Behaviour Support
Guidelines For Children
Skills training and behavioural strategies including
aversive procedures for children with developmental
disabilities
(3rd Edition)
Prepared by psychologists:
Trevor Mazzucchelli
Lisa Studman
Paul Wilson
Matthew Dunsire
Lara Harmsworth
Andrew Adlem
Statewide Specialist Services Directorate
July 2011
To be reviewed in 2014
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines
for Children. Perth, Western Australia: Author.
Foreword
Foreword
The Disability Services Commission has produced the Behaviour Support
Guidelines for Children with developmental disabilities as best practice
standards for anyone supporting a child with a disability. The document is based
on contemporary literature and practice, and was developed following extensive
consultation with a range of external agencies, non-government organisations,
carers and families.
Meeting the needs of children with difficult behaviour can be highly demanding
and challenging. These guidelines document contemporary approaches and
standards for the management of such behaviours. I recommend that all people
who work with and care for children take the time to familiarise themselves with
these guidelines. It is important that parents and carers consult with relevant
health professionals for advice and or assistance if they are experiencing
challenges implementing the behaviour support guidelines.
Further copies of this document can be obtained from the Disability Services
Commission website: www.disability.wa.gov.au.
Feedback on this document would be welcomed and can be provided to the
Clinical Psychology Supervisors on either 9301 3800 or 9329 2300.
Dr Ron Chalmers
DIRECTOR GENERAL
DISABILITY SERVICES COMMISSION
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Ritu Campbell, Antoinette Casella, Lois Lowe, Ellen Lee and
Kate Smith for their contributions to the first edition of this document. We
gratefully acknowledge the staff from the following agencies that have provided
feedback on the first edition: Activ Foundation, The Centre for Cerebral Palsy,
Department for Child Protection, Department of Education, Disability Services
Commission, Identity WA, Lady Lawley Cottage, Mofflyn, Playgroup WA, Rocky
Bay, State Child Development Centre, Resource Unit for Children with Special
Needs, and Therapy Focus Inc.
We also thank Deb Tedeschi, Debbie Lobb and Mia Huntley for their
contributions to the second edition of this document.
We thank all the parents who read earlier drafts and provided very useful
feedback.
Finally, we greatly appreciate the assistance of Lu Le Petit Ecolier.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Contents______________________________________________________
Contents
1. Introduction
5
2. Developing a behaviour support plan....................................................
6
3. Lifestyle interventions that promote
child development and independence...................................................
3.1 Develop positive relationships ......................................................
3.2 Find a way to communicate .......................................................
3.3 Set up environments .................................................................
3.4 Encourage cooperation and participation.....................................
3.5 Reinforce desirable behaviour ....................................................
3.6 Teach new behaviours...............................................................
8
8
10
11
12
13
13
4. Reducing problem behaviour..............................................................
4.1 Constructive approaches to reduce problem behaviour ................
4.1.1 Functional communication training ...................................
4.1.2 Redirection .....................................................................
4.1.3 Teaching coping skills......................................................
4.1.4 Active listening................................................................
4.1.5 Problem solving...............................................................
4.2 Punishment and aversive procedures: Issues to consider.............
4.2.1 Safeguards when using punishment .................................
4.3 Punishment procedures .............................................................
4.3.1 Reprimands.....................................................................
4.3.2 Blocking
4.3.3 Escape extinction ............................................................
4.3.4 Overcorrection ................................................................
4.3.5 Time-out
4.3.5.1 Planned ignoring ............................
4.3.5.2 Response cost.................................
4.3.5.3 Brief interruption ................................
4.3.5.4 Contingent observation
4.3.5.5 Quiet Time.......................................
4.3.5.6 Time-out ribbon.................................
4.3.5.7 Exclusionary time-out .......................
4.3.5.8 Facial screening..........................
4.3.6 Restraint, including the use of medication........
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30
5. Management of emergency situations ................................................
5.1 Antecedent control strategies.....................................................
5.1.1 Removing seductive objects.............................................
5.1.2 Removing unnecessary demands and requests..................
5.2 Interrupting the behavioural chain and counter intuitive strategies
5.2.1 Stimulus change..............................................................
33
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Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Contents_____________________________________________________
5.3
5.2.2
Diversion ........................................................................ 35
5.2.3
Capitulation..................................................................... 35
Restraint...................................................................................
36
5.3.1
Interpositioning............................................................... 36
5.3.2
Seclusion ........................................................................ 36
5.3.3
Physical restraint............................................................. 36
6. Child Abuse
...................................................................................... 38
6.1 Actions which do not meet the Commission’s standards and are not
to be used ................................................................................
38
Bibliography......................................................................................
40
Appendix A: Behaviour support diary.................................................
Appendix B: Emergency management procedures ...............................
Appendix C: Resources......................................................................
41
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44
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Introduction______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
1. Introduction
These guidelines have been produced to inform and guide those who care for or
teach children with developmental disabilities up to 18-years-of-age. They may
be considered best practice for anyone supporting a child with a disability,
including parents, carers, teachers, and support workers. Parents of children
with developmental disabilities may also expect all the Commission’s employees
are familiar with and adhere to them. The guidelines are applicable to children
with any kind of disability including physical, sensory, neurological, cognitive,
intellectual and autism spectrum disorders.
The information in this document is based on the most recent literature and
extensive experience in the support and development of children with
disabilities. There has also been extensive consultation with direct care staff,
supervising staff and families.
The document introduces behaviour support plans, and provides details on
ways to promote child development and independence, and ways to reduce
problem behaviour. It also outlines techniques that do not meet the
Commission’s standards and should not be used. It is not intended to be a
training document. For further information on appropriate training and materials,
see the resource sections in this document.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Behaviour support plans
2. Developing a behaviour support plan
The goal of behaviour support is to achieve long-lasting, meaningful
improvements in children’s behaviour. Success is measured not only in terms of
reductions in problem behaviour, but also by increases in the performance of
alternative skills and improvements in the child and family’s quality of life.
Behaviour support plans consist of multiple interventions or support strategies
that emphasise lifestyle enhancement, alternative skill training, and
environmental adaptations. The four key components of behaviour support
plans are outlined below:
•
Lifestyle interventions that aim to provide a supportive child focused home,
school and recreational environment. This might include providing a rich
variety of activities that the child can choose from, helping the child
participate in after-school activities of his or her choice, and teaching the
child’s peers to understand the child’s communication system.
•
Teaching alternative means for achieving desired outcomes. Examples of
this component might include teaching a child how to ask for help, to selfinitiate activities using an activity schedule to keep occupied, and / or to relax
during stressful events.
•
Eliminating or modifying specific events that leads to problem behaviour.
Examples of these modifications might include providing a favourite activity
during a high-risk time, stating clear expectations for desired behaviours, and
giving attention before problems arise.
•
Deciding how to respond after the problem behaviour occurs. Possible
responses include using an instruction to tell the child what to stop doing and
what to do instead, using planned ignoring, or in the case of an emergency
situation, moving to a safe place.
•
Developing a behaviour support plan begins with understanding why a child
engages in problem behaviour. To develop such an understanding a
functional assessment is typically required. The basic steps of such an
assessment include:
•
Collecting broad contextual information about the child: skills and abilities,
preferences and interests, general health and quality of life.
•
Collecting specific information that will pinpoint the conditions that are
regularly associated with the problem behaviour and identify the function or
purpose of the child’s behaviour.
•
Developing hypotheses that summarise the assessment information by
offering logical explanations for problem behaviours. These statements guide
the development of behaviour support plans.
This document outlines strategies and ideas that can be used to develop a
comprehensive behaviour support plan.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Behaviour support plans
It is important that the effectiveness of a support plan is evaluated. This can be
done by keeping track of increases in the use of alternative behaviours,
decreases in the frequency of problem behaviour and general improvements in
lifestyle and quality of life. A variety of data-keeping methods may be found in
the resources listed in the end of this section. If there is no improvement in the
child’s behaviour the child’s behaviour support plan should be reviewed and
changes considered. Assistance from a health professional may also be sought.
When behaviour support plans are being developed and / or implemented by
people outside of a family, these people and the parents and carers of the child
should be involved. Agreement should be sought on the goals, rationale, and
procedures that will be used as part of the plan. This is likely to enhance
cooperation between all people concerned and the likelihood that the resulting plan
will be followed accurately. Children should also be involved in developing
behaviour support plans, particularly as they get older and develop an increased
understanding of the supports provided to them. Parents and or legal guardians
need to give written consent to any behaviour support plan developed especially for
their child.
MORE INFORMATION AND RESOURCES:
For Parents
Sanders, M. R. (2004). Every Parent: A positive approach to children's
behaviour. Camberwell: Penguin.
Sanders, M. R., Mazzucchelli, T. G., & Studman, L. J. (2003). Stepping Stones
Triple P Family Workbook. Milton, Queensland: Triple P International
For Service Providers
O'Neill, R. E., Horner, R. H., Albin, R. W., Sprague, J. R., Storey, K., & Newton,
J. S. (1997). Functional assessment and program development for problem
behavior: A practical handbook (2nd ed). Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2007). Applied Behavior Analysis.
New Jersey: Prentice.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Supporting optimum development
3. Lifestyle interventions that promote child
development and independence
A lifestyle intervention that promotes child safety, development and
independence is the basis of an effective behaviour support plan. When
considered thoroughly, lifestyle interventions can prevent the development or
persistence of problem behaviour. When children and teenagers have a well
structured, nurturing and engaging lifestyle with an effective way of
communicating and solving problems, problem behaviour is less likely to occur.
All children need warm, safe and responsive interaction with others in a variety
of environments such as home, community, education and work settings. They
also need opportunities to learn how to:
•
Communicate and get on with others. This includes expressing ideas and
needs, asking for help when needed, cooperating with adult requests and
