Supporting Positive Behaviors

A Person Centered Plan General strategies Individualized approaches

Being present and participating in community life Gaining and maintaining satisfying relationships Expressing preferences and making choices in everyday life Having opportunities to fulfill respected roles and live in dignity Continuing to develop personal competencies Five Essential Goals of Person-Centered Planning

Respect ! Gains Loses Smiles a lot Good eye contact Seeks out social interaction Good sense of humor Friendly Acknowledges social greetings Redirects nicely Very forgiving Loud noises Flops Zones out Unaware of personal space Grinds teeth Inappropriate touching Inappropriate laughing/giggling List any behaviors or characteristics of the person that cause him/her to gain or lose respect or his/her peers or adults. Under “Gains” list those things you really like about the person. Under “Loses” list those behaviors that you do not like to see.

What are the ABCs of behavior? A = Antecedent (what took place just prior to the behavior?) B = Behavior (what behavior was exhibited?) C = Consequence (What happened immediately following the behavior?)

Antecedents Look carefully at the events prior to the behavior occurring. Some examples of what might trigger a challenging behavior: Making demands on the person An activity that is not a preferred activity Maybe who they are with at the time Maybe because they are alone and want attention Or any multitude of things…

Behaviors  Destructive  Disruptive  Interfering Behaviors

Conditions that increase likelihood behavior will occur (which can be true even for you or I) ConflictsTransitions Oversleeping, lack of sleep Hunger/thirst Forgotten medication

When presented with a demand (particularly 1:1 goals), Tommy will scream, yell out, and laugh to obtain attention and to avoid doing tasks. When making a transition to another environment, Tommy screams to get adult and peer attention.

CONSEQUENCE What happens AFTER the behavior occurs?

What happened before? __ Was a demand or request made? __ Was the child alone (no attention) __ Was attention being given to others __ Were you transition the child from point A to point B __ Was there a specific peer/ sibling/ adult involved __ Was a preferred object/activity removed __ Was an unpreferred activity/object being forced __ Was the child having difficulty with a task/activity __ Were they told “no” to a request Problem behavior: Describe behavior that occurred What happened after? __ Was a verbal redirect given __ Was the child ignored __ Were activity/materials removed __ Did the adult leave the room __ Did peers/siblings remark and/or laugh __ Was help/assistance given

__ Was there a medical or physical condition __ Was the child hungry/thirsty. When had they last eaten or had a drink? __ Was the child fatigued __ Was the child sleepy __ Had there been a recent conflict with someone __Sensory events (lights, noise, temperature) __Change in schedule __Weather conditions __ Was the location loud or overcrowded __ Had you spent just a little bit too much time a loud/overcrowded location __Other (Specify) Take notes – they will help you next time you are in a similar situation. WHAT WAS THE ENVIRONMENT?

Some Possible Prevention Interventions BehaviorTriggerFunctionChange Hitting and pushing teacher or para Presenting writing task Avoid writing tasks Reduce amount of writing; provide choices; balance activities Biting own hand Presented with task and asked to work independently Get teacher’s help Divide up responsibility of task between staff member and individual; Intersperse mastered/easy with novel/difficult Throwing and tearing materials at school Presented with “nonfunctional” tasks (pegs, blocks) Escape activities Involve in more functional activities (preparing snack, running errands)

Responding Strategies May require a change New ways to meet needs rather than reacting to challenging behaviors

Lifestyle Interventions Lifestyle InterventionExamples Quality of Life Adaptations Help build and keep friends Use peers/friends/siblings to include in play group Provide choices throughout day Develop action plan to integrate into more inclusive/natural settings Provide opportunities for new activities Maintenance Strategies Support others in making accommodations Support others to consistently use individual’s communication system Provide predictability to routines Teach problem-solving strategies Set and monitor goals (self-management)

G ood support plans O ften take a preventive approach – such as O ffering choices (activities, reinforcers) and D emands become less aversive.

Personal What choices can the individual make within his/her personal life? Identify what choices are presented to the individual within both areas. Choices Drink Snack Bathroom Activity Reinforcers Clothing Compliant or noncompliant

Outcomes Significant decrease in problem behaviors Increase in the use of replacement behaviors Increase in choice-making and task engagement Complies with initiating tasks Uses new behaviors in multiple settings Home, school, restaurants, activities, s ocial gatherings Invited by friends to join in activities

When our children are happy, we’re all happy! The end.