LETTING THE CHILD COOPERATE
Why cooperation is important
Cooperative behaviour helps children succeed at school, in relationships with others and in
extracurricular activities. It’s also important for a happy and harmonious life.
Cooperation involves several important skills like sharing, taking turns and following
instructions from others. Children need these skills to communicate and get along with others
in most social situations.
Why autistic children and teenagers can be uncooperative
Most children struggle to cooperate sometimes. But parents of autistic children and
teenagers often find that their child’s lack of cooperation interferes with everyday life. There
are several reasons for uncooperative behaviour.
Difficulty understanding instructions
Younger autistic children, or children with limited language, often have difficulty
understanding instructions. This can make it harder for them to cooperate. This can happen
in the following situations:
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There are too many instructions. Autistic children often need a little extra time to
process what you’re asking them to do and can feel overwhelmed if they’re asked to
do too many things at once.
The instructions are too hard. Sometimes children don’t have the right skills to do what
they’re asked to do. For example, if a child doesn’t know how to button their shirt, they
might have trouble if they’re asked to get dressed. Or children might not have the
language skills they need to understand.
The instructions are too vague. Children might have trouble cooperating if it’s not clear
what they’re supposed to do – for example, ‘Watch your shoes on the couch, Jack’. It
can also be hard for children if they think they have a choice when they actually
don’t – for example, ‘Do you want to go to bed, Susan?’
Difficulty with social interactions and communication
Autistic children typically have difficulty with social interactions and communication. So they
might be uncooperative because they haven’t learned the appropriate behaviour for
different social situations. Or they might not be able to manage the strong or difficult
emotions – like anger, frustration or anxiety – that can come with being asked to do
something they don’t want to do or feel they can’t do well.
Children with little or no language can easily get frustrated if they can’t verbally express their
feelings – this is true for all children.
Sensory issues
Autistic children are sometimes uncooperative when they’re asked to do something they
don’t like because of sensory issues – for example, going into a noisy shop or eating foods
with particular textures.
Fixed ideas and behaviour
Autistic children can have rigid, fixed ideas and behaviour that can interfere with their ability
to take instructions. They can also find it hard to shift their attention from one thing to
another. It might look like your child is being uncooperative when your child just needs time
and help to move on to a new activity or follow a new instruction.
Escaping unpleasant situations
Uncooperative behaviour sometimes gets children out of situations they don’t like or that
make them feel anxious or stressed. When autistic children don’t want to do something – like
packing away toys or doing household chores – it’s understandable if tired or frustrated
parents let them get out of it, rather than forcing the issue.
Guiding autistic children and teenagers towards cooperation
Here are some strategies that can guide your child’s behaviour in positive ways and help to
strengthen your child’s cooperative spirit.
Setting limits
Setting limits means sending a firm message about what your child can and can’t do – for
example, bedtime on a school night is 8 pm.
When you set limits, it’s important to follow through on your expectations. This shows your
child that you mean what you say. So if bedtime is 8 pm, you need to stick to this. If it’s 8 pm
some nights and ‘whenever’ at other times, your child might lobby for ‘whenever’ every
night.
Offering choices
When children have choices, they learn to make decisions and think for themselves. This is
good for your child’s self-esteem as well as their ability to cooperate.
A good way to give your child choices is to offer a limited range of options – two is good. For
example, ‘Lou, it’s lunchtime. Would you like a cheese sandwich or a Vegemite sandwich?’
Or ‘Rani, it’s time to get dressed. Would you like to wear this skirt or these jeans?’
You can give your child the opportunity to make choices every day – for example, what toys
to play with, books to read, clothes to wear, snacks to eat, parks to play at, or projects to
work on.
Giving effective instructions
The way you give instructions strongly influences whether your child will cooperate. You can
make your instructions more effective by:
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getting your child’s attention
making sure you’re giving an instruction, not a request – for example, ‘Hold my hand
while we cross the road’, rather than ‘Do you want to hold my hand?’
being clear about what needs to be done
making sure your child can do what you’re asking
telling your child what you want them to do, rather than what you don’t want them to
do – for example, ‘Rachel, walk when you’re inside’, rather than ‘Don’t run, Rachel’
following through on what you’ve asked.
It might help your child if you use pictures. For example, use a picture of hand-washing when
you ask your child to wash their hands. It can also help to use clear, concise language with
only a few words. Also give your child some time, perhaps 10 seconds, to process the
instruction.
Three-step prompting
This is a simple strategy that makes it more likely your child will follow through on your
instructions.
Step 1 is to give the instruction:
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Say to your child, ‘Josh, wash your hands’.
Give your child five seconds to follow your instruction.
If your child cooperates, give enthusiastic praise and encouragement.
If your child doesn’t cooperate within five seconds, move to step 2.
Step 2 is to give the instruction again and show your child what you want them to do:
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Say, ‘Josh, wash your hands’, and point or walk over to the sink.
If your child cooperates within five seconds, give your child plenty of praise.
If your child doesn’t cooperate within five seconds of your instruction and
demonstration, move to step 3.
Step 3 is to give the instruction again and use physical guidance:
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Say, ‘Josh, wash your hands’, and use hand-over-hand guidance to wash your child’s
hands.
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Don’t stop guiding your child until the instruction is complete.
There are a few things to remember with three-step prompting:
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Repeat your instruction with every prompt.
Repeat steps 1 and 2 only once.
Focus on the task – don’t talk about other things with your child.
Give your child praise and encouragement when they cooperate.
Don’t give praise and encouragement when you need to use physical guidance.
Praise is an important part of encouraging good behaviour. Descriptive praise – when you
tell your child exactly what you like about their behaviour – works best of all. For example,
‘Anna, well done! You put your toys away’.
Changing the environment so autistic children and teenagers can cooperate
You might be able to change the environment so it’s easier for your child to cooperate.
