Behavior is Communication. You might have heard this before…and it’s true!
“A child is not GIVING you a hard time, they are HAVING a hard time.” is a quote I once saw, but I don’t know who the original author is. It speaks brilliantly to why a child is doing what they are doing. They are trying to communicate something, but are having difficulty. It’s our job as educators to help figure out what our students are trying to communicate and what might be a cause for the behavior. Helping your students get their needs met through their preferred method of communication will also help improve unexpected behaviors. (See my post about Expected and Unexpected Behaviors).
Behaviors have different functions or meanings. There are four main functions of behavior.
The functions of behavior include: Escape/Avoidance, Attention, Obtain Something, or Reinforcement. Let’s get a little bit into what each of these functions of behavior mean. I’ll get into each function further in a future post about Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA).
Escape/Avoidance
The function of Escape or Avoidance behaviors is for the student to avoid or escape something. Often the escape/avoidance behaviors occur when students are presented with a non-preferred activity or assignment.
Attention
The function of an Attention behavior is simply that…to gain attention. This may mean that the child is seeking attention in either a positive or a negative way. To the attention seeking children, attention is attention and whether it is positive or negative attention, they are still getting their needs met by gaining attention.
Obtain Something
The function of this type of behavior is that the child is trying to get access to something by displaying a behavior. Typically it is something tangible that they are trying to get; maybe a specific toy or snack.
Sensory
The function of this behavior is that the child is trying to have their sensory needs met. There are a variety of sensory needs that a child may need. They could either be sensory seeking or sensory avoiding.
In each of these functions of behavior, your students are trying to communicate to you and may not have the language yet to tell you what they need. Here’s a few tips to help you decode the behaviors your students are trying to communicate.
- Try using a “First/Then” board. The idea of a First/Then board is to have the child complete the task first and then they get the reward, which isa pre-determined reward for a pre-determined amount of time. I also recommend using a visual timer for the reinforcer. If you need a First/Then board, you can see the one I’ve created here in both English and Spanish.
- Try using a Token Economy. Students earn a pre-determined amount of tokens to earn a pre-determined reinforcer. Give your students a choice that they pick and are “working for”. We work for our paychecks, they want to work for something too! Each time you “catch” them doing something you want them to do (working, following directions, etc.) give them a token and when they earn all of their tokens, they get their reinforcer. Again, use a visual timer for the time they are allowed to use their reinforcer. If you need a Token Economy set up system, you can get mine here as well.
- Teaching students how to take a break. They will need a break, especially if they are trying to avoid a task or become easily overwhelmed by work. I use break cards to help my students visually see how many breaks that they can take during a certain time. It also serves as a visual to help remind them to ask for a break. You can get my break cards here.
- Visuals. Always use visuals! Visuals speak louder than words. Sometimes your words can be an auditory overload for your students and using a visual may get them to do what they need to do without you having to speak. I always keep the most used visuals on a key ring on my lanyard so that you are able to give visual directions to your students wherever you are. This works great!
- Prep for your Transitions. Sometimes the transition time is the most difficult because though you know it’s coming, your students don’t always know. Prep your students by reminding them of upcoming transitions, whether it will be from a preferred to a non-preferred activity or walking in the hallway to lunch. Using a visual timer is great for this too. You may also want to use a visual schedule and social stories. You can see the visual schedule I have here.
- Sensory diet. Providing a student with sensory needs a specified sensory diet will help them to meet their needs. You may teach replacement behaviors for certain sensory seeking behaviors as well.
Behavior is communication. It seems plain and simple to say. However, it may not always feel plain and simple when you’re trying to figure it out. I hope this post has helped you think about some behaviors in your classroom and how you can help figure out what your student(s) might be in need of. Stay tuned for additional posts about behavior, FBAs, etc.