taking turns to share with other children.
•
Regulate their emotions. They need to find ways to express feelings in ways
that are not harmful to themselves and others, to control aggressive
impulses, to develop positive feelings about themselves, their families and
others and to accept rules and limits.
•
Be as independent as possible with appropriate levels of support from
others. This involves keeping busy and engaged in play or other activities
without constant adult attention, developing as much mobility as possible,
and learning everyday tasks such as dressing, eating, and using the toilet.
•
To solve problems. Their curiosity, interest, understanding and questioning
needs to be encouraged. Children need to learn to consider options, make
choices or decisions and think about alternatives to everyday problems such
as what to wear, what to eat, what to do and who to see.
Children with disabilities need additional support or teaching in some or all
areas of development. They also need consistent support to participate fully in
all or some environments. This chapter provides ideas on how to set up healthy
balanced lifestyles for children and teenagers with disabilities.
3.1 Develop positive relationships
Children are more likely to develop to their potential within the context of secure
relationships that are warm, positive and predictable. When these relationships
are formed with parents and carers, especially in the early years, children are
less likely to develop behaviour problems. To develop secure relationships
parents and carers need to be sensitive and responsive to children. Interactions
to facilitate secure relationships include:
•
Facial expression—showing a child a calm, relaxed facial expression with
lots of gentle and direct eye contact. Parents and carers need to be
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Supporting optimum development
alert, actively attentive and responsive to the situation and the child’s mood.
•
Vocal expression—using a calm variation in tone of voice that is attuned to
and adjusted according to the vocal expressions of the child or their mood.
That is, if the child is excited and happy and using a high-pitched voice, then
the parent / carer mirrors this. If they are sad or confused, then the adult’s
vocal tone would reflect softer tones of concern and soothing. If they are
angry and frustrated, then the parent / carers tone would be serious and
supportive. The tone of voice should function to attract and maintain the
child’s attention.
•
Position and body contact—being physically available unconditionally.
Parents / carers need to let the child develop a sense that they are available
no matter what and to show appropriate physical affection depending on the
nature of the relationship and the age / stage of the child. For younger
children this can be plenty of time in the child’s actual view so they learn to
seek interaction. For older children and teenagers, this can mean regular
‘quality time’ and being contactable at all times.
•
Expressions of affection—affection can be expressed vocally, visually or
through touch, such as stroking, hugging, and smiling. Parents and carers
need to be responsive to child cues about how much physical affection is
wanted. That is, it is important not to intrude into a child’s personal space
when they do not like it. Appropriate forms of physical affection changes with
the child’s age and stage of development. For example, trying to hug a child
when they are angry and pushing an adult away or saying, “stop, I don’t like
it”, would not serve to develop a secure relationship.
•
Pacing of turns—timing interactions on the basis of signals or cues from the
child to create rhythmical turn-taking. That is, giving a child time to make a
response and encouraging their attempts by waiting and looking expectant
for instance by, raising eyebrows, opening the mouth, and nodding. It also
involves actively supporting a child’s play or a teen’s activities by being
interested, watching, commenting and approving.
•
Joint decision making—as children grow older and can participate in family
discussions and decisions, hold regular ‘meetings’ or gatherings where
everyone in the family or house can contribute their ideas. Set an agenda so
that everyone knows what topics are going to be discussed. It could be that
the group needs to decide how to spend holiday time together, what ‘houserules’ to have, or to plan the housework roster for that week. Another topic
could be to develop a plan so that a teenager can safely participate in a
social event that has some risks. Keep the meeting brief (about 15 minutes)
and focused on achieving a definite solution or plan. Having some rules for
the meeting can help it run smoothly. Rules may include: speak calmly, only
one person speaks at a time, everyone has a turn, and ask permission if you
need to leave.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Supporting optimum development
3.2 Find a way to communicate
Children will behave more appropriately and learn developmental tasks more
quickly if they have an effective way of communicating. Children need to learn
how to express their needs and feelings and to understand others.
Communication encompasses a broad spectrum of methods. Speech is the
preferred method of communicating because it is most used. When children
experience difficulties with speech they will find alternative methods to make
themselves understood such as through sounds, actions, expressions and
behaviour. Effective communication is essential for the development of personal
relationships and skills. Some children who find it difficult to communicate by
speech may be helped by using augmentative and/or alternative communication
(AAC). AAC can be used to help children express needs and ideas as well as to
help them understand what is being communicated. AAC is the term used for all
communication that is not speech and is used to enhance or to replace speech.
Often children will use a combination of ACC in addition to any verbal
communication.
Types of AAC
Children can use a range of AAC methods. These include:
Natural gestures – this involves general or natural communication methods
such as pointing, gestures, eye-pointing, mime, facial expressions and body
language.
Signing – this involves the use of a formal set of signs, or signs which are
particular to an individual. Signing is useful to help children to understand
language and to express ideas to others who can use signs.
Photos, drawings, objects and picture symbols – these are used to
represent words in a visual way to assist the child to understand language and
express themselves. For example, visual timetables, choice-making boards,
Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), communication displays,
topic boards can all be used to assist children to communicate effectively. The
symbols used are interactive and encourage both receptive language and
opportunities for the child to make requests, comments and use social
language.
Chat books – these are books that may contain photos, pictures, symbols,
words and messages about a child and their interests, eg pictures of family,
pets, school, favourite places or activities may be included. Children who have
difficulty with verbal communication use chat books to initiate social
conversations with those around them.
Speech generating devices – these are computers that can be programmed to
speak a message when a particular button, or sequence of buttons, are
pressed.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Supporting optimum development
3.3 Set up environments
Carers need to ensure that the child’s environment is safe, predictable and
offers positive learning opportunities. This often involves the use of specific
routines and a communication system that is understood and can be used by
the child.
Safety. Young children need a safe play environment, particularly once they
begin to crawl. Safety–proof the child's environment by putting dangerous things
out of reach, fitting child resistant catches to drawers and cupboards, and using
gates and barriers to block entry to dangerous areas. These restrictions can be
gradually loosened as your child learns boundaries. As children grow older, they
need to learn how to safely take on more responsibility around the home. They
also need to learn to identify risky situations in the community and how to take
appropriate action to keep themselves safe. Resources for safety-proofing a
child’s environment and teaching protective behaviours are listed at the end of
this section.
Rules. Children need limits to know what is expected of them and how they
should behave. A few basic ground rules can help. Rules should tell everybody
what to do, rather than what not to do. Walk in the house; speak in a pleasant
voice; and be gentle with others, are better rules than don’t run; don’t shout; and
don’t fight. Rules work best when they are fair, easy to understand and follow,
and can be backed up. To be effective rules must be enforced—cooperation and
non-cooperation must have an outcome. When deciding on rules, it is a good
idea to involve everybody who will be affected by them. Pictures illustrating rules
can be a useful reminder for children who have not yet learnt to read.
Supervision and monitoring. Parents and carers responsible for children need
to know where they are, what they are doing, and who they are with at all times.
Parents should monitor what their children are accessing through the television,
computer, magazines and other media. As children get older they should be
encouraged to become involved in organized, meaningful activities at school
and elsewhere, where there is appropriate supervision and monitoring. Parents
should get to know the parents of their child’s friends, as this can expand the
network of people who can help monitor their children.
Routines. Daily routines are the sequence of events and activities that make up
a child’s every day life. For instance the morning routine may consist of having
breakfast, getting dressed, brushing teeth and packing the school bag. Routines
include regular activities in all areas of life. A predictable regular daily routine
assists a child to make sense of their world, reduces anxiety and problem
behaviour, and assists their skill development. Routines provide the foundation
by creating opportunities to learn, practice and maintain skills through the
course of daily activities.
Children may be assisted to learn routines by being told or shown (eg, walking
the child through the activity or by using an activity schedule).
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Supporting optimum development
Understanding routines can help children cope with changes at school, home
and at other places. These changes can include the order of activities, location
of activities, type of activity, people supporting them in an activity, and special
events such as holidays or outings.
Activity Schedules. An activity schedule can take many forms but typically
consists of a set of pictures or words that cues someone to engage in a
sequence of activities. Depending on the child, the activity schedule can be very
detailed—breaking a task into all of its separate parts—or it can be very general,
using one picture or symbol to cue a child to perform an entire task or activity.
Through physical guidance children are taught to refer to their activity schedule,
perform the first task, and then refer to their activity schedule for cues to the
next task. The goal of teaching schedule use is to enable children to perform
tasks and activities without direct prompting and guidance from carers.
Stimulation and Engagement. Children should have access to toys,
equipment, and activities that provide a variety of developmentally appropriate
sensory experiences. They also need interactions with others appropriate for
their age and level of development that will keep them occupied. Engagement is
appropriate play and participation in an activity. Children would not be
considered to be appropriately engaged if they were sitting in a room staring at
the floor while the television was on. Nor would they be engaged sitting at a
table with appropriate materials but gazing at their hands. Low levels of
engagement are often associated with a loss of skills and inappropriate or
disruptive behaviour. High levels of engagement are associated with
developmental gains and improved levels of functioning. There are a variety of
strategies for promoting and encouraging engagement, the way to do this is in
the following sections.
3.4
Encourage cooperation and participation
There are a range of strategies that can be used to encourage cooperation and
participation, these include:
•
•
•
•
•
Make requests at appropriate times—for example, after Ron’s favourite
television program has finished or as Ron’s attention is waning.
Gain the child’s attention—this can done by moving to within arm's length
of Ron, bending down to his eye level, and use his name to gain his
attention.
Tell the child exactly what to do using a calm but firm voice—for
example, "Ron, time to clean your teeth. Go to the bathroom please."
Make the task achievable—provide the necessary supports and
modifications so the child can be successful. If required this might include
using an electric toothbrush, fitting a modified grip, using a toothpaste
dispenser, and providing physical guidance to get the toothpaste on the
brush.
Make the task enjoyable—make the task more rewarding or enjoyable for
the child. This might be done by using Ron's favourite flavoured toothpaste
and singing a song while he brushes his teeth.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Supporting optimum development
Link the task with enjoyable activities – let the child know what he can look
forward to after he has completed the task. “Ron, when we’ve finished brushing
we can read a book together”. This works best if it is stated positively rather than