Start by thinking about the situations in which your child is consistently uncooperative.
For example, your child is uncooperative if you go out to eat, but fine at home at mealtimes.
This might be because your child is used to a particular routine at home, or prefers to eat
from their own special plate. Or your child is uncooperative in crowded, noisy environments,
which might be because they’re more sensitive to sounds than other children.
There might be things you can do to help your child feel more comfortable and therefore
more cooperative:
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Use your child’s comfort objects in situations where they’re uncooperative. For
example, take a special plate from home if you go out to eat.
Compromise between what you need to do and your child’s sensitivities. For example,
go to the shopping centre at quieter times of day.
Helping autistic children and teenagers with interactions and communication
If autistic children understand what they need to do in certain social situations or have the
skills to communicate in these situations, they might be more likely to cooperate.
Social stories
Social stories explain social situations to autistic children. You can write one to encourage
appropriate skills and behaviour in situations where your child needs to cooperate, including
washing hands, going shopping, packing away and so on.
Social stories are particularly helpful for children who get anxious and prefer to know what’s
going to happen.
Using technology
Technology can help children with limited language cooperate by making it easier for them
to communicate. For example, the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) uses
pictures, symbols, words or photographs that represent tasks, actions or objects.
DISCIPLINING YOUR CHILD
What is discipline?
Discipline is about helping your child learn how to behave in appropriate ways in different
situations. It’s also about helping your child understand how not to behave.
Discipline and discipline strategies are positive. They’re built on talking and listening. They
guide children towards behaving in appropriate ways. They do this by helping children:
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understand what behaviour is appropriate and inappropriate – whether it’s at home, a
friend’s house, child care, preschool or school
develop skills like the ability to get along well with others, now and as they get older
learn to understand, manage and express their feelings.
Discipline works best when you have a warm and loving relationship with your child.
Discipline strategies for autistic children and teenagers
The following discipline strategies can guide all children towards appropriate behaviour and
away from inappropriate behaviour:
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praise and rewards for appropriate behaviour
clear rules about behaviour
positive consequences for appropriate behaviour
negative consequences for inappropriate behaviour
everyday and social skills for handling unfamiliar or difficult situations.
These discipline strategies are explained below, along with some ways that you can adapt
them to your autistic child’s development and understanding.
Physical punishment – for example, smacking – isn’t a good choice for discipline. It doesn’t
help children learn about self-control or appropriate behaviour. Smacking can send the
message that smacking or hitting other people is an OK way to deal with strong feelings.
There’s also a risk that smacking might hurt your child. Children who are smacked are more
likely to have challenging behaviour, anxiety or depression.
Praise and rewards for appropriate behaviour
Praise is when you tell your child what you like about their behaviour. When your child gets
praise for behaving well, your child is likely to want to keep behaving well.
Descriptive praise is when you tell your child exactly what it is that you’re praising. Descriptive
praise is best for encouraging good behaviour – for example, ‘Thank you for staying calm
when you didn’t win the game’.
Many autistic children like praise and want to behave well to get more praise. But some
autistic children don’t respond to praise. If your child tends to withdraw from other people,
your child might not be motivated to do things to please others. Or if your child has limited
language, your child might not understand the positive words you’re using.
You can help your autistic child learn to respond to praise. At first you might need to add
something to help your child link positive words with things your child likes. This could be
something to play with or an activity. After a while, your child might eventually enjoy the
praise on its own.
Clear rules about behaviour
Rules are positive statements that let children know how they’re expected to behave and
what your family limits are.
The rule might be that your child can’t play in the morning until they’re ready for school – for
example, ‘First get ready, then have playtime’. You could use a visual support like a timer to
show your child how long there is until you need to leave for school. When your child has
finished getting ready, they can play for the time left on the timer. If the timer has finished,
there’s no time to play.
Positive and negative consequences for behaviour
A consequence is something that happens after your child behaves in a particular way.
Consequences can be:
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positive – for example, your child gets more time at the park if they get ready to leave
the house
negative – for example, the toy is put away for 10 minutes if your child is throwing it.
You can use both positive and negative consequences to guide your child’s behaviour. But
it’s always best to focus more on giving your child positive attention for behaving in ways
that you like. This usually means you’ll need to use negative consequences less.
Time-out
Quiet time and time-out are useful consequences. Both involve taking your child away from
interesting activities and not giving them attention for a short period of time.
Time-out might not work if your child tends to be withdrawn. It could end up being a reward
rather than a negative consequence if it gives your child time alone.
Everyday and social skills for unfamiliar and difficult situations
Sometimes autistic children and teenagers might seem like they’re behaving inappropriately.
But actually they don’t have the skills to handle unfamiliar or difficult situations.
For example, your child doesn’t say hello to someone. Your child isn’t being rude on purpose
– they might not know they should say hello. Your child might start hitting something because
a particular noise is upsetting them. Or your child might smear poo on the wall because they
like the warmth and texture of it, not because they want to upset you or do the wrong thing.
Strategies like role plays, video modelling and social stories can help autistic children
develop social skills. They can also help autistic teenagers develop social skills.
Breaking tasks into steps can help autistic children and teenagers learn everyday skills like
how to get dressed or how to use deodorant.
15 BEHAVIOR STRATEGIES TO HELP KIDS WITH AUTISM
1 – Let the child know what will happen next.
For example, “After you finish the puzzle, it is time to brush your teeth”, or “In five minutes it is
time to turn off the computer and start your writing assignment.” For some children it is helpful
to set a timer so the child can keep track of how much time is left. So in the example above
“In five minutes it is time to turn off the computer and start your writing assignment” you
would set the timer for five minutes. Some children need reminders as the time is winding
down to 2 minutes, 1 minute, etc.
