Applied behavior analysis (ABA), as its name suggests, focuses on behavior. It is a therapeutic approach that utilizes science and behavioral principles to enhance the lives of others. Children with autism are the most common recipients of ABA therapy since it is one of the most common and empirically backed treatments for autism spectrum disorder.
Most ABA sessions involve working on communication skills, socializing with peers, learning daily living skills and self-help skills, and lots of fun play activities. These are all learned behaviors that enable children to interact with their environment. For some, ABA sessions may also include a lot of behavior management.
Behavior management is a crucial part of ABA therapy for many children. With ABA, it’s not just about reducing disruptive or dangerous behaviors. Behavioral professionals aim to reduce these concerning behaviors in a way that allows children to access the things they need or want by providing them with alternative ways to meet their needs. This approach allows children to communicate more appropriately, rather than just decreasing the behaviors themselves. We’ll go into more about why that is important later!
Understanding Behavior in Autism
People with autism often face challenges in communication, socialization, sensory processing, and other skills that can make navigating the world incredibly stressful at times. This frustration can lead to disruptive, aggressive, or other concerning behaviors.
There are some behaviors, such as hand flapping or rocking, that aren’t necessarily concerning. They may be seen as unusual to neurotypical people, but these types of behaviors are often used as self-soothing for autistic individuals. Other behaviors, such as aggression, self-injury, or property destruction, can be addressed through therapy, and their reductions can considerably increase a person’s quality of life.
While they are concerning behaviors to be addressed, they are a way of communicating distress or unmet needs in a world that can feel overwhelming. Framing these behaviors in this way can help behavioral professionals and parents to focus more on the root causes, and therefore be much better equipped to manage them. While autistic children may engage in similar behaviors, the reasons for said behaviors can vary. Focusing on the root of behaviors allows for a more personalized treatment plan, which leads to more meaningful and sustainable changes.
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Core Principles of ABA for Behavior Management
In ABA therapy, there are a few core principles that are used to manage behavior. The main ones are reinforcement, punishment, and extinction. These principles are based on the idea that behaviors are influenced by what happens after the behavior occurs, so changing what comes after can help shape or change behavior. Reinforcement, more specifically positive reinforcement, is the most commonly used technique. It involves rewarding desired behaviors.
Punishment, on the other hand, involves introducing a consequence to decrease a behavior. There are a few important things to discuss when it comes to punishment use in ABA. Firstly, it must be understood that punishment is not always as harsh as the word suggests. Here’s an example: My niece sometimes tries to jump on the couch, and my brother responds to her with a stern “No jumping.” She stops trying to jump on the couch and finds something else to do. In this case, her being told no is what ABA would consider punishment. Punishment can also be taking something away, such as putting a child in time-out after biting another child.
A second important thing to consider is this: Punishment is very, very seldom used in good ABA treatment. I’ve been in the field for a few years now, and I have yet to work with a single client who had a punishment procedure in their behavior plan. I’ve worked with children with more severe behavioral concerns, and their behaviors were all reduced without the use of punishment. Still, it is important for parents to understand behavior management principles.
Extinction is another important principle, and it’s all about removing the reinforcement that is maintaining a behavior. So, if a child throws a tantrum to get an item or toy that they want, no longer rewarding the behavior by giving them the toy can help decrease the behavior over time, as they learn that tantrums won’t get the desired result. Together, these all work to modify behavior by either increasing or decreasing the likelihood of behaviors.
Assessing Behaviors
Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA) are usually the first step when it comes to behavior management in ABA. The FBA is used to figure out why a behavior is happening, which is important in making sure that the behavior plan is effective and addresses the root of the behavior.
The process usually starts with gathering information about their behavior, what happens before the behavior, and what the common consequences are. Then, there is usually an observation period where a behavioral professional will record data on the behavior by observing the child in real-time. By looking at patterns, Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) can identify what might be triggering the behavior and what might be reinforcing it. For example, if a child throws a tantrum when asked to do a task, an FBA might reveal that the behavior is a way of escaping something that they don’t want to do.
Parents and therapists both play an important role in the assessment process. Parents know their children best and can give BCBAs information about when and why behaviors tend to happen at home. Behavioral therapists, on the other hand, observe and analyze behavior with a trained eye in various settings. Both parties typically work together by observing and recording specific behaviors over time, noting what happens before and after. This data helps create a picture of what’s going on and how it can be treated at the root.
Developing a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)
Once we have the behavioral roots figured out, the next step is developing a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP). These BIPs are individualized to the child and families. BCBAs will work closely with the family to make sure the BIP is tailored to the child’s needs and is feasible to implement both at home and in all settings. Everyone must be on the same page when it comes to the strategies that will be used, so any questions or concerns should be brought up to the BCBA as soon as they arise.
A well-developed BIP will include a few essential elements. First, the behaviors that need to be addressed should be clearly defined. BIPs that I’ve written or read usually have the behaviors defined at the top of the page as clearly as possible, so that there is absolutely no confusion as to what the behavior looks like. Some also even offer examples and non-examples. They are made to be as specific as possible about what the behavior looks like so it can be measured and tracked.
Next, intervention strategies are developed to both encourage positive behaviors and decrease disruptive ones. These strategies might involve using reinforcement to encourage desired behaviors while making sure not to reinforce the concerning behaviors. Lastly, a good BIP will include outcome measures to track progress. This means setting measurable and observable goals and deciding how success will be measured. For example, a plan to reduce aggression may have a goal of decreasing aggression to 0 instances per day for 10 days. This makes the goal measurable and quantifiable.
