Biting? Hitting? Pinching? Aggression!

Physical aggression, such as hitting, biting, pinching, and hair pulling, can be common at an age when functional communication is limited. 

These aggressive behaviors can also be exhibited by individuals carrying a diagnosis indicative of impaired functional communication skills such as autism. 

But let’s start with the basics:

Such behaviors may serve a number of different functions for the child such as:

• defending possessions 
• avoiding an undesired activity 
• expressing frustration (especially when they cannot express themselves with words)
• getting attention. 

It is important not to allow the aggressive behaviors to work. 

• Your child bites you because they don’t want to take a bath. Will you let him/her watch TV instead? 

NO! 

Do not allow them to bite and run! Biting will not prevent bath time! Give him/her the bath!! 

TIP:

Try to figure out situations that may trigger aggressive behaviors.  Prevent or make changes in the environment, routine or activity that seems to produce aggressive behaviors.

He needs a bath, no more cartoons!

ie. If you’re in the grocery store, and your child tantrums because you say no to a bag of M&Ms. Do NOT give them the M&Ms. Avoid the candy aisle, avoid the cash registers with candy, and if that doesn’t work, don’t take them to the grocery store!

Attention: The Good & The Bad

Catching kids being bad is easy!  Catching kids being good is much tougher.

Though catching a child being good is where the money is!

Let’s try  changing our focus knowing that our children are motivated by attention.

Attention functioning as reinforcement can increase desired or “good” behavior if more attention is given for the “good” behaviors and less attention is given for the “bad” behaviors.

Tip:

1. Pledge to compliment or acknowledge one desired behavior per half hour

DO NOT comment on the less desired/ “bad” behaviors.

Toilet Troubles: The Fear of the Seat

Trying to toilet train your child or student?

Often, we have a reinforcement system developed for when the child “goes” on the potty.

The big problem is you cannot get your child to sit on the toilet so you are unable to reinforce the use of the toilet!

The one place your child does not like to "go"

We need to:

–        Break the steps down

–         Reinforce those steps.

In this case, we should reinforce sitting on the toilet.

You have to sit before you can go, right?

Tip:

1. Use a highly motivating item and save this for sitting on the toilet.  The child should only have access to this item while sitting.

(I have had good success using a portable DVD player.  Many of our children enjoy certain TV shows or movies.  Purchase a DVD to be viewed only during sitting on the toilet.)

2.  If the child stands up, remove the reinforcing item. (Turn off the DVD player)

3.  Gradually increase the time your child will tolerate sitting on the toilet.

MORE TOILETING TIPS TO COME! (OR “GO”)