How to Make a Behavior Intervention Plan for an Autistic Child
Target only one behavior at a time., Talk with the child about the behavior, if possible., Keep a log, if you can't ask the child., After keeping this log for several days to a week, try to identify the cause of the behavior., Fix the underlying...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Target only one behavior at a time.
Different negative behaviors likely have different causes, and thus different solutions.
Typically, it is too difficult to address all of these at once.
Additionally, focusing on one thing is more likely to be successful. -
Step 2: Talk with the child about the behavior
If your autistic child can explain why he or she does what he does, that is an excellent place to start.
The behavior may be a solution he or she has come up with to solve a problem (such as humming in class to drown out unpleasant sensory input).
In this case, your goal is to expand their repertoire of ways to solve the problem.Encourage self-advocacy.Teach the child to speak up, using words or AAC.
Reward this by paying attention and respecting what they have to say.
Explain other people's thoughts and feelings in a clear, concrete way.
It may help to draw stick-figure pictures, with thought bubbles, where you and the child can write down what others are thinking., To identify possible reasons for the behavior, keep a log of what happens before the behavior, the behavior itself, and what happens afterwards.
It won't be as direct as asking the child, but if the child cannot speak or use AAC, it is your best bet.
Example log entry:
At 4:30, Joey came into the kitchen and grabbed two cookies.
When I told him he could not have them, he began to throw a tantrum.
When he calmed down, I gave him a cookie.
After math class, Marcia and her peers went to the school assembly.
Marcia grew increasingly agitated as we waited, and began chewing on her fingers.
This escalated until she was viciously biting her own arms.
An aide took her to the office so she could calm down. , Joey's tantrums are the result of a desired item (cookie) being taken away after he tried to access them inappropriately.
Brainstorm possible reasons: perhaps Joey is very hungry at 4:30, and wants to express that he needs something to eat.
Marcia began biting herself as she waited for the assembly.
School assemblies can be quite loud, and perhaps they feel frightening or painful to her.
Anxiety about a painful assembly could cause the biting.
Be aware that what causes an autistic person to act out may not be obvious to non-autistic people.
For instance, it may not be obvious why at first that a child has issues in one bathroom, but never the other.
However, it may turn out to be a flickering light or fan that irritates the child, but they cannot express this. , Remove the stressor, and/or teach them a way to handle it when it arrives.
If it is successfully addressed, the problem behavior will cease.
Joey can be taught to ask for a snack ("I want a snack, please"), or taught to show you a picture of a snack when he is hungry (Picture Exchange Communication System).
Marcia bites as a way to cope with the stress of waiting for a painful assembly.
She can be given chewy jewelry for when she needs to bite, taught to say "that hurts" when she is hurting, and kept in class with a helper and a box of crayons during assemblies. , Go back to making a log, and trying to figure out what causes it.
Research how autistic people have handled situations like this.
The internet is full of autistic writers.
The hashtag #AskAnAutistic is an easy way to contact them. , If you have correctly identified the cause of the problem behavior and provided a solution that works for the child, then they will begin to use the better strategy instead.
This will take some time and gentle reminders, but if the child is capable of using the new strategy, it will happen.
When the child uses the bad strategy, gently remind them to use the new one: "What do you say when you want a snack?" Never hold their needs hostage.
Address a frightening or overwhelming situation right away, regardless of whether they handled it "correctly" or not.
The child needs to know that you will help them if they are hurting. , When the child uses a good technique (e.g. speaking up or getting a stim toy), praise them for doing well.Explain that you're glad that they're self-monitoring, and taking steps to get what they need.
For example, "Thank you for telling me that it hurts, Marcia! Now that I know, I'll make sure you don't have to do it again." -
Step 3: if possible.
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Step 4: Keep a log
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Step 5: if you can't ask the child.
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Step 6: After keeping this log for several days to a week
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Step 7: try to identify the cause of the behavior.
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Step 8: Fix the underlying problem.
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Step 9: If the problem behavior does not decrease
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Step 10: then you have not found the right solution yet
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Step 11: or they are not developmentally ready.
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Step 12: See what happens.
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Step 13: Celebrate their initiative.
Detailed Guide
Different negative behaviors likely have different causes, and thus different solutions.
Typically, it is too difficult to address all of these at once.
Additionally, focusing on one thing is more likely to be successful.
If your autistic child can explain why he or she does what he does, that is an excellent place to start.
The behavior may be a solution he or she has come up with to solve a problem (such as humming in class to drown out unpleasant sensory input).
In this case, your goal is to expand their repertoire of ways to solve the problem.Encourage self-advocacy.Teach the child to speak up, using words or AAC.
Reward this by paying attention and respecting what they have to say.
Explain other people's thoughts and feelings in a clear, concrete way.
It may help to draw stick-figure pictures, with thought bubbles, where you and the child can write down what others are thinking., To identify possible reasons for the behavior, keep a log of what happens before the behavior, the behavior itself, and what happens afterwards.
It won't be as direct as asking the child, but if the child cannot speak or use AAC, it is your best bet.
Example log entry:
At 4:30, Joey came into the kitchen and grabbed two cookies.
When I told him he could not have them, he began to throw a tantrum.
When he calmed down, I gave him a cookie.
After math class, Marcia and her peers went to the school assembly.
Marcia grew increasingly agitated as we waited, and began chewing on her fingers.
This escalated until she was viciously biting her own arms.
An aide took her to the office so she could calm down. , Joey's tantrums are the result of a desired item (cookie) being taken away after he tried to access them inappropriately.
Brainstorm possible reasons: perhaps Joey is very hungry at 4:30, and wants to express that he needs something to eat.
Marcia began biting herself as she waited for the assembly.
School assemblies can be quite loud, and perhaps they feel frightening or painful to her.
Anxiety about a painful assembly could cause the biting.
Be aware that what causes an autistic person to act out may not be obvious to non-autistic people.
For instance, it may not be obvious why at first that a child has issues in one bathroom, but never the other.
However, it may turn out to be a flickering light or fan that irritates the child, but they cannot express this. , Remove the stressor, and/or teach them a way to handle it when it arrives.
If it is successfully addressed, the problem behavior will cease.
Joey can be taught to ask for a snack ("I want a snack, please"), or taught to show you a picture of a snack when he is hungry (Picture Exchange Communication System).
Marcia bites as a way to cope with the stress of waiting for a painful assembly.
She can be given chewy jewelry for when she needs to bite, taught to say "that hurts" when she is hurting, and kept in class with a helper and a box of crayons during assemblies. , Go back to making a log, and trying to figure out what causes it.
Research how autistic people have handled situations like this.
The internet is full of autistic writers.
The hashtag #AskAnAutistic is an easy way to contact them. , If you have correctly identified the cause of the problem behavior and provided a solution that works for the child, then they will begin to use the better strategy instead.
This will take some time and gentle reminders, but if the child is capable of using the new strategy, it will happen.
When the child uses the bad strategy, gently remind them to use the new one: "What do you say when you want a snack?" Never hold their needs hostage.
Address a frightening or overwhelming situation right away, regardless of whether they handled it "correctly" or not.
The child needs to know that you will help them if they are hurting. , When the child uses a good technique (e.g. speaking up or getting a stim toy), praise them for doing well.Explain that you're glad that they're self-monitoring, and taking steps to get what they need.
For example, "Thank you for telling me that it hurts, Marcia! Now that I know, I'll make sure you don't have to do it again."
About the Author
Theresa Sanchez
A passionate writer with expertise in DIY projects topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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