Including a reinforcer for good behavior the entire day, reinforcers for specific behaviors and long term reinforcers. When designing a program each of these should compliment each other. If you are reinforcing one behavior then the overall behavior for the day should not occur if a tantrum occurs for example while setting the table for a reinforcer. If you accidentally reinforce inappropriate behavior it may lead to the inappropriate behavior continuing to occur or even occurring more frequently.
When planning the reinforcers in your child's' day one should be careful to make sure they all work together.
Including a reinforcer for good behavior the entire day, reinforcers for specific behaviors and long term reinforcers. When designing a program each of these should compliment each other. If you are reinforcing one behavior then the overall behavior for the day should not occur if a tantrum occurs for example while setting the table for a reinforcer. If you accidentally reinforce inappropriate behavior it may lead to the inappropriate behavior continuing to occur or even occurring more frequently.
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Many parents or caretakers do not realize that sharing and teamwork can actually be reinforced and learned based on numerous research studies. Teaching your children to work as a team and to share will reduce the behavior problem frequency in the future that the parent will have to address in the home and at school! The following are some ideas on how to encourage these skills.
1. One idea is to reward your children for working or playing with no tantrum or behavior problems. For example, if they are playing a game give social praise or a snack only on days they work together or play nicely! 2. Practice giving the something and telling them they can have that item (such as a cookie) only if they share it with their siblings. 3. Encourage children to take turns playing with a toy when they both want to play with it. You might even suggest they discuss it and come to some agreement about the use of the toy. 4. Purchase stories that include the theme of sharing or teamwork and discuss the story after reading it together. 5. Point out to your children when other people display team or sharing skills. For example, if someone picks up something that someone drops compliment the action by saying " wow what a gentleman he helped that woman!" 6. In the evening roleplay and discuss how people work together or play together at school or in the community. 7. Play alot of games with your children and focus on good sportsmanship, complimenting each other on playing skills, taking turns, talking nicely to each other and manners. Praise these skills when the occur during the game! Developing these social skills of teamwork and sharing will probalby lead to many happy experiences when your child is with another person or a group and a happier life! Parents and companions should try to set up the home environment to promote positive behavior. One of the key theories behind behavior therapy is that the environment does effect your behavior. Structuring the home physical environment is one key step towards building a positive environment for your child. The following are some ideas to consider in designing your home environment.
1. Make sure you have a separate room for different activities. The bedroom should be set up mostly for a sleep with sound machines, calm colors, soft pillow and books to read to go to sleep for example. 2. Their might also be a room or corner of the house away from the toys and sleep area designed solely for homework. This cuts down on distractions. This area should be quiet preferably away from the main activity areas with television or cooking going on. There should be a comfortable chair and desk which promotes posture while working. Also, the area for homework should be well lit to make it easier to see numbers or read when doing homework. The computer might be there but most of the computer games like x-box or wii should probably be in another location. 3. The eating area should also be separate for the area that the children play, watch television or play on the computer. That way the child will focus on the skills of eating and socializing while eating. 4. The play area should not be part of another area. The play area should only containing toys and games the child enjoys. This will make it easier to reinforce the child. For example, after the child finishes studying you can ask him if he is ready to "play". The idea is that it will be easier to use the reinforcers of the toys since the child will only have access to them after they finish the homework or after dinner for example. A separate area for the toys will also reduce the arguments or discussion about whether it is time to play with the toys. 5. An area of the bedroom for dressing is also helpful so that the child can easily reach and find all his clothes to get dressed in the morning. Some closet are organized with specific clothing items in the same place or even labeled.Some parents put a shelf of each day of the school week with clothes for that day already in that shelf. Many parents label the drawers and closet so that the clothes do not become disorganized when others clean the room and so that the child can find a specific type of clothing item more easily. This will lead to improvements in compliance in the morning when getting dressed for school. The above are some examples of how to organized your home to reduce behavior problems and promote the learning of new skills and behaviors in your home! There are several factors to consider in choosing what programs to buy for your child. This is an important decision since the type of things your child spends his time using on the computer may determine what he learns and ultimately how he progress in school and with his social skills with others. The following is a list of factors you should think about before making a purchase.
