Functions of Behaviour: Part 2 of 2

This month, I plan to continue to highlight the evidence based practice of establishing the ‘function of behavior’.  As I highlighted last month, in the introductory article (part one), this is such an important strategy to understand and highlight as the function of behavior, or more simply the ‘why the person is doing what they are doing’, ultimately helps establish a more successful response or strategy.  This is a foundational understanding when trying to support anyone, but especially someone with autism.  This can be more difficult for non-verbal people but there are many other ways to communicate the why of a certain action as well.   Please see the October edition if you wish to see the first part of this article for the background information.

As we search for a true solution for supporting someone when looking at the function of behavior, we need to be careful about how we discuss the situation.  For example, if we are describing someone as “lazy”, what we observe may be that the learner does not complete the task they doing.  Why might this be the case (true function of behavior)?  The work or task may have been too difficult, too easy/understimulating or the performance may not have been consistently reinforced.  That is to say, the learner may have needed more verbal praise or visual reminders to keep them motivated and interested. 

Another example could be that we are describing someone as “violent” and what we observe may be that the learner is hitting others.  Why might this be the case/the potential true problem may be?  The learner may be trying to ‘get suspended’ or taken out of particular situation they actually find undesirable.  The learner may get peer support or admiration for being tough and feel they are gaining power or respect.  A learner may be getting different forms of reinforcement as a result of this behavior.  There could be a sensory issue.  I remember my own child, when he was a toddler, would hit me violently when he would get hurt at all.  It seemed so unexpected and this was pre-diagnosis so I was genuinely confused at his violent outburst.  Pain sensitivity played a part I suspect now.  

Another situation, one may describe a learner as “oppositional” when we observe the learner protesting when directions are given.  What may actually be the case could be that the task is simply too difficult, the task was not chunked small enough, too many verbal instructions were given, the directions were just not understood, or the learner has experienced that by protesting before the task begins they are sometimes allowed to avoid the task altogether.  I remember trying this myself as a child when it was time to clean my room: when my mother was tired, I realized she would give into my ‘tantrums’ more easily and I could avoid cleaning my room at all.  Remember, these strategies are good for all, critical for some….

Lastly, I will highlight that we need to recognize and respect the energy levels of the learners (any age).  Behavior can fluctuate from day to day or even hour to hour.  What was possible one day may not be possible the next or vice versa.  Remember to keep these questions in mind: What am I asking of him/her?  What has he/she already done?  How taxing has the day been so far?  How taxing is the event or task coming up?  Does he/she need a break?  What are their current behaviors trying to communicate to me?  For example, what one can accomplish after a great nights’ sleep and hearty breakfast may differ from what one is able to do after a long day of work or when feeling cold, hot, hungry, tired, etc.  

When you are trying to determine the true function of a learners’ behavior, it is important to follow a few key steps:

1.  Establish a team – often times we become immune to a situation when we have been in it long term.  It is difficult to have a full/true perspective on a situation when you are trying to approach it alone.  Getting outside eyes, other trained ‘experts’ (if available); psychologist, occupational therapist, speech pathologist, nutritionist, behavioral expert, classroom teacher or EA, parent, etc. can be imperative.  There are different observations that can be made and shared through different ‘lenses’. Be open to other perspectives.
2. Identify and define the behavior: clearly pinpoint what exactly you wish to see and hear from the learner, especially if they are trying to acquire a new skill.  For example, if you simply say, “I want he/she to be less lazy” then you will be less likely to achieve that or even know when the learner truly experiences success.  You may want to make the goal, “The learner will stick to (a chosen task/ex: folding the laundry and putting it away without leaving the work area or getting distracted.  It will be completed in a reasonable amount of time (ex: 15 minutes).”  That is much easier to support and know once success has been achieved.
3. Data Collection:  Choose a form of data collection so that the learner and the data collector and track the level of success the learner is having.  It can be a chart with the start to finish times listed and see if it gets closer to the actual goal time set.  This can be formal or informal data collection tool(s) but if they are chosen at the outset it makes the tracking more manageable.  It is nice for the learner, if possible, to track, record and celebrate their own growth and success! 

This wraps up my ‘function of behavior’ series.  If you are interested in further information, I highly recommend the free online AFIRM modules.