For children who have trouble understanding the concept of time or numbers, a visual timer
can be helpful because the child can see how much time is left.
Red Clock Visual Timer
With a red clock visual timer, children can see time running out as the red disappears.
Sand timer
Sand timers let children know that time is up when the sand at the top gets to the bottom.
An example would be a piece of laminated construction paper with the numbers 5, 4, 3, 2,
and 1 Velcroed on. When there is 5 minutes left you show the child the countdown (e.g., we
have five more minutes of computer time). At four minutes you pull off the number 5. You
keep doing this each minute until you pull off the 1 and that is the signal that the activity is
over and you will be moving on to the next activity).
Side Note: *Children who have difficulty understanding language may respond better to
pictures telling them what is expected, rather than verbal directions. For example, if you
want the child to work on math and then have a play activity, you can show them a
“first/then” board rather than saying “First we will do math and then play a fun game.” See
an example of a “first/then” board below (you can find instructions for how to make this at
the bottom of the article).
2-Set Expectations, be Consistent, and Follow Through
For example, if you tell your child that you will play a game with him if he plays quietly while
you talk on the phone for five minutes, make sure that you keep your end of the bargain
(barring unforeseen circumstances).You may need to give him a choice of what activity to
do during that time that you are on the phone. If your child can’t tell time, set a timer that your
child can see, get off the phone in exactly 5 minutes (barring unforeseen consequences), and
play the game. If you do this consistently, your child will come to know what is expected and
will believe in what you say. As he improves, you can increase the time. Once he learns how
to play independently while you talk on the phone, you may be able to fade back on such a
rigid set-up, but it is a good starting point to teach him how to act while you talk on
the phone. This is one example but can be applied to many scenarios.
If you don’t implement expectations with consistency and follow through on your words, your
child will not know what to expect. This can lead to anxiety and challenging behavior (e.g.,
talking to you while you are on the phone, repeatedly asking when you will be off the phone,
etc.). Children with autism or other challenging behaviors thrive on predictability, so do your
best to make their world predictable. Another example of predictability would be having a
set routine each night (e.g. first homework…then TV or first put pajamas on…then read a story).
Keep in mind that difficult behaviors are more likely to come out when things aren’t
predictable, and we know we can’t make everything predictable all the time. Just know that
if you are doing your best, it is not yours or your child’s fault when things don’t go according
to plan. Just get back in the swing of a predictable routine as soon as possible.
3 – Acknowledge your child or students for complying with your requests
For instance, if your child is using a loud voice in the movie theater and you say, “whisper in
the theater,” praise the child with a comment such as “nice job whispering”, or “thank you
for being respectful in the theater.” For children who understand language well, situations
like this are a good time to teach about other people’s perspectives (e.g., “Thank you for
whispering. This let’s other people hear the movie.”).
4 – Tell the child specifically what you expect and allow him to earn privileges for complying
with your expectations
For instance, if your child often has a tantrum in a store when he can’t go to the toy aisle, tell
him exactly what you expect of him before you go to the store and reward him with a
privilege for following that expectation. For instance, you can say something like “We are
going to Target. We are going to the school supply aisle to buy paper and pens, and then
we will pay and go home.” Once in the store you can give reminders (e.g., now we are
going to get the paper and pens, now we will go pay, you’re doing a nice job following the
rules, now we are going home, etc.).
Let the child know that he can earn a privilege for following the rules. Privilege ideas include
getting a sticker of a favorite character, playing a favorite game once at home, watching a
favorite show, going on the computer, staying up ten minutes past bed time, etc. Try to think
of a privilege that your child might like or ask him what he would like to work towards.
When the child earns the privilege, praise him with specific language. In the example above
you could say, “You followed the rules at the Target. We got the paper and pens, paid, and
came home. Nice work! Now you can enjoy some computer time.” Make sure the privilege is
something the child wants. You can let the child choose what he would like to work for
ahead of time. Children also benefit from nonverbal praise such as high fives, smiles, thumbs
up, etc.
Side Note: *Children with difficulty understanding language often respond better to pictures,
visual cues, demonstrations or physical prompting than verbal instructions. For example,
many children I have worked with with autism walked nicely in the hall after I demonstrated
how, rather than after I said “walk nicely.”
5 – Give Choices
All children, including those with autism, like to feel a sense of control over their world. Many
children benefit from having the choices limited to two to four options (depending on the
child), as they get overwhelmed with too many choices and cannot decide. Examples of
choices are: “Do you want to play a board game or watch TV,” “Do you want butter or jelly
on your bagel,” “Do you want to wear the green or red shirt?” Again, children with language
difficulties often have more success making choices when you show them the options or
pictures of the options (e.g., hold up the red and green shirt and let them point to the one
they want). A free IPAD App for generating pictures to show kids choices isChoiceBoardCreator. See an example below:
6 – For some children with language difficulties, showing the child the activity or toy that he
will be utilizing next is helpful to encourage him to move from one activity to another
For example, if the child is on the computer and you want him to come work on a puzzle,
show him the puzzle so he knows what it is you want him to come do.
7 – If possible, use a schedule to let the child know how his day will go
For children who have trouble reading or understanding language, a visual schedule would
be best. A schedule for after school could include “eating a snack”, “doing homework”,
“watching TV”, “playing a game with the family”, “reading a book”, “taking a bath” and
“going to bed.” A visual schedule at school could include “math”, “reading”, “gym”,
“lunch”, “recess”, “art”, “science”, “packing up”, and “getting on the bus.” Below is an
example of a visual schedule:
8 – Allow the child to bring a transitional object from one activity to the next.
For instance, if the child has to leave the classroom to go with a new staff member such as a
speech therapist, let him bring a favorite object from the classroom such as a stress ball or
toy car. This can assist with helping him feel more comfortable in the unfamiliar surroundings.
