Dealing with an autistic child's problem behaviors is one of the most difficult challenges faced by caregivers. Problem behaviors include non-compliance, tantrums and aggression. Until caregivers can exercise authority and manage the behaviors of their autistic children, these nightmarish experiences can take a tremendous toll on them in the long term. Even more significantly, autistic children who engage in these problem behaviours to get what they want fail to develop the necessary skills that will allow them to participate in society.
A Solution: Behavioral Modification
The behavioral modification approach offers a deceptively simple, but effective, tool for caregivers to extinguish these problem behaviors. In behavioural management, caregivers establish their expectation of proper behavior, backed up by a clearly-delineated system of rewards and consequences to motivate their children to comply with the expectation (see B.F. Skinner’s Behavioral Theory and Behavior Modifications for Autistic Students).
The reward should be something that is extremely desirable to the autistic child to make it worth his/her while to comply with the expectation. Conversely, the consequence would essentially be the deprivation of this reward. Caregivers starting out should just target one specific problem behavior they consider to be the most disruptive.
How Does Behavioral Modification Work?
Step 1: Establish and communicate your rule, reward and consequence.
- Rule: No pinching or hitting.
- Reward: If you do not pinch or hit, you can watch TV for one hour
- Consequence: If you pinch or hit, you will not watch TV today.
Step 2: When your child complies with your expectation, you should praise your child: “Good job. You did not pinch or hit today. Now you can watch TV.” The comment and the reward reinforce the association between his/her compliance with your expectation.
When the child is failing to comply with the expectation, you can issue a warning: “If you pinch or hit one more time, you will not watch TV today.”
Step 3: When your child breaks the rule again, you will mete out the consequence.
100% Consistency with Rewards and Consequences
Though the behavioural modification approach looks simple on paper, it is far more challenging to execute. Provided that your rewards and consequences are compelling motivators, you need to be 100% consistent administering your rewards and consequences over a realistic period of time to achieve success. Why is this high level of consistency important?
- Communication: Being 100% consistent is particularly important if your autistic child has limited language skills. Caregivers with non-verbal children often comment that they cannot expect their children to comply with rules. However, if you are 100% consistent in your response to his/her undesirable behavior, your autistic child will begin to establish the association.
- Respect: Behavioral management is a power struggle between wills: your will for your child to improve his/her behavior vs. your child’s will to persist in his/her behavior. When you implement your behavioral approach with 100% consistency in the face of his/her fiery resistance, you will prove yourself to be a worthy adversary. Most importantly, you will earn his/her respect.
By administering your rewards and consequences in response to your child's behaviour with 100% consistency, you will establish authority over your child. Your child's respect for you will then serve as a foundation for you to interact with your child successfully.