1. First you should decide whether you want a game or an educational program. 2. If you choose a game then consider the content of the game. Violent games may encourage violent behavior. Games with moral content may encourage moral behavior. Keep in mind that the type of game may effect your child' behavior. 3. Consider the level of the game whether it is designed for your child's age group. Remember to consider if your child is smarter then most children you may want a game designed for an older age group so he does not get bored with the game. If your child is not learning quickly and his skills are generally lower then his age group you may consider programs designed for kids of a lower age group. 4. Consider whether the game contains characters or topics of interest to your particular child. For example if your child likes the character Dora you may want to buy games that have Dora included! 5. Visibility of the game may be important. If your child is color blind a game which uses a lot of colors may not be helpful to him. If the game has a lot of writing and subtitles and your child cannot yet read it may not be good for him. Generally, children that cannot yet read may respond with more elaborate and colorful games then a child that can read. Similarly, if the child cannot hear well then more visual pictures in the program may be more effective for him. 6. If you choose an educational game or other games it is important to check whether the authors describe research that confirms that the child will learn for the game. For example, there is a game called "Head Sprout"(recently purchased by another company) that does have research that confirms that the children do learn to read from using the program. Games that have been scientifically validated to use psychological principles that are effective are the games to choose for your child! 7. Always consider the child's preferences before making a final decision discuss the options or even show him the games to get his input and assure that he will like the game. 8. Try to select games that include some reinforcer after correct performance if possible within the game! Generally, the most important factor is to choose games that are validated to be effective. Secondly, to choose games that match your child's individual needs. Reinforcers can change or loose their strength over time. The following are some tips to keep your training strong over time.
1. Caregivers or program writers should continue to assess the reinforcers for the client periodically to assure they do not change. 2. When the performance drops off for a few days make sure to observe and assess whether or not the reinforcers have changed. 3. Giving the child or client a choice of reinforcers is one way of avoiding the pitfall of a reinforcer loosing its strength on a specific day. For example, if a child is not hungry during the training he may not want the lemon cookies he usually likes to work for. Giving him a choice of an activity or other reinforcers identified is good practice daily. 4. As always try to give the reinforcers consistently so that the contingency or rule is clear to the child 5. Reminding the child what the reward and what is expected of him should be done periodically so that over time he does not forget. 6. Presenting the reinforcers visually can help to maintain the strength of the reinforcer over time. In general, maintaining the strength of the reinforcer over time may determine the success you have with training over time. Parents or caregivers often ask " How do I get my children to help with chores!" The following are some tips to encourage them and motivate them to complete chores in the home.
1. Discuss reasons why it is important to do chores. For example, so that the house looks nice when their friends come over. A second reason might be to help the parent or caregiver so they have more time to cook for the child or go places with them. 2. It is helpful to make a list of possible chores and have the child choose a specific number that they would like to do. If the child enjoys the chore intrinsically he will be more likely to perform the chore. 3. A list of reinforcers that the child would like to earn weekly or daily for performing the chore can be useful. It is helpful to involve the child or observe him closely to make sure the reinforcers selected are actually going to motivate the child. For example, a child that does not like music will not be motivated by earning music tapes. 4. Making a daily schedule with the time the chores will be performed is helpful so that it becomes a rountine for the child. 5. Make sure all the children in the household are participating in chores so that no child feels he is doing more than he should be. 6. Finally, social praise and excitement about the chore by the caregiver can always helps strengthen the probablity that the child will continue to help out! Try to use an excited voice, be specific about the childs positive character within the praise and specific about the chore that you are happy with. The above tips will increase the enjoyment of the chores and the likelihood that they will perform chores! Parents are usually in turmoil about when to start to look for help with their child. There are several points to consider in the list below.
1. Parents often think a child will "grow out of a problem". This is determined on a case by case basis. If the behavior is severe, frequent or noticed by others in the community or family it should most likely be addressed. Yes, it is true some problems you do grow out of but it is best to seek out a professional in the area of the problem as a precaution to confirm whether or not treatment or assessment is needed. 2. Parents can try exhausting ethical methods they have learned to use in our culture and then turn to the professional once the methods do not have much effect. 3. One thing to consider is that if you wait to long the behaviors may become worse and may not be as easy to eliminate. For example, if a child is head banging to communicate it may accelerate and be more resistant to treatment. 4. Some behaviors such as aggression or self-injury can lead to medical problems if left untreated for a long time. For example, damage to the brain or skull can result from head banging. 5. If early intervention is not done quickly the child may be held back or not allowed to enter the next grade when starting school. For example, many schools require basic skills to move to the next grade such as toiling themselves. 6. Once behavior patterns are formed between the parent and child it is more difficult to break them if you wait a long time. For example, a mother that hugs the child after a tantrum may have trouble changing this habit. 7. Many of the developmental skills such as eating, dressing, toileting and communicating are accomplished before entering the school. If you wait to help your child with these skills you are loosing time in their development and the result is they are developmentally delayed compared to other children. 8. Some parents might consider paying out of pocket for the evaluation if they have the money to do so. The advantage of paying our of pocket is that the child does not get labeled early in life which may stigmatize him later. 9. Finally, parents should consider the long term cost of not seeking professional help. A child with developmental disabilities can cost large amounts of money per year for the rest of their lives. 10. Finally, parents should realize that the time and effort they take now will reduce the effort they will need later. For example, if a child is not toilet trained or eats by himself the parent may be changing diets and feeding the child when he is an adult. Generally, parents should consider the above items and make the best decision for their individual child that will lead to him/her having a full and meaningful independent lifestyle as possible in the future. Sensory issues that should be addressed before or during treatment for autistic behavior problems.12/16/2013 Autistic children frequently have accompanying sensory medically involved issues that should be addressed by parents either before or during the treatment to assure more success with training. The following is a list of areas to look at and refer the child to specialist if it appears there are problems.