9 – Distract and redirect problematic behavior instead of saying “stop” or “no.”
For example, if the child is running in the store, remind him or show him how to walk nicely. If
necessary, find something interesting to show him and call his attention to it, rather than
focusing on the problematic behavior. If he is running in the hall at school, redirect him back
to the line, with a short directive such as, “Come back to your spot in line” or remind him to
“walk in the hallway.” For children with trouble understanding language, try demonstrating
what is expected or use a gesture, rather than just giving the verbal direction.
10 – If the child seems over stimulated from sensory input, such as in a large crowd, bring him
to a quieter place to de-stress.
Be mindful of situations where your child might feel overwhelmed before you take him there
(e.g., a fireworks show, a crowded festival, etc.).
11 – Make directions clear, short, and concrete.
For example, if your child is throwing food at the table say, “eat your food” rather than “Be
good at the table,” “Don’t throw your food” or “Would you stop with that! You are always
throwing your food.” For children with difficulty understanding language, showing them a
picture or a visual demonstration of the behavior you want to see, can be helpful.
12 – Take advantage of teachable moments.
For example, If the child snatches a toy from another child, teach him how to use his words
to ask for they toy (if he has the language capabilities to do so) rather than reprimanding
him for snatching the toy.
13 – When giving tasks, assignments, chores, etc. many children do better if they know when
the task will end.
Some examples of activities with a clear ending include puzzles, a specific number of math
problems, a specific number of pages to read, a timed event (e.g., the lesson will last ten
minutes – set a timer), a specified way to complete a chore such as “Put ten toys in the bin.”
or “Spray the window three times and use the paper towel to wipe the spots off,” a specific
number of lines to write on the page for a writing assignment, etc. (visually defining the task is
helpful as well; for example numbering the paper for a math assignment, using a visual timer
or graphic organizer for a lecture, numbering the lines for a writing assignment, etc.). See an
example of an activity with a clear visual ending below:
Please cut out each word and match it to the correct picture.
Additionally, when the task has a clear visual ending, it eliminates the need for a timer. For
instance, if the child is working on a 10 piece puzzle you can let him know what comes next
(after you finish the puzzle, it is time for dinner) and no timer would be needed.
This concept can be applied to anything with a clear visual ending (e.g., after you finish the
ten math problems, you can go on the computer). Whether you are using a timer or giving
an activity with a clear visual ending, give a break in between for the child to do something
enjoyable if he gets overwhelmed or frustrated with lengthy tasks.
For example, if the child is supposed to write 20 sentences for homework, let him write ten,
take a 10 minute break to do a preferred activity, and then do the next ten. (set a timer or
use another method to clearly indicate when the break is coming to an end, such as a
countdown chart or a short task with a clear ending).
14 – Some children thrive when given structured hands-on or visual activities:
Many children I have worked with or have observed, did very well (sat nicely, worked diligently,
etc.) when given a hands-on/visual activity.
Examples include playing a computer game, sorting objects by color or object type (for
example, putting the silverware away from the dishwasher, sorting laundry by light and dark,
putting materials away in the correct boxes, etc.) completing a puzzle, constructing a model
car, tracing or coloring in a picture, etc.
As another example, some teachers of children with autism teach academic skills through
sorting tasks. For instance, an activity about learning colors would require the child to put all
the yellow chips in a yellow cup, all the blue chips in a blue cup, etc. Keeping a child
focused with an activity they do well at is a great way to encourage calm behavior. However,
if the child is feeling overwhelmed or frustrated from the activity, allow a break or a change in
the task.
15 – Stay calm when interacting with the child (I know it can be hard at times but make
every effort to be as calm as possible).
If you are regularly having trouble staying calm, you may benefit from talking to a friend,
family member, or therapist for support. Do not take it out on your child. Yelling and
threatening will not make behavior better. It may stop the behavior in the short-term, but the
behaviors will occur again. You may actually make the behaviors worse because the child
may start to feel anxious, scared, angry, embarrassed, or sad.
Children with autism are not choosing to act in a way that is frustrating to you or anyone
else. They legitimately need positive support from you to help them meet their
emotional/behavioral needs.
Finally, it is important to recognize that some children on the autism spectrum have trouble
generalizing expectations across situations, so the same strategies may need to be used in
situations that are similar to one another.
Keep in Mind: If you are using these strategies for the first time, you may not see change as
quickly as you ‘d like. Your child/student will not be used to your new techniques and may
even push harder due to the sudden change in your behavior. I know it is hard but be patient
and keep implementing these strategies with consistency.
WHY NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR WITH AUTISM IS PREVALENT IN CLASSROOMS:
It’s a way of communicating.
People on the autism spectrum embody a huge range of communicative abilities, from nonverbal to hyperverbal, but according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders, a diagnosis of autism indicates “persistent deficits in social communication and
social interaction.”
This means that regardless of their verbal abilities, learners with autism experience difficulty
expressing their needs, wants, likes/dislikes, answers, or opinions. This can lead to feelings of
anger. We all know that feeling misunderstood and not getting your needs met is super
frustrating.
Particularly for learners who don’t have any formal system of communication, negative
behavior itself is a form of communication.
Unfortunately for educators, practitioners, peers, and learners with autism, physical
expression as communication or as an expression of anger can result in harm to property
and/or people. Aggression itself isn’t a characteristic of autism, but it can be a by-product of
frustration, overwhelm, or lack of communication skills.
It could be a sensory issue.
Bright lights. Loud noises. A shirt tag. Too-tight shoes. Too hot, too cold. People with autism
are often either hypo or hyper-sensitive to sensory input. Little things we may not even think
about as neurotypicals can throw off an entire day, an entire week, an entire school year for
a learner with autism
They need "Stimming."
