A few key principles to help manage challenging behaviour

Understanding Behaviour is key to identify the right response

Challenging behaviours always have a purpose, commonly categorised as:

• Social Attention: Gaining attention through behaviour.

• Access to Tangibles: Acting out to obtain desired items or activities.

• Escape: Avoiding unwanted situations or interactions.

• Sensory: Self-reinforcing behaviours for internal satisfaction.

• Health Issues: Behaviours driven by underlying medical problems like pain or discomfort.
  
  Here are a few strategies to consider:

1. Avoid Reinforcing Inappropriate Behaviours
   Do not respond to inappropriate behaviours. Ignoring them teaches that escalation (e.g., tantrums or aggression) does not yield desired outcomes, leading to "behaviour extinction."

2. Behaviour Bursts
   Escalation before extinction is common. Stay consistent in not responding to inappropriate behaviours, teaching the child to seek alternative, appropriate communication methods.

3. Communication Strategies for Nonverbal Children

   1. Encourage basic communication using gestures, eye contact, pointing, signing, or picture exchange (e.g., PECS).

   2. Model and prompt speech, gradually shaping clearer attempts.

   3. Use hand-over-hand guidance to teach pointing and reinforce successful gestures.

4. Functional Behaviour Analysis
   If you do not know what your child wants, use a functional behaviour analysis to identify the function of your child’s behaviour.

Contact us if you would like to know more or book a call.