Behaviour Concerns

Antecedent-Any event that happens before behaviour is called Antecedent.

Behaviour can seem like a problem (tantrum, stubborn, aggressive) to us. But for them it helps to communicate and express. Behaviour helps to get or escape from something (the consequence).

Consequence is the final goal (that the child wanted to get or escape).

For example- Antecedent- taking away tv/mobile from the child. (Here the child child wants more).

Behaviour- problematic- cries, throws things.

Consequence- Parent is annoyed and walks away, child gets the screen back.

Here the parent accidentally ends up reinforcing the bad behaviour.

Parents need to observe and measure this behaviour. This helps your doctor/ therapist to plan for an alternative behaviour. For example- What is setting off the behaviour, with whom the behaviour is seen, when, what time of the day, for how long.

We need to teach the child an alternate behaviour which will serve the same goal but will no longer be problematic. This replacement behaviour is the target skill we have to teach. We have to reinforces or motivate them to use the alternate behaviour.

First we understand why they are displaying behaviour- whether it is lack attention, escape from any task, sensory issues or missing something that they like.

Teach the target skill /replacement behaviour.

• Teach- how to ask for more, gesture. Keep the instructions as fun and simple as possible.
• Model- show how to ask and provide extra screen time so that they learn than just by asking, they can get more rather than resorting to throwing.
• Also give attention (sometimes they want parents attention), help them transition from activity to activity (use visual schedules to explain sequence of events- first this activity, then that activity) and
• Give them choices to pick other preferred activities to choose from (like snack, toy).

Praise them when they are displaying alternate behaviour and ignore the problem behaviour.

Be sensitive to the time to teach

Is the child receptive ,active, alert?

Or is the child hungry, tired, sick.

Remember your child is never doing something to annoy or trouble you. They resort to this since their communication is limited (words, eye contact, gestures and expressions).

Imagine that you are in a new country, you don’t the know language (even the sign language), how difficult it is to communicate (some kids might know the words but not the meaning and to express). This is what your child faces, so let’s be more sensitive to their needs and help them better by tweaking our style of teaching and environment.

Click on the links, for the resources

UC Davis School of medicine has a very nice module of behaviour and how to manage them.

https://health.ucdavis.edu/mindinstitute/centers/cedd/adept.html

Temper tantrum video by NIMHANS

Outdoor temper tantrum video

Inconsistency in disciplining video