“Stimming” in autism refers to repetitive, self-stimulating behaviors, and can look like rocking,
flapping hands, spinning, lining up objects, moaning, or pacing. Neurotypical folks stim too,
but usually within the confines of what’s socially acceptable: biting fingernails, jiggling a leg
while sitting, spinning a ring on a finger, etc.
Stimming can help with sensory integration, regulating emotions, and calming the nervous
system. It’s very important that learners with autism be allowed to stim, but sometimes, when
stimming is too loud, distracting, or violates another student’s boundaries, it can be super
disruptive
It’s easy to accidentally reward negative behavior.
When a child lashes out and starts pushing or hitting their peers, it’s entirely natural to move
other children away from that child, or isolate the child who is lashing out in a separate
space.
But what has that child, who struggles with communication skills, learned from that
interaction? The negative behavior has been reinforced, and they’ve acquired a new skill:
when kids are too close and it feels uncomfortable, and if they push or hit someone, the
teacher will remove the problem or give them the desired alone time.
What’s supposed to be a consequence ends up being a reward, and the child will resort to
the same behaviors again and again.
They miss social cues.
This is a hallmark of autism, and even when we’re aware of it, sometimes it’s so difficult to
remember! Body language is a huge part of communication, but even something that feels
obvious to us, like a head nod, can easily be missed by a person with autism.
Change is hard.
Rigidity is a common trait in the autism community. This means that deviations from the
typical schedule, transitions from one activity to another, the presence of a substitute
teacher, or something being out of place can potentially feel catastrophic to learners with
autism.
They’re bored.
A 2016 study found that almost half of “minimally verbal” children with autism had cognitive
abilities that exceeded their verbal abilities.
It’s so difficult to gauge a child’s capacity to learn when they aren’t responsive to
communication.
Unfortunately, this means that children with autism can too easily be underestimated, and
their IEP goals, learning materials, and the language used to communicate with them, can
reflect this, especially when negative behaviors are so hard to manage! When autism
presents such a huge communication barrier, it’s sometimes impossible to know what an
individual’s true learning potential is.
People with autism can be deeply literal.
There are an estimated 25,000 idioms in the English language. Which means there are 25,000
ways for literal-brained people to misinterpret English.
Now, back to that kindergartener. Mo Buti used her superpowers of observation, and
noticed that when it was carpet time, the instruction the teacher gave her class was to “put
on your thinking caps.”
In response, the boy would run into the hallway, emptying cubbies in search of that elusive
thinking cap.
So now that Mo understood the cause of the behavior, what does she suggest doing about
it?
Autism Classroom Strategies to Address Negative Behavior
1. Observe: Try putting yourself in that child’s shoes (or, if you’re a literal person, look at the
situation as if you were inside their body and experience). This can be really tough if you’re
an educator in charge of an entire classroom! In this case, Mo suggests:
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Video observation! This is a great option because it allows us to look at how the child
responds to our own behavior and instruction. Typically, consent should be obtained
from families prior to setting up the camera.
Grab a substitute for a few hours.
Switch places with a paraprofessional.
Once you’re able to observe, try thinking like a behaviorist: look for the ABCs of the situation,
or the Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence. This can be tricky! Be a detective, and
remember that each child with autism is different.
Look for all sorts of clues: is the child ducking away from the fluorescent lights? Do they give
any sort of indication right before a negative behavior takes place, like clenching their jaw
or becoming squirmy? Can you spot a negative behavior being rewarded?
2. Visual Supports: When the world around you is a smorgasbord of sensory input that you
struggle to synthesize, visual supports can go a long way in focusing attention, clearly
communicating expectation, breaking down tasks, smoothing transitions, and preparing
autistic learners for changes to the schedule.
3. Offer opportunities for stimming: As we mentioned above, stimming is important to autistic
individuals’ sensory integration, but if it disrupts an entire classroom’s ability to learn or hurts
someone, these safer less-disruptive substitute behaviors can help.
Less-disruptive alternatives include:
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Creating a safe space in the classroom for stimming.
Offering pinwheels for blowing.
Providing handheld fans to hold.
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Yoga-ball seating (Bungee-cord seat belts can work for flailing bouncers! Just make
sure they’re loose enough as to not be restraining).
Offering thinking putty or beeswax to keep their hands busy (important to consider
sensory aversions).
4. Engage learners with autism with the right learning materials: When any child is focused
and fully engaged in learning, the need to resort to negative behaviors decreases and
motivation to communicate thoughts, ideas, and answers increases.
5. Direct, respectful, age-appropriate language, instruction, and clear boundaries: Ensuring
that our communication and instruction is as crystal-clear and direct as possible can be
super helpful for learners with autism. Think like a literal person: does the instruction “show
your work” really convey the task we are hoping they complete? Think like a person who
doesn’t understand body language or subtleties: are we becoming frustrated because they
don’t stop talking when we imply that we’d like them to stop?
6. Robust, individualized communication strategies: When someone has a system to
communicate and feel understood, it can reduce a lot of negative behaviors that are ways
of communicating either needs or emotions.
7. Offer a quiet space to decompress: If a child is constantly running from the classroom or
covering their ears, offering a space that feels private and limits sensory input, like a room or
a teepee, can go a long way in helping the child self-regulate.
8. Give learners a thinking cap: Okay, so remember the kindergartener that emptied the
cubbies in search of a thinking cap? Mo walked over to the dress-up center, located a hat,
and plopped it on that kindergartener’s head. And guess what? He stopped emptying
cubbies. Creative solutions like this are an awesome and fun way to support learners with
autism.
AUTISM BEHAVIOURAL STRATEGIES
Behaviour is everything that we do — it’s how we act in any situation.
There’s always a reason why we behave the way we do. We get a drink because we’re
thirsty, we smile because we want to be friendly, we cry because we’re feeling sad.
