autism and behavior
DESCRIPTION
Autism and Behavior. Presented by: Marie Bennett Autism Support Teacher. Behavior is communication. Behavior management. Functional Analysis is on-going…not a one time event by an expert. Ask yourself… “ what is my child trying to communicate when he exhibits this behavior?” - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Autism and Behavior
Presented by:
Marie Bennett
Autism Support Teacher
Behavior is communication
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Behavior management
• Functional Analysis is on-going…not a one time event by an expert. – Ask yourself… “what is my child trying to
communicate when he exhibits this behavior?”
• People with autism say they need:– external supports to be “stronger than the
autism”– families to have high expectations and support– understanding that there are times when this is
not possible
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The Autism Experience…
• People with autism process information and sensory input in different ways.
• This results in seeing and thinking about the world differently than you and I.
• They also have difficulty with the perspective of others
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Power Struggles!• Try not to personalize the behavior
• Try not to make it a catastrophe
• Record the events surrounding the behavior (antecedent, behavior, consequence)
• What did you learn from this?
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Understanding the behaviors• Antecedent
– What happened before the behavior
• Behavior– What is the behavior in describable terms
• Paint a picture.• Be specific
• Consequence– What happened after the behavior
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The ‘Whys’ of Behavior
• Why: SEAT (Sensory, Escape, Attention, Tangible)
– what is the purpose of behavior?• To get:
– Sensory input, attention, tangible
• To avoid/escape:– Sensory input, attention, task
(easy, difficult, long)
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The ‘Whys’ of Behavior cont.
• May also be to regulate attention, arousal, or affect
• Seek routine completion / closure
• Stuck in automatic response or movement pattern / thought pattern / speech pattern
• Difficulty initiating movement or stopping movement upon demand
• Obsessive – Compulsive behaviors
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Behavioral Concerns
• A person’s ability to communicate effectively goes down when they become upset by something
• Respecting the message of the behavior is important
• Teaching a better replacement behavior is Key!
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When to intervene?
• Problem behaviors come and go, but when deciding which behaviors need immediate intervention, consider this:
Imagine your son/daughter 10 or 20 years from today exhibiting the same behavior.
Is intervention necessary TODAY?
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Behavioral interventions
• What is Behavior Intervention?– A method of using positive reinforcement and
consequences to decrease inappropriate behaviors and increase appropriate behaviors.
• Redirect
• Use interests
• Possibilities vary by behavior
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What is a “Reinforcer”?
• Reinforcers are those consequences that maintain or increase the rate of behavior that preceded it
• Reinforcers are anything which highly motivates the child
• Reinforcement vs. bribery
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Behavioral interventions cont.
• Adjust to the child
• Offer choices
• Safe Spot
• Sensory
• Follow Through!
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Preventing behavioral problems
• Consistency
– Schedule– Discipline– Rules– Directions– Know yourself!
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Preventing behavioral problems• Visual supports
– Can be pictures, drawings, real items• Used for:
– Behavior– Schedules– Comprehension– Responding– Speech– Writing– Reading
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Preventing behavioral problems
• Clear, planned transitions
– Signals– Physical– Routine– Coaching / Warning (prepping) – Visuals
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Preventing behavioral problems
• Effective behavior management– Clear, consistent rules
• Think through the “why” of the rules
– High expectations• Instructionally• Behaviorally
Autism is not an excuse
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“But he’s going to get upset…”
Ask yourself…
• Will this be the first time he is upset?
• Did you all live through it the last time he was upset?
• If he’s going to be upset anyway, why be afraid to follow through in order to teach something appropriate?
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Six Simple Strategies. . .
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1. Avoid using a question format
• For example, instead of saying:
– “Would you please stop teasing?”, you will find that
– “I need you to use your nice words” is more effective.
2. Reduce Distance
• It is better to make a request from up close (standing just a yard or two away)
• than from longer distance (from one room to another) – so you can gain his attention.
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3. Reduce Loudness of Request
• Use a soft, firm voice rather than a loud voice
– tip: yelling doesn’t work in the long run
4. Give a START request vs. STOP
• For example, “Please start your math assignment.” rather than “Stop fooling around”
• Positive statements that say what to do, not what “not to do”
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5. Make Non-Emotional requests
• Emotional responses decrease compliance and make the situation worse and students frequently– They do not understand the emotional
message: • Such as yelling, name calling, guilt-inducing
statements
• Keep requests simple and positive
6. Consistently Reinforce Compliance
• It can be easy to request a behavior from your child and ignore the positive result.
• If you want more compliance, genuinely reinforce it.
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Strategies and Structure
• First – Then– Lets them know what will happen
– Less preferred, then more preferred
• I’m Working for…– Understanding how much they have to do to get what
they want
• Schedules– Understand the expectations for the day/time
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Strategies and Structure
• Task analysis– Break task into small pieces– Easier to master
• Token economies– Motivating
• Clear, explicit expectations and rules– Know what to expect and what to do
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Review
• Any questions?