Practical Response Ideas

Limit setting strategies such as the Premack Principle ("When you ____, then you can _____") can be very helpful when addressing challenging behaviors. However, sometimes caregivers confront an increase in intensity and/or duration of the behavior when implementing limit setting strategies. Helping caregivers understand the general principle behind an extinction burst may help then persevere through the important task of limit setting.

A template for a Behavior Contract . Includes visual cues for teachers to use to make the contract more effective.

A catchy simple slide stating, " Dont take the bait, Avoid the Power Struggle"

Common use of the word "Consequence" is synonymous with the use of some sort of aversive penalty. Behavior analysts view "consequences" as a product of operant conditioning in terms of increased or decreased behavior(s). Helping staff to understanding the implementing penalties like suspension or detention may not be effective in changing behavior (and often aren't!). Instead, we should re-define the success of "consequences" based on a change in the behavior, not the intent of their use.

Interventions that teach students new skills that are more efficient and effective at meeting a need than the challenging ones are most likely to be successful. Much like a freeway/thruway compared to a city street, the efficiency of driving at 65 mph vs 30 mph often encourages thruway usage. Using this simile in a PPT presentation may help staff develop better functional interventions, helping them to remember that efficiency and effectiveness of the new skill is an important aspect in inter