Often, our behaviours are a response to our environment or those around us. We might see
someone that is sad and want to make them feel better, so we give them a hug. Or we
might hear a loud noise and look to see what it is.
As we develop, our behaviour is not just a response to another person’s behaviour, but to our
understanding of why people behave a certain way. For example, we might realise that
someone is acting in an angry way because they are stressed, and ask them if they are
okay, rather than getting angry at them.
How does autism impact behaviour?
Autism can influence the way that a person attends, interprets and responds to others and
the world around them. This often means that the behaviours that a person with autism
displays in situations or interactions, can be unexpected. This is part of the diversity of our
world.
If you’re on the spectrum, you might be detail oriented, good at identifying irregularities and
a logical thinker, so you might notice specific information or be good at solving problems on
topics (or in areas) that others may not see or notice.
You might process sensory information differently, which gives you a unique way of
experiencing the world. You might express this through art, music or blogging, to help others
gain a broader perspective.
If you need a strict routine to feel safe and secure, you might always be on time and get
frustrated when others are not.
Other ways that autism can impact on behaviour can be more challenging. Aggressive
behaviour may be the outward expression of your frustration at not being able to express
what you want. Self-harming behaviours may also occur if you’re feeling overwhelmed by
too much sensory input coming in.
People on the autism spectrum may behave in unexpected ways. Reasons for this can
include the following:
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Being unaware of other people’s wants, needs or desires.
Having trouble communicating your own needs, wants or desires.
Finding it hard to predict other people’s behaviours and not knowing what behaviours
are ‘expected’ in different situations’.
Having underlying physical, neurological, mental or emotional health issues that
impact your wellbeing.
Having sensory issues that you are responding to, such as light or touch causing pain,
or loud noise making it difficult to focus.
Being hypervigilant, or unable to self-regulate, which means you are more reactive in
a situation rather than stopping and thinking before acting.
People with autism may be more delayed in developing what is known as Theory of the
Mind, or may not develop it at all.
As psychologist Brittany N Thompson writes in Psychology Today:
“Overall, Theory of Mind involves understanding another person’s knowledge, beliefs,
emotions, and intentions and using that understanding to navigate social situations.”
This can lead to some of the behaviours mentioned above, such as not knowing what
behaviours are ‘expected’ in social situations, or not understanding that another person’s
perception may be different to theirs.
What are behaviours of concern?
Generally speaking, a behaviour becomes a behaviour of concern when it starts to impact
our quality of life or negatively affects those around us.
A behaviour becomes a behaviour of concern when it:
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Seriously limits or denies the use of ordinary community facilities, limits or denies lifestyle
opportunities.
Impedes positive interactions with others in their environment.
Leads to responses that are restrictive, aversive, or result in exclusion.
The Department of Human Services SA defines behaviours of concern as:
“A behaviour that is a barrier to a person participating in, and contributing to, their
community (including both active and passive behaviours), that undermines, directly or
indirectly, a person’s rights, dignity or quality of life, and poses a risk to the health and safety
of a person and those with whom they live or work.”
Behaviours of concern can include the following:
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Verbal aggression – eg. threatening, abusive language.
Physical aggression against objects – eg. throwing, breaking, swiping.
Physical aggression against self – eg. head banging, scratching, hair pulling.
Physical aggression against other people – eg. hitting, slapping, punching.
Inappropriate sexual behaviour – eg. sexual talk, exposing body parts.
Perseveration / repetitive behaviour – eg. asking the same question over and over.
Wandering / absconding – eg. leaving school grounds, entering prohibited areas.
Inappropriate social behaviour – eg. poor hygiene, commenting on someone’s
appearance.
Lack of initiation – eg. not leaving the house.
When a behaviour becomes a concern, it is important to identify the reason for the
behaviour. Often, a concerning behaviour happens when a person with autism cannot
cope or is overwhelmed but is unable to express it.
Another important thing to consider is the environment certain behaviours may occur in,
either physical, psychological or social, and if there’s anything that can be adapted in that
environment to prevent or reduce it happening.
For example, if a person with autism displays behaviours of concern when they are hungry,
could a snack be put in a place that is easy for them to access? Or if they feel overwhelmed
in a noisy environment, could they wear ear defenders when they need to go there?
All behaviours have one or more ‘triggers’ that prompt them – such as an interruption to a
routine, a particular noise or an object that brings back a painful and overwhelming
memory.
Figuring out what these ‘triggers’ are will help people understand what the person is trying to
get out of behaving that way, and this will help them to make changes to the environment,
or to learn new skills to prevent it happening again.
Once the reason for the behaviour is understood, strategies can be put in place to minimise
it or to replace it with a new, more beneficial, behaviour.
How can you reduce behaviours of concern?
The best way to reduce behaviours of concern, is to ensure you understand why the
behaviour is occurring in the first place. Sometimes the reason may seem obvious, but more
often than not, the reason the person is displaying a behaviour is complex.
Behavioural practitioners or psychologists can help to address behaviours of concern, by
identifying their function (the reason they are occurring), modifying the environment,
teaching new skills, and reinforcing alternative behaviours.
Intervention approaches are designed to teach new alternative behaviours, as well as ways
to put them into practice in different situations. They also motivate people to use these new
alternative behaviours to get their needs met.
There are many different techniques and strategies that are used in behavioural
interventions and there is no single approach that works for everyone. If one isn’t successful,
it doesn’t mean another won’t be. Often, they work best as part of a multi-component
approach.
It’s important to remember that it can often take time when trying to address long-standing
behaviours of concern, but through a structured, planned approach, behaviours of concern
can be reduced, improving the quality of life for the individual and those around them.
Make sure you take time to celebrate successes.
What is Positive Behaviour Support?
The main aim of Positive Behaviour Support, or PBS, is to improve a person’s quality of life and
reduce behaviours of concern.
