Create Positive Behavior Change

Many theories abound on the most effective way to extinguish negative behaviors into. These styles often come in and out of vogue among the users. Varied effectiveness among behavior programs results mainly because children are complex and what motivates each of them varies. Even in a single child different behaviors will have entirely different motivations.

All behaviors are communication. Even “bad” behavior is trying to communicate something to us. It is our job to figure out what that behavior is trying to tell us. Behaviors usually have one of four motivations: sensory (S), escape (E), attention (A), tangible (T). If a child spits and learns that this always results in being sent to their room, they may use this behavior when they want to go to their room but cannot communicate that need. We typically try to stop a bad behavior by saying, “Stop spitting” or “We don’t spit”, rather than asking why the child is spitting or what need is being met by spitting. We must play detective and look for a pattern. Each time the child is finished eating, shopping, visiting, etc. they spit and consequently are sent to their room, to the car, or home. In this particular example, the child is using spitting to “escape” unpleasant or boring situations.

After identifying the motivation, it is especially important to give the child an appropriate replacement behavior to communicate this need. The caveat is that the replacement behavior must be at least as effective as the negative behavior, or the child will continue to use the most effective method of communicating this need. In order to do this, it is important to pay attention to the signals that often precede the bad behavior. Be sure to offer plenty of assistance to help the child be successful using the replacement behavior. If you notice the child is finished eating, ask them if they are all done. Signing all-done is also helpful since it adds a visual input in addition to the auditory request. The replacement behavior might be to have the child signal “all done”, say “all done” or raise their hand. The idea is to teach a replacement behavior and the skills that the child will need to use this new behavior in order to be successful.

When making verbal requests, offer a choice between two options (rather than a yes or no answer), both which are acceptable to you. It is also important to note that most often requests are made with only auditory input or verbal requests. It is very important to give other cues and feedback when making a verbal request. If you are requesting a child put their belongings in their cubby, compliance will increase when you are standing near their cubby and pointing to it.

Another technique often used is to reward good behavior and ignore bad behavior. “Catch them being good” is a fantastic technique for giving children feedback about positive behaviors and letting them know when they got it right. But ignoring bad behavior is ignoring the child’s need. Remember, all behavior is trying to communicate a need. Ignoring bad behavior will just result in an escalation of that behavior.

For more information on Positive Behavior Support check out our powerpoint.