1. Hearing referral should be suggested to the parent or caretaker if any deficit is noted or suspected during the behavioral assessment. This might be referral to an audiologist or to an ENT or someone with specialization in the area of hearing. 2. A full physical should be done to evaluate if there is any pain that could interfere with perceptions of senses. For example, allergy or tonsils may interfere with the ability to swallow or learn speech if the client senses pain when they speak. 3. The evaluation of the vision of a child is important in determining if they are able to see. Recently, it was determined that autistic children often focus on the mouth more than the eyes. It makes sense that increase his ability to see a face through glasses or other corrective treatment for vision might be helpful. If one eye is "lazy" this might interfere with perceptions and sensory awareness of the environment. 4. Some children may not have good strength in there fingers which may limit there ability to grasp and feel certain items. Exercises or occupational therapy might strengthen there ability to grasp objects and more sensory awareness during the manipulation of the objects. 5. Parents might want to evaluate dental health too. The pain of a tooth may distract the child and reduce his awareness of other activities around him. 6. Preventative measures should be taken to maintain peak sensory awareness. For example, brushing the hair away from his/her ears to prevent infection or water from getting into the ear canal. Drying the ears may also prevent any infection or problems with water in the ears. 7. Pain in any part of the body may distract from the child's ability to focus on what is going on in his environment. This includes stomach aches, pain in tonsils and any injuries. Even a stomach ache may lead to the child focusing on that pain instead of the task requested. In general, referrals should be made when any problem is suspected during the functional assessment. The healthier and happier the child is the faster he will learn. Pain and medical conditions can distract the child awareness through his senses and lead to slower learning and development during early childhood. Preparing your child with behavior problems, as well as the turkey for thanksgiving dinner!!11/25/2013 Thanksgiving can be a time of stress or a time to be close and happy with your family. To make sure the dinner is the later prepare your child for the dinner! The following are some suggestions to make things go more smoothly and prevent behavior problems.
1. Before thanksgiving involve the child with stories, activities and discussions about thanksgiving and what it means generally. 2. Review the schedule with your child about what will occur thanksgiving day and what reinforcers you will have scheduled for him/her for good behavior that day. 3. Make sure to ask the child what reinforcers they would prefer or give them a choice (menu) of different reinforcers. 4. Review what reinforcers are chosen for thanksgiving day. Reinforcers are usually most effective following a specific activity. For example, you might include one reinforcer for meal preparation, one for the dinner, a reinforcer for appropriate behavior and social skills during dinner, one for cleaning up or activities after dinner and one for getting ready for bed. 5. Discuss what behavior is expected during the day, at dinner and after dinner. 6. Engage your child in preparing the meal and setting the table or cleaning up. If they do not have many of these skills then even just wiping the table, stirring the ingredients for the pie or putting away his dish are excellent activities. 7. During the meal try not to give your child the reinforcer for social skills and good behavior until he is good for specified period of time or specific behavior. For example, the parent can give him access to the ipod only after he has shared a story or conversation, ate all his meal and sat nicely until the dinner is finished then give him the ipod and desert!! Try to state why the child earned access to the game or other reinforcers so that it is very clear to him what he has to do. 8. A trial run of a dinner prior to thanksgiving day might be good practice so that all the behaviors and reinforcers are familiar to the child! In summary, prevention (through scheduling of activities, scheduling reinforcers, practicing good dinner behavior and making sure the child understands what the dinner activities) will be will be more likely lead to wonderful memories of a fun thanksgiving holiday with your family. People often start to get agitated and then it escalates into a tantrum. Parents and caregivers often have to deescalate the situation or calm it down after it occurs. The following is a list of possible steps to take beginning with deescalation and then to calming a situation. Each person is different so an observation and analysis of the tantrum behavior will help and is essential to identify which methods to use.
1. If the caregiver or parent observes any facial expressions, movements or behavior that show agitation it is best to intervene at this point. The intervention can include relaxation techniques, redirection or a cue word to calm the person down. 2. Once the behavior starts to begin or even when the precursor facial expressions begin the parent/caregiver can redirect the person to another activity or distract them by discussing another topic. 3. Another method of deescalation is to provide some relaxation methods for the person. Perhaps the person is tired and the caregiver can ask if they want to lay down or take a drink of water to relax. 4. Finally, if the behavior has started to occur then usually removing the person from the environment, moving the audience away or ignoring the person and engaging in another activity will deescalate the behavior. 5. Finally any major reinforcers such as affection or activities preferred should not occur if the behavior has escalated at all into verbal or physical aggression. 6. Also, in some cases training or physical management might be necessary if tissue dammage is imminent. 7. 7. However, on of the best way to avoid aggression or tantrusm from occuring is to fill the time during the day with activities and reinforcers for those activities.Finally one should seek advice of a trained Behavior Analyst for aggression or tantrums. |
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