PBS is an approach which incorporates different theoretical frameworks and various
strategies, focusing on the improvement of quality of life, and the reduction and prevention
of the occurrence of behaviours of concern, through teaching new skills and making
changes in an individual’s environment. Positive Behaviour Support relies on person-centred
strategies that are respectful of an individual’s rights, dignity and overall wellbeing.
It involves an individualised plan that is tailored to the behaviour and needs of the individual
and those around them. The plan is implemented by everyone involved in their daily life in
the places where that behaviour naturally occurs.
PBS is based on the idea that concerning behaviour can be reduced if we understand what
is causing the behaviour to occur, and the function of the behaviour, eg. what is the person
getting out of the behaviour?
The learner can then develop new alternative ways of achieving what they want, and can
work toward replacing the concerning behaviour.
For example, it might teach them to use a word or sign to express what they want to replace
an aggressive action.
If you are considering Positive Behaviour Support, the first step is a functional behavioural
assessment.
A functional behavioural assessment is a process to work out why a person is displaying a
particular behaviour. Behaviour practitioners such as psychologists, or therapists work with
family members and other professionals to observe the behaviour, and gather information to
develop a hypothesis as to why they are using that behaviour.
This includes defining the behaviour, understanding what triggers the behaviour to occur,
and what benefits the person is getting from that behaviour.
From this, a PBS plan can be put together that includes:
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Removing or reducing the triggers that cause the behaviour.
Adjusting the environment around the person.
Teaching and encouraging new skills and other ways to communicate their wants and
needs so there is no need for the behaviour of concern.
Motivating the person to use their new skills in different environments to get their needs
met.
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Reducing or removing any benefits they are getting from displaying the behaviour of
concern.
Research supports the PBS approach, though its success requires consistent and intensive
practice.
Modifying the environment to help with behaviour
Different environments can trigger different behaviours. An environment can be a physical
space – a room at home, a supermarket, a park, a relative’s house etc – or it can be what’s
in that space – people, noise, lights, animals, toys etc.
Even when an environment doesn’t cause a behaviour, it can still be contributing to its
occurrence.
Once you understand why a behaviour of concern is happening, you can look at the
environment it occurs in, and make adjustments to that environment.
This may involve:
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Moving items, such as putting food or drink where it’s easy to reach.
Using a visual schedule so a person knows what is going to happen, for how long, and
in what order.
Modifying a task, or providing adjustments, so that it is achievable.
Using better and simpler communication to ensure understanding.
Showing what the expected behaviours are, such as lining up at the supermarket
checkout or putting your hand up to ask a question.
Making sure they can easily access sensory tools such as ear defenders, sunglasses,
move’n sit cushions etc.
Changing the time of day that you go to that environment, such as a quieter time to
go shopping, or when the line is not as long.
Changing an everyday item, such as a hairbrush, toothbrush, or wearing clothes
without tags.
Engaging with a person and providing attention.
Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA)
When talking about behavioural interventions, you might hear the term Applied Behaviour
Analysis, or ABA. This is sometimes called Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention (EIBI) or
Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI).
All of these terms refer to a range of techniques or strategies that are sometimes used in
behavioural interventions. Generally, they involve identifying a behaviour or skill, setting a
goal towards it and teaching in it a highly structured way – in tiny steps that can be easily
achieved.
This might target a specific behaviour, such as a child banging their head on the wall when
they’re upset; or skill, such as washing hands or saying a particular word. It might also look at
a broader area of self-development, such as improving communication abilities.
Progress is measured throughout so that changes can be made to suit the person’s needs.
Early intensive behavioural intervention assists pre-school children on the autism spectrum by
combining several therapies or elements of therapies to create a targeted approach.
Using positive reinforcement to encourage behaviours
Positive reinforcement is when something positive occurs after a desired behaviour occurs,
such as receiving praise or getting to do something we like, as a reward for the new
alternative behaviour.
Rewards are considered ‘concrete’ – when something makes us feel good – or ‘intrinsic’ –
when we make someone else feel good.
Think of it in terms of “If I do x, I will get something I like” (concrete) versus “If I do x, I will make
my mum happy” (intrinsic).
Positive reinforcement can help motivate the person showing concerning behaviours to use
new skills or desirable behaviours.
Note that some people on the spectrum respond best to concrete reinforcement as they
can have difficulty understanding how other people feel. It’s important to understand which
you or your loved one responds to for this to be effective.
When using positive reinforcement:
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Make sure the reward is something that will motivate them. It could be verbal praise or
a token such as a treat, an activity they enjoy, time spent on their favourite interest
etc.
Combine the token with verbal praise. Use descriptive praise to communicate clearly
what they are being praised for. For example, saying, “I really like the way you washed
your hands with the soap,” or “You did really well staying with me at the shops”.
Reinforce the effort they’ve made.
In the beginning, use the positive reinforcement every time they demonstrate the new
skill/behaviour. Once the skill is learnt, gradually fade the reward out.
Don’t be tempted to offer the reward before the behaviour. Then it is no longer
reinforcing the behaviour, it is creating it through bribery, which is less effective in the
long-term.
Never take a reward away or use it as a punishment.
If positive reinforcement is not working, review it to look at why and adjust. Perhaps the
reinforcement on offer is not motivating enough.
Behaviour difficulties and strategies across the ages
It’s worth remembering that everyone has challenging behaviours as children, whether they
are on the autism spectrum or not. Everyone has to learn to overcome their challenging
behaviours and find more beneficial ones.
For people on the autism spectrum, however, this process can be slower and take a lot more
effort.
Depending on how autism impacts you or your loved one, behaviours of concern may occur
at certain times of life or across their entire life. Everyone on the spectrum will have their own
unique challenges and unique ways of dealing with those challenges.
