Behavior history.

Sorry for taking so long on the blog this time. I got wrapped up working on a pro ject which I am excited about - evaluating therapy. I think if you are not currently evaluating how you do therapy, then you are not doing the kids justice.

Anyway, on to the bad news.

The bad news is that there is a behavior history that is built through the months and years. NO ONE is able to be 100% consistent all the time. This means that when your child does something, sometimes he gets punished, sometimes he gets ignored, and sometimes he gets reinforcement for being inappropriate. There are so many contingencies in play, that the child is not 100% sure what he can or can not do.

THIS EXPLAINS WHY SOMETIMES CHILDREN DO BETTER OR WORSE IN A NEW ENVIORNMENT. IT'S ALL ABOUT EXPECTATIONS!

Here are some ways to curb behavior history:

Be consistent: This is the most obvious one. Try to stay as consistent as possible, and you'll shape behavior towards what you want from your child. If your game plan is to ignore a behavior, then ignore as much as possible. If you slip up once, or can't ignore the behavior, don't dwell on it - go back to your game plan.

Beware of the extinciton burst: The definition of the extinction burst is an increase in the frequency of responding when an extinction procedure is first is implemented. When you start to ignore specific behaviors, they will first increase, since the child is still seeking that reinforcement. When a child is trying to get your attention, at first it's low, but the longer you ignore the louder they persist until you answer or they give up. This happens with many behaviors, so hang in there and expect an initial increase in behavior followed by a gradual reduction.

The power of reinforcement: I can not stress the importance of giving reinforcement for being appropriate. A kid will not want to act out as much for attention if he's getting it periodically throughout the day. No, you don't have to be at your child's beck and call, but if the need for attention is mostly satisfied, then what would be the need of being inappropriate? If you had free access to your favorite food, you're not going to crave it much. If the child is in a reinforcement-rich environment, then it will, by definition, reduce some of the unwanted behavior.

There are many other tricks and tips regarding behavior, but these are some helpful hints. This blog is starting to get a little following, so keep up the good work of letting people know about it.

Michael Conteh
Executive Director of TDLC
713-462-6060 business
713-462-6066 fax
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www.tangibledifference.com