Why does my kid do what he or she does? Understanding the functions of the behaviors
As a parent you might be asking yourself why your son or daughter shows certain behaviors and what is he or she trying to communicate by them. Understanding the why or purpose of every behavior can be very challenging, but learning about it is an important step in teaching your child to effectively communicate without needing to engage in those behaviors. The good news is that, even when there are a variety of behaviors, there are only four (4) possible functions for each and every one of them. Keep in mind that these functions apply for behavior in general, yours, mine and the children’s. Having said this, let’s get started!
Behavior may occur for one or more than one, of these 4 reasons: Escape, Attention, Access, and Automatic Reinforcement.
Escaping situations, tasks or people: Sometimes children may engage in challenging behavior to escape from situations, tasks or people. For example; your child throws food on the floor and is told “dinner is over,” then your child may learn that throwing food on the floor means that he doesn’t have to eat it.
Attention (adult or peer): Sometimes children may engage in challenging behaviors to get attention from others (e.g., parent, sibling, teacher, peer, etc.). Attention can take many forms (e.g., looking at your child, talking with your child, giving help, laughing at the child, and even using a firm voice with the child). Sometimes your child may be looking for attention in any way possible. This could mean praise or even getting angry with them. For example, a child kicks his brother whenever you are on the phone, and the parent yells, “Stop kicking, I’m on the phone!” The child may learn that kicking his brother when you are on the phone will result in receiving attention from their parents.
Access (tangibles, edibles): Children may sometimes engage in challenging behaviors to receive a tangible item or a desired activity. Tangible items include food, toys, computer time, turn at a game, etc. For example, your child goes up to his sibling at home and pushes them, and as a result, gets the tablet. In this example, your child may learn that pushing others will result in obtaining access.
Automatic: Sometimes children may engage in challenging behaviors because it is internally reinforcing. It is important to note what the behavior looks like is not indicative of its function. For example, if your child flaps his hands, he may not be doing so to meet an automatic need, rather it will depend on what happens after the behavior and where the behavior occurs. For example, behaviors that serve as automatic function will occur across all environments, with a variety of different people and even when others are not there.
There is nothing easy when it comes to behaviors and most of the time you will notice they have more than one function. For example, a child who bites himself when left alone while playing on the rug, might be engaging in the behavior to get attention from his parents, but also, because it is somehow internally reinforcing. We know this might seem puzzling, but it is not. Learning about the functions of the behaviors can be challenging but with the support of our team, you will learn to identify and address them. In other words, you will learn how to best help your child.
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