as a threat of what the child will miss out on if they do not participate. Alternating
difficult tasks with easier ones that are more fun may help maintain the child’s
cooperation and participation. 
3.5
Reinforce desirable behaviour
Reinforcement happens when an event or object follows a behaviour making
the behaviour more likely to occur again. Reinforcement is essential to teach
children new skills and to maintain existing skills and development. For
example, Wendy is told she is doing a good job when she puts her plate in the
sink and this results in her doing it in the future without having to be prompted.
Or Eddie gets a stamp on his chart every time he puts a piece in a puzzle and
over time this leads to him working on the puzzle on his own. Finding the most
powerful and socially acceptable reinforcement for each individual child is
important. Never assume that what is reinforcing for one child will be reinforcing
for another or what is reinforcing one day will be reinforcing the next. There are
several ways of finding out what is most reinforcing for a child. These include
asking the child or carers, completing inventories, or offering items to the child
and seeing what they reach for or resist having taken away.
Reinforcement will be most effective in encouraging appropriate behaviour when
given immediately after that behaviour. As the behaviour is learned, it should be
reinforced only every now and then.
Social reinforcement (eg, "Good work!", thumbs up, a pat on the back) is the
most available and potentially useful of all reinforcement. When using social
reinforcement it is important to be enthusiastic and genuine. When tangible
reinforcement (eg, juice, chocolate, stars) or activity reinforcement (eg, a push
on a swing, a drive in a car, reading a book) is used, they should be given at the
same time or just after social reinforcement. Another way to reinforce behaviour
is to allow a child to do or have something that they are not usually permitted at
that time if they have behaved well (eg, extra time on the computer than usual,
extra time to stay out and socialize with peers, or even uninterrupted time to
engage in self-stimulatory behaviours such as looking at lights or spinning
wheels on toys). When a person uses reinforcement often and shares preferred
activities with the child, it will encourage that child to associate that person with
feeling good and it will be much easier to encourage appropriate behaviour.
3.6 Teach new behaviours
All children need to learn new behaviours at every stage of development. Some
children with disabilities need more opportunities and extra support to learn
these. When teaching a new behaviour show or tell the child what to do, help
them to do it and provide reinforcement for doing it.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Supporting optimum development
To increase teaching opportunities throughout the day, arrange the child’s
physical and social environment with objects and materials that promote
engagement. Interactions with the child should be enjoyable and reinforcing.
Enthusiastic praise for any improvement in skills should be used. Alternating
difficult tasks with enjoyable or easier ones that are more fun may help maintain
the child’s motivation to learn. End teaching session on a success.
The techniques commonly used in this process are:
•
•
•
•
•
Task analysis—breaking up a task into small steps (eg, picking up the
toothbrush, picking up the toothpaste, removing the cap, applying toothpaste
to the bristles and so on).
Modelling—showing a child how to behave or do a task (eg, "Watch how
mummy does it").
Prompting—using words, gestures, pictures, or physical guidance to help a
child complete a task (eg, putting your hand over Mandy to help her hold a
pencil). As the child learns reduce the prompts let her do more and more by
herself until she is completing the task independently.
Shaping—provide reinforcement to the child for behaviours that are close to
what is wanted (eg, initially praising Mandy for picking up the pencil, later
only praising Mandy for scribbling on a piece of paper).
Chaining—linking steps of a task together so that the child does more of the
steps independently before getting a reward. You may begin by linking the
steps from the beginning of a task (forward chaining), from the end of task
(backward chaining), or throughout the task (global chaining). An example of
teaching hand–washing using backward chaining would be to initially give
physical guidance for all the steps. Then guidance may be reduced on the
last step, drying hands on a towel, before the reward is given. Once the child
does this step without any help, prompting on an earlier step, such as turning
off the tap, may be reduced. This is an example of backward chaining
because the child begins to learn the last step of the task first.
The techniques above can be used in structured or planned teaching sessions
as well as when opportunities arise during the day. All types of teaching are
important and should be used at different times depending on what specific skill
is being taught and the child’s ability. An accurate assessment of the child’s
current level of ability is required when decisions are made about what teaching
approach to use. Teach skills that will enhance current or future learning.
Incidental teaching, activity-based teaching and direct teaching all require
differing levels of planning and structure. Incidental teaching is child initiated
and directed whereas direct teaching and activity-based teaching are teacher or
parent initiated and directed. Incidental teaching and activity-based teaching
occur during the normal routine activities of the child and can result in greater
generalization of the skills taught. Direct teaching sessions are highly structured
and allow for more repetition or teaching trials than either activity based
teaching or incidental teaching.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Supporting optimum development
Incidental teaching
This process is essentially a naturally occurring one and can take place at any
time during the day. The most important condition for incidental teaching is that
the child initiates the teaching moment. As incidental teaching occurs during the
normal routine activities of the child it can result in greater generalization of skills
taught.
Some advanced planning can certainly help the process. Adults can promote
initiations by arranging the child’s physical and social environment with objects
and materials that promote engagement and being available and paying
attention to the child and what they are doing. For example putting a favourite
toy out of reach on the floor to encourage crawling, putting crisps in a glass jar
so that a child needs to practice their communication skills to request help to
open it. To encourage age–appropriate social behaviour in teenagers you might
make teenage materials such as magazines and CDs available. Incidental
teaching should help the child take the next step, but skills that are presently
beyond the child’s reach shouldn’t be requested.
Incidental teaching involves waiting for the child to approach and initiate
communication by showing or requesting something. Give the child your full
attention and make sure you understand what the child is saying. Before you
give the child what they want prompt the child to extend their language or
thinking by asking the child to elaborate, expand, explain or clarify. If the child
doesn’t answer prompt her. If the child still doesn’t answer or answers
incorrectly tell her the answer and ask her to repeat it. Reward the child.
Activity-based teaching
Activity bases teaching occurs where skills are taught in the situation and time of
the day you would expect the child to use them (eg teaching teeth cleaning after
meals, wiping after going to the toilet.). It is directed by the teacher or parent
who maintains control over the instructional activities. As with incidental
teaching activity-based teaching occurs during the normal routine activities of
the child and can result in greater generalization of skills taught.
If the skills are complex a task analysis may be necessary. An assessment
needs to be made of the level of the child’s skills so you know where to start and
which of the techniques (eg modelling, type of prompting etc) can be used at
various stages to ensure learning occurs. It is necessary to plan and make sure
any materials are available and distractions are reduced.
Direct teaching
Teaching of this type (eg Discrete Trial Training) is directed by the teacher or
parent who maintains tight control over the instructional activities. It occurs in
well prepared short sessions under highly structured conditions and gives more
opportunities to teach the skill by allowing for more repetition of teaching trials
(practice). With direct teaching it is important to plan in advance for the
generalisation of the skills taught.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Supporting optimum development
First a decision needs to be made about what skill to teach. If the skill is
complex a task analysis may be necessary so the composite skills required
may be taught. Second the skill and the conditions under which it is to be
performed needs to be defined so the skill is used when it is required. The
child can be moved onto the next step once mastery has been achieved.
Third, a decision on what instructional materials are needed and how they will
be presented has to be made. Fourth, the teaching needs to occur at a time
and place to minimize distraction. Fifth, reinforcers that can be used to
motivate the particular child need to be on hand.
More information and resources:
For Parents
Baker, B. L., & Brightman, A. J. (1997). Steps to independence: teaching
everyday skills to children with special needs. Baltimore: Paul H.
Brookes.
Protective Behaviours
 Feel Safe—An intervention for teenagers and adults, available through
Disability Services Commission.
 People 1st Programme: Corner of Roe Street and Lake Street,
Northbridge.www.people1stprogramme.com.au
Safety products
 Kidsafe WA Child Accident Prevention Foundation: Godfrey House,
Princess Margaret Hospital, Corner of Roberts Road and Thomas Street,
Subiaco. www.kidsafewa.gom.au
 Also, see hardware stores (eg, Bunnings) and baby specific stores
(eg, Baby on a Budget)
Ralph, A., & Sanders, M. R. (2002). Teen Triple P Group Workbook. Milton,
Queensland: Teen Triple P Group Workbook.
Sanders, M. R. (2004). Every Parent: A positive approach to children's
behaviour. Camberwell: Penguin.
Sanders, M. R., Mazzucchelli, T. G., & Studman, L. J. (2003). Stepping
Stones Triple P Family Workbook. Milton, Queensland: Triple P
International
For Service Providers
Alternative and Augmentative Communication www.aacinstitute.org
Frost, L., & Bondy, A. (2002). The Picture Exchange Communication System:
Training Manual. Newport: Pyramid Educational Consultants
Lutzker, J. R. (1998). Handbook of child abuse research and treatment. New
York, Springer
McClannahan, L.E., & Krantz, P.J. (1999). Activity schedules for children with
autism: teaching independent behaviour. Bethesda: Woodbine House.
PECS Training.
Pyramid Educational Consultants of Australia. www.pecsaustrailia.com
Overview of strategies
Cooper, J.O., Heron, T.E., & Heward, W.L. (2007). Applied behaviour
analysis. New Jersey: Prentice.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Supporting optimum development
Sanders, M. R., & Dadds, M. R. (1993). Behavioral family intervention.
Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Sulzer–Azaroff, B., & Mayer, G. R. (1991). Behavior analysis for lasting
change. Fort Worth: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Behavioural Momentum
Davis, C. A., Brady, M. P., Williams, R. F., & Hamilton, R. (1992). Effects
of high probability requests on the acquisition and generalization of
responses to requests in young children with behavior disorders.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 25, 905-916.
Ducharme, J. M., & Worling, D. E. (1994). Behavioral momentum and
stimulus fading in the acquisition and maintenance of child
compliance in the home. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27,
639-647.
Mace, F. C., Hock, M. L. Lalli, J. S., West, B. J., Belfiore, P., Pinter, E., &
Brown, D. K. (1988). Behavioral momentum in the treatment of
noncompliance. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 21, 123-141.
Mace, F. C., Lalli, J. S., Shea, M. C., Lalli, E. P., West, B. J., Roberts, M.,
& Nevin, J. A. (1990). Journal of the Experimental Analysis of
Behavior, 54, 163-172.
Singer, G. H. S., Singer, J., & Horner, R. H. (1987). Using pretask requests
to increase the probability of compliance for students with severe
disabilities. Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe
Handicaps, 12, 287-291.
Smith, M. R., & Lerman, D. C. (1999). A preliminary comparison of guided
compliance and high probability instructional sequences as treatment
for noncompliance in children with developmental disabilities.
Research in Developmental Disabilities, 20, 183-195.
Compliance
Handen, B. L., Parrish, J. M., McClung, T. J., Kerwin, M. E., Evans, L. D.
(1992). Using guided compliance versus time out to promote child
compliance: A preliminary comparative analysis in an analogue
context. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 13, 157-170.
Errorless compliance Training
Ducharme, J. M. (1996). Errorless compliance training: Optimizing clinical
efficacy. Behavior modification, 20, 259-280.
Ducharme, J. M., Pontes, E., Guger, S., Crozier, K., Lucas, H., &
Popynick, M. (1994). Errorless compliance to parental requests II:
Increasing clinical practicality through abbreviation of treatment
parameters. Behavior Therapy, 25, 469-487, 469-487.
Incidental Teaching
Hart, B. M., & Risley, T. R. (1982). How to use incidental teaching for
elaborating language. Austin Texas: Pro-Ed.
Reinforcement (Assessment)