For information about where to find support and or professional services to better
understand autism, or your child on the spectrum go to our supports and services page.
Commonly used behavioural strategies
Antecedent-based interventions
Antecedent-based interventions (ABIs) are modifications made to an environment or
context with the aim of changing or shaping a person with autism’s behaviour.
They are typically implemented following a behaviour assessment, factoring in the
environment that may be impacting.
Once these factors are identified, ABIs are implemented to modify the environment or
context so that it has less of an impact on behaviour.
ABIs may include:
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Changing educational activities or materials.
Incorporating choice in educational activities or materials.
Priming ahead of time for upcoming activities.
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Varying the format, difficulty level, or order of instruction during activities.
Enriching environments to provide additional visual cues, or access to sensory stimuli.
Modifying and reinforcing schedules.
These strategies are often used in conjunction with other evidence-based practices,
including functional communication training and reinforcement.
Cognitive behavioural intervention
Cognitive behavioural intervention (CBI) is based on the idea that behaviour can be
modified or improved through cognitive (mental) processes.
People with autism are taught to examine their emotions to recognise when negative
thoughts are escalating in intensity, and are then given strategies to change their thinking,
and ultimately their behaviour.
These interventions tend to be used with autistic people who display problematic behaviour,
such as anger or anxiety.
CBIs are often used in conjunction with other evidence-based interventions.
Discrete trial teaching
Discrete trial teaching (DTT) is an instructional approach used to teach skills in a one on one,
controlled, and structured environment.
It involves repeating instructional trials that have a definite beginning and end: beginning
with the parent or teacher presenting a clear direction or stimuli to elicits a specific
behaviour. Desired skills or behaviours are reinforced through positive praise and tangible
rewards.
Other behavioural practices that are used in DTT include task analysis, reinforcement,
prompting behaviour, and time delay practices.
Extinction strategies
Extinction (EXT) is used to reduce or eliminate a challenging behaviour, and relies on
accurately identifying the problematic behaviour, and the consequences that reinforce that
behaviour.
The consequence that is believed to reinforce the behaviour is removed or withdrawn,
resulting in the reduction (or extinction) of the behaviour.
Keep in mind, that an initial increase in the challenging behaviour (referred to as an
“extinction burst”) is common, but it should eventually be reduced or may stop completely.
Extinction practices should not be used in isolation, but in combination with differential
reinforcement and functional behaviour assessment.
Modelling
Modelling (MD) involves the demonstration of a desired target behaviour, resulting in
imitation of the behaviour, which should ultimately lead to the person with autism achieving
the imitated behaviour. MD is often combined with other behavioural strategies, including:
prompting, and reinforcement.
Incidental teaching
Often used with other interventions, this approach sees the parent or ‘teacher’ focusing on
the things and behaviours that the person with autism is interested in, rather than following a
strict learning plan.
If the aim is to get the person with autism to use words, the parent or teacher might put an
object they regularly use out of reach, so when they want the object it will encourage them
to use words to ask for it.
Pivotal response treatment
Pivotal response treatment is based on the concept that there are ‘pivotal’ parts of a child’s
development which are linked to certain behaviours, these being:
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Motivation
Self-management
Self-initiation
The ability to respond to multiple cues.
The treatment focuses on changing behaviour in these pivotal areas.
Response interruption and redirection
Response interruption and redirection (RIR) is the introduction of an action, word, or
comment as a ‘prompt’ when interfering behaviour is occurring, to divert the person with
autism’s attention away from the interfering behaviour and ultimately reduce its severity.
RIR is used specifically to address behaviours that are repetitive, stereotypical, or cause selfharm or injury. It is implemented following a functional behaviour assessment (FBA) which will
help to identify and understand the interfering behaviour.
RIR is particularly effective with behaviours resulting from sensory problems, as it interrupts
people from engaging with the interfering behaviour, and prompts them to redirect the
behaviour to something more appropriate.
Self-management
Self-management (SM) involves teaching people with autism to distinguish between
appropriate and inappropriate behaviours, by accurately monitoring and recording their
own behaviours, and reinforcing appropriate behaviours.
Although this approach may initially require parent or teacher support to accurately record
behaviours and provide self-reinforcement, this should be reduced overtime in favour of a
self-managed approach.
SM is often used in conjunction with other evidence-based practices including video
modelling, and visual supports.
Task analysis
Task analysis (TA) involves breaking a complex skill into smaller components, like links in a
chain, in order to teach an overall behavioural skill.
The person with autism can be taught to perform individual steps (or links) of the chain until
the whole skill is mastered (this can also be called “chaining”).
Other practices including video modelling, or time delay, and reinforcement should be used
to assist in teaching the smaller steps in the chain.
As the smaller steps are mastered, people become more independent in their ability to
perform the whole skill.
Time delay
Time delay (TD) is used to phase out the use of prompts during instructional activities. This is
applied through a brief delay, which is provided between the initial instruction and any
additional instructions or prompts.
Time delay is always used in conjunction with a prompting procedure, such as least-to-most
prompting, graduated guidance or simultaneous prompting.
Pivotal response training
Pivotal response training (PRT) is a naturalistic intervention that builds on the initiative and
interests of the autistic person, and is particularly effective for developing social behaviours,
such as communication, language, and play.
It was developed to create a more efficient and effective way of learning through the
enhancement of pivotal learning variables, including: motivation, response to cues, selfmanagement, and self-initiations of social interactions.
These skills are seen as ‘pivotal’ because they are the foundational skills upon which people
with autism can make major improvements in many other areas of their lives.
Prompting procedures
Prompting procedures (PP) encapsulate any help given to people with autism to assist them
in using a specific skill. These may be verbal, gestural, or physical prompts given to people on
the spectrum to help them engage in a specific behaviour or skill.
Prompting procedures are considered essential for use in many other evidence-based
practices.