Strategies for Managing Challenging Behaviors
Here are some of the more common techniques used to manage behaviors. BCBAs will more than likely have one or more of these in their BIP. Knowing when and how to use them is key to successful behavior management.
Positive Reinforcement
This is the most used and well-known technique in ABA. Positive reinforcement involves rewarding a behaviour so that it happens more often. For example, if a child follows an instruction, they might get praise. The goal is to make the child more likely to repeat the “good” behaviors. Positive reinforcement can be used in nearly every situation, as long as the reward is, well, rewarding to the child. What is rewarding is child-dependent, and so making sure potential reinforcers are available is key.
Time-out
Time-out is used as a form of punishment as I mentioned earlier. Again, punishment isn’t something that should be used in most behavior plans, but time-outs are sometimes used.
The idea behind a time-out is to stop reinforcing the undesired behavior by temporarily removing the child from the environment where the behavior occurred. For example, if a child is engaging in aggression during a game, a time-out might involve having them sit in a quiet space for a few minutes. If a BCBA opts to use time-outs, they should only be used when necessary and should always be brief, as it’s important not to isolate the child.
Token Economies
This is a system where children earn tokens (like stickers or points) for displaying desired behaviors. These tokens can later be exchanged for a reward or privilege. Token economies work well in structured settings like classrooms or therapy sessions, where a child can work toward specific goals. Token economies can be especially helpful in that they allow for increased toleration of delayed reinforcement.
Visual Supports
Visual supports include visual prompts that help children understand expectations, routines, and tasks. Autistic children typically respond very well to visual supports. For example, a child might use a visual schedule to know what activities are coming up next or to understand the steps involved in a task. Visual supports are especially helpful for children who struggle with verbal instructions. Using them can seriously reduce anxiety by providing predictability. This technique is especially useful for transitions or changes in routine.
Role of Reinforcement
There are two types of reinforcement in ABA sessions. Positive reinforcement is the most common form used. Positive reinforcement is adding something pleasant or rewarding to encourage a behavior. For example, if a child cleans up their toys without being asked, they might receive praise or a small treat. The goal is to make the child want to repeat that behavior because they associate it with gaining something positive.
Negative reinforcement can be a little confusing and is not used nearly as often as positive reinforcement. It involves removing something unpleasant to encourage a behavior. For instance, if a child finishes a task early and gets to stop doing something they dislike (like cleaning up), the child is more likely to do the task quickly next time.
Negative reinforcement is not used as often, as it usually involves some type of aversive experience. It is typically used when a child wants to get out of a task. For example, a child may be rewarded with a break from work if they ask appropriately. The key difference between positive and negative reinforcement is that with positive reinforcement, you’re adding something pleasant, whereas with negative reinforcement, you’re taking away something unpleasant.
Reinforcement is especially important for behavior management because when reducing challenging behaviors, there should always be other replacement behaviors that are reinforced. For example, let’s say that a child is engaging in aggressive behavior, and it’s discovered that they become aggressive when they want attention. If we focus on reducing the attention without giving them a more appropriate way to access attention, we are effectively just denying a child something that they want or need. Reinforcing other alternative behaviors helps to reduce the aggression while also allowing them get the things that they wanted to begin with, which is much more effective and ethical.
For parents at home, there are plenty of ways to use reinforcement effectively. One simple method is using praise. When a child does something positive, praise immediately and enthusiastically. My niece is very, very fond of applause with an ecstatic “Yay!” Another example could be using a system where a child earns tokens for completing tasks (like brushing their teeth or doing homework) and then can trade those tokens for a reward of their choosing. It’s all about finding what works best for your child and being consistent. Reinforcement helps teach children that certain behaviors lead to rewards so that those behaviors are more likely to happen again.
Common Pitfalls in Behavior Management
When it comes to behavior management, even the most well-intentioned parents can run into a few roadblocks. One of the biggest challenges is inconsistency. If a child is rewarded for doing something one day but not the next, the behavior may actually start to happen more often. To avoid this, make sure everyone involved in the child’s care—parents, siblings, caregivers, teachers, babysitters, family members—are on the same page and applying the strategies consistently. Clear expectations and sticking to them is key.
Another common pitfall is being quick to use punishment. This is for both children with autism and neurotypical children. Some parents rely on punishment with time-outs, groundings, taking toys, and other procedures that just simply don’t work as well as other techniques.
Other techniques outside of punishment are also a more pleasant experience for everyone involved. Punishment should never be the go-to solution. Focusing too much on time-outs or other forms of punishment can create frustration, so it’s better to spend more time reinforcing positive behaviors and teaching new skills to replace the unwanted ones.
Tracking progress is often overlooked but is crucial for understanding whether your strategies are working. The techniques used in ABA are not one size fits all. What works for one client may not work well for another, so tracking progress helps to determine if changes should be made. The beauty of BIPs is that they can be changed and modified at any time based on progress. Behavior management takes time and patience, so don’t be too hard on yourself when setbacks happen—stay consistent, flexible, and focused on progress, and you’ll see results over time.
Conclusión
In conclusion, effective behavior management in ABA therapy relies on understanding the causes of behaviors and using various strategies to promote meaningful and positive changes. Behavior management can be tough, but consistency and monitoring are the keys to success. In addition, making sure to celebrate progress and learn from challenges helps pave the way.