Cautela, J. R., & Brion-Meisels, L. (1979). A children's reinforcement
survey schedule. Psychological Reports, 44, 327-338.
Fox, R., & Rotatori, A. F., Macklin, F., & Green, H. (1983). Assessing
reinforcer preference in severe behaviorally disordered children.
Early Child Development and Care, 11, 113-122.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Supporting Optimum Development
Mason, S. A., McGee, G. G., Farmer-Dougan, ,V., & Risley, T. R. (1989). A
practical strategy for ongoing reinforcer assessment. Journal of
Applied Behavior Analysis, 22, 171-179.
Pace, G. M., Ivancic, M. T., Edwards, G. L., Iwata, B. A., Page, T. J.
(1985). Assessment of stimulus preference and reinforcer value with
profoundly retarded individuals. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
18, 249-255.
Wacker, D. P., Berg, W. K., Wiggins, B., Muldoon, M., Cavanaugh, J.
(1985). Evaluation of reinforcer preferences for profoundly
handicapped students. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 18, 173178.
Structured Teaching
Maurice, C., Green, G., & Luce, S. C. (1996). Behavioral intervention for
young children with autism: A manual for parents and professionals.
Austin, Texas: Pro-Ed.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Procedures to reduce problem behaviour
4. Reducing problem behaviour
Behaviour does not occur in a vacuum, it always occurs within a context. No
matter how difficult or unusual a problem behaviour may appear, certain
conditions give rise to and trigger it and the consequences of the behaviour
maintain it. In this way the behaviour is said to serve a function. Four functions
of problem behaviour are to:
• avoid or escape an event or situation (eg, misbehaving at the dinner table
to avoid having to eat disliked food)
• gain more social interaction (eg, interrupting adult conversations by
screaming)
• obtain some tangible item or activity (eg, snatching toys from other
children)
• obtain a sensory reward (eg, rubbing eyes hard to get visual shadows
and light distortion).
The same behaviour, such as a tantrum (screaming and rolling on the floor),
depending on its context, may serve a different function for the child. In the
context of sitting at the table in front of a plate of tripe the tantrum may serve the
function of having the meal removed. In the context of an adult conversation that
the child cannot follow, the tantrum may serve the purpose of interrupting the
conversation and gaining attention. In the context of the supermarket, the
tantrum may serve the function of gaining access to a bag of lollies. In the
context of an uninteresting room, the tantrum may serve the function of gaining
interesting sensory stimulation. At times it can be difficult to determine the
function of behaviour within particular contexts, and a thorough assessment
may be required.
Information about triggers and what function a particular behaviour may serve
can be obtained through functional assessments such as structured interviews,
checklists, rating scales or questionnaires with people who are very familiar with
the child (eg, teachers, parents, carers or the person themselves). Functional
assessment can also be done by recording what happens before the behaviour
(eg, “he was watching TV and I told him to turn it off for dinner”) and after the
behaviour (eg, “I let him eat dinner in front of the TV”). This is called Narrative
ABC (Antecedent-Behaviour-Consequence) recording.
Behavioural assessment can vary in complexity from asking carers what seems
to trigger and maintain certain behaviours to more scientific approaches, such
as functional analysis. Functional analysis is usually done by a psychologist and
involves generating and testing hypotheses about why a particular behaviour
occurs.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Procedures to reduce problem behaviour
4.1 Constructive approaches to reduce problem
behaviour
4.1.1 Functional communication training
Functional communication training is teaching a person ways of getting their
needs met by using appropriate communication instead of problem behaviour.
We need to teach children behaviours that achieve the same result as their
problem behaviour. The new behaviour needs to be as easy for the child to
perform and one that achieves the same result just as effectively. That is, the
new behaviour must achieve results as quickly and as often as the problem
behaviour. For example, a child may be taught to say or sign “finished” instead
of throwing their plate when they do not want any more food; “Talk to me” if they
want attention instead of grabbing you by the hair; or “I want…” when they want
something instead of screaming or flapping their hands. To teach your child to
communicate what they want a parent or carer needs to recognize what context
and triggers the problem behaviour and prompt the child to use the
communicative response. Preferably this should occur before the problem
behaviour occurs. This means that, at least initially, every time they use the new
method they must succeed in getting what they want, otherwise they might
revert back to inappropriate behaviour.
Functional communication is often addressed by joint behavioural and speech
pathology intervention.
4.1.2 Redirection
This involves getting the child’s attention before the behaviour becomes a
problem and redirecting them to another task or activity. It is useful when it is
anticipated that a child may misbehave or that a situation could get out of hand.
For example when a child is holding a crayon and walking towards a wall, get
their attention and give an instruction, "Kate, draw on paper", while pointing to
the paper on the table. If necessary physically guide Kate to the table and help
her to begin. When Kate is drawing on the paper, provide reinforcement, "Good
drawing Kate".
4.1.3 Teaching Coping Skills
Everyone needs to use specific skills to cope with difficulties they come up
against on a day–by–day basis. Children often need to cope with situations they
find unpleasant such as waiting, accepting unexpected changes in routine, and
noisy environments. Keeping children busy and engaged can help them learn to
cope. For example, a parent could prompt their child to select a book in the
doctor's surgery when they notice that they are looking bored or agitated.
Parents could also teach their child how to relax by breathing slowly, and then
remind them to use this skill in situations that they find distressing.
Another way to promote positive coping is to teach children how to express how
they feel. You can start to teach a child to label their basic feelings such as
happy, sad, angry and scared from a young age. Do this by commenting
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Procedures to reduce problem behaviour
on their expression, for example, when a child is smiling say, “Hey you look
happy when you smile. Can you say ‘happy’?” Or when they are frowning,
“You’re frowning, you look like you’re getting angry”. For children who do not
use words, they can be prompted to point to pictures showing different feelings.
Other ways of teaching emotions is through commenting on your own or other
people’s feelings. This can also be done by commenting on emotions depicted
in books, television and movies.
4.1.4 Active Listening
When interacting, it is common for people to not listen attentively to one another.
It is easy to be distracted, thinking about other things, or thinking about what you
are going to say next. This is especially common when the speaker is
distressed. When someone does not feel heard or feels misunderstood or
contradicted, this can cause or increase distress.
Active listening is a structured way of listening and responding to others. It
involves suspending one’s own frame of reference and suspending judgment in
order to focus attention on the speaker. Active listening can be a particularly
useful strategy to help children identify how they are feeling, reduce their
distress, and help them to develop effective ways of managing upsetting
circumstances.
Active listening involves stopping what you are doing and paying attention to the
child. This includes observing the child’s behaviour and body language. If the
child is talking, stay silent, but listen closely to what they are saying. Do not
interrupt, tell them they are wrong, or try to make them feel better. You may ask
a clarifying question if you are having trouble following what they are saying.
When they have finished, repeat what you think the child has told you, but use
your own words. Check with them to see whether you got it right. It is important
to note that you are not necessarily agreeing with the child—simply stating what
was said. If a child is upset, you may listen for feelings. Rather than merely
repeating what the child has said, you might describe the underlying emotion,
“Sounds like you’re really angry at your brother?” Try to help the child put a
name to the feeling—once they have learned to label a feeling accurately, it is
easier to talk about and deal with it. Reassure the child it is okay to feel that
way. Be cautious when labelling the child’s emotions, it is often better to make
tentative suggestions. This allows your child to give a different label if it does not
quite fit. It is often difficult trying to put labels on other people’s feelings, but if
handled with care, it can be extremely helpful.
After reaching this point, and after the child has begun to calm down, ask them
what they want you to do. This may be to just listen, to help them cope with their
current feelings, or perhaps to set a goal for change. It may be helpful to help
them to problem-solve the situation.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Procedures to reduce problem behaviour
4.1.5 Problem Solving
Children and teenagers need to learn to think for themselves, particularly when
faced with a problem they have not encountered before. Problem solving
involves following a number of steps that will help children solve their own
difficulties.
•
•
•
•
•
Step 1 involves prompting the child to clearly state their problem (eg, wanting
to watch a different program to their sister on Tuesday afternoons).
Step 2 involves prompting the child to come up with several possible options
to solve the problem (eg, only watching your show on alternate weeks,
record the program and watch it later, see if it’s in a video shop, hide the
remote). Sometimes a solution may require seeking more information or help
(eg, asking someone else how to program the video recorder).
Step 3 involves rating each of the possible options, or deciding what the
likely consequences will be for each option. Sometimes an option will solve
the problem but have undesirable side-effects (eg, hiding the remote might
lead to a fight).
Step 4 involves giving it a go. Once the best option or combination of options
has been selected, prompt the child to trial the solution.
Step 5 involves reviewing whether the option has worked or not. This is a
great opportunity to praise your child for solving their own problem, or
prompting your child to try out another option previously identified. Either
way, it is important to praise both cooperation and success.
4.2 Punishment and aversive procedures: issues to consider
Punishment is something that follows a behaviour that decreases the chances
of that behaviour occurring again. Positive punishment involves adding a
stimulus following a behaviour (eg, a reprimand). Negative punishment involves
removing a stimulus (eg, walking away when a child is screaming).
Sometimes what is intended to be reinforcement is actually punishment, for
example some children find kisses and cuddles unpleasant or embarrassing.
Whether a consequence is reinforcing or punishing is often determined by the
context in which it is applied. Providing a chocolate might be a reinforcer if a
child is hungry, neutral if the child has just eaten enough chocolate, and a
punisher if so much chocolate has been eaten that the child is nauseous.
Similarly, taking a child to their bedroom might be punishment if the child would
prefer to be with the rest of family, but reinforcement if the child is tired or would
prefer to avoid a difficult task.
Mild and acceptable forms of punishment are often referred to as discipline and
can be useful to discourage problem behaviour. Ethically, punishment should
not cause pain or harm to an individual.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Procedures to reduce problem behaviour
The main problems in using punishment, particularly when positive strategies
are not used as well, are as follows:
• Punishment can be used without addressing why behaviour is occurring. For
example, it would be better to recognise that a child may have a middle ear
infection and requires medical attention rather than ignoring their crying.
• Punishment may not teach the child what they should be doing instead. For
example, a child could be taught how to ask and wait for a turn rather than
being told—"Don’t snatch".
• Some kinds of punishment teach the very behaviour parents do not want the
child to do (eg, smacking a child shows the child it is okay to hit).
• Punishment can create distress to all parties, that is, the carer doing the
punishing, the child and those observing (eg, siblings).
• Punishment may lead to an increase in other problem behaviours such as
aggression, emotional outbursts, withdrawal, or avoidant behaviour.
• Punishment can lead to a poor relationship between the carer and the child
and interfere with the child's ability to learn from the carer and others.
• Increasing levels of punishment may be required to keep the problem
behaviour under control in the longer term. This can increase the possibility
of the carer losing control, leading to the risk of physical and / or emotional
damage.
Despite these problems, there is a case for the use of mild forms of punishment
as part of a behaviour support plan. Punishment can result in a rapid decrease
