One of the most common questions that I’m asked throughout service delivery with a family is “WHY is my child acting like this?” And, actually, the answer isn’t always as convouted as it seems. Remember the other post about the ABCs of behavior? Well, get ready, because it’s about to come full circle.
Everything that a person does can be simplified down to four different functions and I would like to invite you to take a SEAT:
- Sensory: Some times people do things because it “just feels good”. Ever sing in the shower/car? Pick/bite your nails? The only thing you’re getting out of engaging in that behavior is an internal feeling of “good” (although if someone is in the car during your concert, they may not agree). Many individuals on the spectrum also engage in behavior to fulfill sensory needs. For example, hand/arm flapping and body rocking are stereotyped behaviors associated with an autism spectrum disorder.
- Escape/avoidance: Some of the most thorough cleanings of my apartment get done when I’m trying to escape doing something that really needs to get done but I don’t want to do it, like paying bills. Escape or avoidance behavior can manifest in many different forms of procrastination. It could also be tantrum behavior when you ask your child to eat their vegetables at dinner.
- Attention: We’ve all known someone who will do anything for attention- or, perhaps worse, that person who has a worse day when you have a bad one or a better day when you’ve had a good one (these people really irk me). “One-uppers” seek out praise or sympathy, as long as someone is talking about or to them. The same is true for the kids who disrupt class every day; they don’t care that they’re getting bad attention (reprimands, sent to the principal’s office, etc). [Note: these kids could also be engaging in disruptive behavior to escape work, so being sent out of the classroom for detention or suspension may be reinforcing the behavior. But I’ll get into this in another post.]
- Tangible: Finally, but possibly the most obviously, people (and animals!) engage in behavior to get something tangible out of it- food, treats, activities, etc. I absolutely love my job, but sometimes I go to work for the paycheck. Shawmut, my dog, is much more likely to sit nicely for a picture if he knows he’s going to get a treat after. And Andy, my husband, is more likely to take the trash out and run the dishwasher if he knows I’ll give him access to his Xbox later.
It’s great that behavior only occurs for four different reasons, right? Well, it’s not so black and white. Many times, behavior is maintained by more than one variable. How many times do you go for a coffee break at work solely because you want coffee (tangible)? Personally, I also end up going because I’m avoiding a task that I don’t really want to do (escape/avoidance). The child I mentioned earlier who regularly disrupts class might be getting attention from his peers (as laughter) and can also escape the math work just assigned by the teacher when he’s told to report to the principal’s office.
Understanding the function of a behavior is one of the critical outcomes of taking ABC data (see related post). By collecting and analyzing ABC data, a behavior analyst can determine which function (or functions are) is maintaining the behavior in question. From there, we can determine the most appropriate strategies to use to decrease the unwanted behavior and write a Behavior Support Plan for staff and families to follow.