behavior occurs.
- Equally important is being able to determine where the behavior never occurs.
- Next, you need to determine the antecedent: what happens directly prior to the behavior.
- What sort of consequences result from the behaviors? How do caregivers and other people around them react?
- The big issue is that response likely changes depending on the circumstances. Parents may react differently depending on how much time they have and where they are.
- When assessing problem behavior, you would ideally take data from over multiple days to build a baseline. However, this simply isn’t possible with individuals who engage in self-injurious behavior; immediate intervention is needed.
- At the very least, you can interview the parent, teacher, or anyone else who spends significant time around the child. Ask about the frequency and magnitude of the behaviors.
Determining the circumstances of problem behavior is important, but before that comes assessment of the behavior itself. Schedule a consultation with Ability Life Solutions for support with managing behaviors. And don’t forget to watch Dr. Barbera’s first video on managing problem behaviors for even more helpful advice.