in problem behaviour, but should be combined with reinforcement procedures to
teach the appropriate behaviour and promote long–lasting behaviour change.
For example, taking a toy from two children who are fighting over it would make
it less likely that they would fight over it again. However, they would still need to
be taught how to share the toy appropriately. In this way, punishment is used to
discourage fighting and then reinforcement is used to teach new behaviours.
As stated in section 2 of this document, parents/carers and agencies working
with a child should agree on the specific procedures that may be used as part of
a child’s behaviour support plan.
4.2.1 Safeguards when using punishment
It is good practice to monitor the strategies used and the behaviours to be
changed, this will indicate whether the plan is working or whether it needs to be
modified. If punishment is being used constantly to manage a problem
behaviour, it is a sign that there may be something wrong with the overall
behaviour support plan. For example, there may not be enough emphasis on
teaching new behaviours. If there is no improvement in the child’s behaviour
over a 2-week period review the plan and consider seeking assistance from a
psychologist. A sample monitoring sheet for keeping track of the use of
behaviour change strategies is provided as Appendix A.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Procedures to Reduce Problem Behaviour
4.3 Punishment procedures
In this section, a number of punishment procedures are described, along with
information relating to their potential uses and risks associated with their use.
The information in this section can help inform decisions regarding what
procedures are acceptable.
4.3.1 Reprimands
A reprimand is an expression of disapproval. Research has shown that a firm
reprimand such as “No!” or “Stop! Don’t do that!” delivered immediately after
the occurrence of a behaviour can reduce the likelihood that the behaviour will
happen again.
A reprimand is most effective if it tells the child what not to do, but also what
they should to do instead, “John, stop jumping on the couch, sit down”.
A reprimand should:
• be used sparingly (otherwise children can get used to it and it will lose its
effect)
• be given in a firm and controlled voice without shouting
• be communicated in a way that the child understands
• refer to the behaviour and never be demeaning or insulting (eg, by attacking
a child’s character)
• be used in combination with frequent praise and attention when the child
behaves appropriately.
Advantages
Disadvantages
• A socially acceptable minimally
• If the child is seeking attention, a
adversive procedure
reprimand may reinforce problem
• Can tell the child what the
behaviour
unacceptable behaviour is
• Can be easily overused
• When combines with an instruction • Can trigger other problem
telling the child what to do instead,
behaviour
given the child an opportunity to
learn appropriate behaviour
4.3.2 Blocking
This involves physically interrupting a child’s behaviour momentarily to
prevent its completion. Some examples include placing a hand in front of a
child's mouth to stop them from biting their own hand, or quickly moving your
hand to prevent one child from hitting another. Blocking should be combined
with other strategies to teach appropriate behaviours.
•
•
•
Advantages
Is usually a natural response to
prevent dangerous behaviours
Prevents instances of the problem
behaviour from occurring
Has been used effectively for
reducing rates of self-injurious and
repetitive behaviours
•
•
•
Disadvantages
Requires close physical proximity
to the child
Can lead to a tussle and injury to
the person blocking
May accidentally lead to the
problem
behaviour
being
reinforced
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Procedures to Reduce Problem Behaviour
4.3.3 Escape extinction
Escape extinction is preventing a child from avoiding or escaping a task they
do not wish to do, by misbehaving. It is based on the assumption that the
problem behaviour functions as a way of avoiding or terminating a certain
activity such as school work. Escape extinction consists of presenting the
activity while ensuring participation by using verbal requests, blocking and
graduated guidance. This procedure works best when on–task behaviour is
reinforced. Escape extinction would usually be combined with other
procedures to increase participation in the activity such as reducing task
difficulty, decreasing demands and increasing how rewarding the task is. Also,
appropriate ways of terminating disliked activities or seeking assistance
should be taught.
An example of escape extinction is a child at their activity schedule who starts
flapping their hands. A physical prompt is used to make them point to the next
picture in their schedule, teeth cleaning, and then another prompt to begin
moving towards the bathroom.
•
•
•
Advantages
Can produce a rapid reduction in
the problem behaviour and an
increase in adaptive behaviours
Can be effective for serious
problem behaviours including selfinjury
One of few procedures useful for
behaviour motivated by escape or
avoidance
•
•
•
•
Disadvantages
Can be a very intensive and
complex procedure to implement
Can result in a temporary increase
in attempts at problem behaviour
May require additional support to
implement depending on the size of
the child or the intensity of the
behaviour
Risks associated with blocking are
also relevant for escape extinction
4.3.4 Overcorrection
Overcorrection has two components, restitution and positive practice.
Restitution involves restoring the environment to the state it was in before the
problem behaviour, and perhaps to a state improved on what it was before the
problem behaviour. Positive practice requires the child to repeatedly
demonstrate a relevant pro-social alternative to the problem behaviour. For
example, after drawing on the wall with a crayon, a child may be first required
to wash the wall (restitution), including an area of the wall not marked by
crayon, and then guided to use crayons on drawing paper (positive practice).
•
Advantages
Can strengthen adaptive skills
•
•
Disadvantages
Child may be unwilling to
complete tasks during the
restitution and positive practice
process
Child may not understand how the
positive practice is related to the
problem behaviour and may learn
to perform both the problem
behaviour and the positive
practice in the future
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Procedures to Reduce Problem Behaviour
4.3.5 Time-out
Time-out involves preventing a person from getting positive reinforcement for
a specific period of time following targeted problem behaviour. Time-out may
be useful when the analysis of the problem behaviour suggests it is
maintained by positive reinforcement such as attention or access to certain
toys. Time-out should not be used unless it is part of a behaviour support plan
that rewards positive and appropriate behaviours, or teaches the child to
request objects, activities, and attention appropriately. When time-out is used
it is extremely important that it is done correctly and consistently. For
guidelines and issues to consider, see the reference list below.
There are two broad classes of time-out. Non-exclusionary time-out occurs
when the child is allowed to remain in the place where the problem behaviour
occurred. Exclusionary time-out involves removing the child to a previously
arranged secluded place. There are a number of time-out procedures and
these are explained below.
4.3.5.1 Planned ignoring
Planned ignoring occurs when social reinforcers such as attention, physical
contact or verbal interaction is removed for a short period of time when the
child engages in a problem behaviour. Planned ignoring will only be effective
if the function of the problem behaviour is to get attention. Even negative
attention like nagging and reprimanding can reinforce the problem behaviour.
Planned ignoring may lead to a brief increase in the rate and intensity of the
problem behaviour, in this case ignoring should be continued unless it
changes into another behaviour that should not be ignored, for example
whining that turns into aggressive behaviour. Another procedure should then
be used for the behaviour that cannot be ignored. Planned ignoring should be
used for minor problem behaviours such as pulling faces, tantrums and
swearing. It should not be used for dangerous or destructive behaviours such
as hitting themselves or other children, throwing stones at windows, or playing
with knives.
Some children learn quicker when they are told that their behaviour will be
ignored. Indicated planned ignoring is when a parent or carer tells the child
what behaviour will be ignored and what alternative behaviour will get the
attention they want. For example, a parent can say, “I am not going to listen to
you whine, when you tell me calmly what you want, I will listen.”
Advantages
Disadvantages
• A non-intrusive procedure that can • Planned ignoring may lead to a
be applied quickly and
brief increase in the rate and
conveniently
intensity of the behaviour. More
• When planned ignoring is used in
severe problem behaviours, such
combination with procedures
as aggression, may also be
involving the reinforcement of
exhibited
other appropriate behaviours, it
• Because it can lead to escalation
can result in children learning new
in the behaviour it can be difficult
adaptive behaviours more rapidly
for parents and carers to stay calm
and continue using the procedure
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Procedures to Reduce Problem Behaviour_____________________________
•
•
If used consistently can make
problem behaviours worse
Can be harder to implement if the
child gets attention for their problem
behaviour from peers or siblings
4.3.5.2 Response cost
This involves taking away reinforcers following a problem behaviour, for
example a toy is removed when the child is using it destructively. This form of
response cost could also be termed a logical consequence because it is
logically related to the misbehaviour. Other examples of response cost might
include having water instead of a soft drink for shaking up the bottle, or
receiving less pocket money for not completing chores.
If the reinforcer was logically related to the problem behaviour it would usually
be reintroduced after a short period to provide the child with another
opportunity to learn how to behave with it. Children may need a reminder or
support to use it appropriately. For example, the TV is switched off for five
minutes when children are arguing over what channel to watch. Then it is
turned on after the set time and assistance is given to the children to come up
with an agreement about to watch. Response cost works best when it is
carefully planned, immediately follows the problem behaviour, and is carried
out every time the problem behaviour occurs.
Care should also be taken when selecting consequences. The procedure
should not restrict learning or social opportunities. For example, stopping a
child from attending a birthday party when they are rarely invited to one is not
appropriate.
•
Advantages
A minimally intrusive procedure that •
can be applied quickly and
conveniently
Disadvantages
May make children’s behaviour
worse in the short-term when the
reinforcer is removed
4.3.5.3 Brief interruption
Brief Interruption involves a period of interruption (10 seconds to 2 minutes) in
response to disruptive behaviour such as self-injurious, repetitive or
destructive behaviours. If the child engages in disruptive behaviour the parent
or carer blocks their behaviour and instructs, or if necessary, guides their
hands downward to their lap where they remain for the required amount of
time. If the child is not calm at the end of the required amount of time, the
duration of the interruption is extended until they are calm for a few seconds.
For a more complete description see Azrin et al. (1988).
•
Advantages
The child can be maintained in the
situation and consequently may be
effective for behaviours that are
maintained by escaping or
avoidance.
•
•
Disadvantages
Requires being in close physical
proximity to the child
Can lead to a tussle and may
inadvertently lead to the problem
behaviour being reinforced.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Procedures to Reduce Problem Behaviour
4.3.5.4 Contingent observation
Contingent observation involves removing the child from a group activity after
a problem has occurred and having them sit on the periphery in order to
observe the alternative pro–social behaviour of others. During this time the
carer may point out the alternative pro–social behaviours to help the child
discriminate acceptable from unacceptable behaviours. When the child
indicates that they know how to use the appropriate social behaviour they are
allowed to rejoin the activity. If a child does not cooperate during contingent
observation a back-up strategy such as exclusionary time-out would need to
be used in the short-term.
Advantages
Can be used to address a variety of
problem behaviours, such as refusal
to share or take turns, being
disruptive, or failure to remain on task
Disadvantages
Negative peer attention and
instructions from carers during the
observation period can reinforce the
problem behaviour.
4.3.5.5 Quiet time
Quiet time involves removing the child from the activity in which a problem
occurred and having them sit quietly on the edge of the activity for 1 to 5
minutes. During this time they are not given any attention. Once they have
remained quiet for the set time, they can rejoin the activity. If a child does not
sit quietly during quiet time a back-up strategy such as exclusionary time-out
would need to be used in the short-term.
•
Advantages
Can be used to address a variety of •
problem behaviours, both in group
settings (eg refusal to share or take
turns) and when the child is alone
•
with the carer (eg not following an
instruction)
Disadvantages
The child may learn to delay or
avoid certain activities by displaying
problem behaviour
Becomes less age appropriate as
the child gets older
4.3.5.6 Time-out ribbon
In this procedure, all children in a group are given a ribbon or button to be
worn. With the ribbon in place, a child receives positive reinforcement in
response to appropriate behaviour. As the child is receiving this
reinforcement, the appropriate behaviour is described and the fact that the
ribbon is present is commented upon. Over time, this consistent pairing of the
ribbon with reinforcement helps the child understand that wearing the ribbon
is a prerequisite for delivery of positive reinforcement. Thereafter, a nonexclusionary time-out can be put into effect by removing the ribbon for a set
period of time, such as 3 minutes, whenever the child demonstrates a
targeted problem behaviour. During the interval in which the ribbon is
withdrawn, all forms of social interaction are removed. If the problem
behaviour still occurs after the time period, the interval is extended until the
behaviour stops. At this point, the ribbon is replaced and the caregiver looks
for an opportunity to provide positive reinforcement for acceptable behaviour.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Procedures to Reduce Problem Behaviour
The effectiveness of the procedure will depend on whether the child wants the
social attention that is given when the ribbon is on.
Advantages
Disadvantages
• The presence vs absence of the
• May require a long period before
ribbon is obvious not only to the
becoming effective
child and his or her peers, but also • Removal of ribbon may lead to
any involved caregiver
aggression toward caregiver or
• The ribbon can be worn in many
temporary escalation of other
different settings, facilitating the
behaviours
consistent application of non• Children may have difficulty
exclusionary time-out.
understanding why the ribbon is
removed at the end of the class
• Potentially stigmatising to children
involved in such a program.
Particularly if only used with
children with disability, or worn out
in the community
4.3.5.7 Exclusionary time-out
Exclusionary time-out involves removing the child who misbehaves from
"time–in" to a secluded time-out area. The time-out area should be
uninteresting, yet safe, with good lighting and ventilation. Misbehaviour and
calling out while the child while in the time-out area is ignored. Time-out is
over when the child has remained quiet in time-out for a specified period of
time, usually 5 minutes or less. At this time, the child is returned to time–in
and the caregiver looks for an opportunity to praise the child's alternative
appropriate behaviour. It should be emphasised that time-out will not be
effective if time–in is not sufficiently reinforcing for the child. For specific
procedural guidelines on the use of exclusionary time-out, see Sanders and
Dadds (1993).
Because of the risk of inadvertently reinforcing problem behaviour, it is
recommended that the use of exclusionary time-out is monitored. Each use of
exclusionary time-out should be recorded as well as how long it takes before
the child is quiet for the set time. If effective, the child should become quiet
more quickly and time-out should be needed less often. A sample recording
sheet of monitoring the use of time-out (and other strategies) is provided in
Appendix A.
•
•
•
Advantages
Can send a clear message to the
child that unacceptable behaviour
has occurred
Provides an opportunity for both
the child and the parent to calm
down
Can help children learn to manage
feelings of anger and frustration
•
•
•
•
Disadvantages
May receive reinforcement while
being taken to the time-out area
Child can delay/avoid the required
task during time-out (consequently
reinforcing the problem behaviour
Risk of dangerous or destructive
behaviour by child during time-out
Carers can be reinforced for using
time-out and may leave child in
time-out for too long, or use it too
frequently
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Procedures to Reduce Problem Behaviour____________________________
•
•
Exclusionary time-out is difficult to
use in public places
Becomes less socially acceptable
as the child gets older
4.3.5.8 Facial Screening
Facial screening involves applying a face cover, usually a soft cloth, a blindfold,
or the caregiver's hands, to block out visual input for about 5 to 15 seconds
following each occurrence of the unwanted behaviour. Because of issues
concerning the acceptability of this strategy it should only be used in
circumstances where the risk to the child outweighs the social costs of using
this procedure. Less intrusive procedures should be used in preference.
•
Advantages
Has been successful with a variety
of self-injurious and repetitive
behaviours
•
•
•
Disadvantages
A tussle can occur should the child
try to remove the screen
The procedure may be devaluing to
the person
May not be socially acceptable to
members of the public
4.3.6 Restraint, including the use of medication
Restraint involves a variety of mechanisms used for the purpose of restricting
the free movement or decision-making abilities of another person. There are
four main types of restraints:
1. Physical Restraint—includes any manual methods to restrict, subdue or
prevent the movement of any part of a person’s body, and involves
physically holding the person against their will.
2. Mechanical Restraint—involves the use of any devices, equipment or
materials to restrict, subdue or prevent the movement of, or access to, any
part of the person’s body. This could include (but is not limited to): seat
belts (other than those required by law), wheelchair lap belts, wheelchair
tray tables, clothing that the person cannot remove (eg, mittens, overalls),
or placing a person in chairs or in beds that they cannot get out of. It can
also include not helping someone with a disability move when he or she
wants to.
3. Chemical Restraint—involves the intentional use of medication to control a
person’s behaviour when no medical condition or psychiatric disorder has
been diagnosed or is being treated.
4. Seclusion—includes locking a person in a room or any other location, or
locking them out of an area
The use of restraints to manage problem behaviour is questionable because it
not only stops the problem behaviour, but can restrict other behaviours as well.
For example a restraint to prevent a person from sucking their hands can also
prevent that person from learning to feed themselves or from playing. For this
reason a thorough assessment should be conducted and a behaviour support
plan incorporating alternative strategies developed.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Procedures to Reduce Problem Behaviour
A behaviour support plan should state how, when and for how long restraint is
to be used, and when the behaviour support plan is to be reviewed, as set out
in the Commission’s Use of Restraints Policy. Staff such as a clinical
psychologist, therapists and a doctor may be involved in developing these
procedures. Use of Restraints Policy specifies that using a restraint as an
emergency procedure requires a restraints program if it is to be used for
longer than 24 hours.
•
•
Advantages
May stop the behaviour
•
immediately and may allow children
with severe behaviour problems to
access activities that they might not
otherwise be able to access (eg
excursions into the community)
•
Restraints may be necessary in the
short-term to manage dangerous
•
self-injurious or aggressive
behaviours
•
•
•
•
•
Disadvantages
On their own, restraints do not
teach the child more appropriate
behaviours and can result in the
emergence or escalation of other
problem behaviours
Restraints are particularly
susceptible to overuse
The extended use of restraints can
result in physical injury to the
person by reducing circulation,
causing welts, and muscle and
bone wastage
Restraints typically deprive the
child from participating and
interacting with their environment
When applying restraints, a tussle
may occur
Children can grow to like or expect
the restraint and the restraint can
be difficult to eliminate or fade out
May result in the loss of dignity for
the person wearing them
May not be socially acceptable
More information and resources
For Parents
Baker, B. L., & Brightman, A. J. (1997). Steps to independence: teaching
everyday skills to children with special needs. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
Sanders, M. R. (2004). Every Parent: A positive approach to children's
behaviour. Camberwell: Penguin.
Sanders, M. R., Mazzucchelli, T. G., & Studman, L. J. (2003). Stepping Stones
Triple P Family Workbook. Milton, Queensland: Triple P International
For Service Providers
Communication skills
Egan, G. (1990). The skilled helper: A systematic approach to effective helping.
Pacific Grove, CA: Brookes / Cole.
Gordon, T. (1970). PET: Parent Effectiveness Training. New York: Peter
H. Wyden, Inc.
Establishing operations
Michael, J.L. (1982). Distinguishing between discriminative and motivational
functions of stimuli. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 37,
149-155
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Procedures to Reduce Problem Behaviour
Ethical Guidelines
Australian Psychological Society (2002). Ethical Guidelines (4th ed).
Melbourne: Author
Functional Analysis / Assessment
Emerson, E. (2001). Challenging Behaviour: Analysis and Intervention in
People with Intellectual Disability (2nd Edition). Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Iwata, B. A., Vollmer, T. R., & Zarcone, J. R. (1990). The experimental
(functional) analysis of behaviour disorders: Methodology,
applications, and limitations. In A. C. Repp & N. Singh (Eds.),
Aversive and nonaversive treatment: The great debate in
developmental disabilities (pp. 301-330). DeKalb, IL: Sycamore
Press.
Functional Communication Training
Carr, E. G., Levin, L., McConnachie, G., Carlson, J. I., Kemp, D. C., &
Smith, C. E. (1994). Communication–based intervention for problem
behavior: A user's guide for producing positive change. Baltimore,
M.D.: Brookes.
Durand, V. M. (1990). Severe behavior problems: A functional
communication training approach. New York: The Guilford Press.
Punishment
Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2007). Applied Behavior
Analysis. New Jersey: Prentice.
Lutzker, J. R., & Wesch, D. (1983). Facial screening: History and critical
review. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Developmental
Disabilities, 9, 209-223.
O’Brien, F. (1989). Punishment for people with developmental disabilities.
In E. Cipani (Ed.) The treatment of severe behavior disorders:
Behavior analysis approaches (pp. 37-58). Washington DC: AAMR.
Van Houten, R. (1980). How to use reprimands. Austin, Texas: Pro-ed.
Restraints
Disability Services Commission (2006). Use of Restraints Policy. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children.
Perth, Western Australia: Author.
Management of emergency situations
5. Management of emergency situations
There can be occasions where carers are faced with scenarios, which have
not been planned for, and there is a need to resort to emergency
management procedures, such as those listed in Appendix B. Although the
aim should be to provide adequate support to prevent problem behaviour,
children can still have behaviour outbursts which can place themselves or
others at risk of serious injury. Examples might include a child who begins to
threaten other children and carers with a cricket bat, a child who runs towards
a busy road ignoring a carer's calls to stop, or a child who punches herself in
the face.
Having strategies which carers can use in situations where preventative
measures have not succeeded is essential in any behaviour support program.
There are a number of strategies that can be used to defuse emergency
situations, such as distraction and redirection, active listening, facilitating
relaxation and self–control, and giving the child what they want.
The main purpose of these strategies is to diffuse the situation as soon as
possible and protect the individual and others from further harm. This has the
increased risk of accidentally reinforcing the problem behaviour. Emergency
management strategies should be embedded within a broader plan that
supports the individual to develop other more appropriate ways of having their
needs met. If emergency management strategies are used regularly, the
behaviour support plan should be reviewed.
When carers use emergency procedures the incident should be documented
and the incident should be discussed with the child's parents afterwards. At
this time steps to prevent such a scenario from occurring in the future can be
discussed and how to manage any similar incidents in the future can be
agreed upon.
It is not the place of this document to cover all these emergency strategies
(for a comprehensive list see Willis & LaVigna, 1996). For severe
assaultive/destructive behaviour, the following strategies may be appropriate,
often in combination with other emergency strategies.
5.1 Antecedent control strategies
5.1.1 Remove Seductive Objects
Particular objects or materials can act as a cue for a child to approach and
engage the object which can then result in a potentially serious situation. By
removing the object, or by eliminating access to the object, a potentially
serious episode might be avoided. Examples of this strategy might be to lock
the front door to prevent a child from leaving the house unattended, putting
away small objects that might be swallowed, or not giving a child a particular
toy because they will refuse to participate in all activities from that time on.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children.
Perth, Western Australia: Author.
Management of emergency situations
In most circumstances the objects and materials can be gradually
reintroduced as the child is taught alternative behaviours.

Advantages
Prevents serious situations from
occurring

Disadvantages
If objects are not re-introduced,
the child is not given opportunities
to learn how to manage their
behaviour in their presence.
5.1.2 Remove unnecessary demands and requests
Children sometimes become physically aggressive and destructive when
presented with demands or are pursued for compliance. In these situations,
removing or making easier requests is likely to reduce many serious
behaviour episodes. At the same time, the child can be reinforced for
cooperating with related demands and requests. For instance, if a child is
known to bang his head on the floor when told, “Do this puzzle,” caregivers
may choose not to make that request. Instead, the child might be encouraged
for following instructions to participate in other activities. Puzzles may be
reintroduced later, starting with ones that the child enjoys and is able to
complete successfully.

Advantages
Prevents serious situations from
occurring


5.2
Disadvantages
If requests are not re-introduced,
the child is not given opportunities
to learn how to cope when given
such requests.
Child can learn to escalate
behaviour in order to avoid other
demands/requests.
Interrupting the behavioural chain and counter
intuitive strategies
5.2.1 Stimulus Change
Stimulus change involves presenting an unexpected stimulus or altering
environmental conditions when the child is beginning to escalate or at the time
of an incident. This can interrupt the course of the escalation and result in the
problem behaviour lessening in intensity or even stopping. Examples of
stimulus change might include performing an outrageous dance, bursting into
laughter, turning on classical music, or turning out the lights.
When used in isolation, the effect of stimulus change is only temporary. The
more often the same “novel” event is used, the less effective it is likely to
become. A wide repertoire of “novel” things to do and to say may be needed.
Stimulus change may be a useful short term strategy until a comprehensive
assessment and a behaviour support plan can be implemented.


Advantages
Works quickly – if stimulus change
works at all, it works immediately.
Provides opportunities for use of
alternative strategies


Disadvantages
Effect on behaviour is temporary,
especially if used in isolation
If used repeatedly, children may
learn to disregard such changes.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Management of emergency situations

(eg reinforcing of other behaviour)
Does not involve physical contact
between the carer and the
distressed child, reducing the risk
of injury to either party.

May accidentally reinforce the
problem behaviour
5.2.2 Diversion
Diversion involves redirecting or diverting a child to an activity or event that is
compelling or strongly attractive. For example, suppose a child loves milk and
has a history of dropping everything and going to the kitchen when you say,
“let’s get some milk.” This might be used to divert a child in an emergency
situation. For instance, if the child picked up a screwdriver and threatened to
hurt another child with it. This strategy is counterintuitive in that it has the
strong potential to reinforce the problem behaviour and increase its future
occurrence. Given this, safeguards should be incorporated such as teaching
the child how to ask for milk appropriately so that threatening behaviour is not
the only way to get access to milk. Diversion should be used as early in the
behavioural chain as possible. Also, in high-risk situations, appropriate
behaviour should be prompted and reinforced.



Advantages
May quickly bring the problem
behaviour under control
Does not involve physical contact
between carer and distressed
child, reducing risk of injury to
either party
Provides opportunities for use of
alternative strategies (eg
reinforcing of other behaviours


Disadvantages
May accidentally reinforce the
problem behaviour
Effect on behaviour is temporary,
especially if used in isolation.
5.2.3 Capitulation
Capitulation involves giving the child what they want in order to bring a
problem behaviour under rapid control and prevent injury to the child or others
around them. This is an approach used when other strategies have not yet
been put in place. For example, if a child is banging her head on the door,
wanting to go outside at an inappropriate time, capitulation would involve
allowing the child to go outside in order to avoid further escalation and risk of
injury.


Advantages
May quickly bring the problem
behaviour under control.
Does not involve physical contact
between carer and distressed child,
reducing risk of injury to either
party.

Disadvantages
May accidentally reinforce the
problem behaviour
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Management of emergency situations _______________________________
5.3 Restraint
5.3.1 Interpositioning
Interpositioning involves the use of the immediate environment to minimise or
eliminate the consequences of assaultive/destructive behaviour. An example
would be keeping a table between you and the child who is distressed while
attempting to calm them down.

Advantages
Does not involve physical contact

between carer and distressed child,
reducing risk of injury to either party
Disadvantages
May accidentally reinforce the
problem behaviour if it turns into a
game
5.3.2 Seclusion
Seclusion involves taking the child to a specified area or removing yourself
and others from an area and locking the door.

Advantages
Protects others from injury and
give the child space and the
opportunity to calm down



Disadvantages
May lead to an escalation of the
disruptive behaviour
There is injury risk to the child and
carer if physical contact is
involved.
May accidentally reinforce the
problem behaviour if child avoids
a disliked activity.
5.3.3 Physical Restraint
Physical Restraint includes any manual methods to restrict, subdue or prevent
the movement of any part of a person’s body, and involves physically holding
the person against their will. Physical restraint involves the use of hands–on
contact through the placement of the carer's body weight in such a manner as
to briefly prevent the child’s movement. It does not involve the use of
restraining devices (see section 4.3.6). Physical restraint may be used when a
person’s behaviour becomes so uncontrollable that it presents a clear danger
to the child or others. Examples of physical restraint include holding the child's
wrists to prevent them from hitting others, wrapping arms around the child,
bringing them down to ground level, holding them until they are calm, and
physically taking the child to another area while holding their arms. These
strategies involve physical risk to the people involved therefore carers should
be fully trained in their quick and safe implementation.

Advantages
Can quickly bring the incident
under control, protect the child and
others from danger, and can
minimise property damage.



Disadvantages
Can increase injury risk to those
involved
Can result in escalation of
behaviour
Can be resource intensive to
implement effectively.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Management of Emergency Situations
More information and resources:
For Service Providers
LaVigna, G. W., & Willis, T. J. (1997). Severe and challenging behavior:
Counter–intuitive strategies for crisis management within a nonaversive
framework. Positive Practice, 2 (2), 1, 10-17.
Willis, T. J., & LaVigna, G. W. (1996). Challenging behavior: Emergency
management guidelines. Los Angeles: Institute for Applied Behavior
Analysis.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children.
Perth, Western Australia: Author.
Child abuse
6. Child abuse
Child abuse is anything which individuals, institutions or processes do, or fail
to do, which harms children or damages their prospects of a safe healthy
development into adulthood.




Physical abuse includes bruising, burning, shaking or beating children. 
Emotional abuse includes depriving a child of love, warmth and
attention; yelling or "picking on" a child. 
Neglect includes failing to provide basic necessities of life—adequate
diet, medical care, clothing. 
Sexual abuse includes incest, rape, fondling, "flashing" and other
sexual activity. 
6.1 Actions that do not meet the Commission’s
standards, and are not to be used
The Commission considers the following methods of punishing behaviour
unacceptable. They may be considered maltreatment and result in concerns
being raised about the child's welfare and further investigation.









Cold or very hot showers/baths/flannels. 
Physical punishment—any action which inflicts pain on a child. 
Tormenting, taunting, harassing or humiliating a child. 
Threatening—verbal threats of dire consequences. 
Refusing to provide or withdrawing meals without replacement. 
Introducing foul tasting or harmful substances such as chilli or tabasco
sauce. 
Shouting or screaming at a child. 
Electric shocks or prods. 
Spraying substances at children such as water, lemon juice or
ammonia. 
If you have concerns
Anyone with concerns about the practices used with a child should raise the
issue with those involved. Often problems are resolved through discussion
with the person closest to the issue that is of concern. If this action does not
immediately resolve the issue the next step may be to speak to this person’s
supervisor. If your concerns are still not resolved, a complaint can be lodged.
If there is an agency involved, contact them and ask how to lodge a
complaint. The Commission has a complaints procedure and may also be
able to assist in having concerns resolved with other agencies.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children.
Perth, Western Australia: Author.
Child abuse
If you are worried that a child you know is being hurt it is important to trust
your instincts. Talking to your doctor, child health nurse, Department of Child
Protection officer, or Disability Services Commission staff member can be an
important step in keeping a child safe from further harm and in getting help for
the child, family and the person hurting the child.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children.
Perth, Western Australia: Author.
Bibliography
Bibliography
Axelrod, S. (1987). Doing it without arrows: A review of LaVigna and
Donnellan's Alternatives to punishment: Solving behavior problems with
non–aversive strategies. The Behavior Analyst, 10, 243-251.
Axelrod, S. (1990). Myths that (mis)guide our profession. In A. C. Repp & N.
N. Singh (Eds.) Perspectives on the use of nonaversive and aversive
interventions for persons with developmental disabilities (pp. 59-72).
Sycamore, IL: Sycamore Publishing company.
Azrin, N. H., Besalel, V. A., Jamner, J. P., & Caputo, J. N. (1988).
Comparative study of behavioral methods of treating severe self–injury.
Behavioral Residential Treatment, 3, 119-152.
Bambara, L. M., & Knoster, T. (1998). Designing positive behavior support
plans. Washington DC: American Association on Mental Retardation.
Iwata, B. A., Pace, G. M., Kalsher, M. J., Cowdery, G. E., & Cataldo, M. F.
(1990). Experimental analysis and extinction of self–injurious escape
behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 23, 11-27.
LaVigna, G. W., & Willis, T. J. (1997). Severe and challenging behavior:
Counter–intuitive strategies for crisis management within a nonaversive
framework. Positive Practice, 2 (2), 1, 10-17.
O’Neill, R. E., Horner, R. H., Albin, R. W., Sprague, J. R., Storey, K., Newton,
J. S. (1997). Functional assessment and program development for
problem behavior: A practical handbook. Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole
Publishing Company.
Sanders, M. R., & Dadds, M. R. (1993). Behavioral family intervention.
Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Sulzer–Azaroff, B., & Mayer, G. R. (1991). Behavior analysis for lasting
change. Fort Worth: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Zarcone, J. R., Iwata, B. A., Vollmer, T. R., Jagtiani, S., Smith, R. G., &
Mazaleski, J. L. (1993). Extinction of self–injurious escape behavior with
and without instructional fading. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
26, 353-360.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children.
Perth, Western Australia: Author.
Appendix A
Appendix A:
Behaviour Support Diary
Instructions: Make a note of the day, the behaviour, when and where it
occurred, and the procedure you used.
Date
and
time
Behaviour
(eg list the desired or
problem behaviour)
Strategy used
(eg descriptive
praise;
exclusionary
time-out)
Outcome
(eg he giggled and kept
working; length of
exclusionary time-out)
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children. Perth,
Western Australia: Author.
Appendix B ____________________________________________________
Appendix B:
Emergency Management Procedures
An emergency arises when a child behaves in a manner which puts his or her
or other’s safety at risk (eg, physically assaulting others, dangerously throwing
objects, or gouging their own eyes). When this happens immediate and
decisive action is necessary.
If there is an existing behaviour support plan that outlines what to do for the
child and others involved, then follow that. Otherwise follow these steps.
1.
Calmly approach the child and attempt to stop their actions by talking
(if appropriate), finding out what is causing the outburst, listening to
what they tell you, and generally trying to calm them down.
• Do not make any demands on the child.
• Remember what you know about the child and what will help to
calm them down. This might be giving them a preferred item, talking
to them about their favourite topic, putting on their favourite music.
• Seek back–up help if it is needed and available.
• Monitor the child until they are calm and the crisis has passed. This
may take some time (eg, an hour or more, so don’t panic if the child
is not calm after a few minutes).
2.
If necessary, carers and others should remove themselves from the area
and leave the child alone.
3.
Possible last resort options include:
• Leaving the child alone in a secure area until they are calm.
• Physically restraining and guiding the child to a secure area and
leaving them there until they are calm.
• Physically restraining the child on the spot until they are calm.
4.
When the child calms down, set them up in an appropriate activity and
reinforce them for their appropriate engagement.
5.
Finally:
•
•
•
•
•
Take care of anyone who was hurt, including the child involved in
the incident.
Inform the child's parents and other relevant support staff (eg, at
school or day care) as soon as possible.
Record what was done and why.
Consider emotional support and trauma debriefing to anyone who
may be seriously affected by the incident.
Ensure that a review of the incident is undertaken. The review
should include an assessment of the incident and how to prevent
this occurring again. A psychologist could be consulted to help plan
any intervention and help determine how to avoid such incidents.
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children.
Perth, Western Australia: Author.
Appendix C
Appendix C:
Resources
Disability Services Commission
Head Office .............................................
Joondalup Office.......................................
Myaree Office ................................
Accommodation Services ...................
Country Services...............................
Complaints .............................
9426 9200
9301 3800
9329 2300
9426 9200
9426 9200
9426 9200
Department for Child Protection
Crisis Care ...................................................... 9223 111 or 1800 199 008
Family Helpline .............................................. 9223 1100 or 1800 643 000
Parenting Line ................................................ 9272 1466 or 1800654 432
Department of Education and Training
Check phone book for your District Education Office
Centre for Inclusive Schooling..................
Communicare
Resource Unit for Children with Special Needs (RUCSN) ............
9426 7111
9251 5777
9221 5616
Independent Schools
Check phone book for appropriate school
Therapy Focus ......................................
9478 9500
Department of Health
Check phone book for your local Community Health Service Centre
State Child Development Centre.....
9481 2203
Psychiatric Emergencies .................................. 9224 8888 or 1800 676822
Ngala Family Resource Centre
Administration .............................................
9368 9368
Police
Check phone book for local police station
Training in Implementation of Physical Restraint
Professional Assault Response Training
(03) 9870 1249
Triple P—Positive Parenting Program (parent and practitioner training)
Contact your local Disability Services Commission office, community health
service centre, or the Parenting Line
Triple P International..................................
(07) 3367 1212
PDF to Word
Disability Services Commission (2011, June). Behaviour Support Guidelines for Children.
Perth, Western Australia: Author.