1. What Causes Negative Behaviors and What to do About Themby
Mark L. Sundberg, Ph.D., BCBA
and
Cindy A. Sundberg (

2. Common Negative Behaviors for Children with Autism
Looking away, non-responding, non-compliance
Self-stim (rocking, mouthing objects, etc.)
Falling to the floor
Running from adults
Climbing on tables, counters, bookcases, etc.
Screaming, yelling, loud noises, etc.

3. Common Negative Behaviors for Children with Autism
Crying
Tantrums (combination of behaviors)
Property destruction
Hitting, pushing, biting, etc.
Self-injurious behaviors

4. Behavioral Psychology can be a powerful tool to understand and change negative behaviors
The three-term contingency (An ABC analysis)
Antecedent Behavior Consequence
Child doesn’t want Runs from adults Delays going inside
to come inside and gets chased

5. What Causes Negative Behaviors?
There are many possible causes of negative behaviors
The first task is to identify what is causing the specific behavior
Use the three-term contingency to identify the cause of a behavior
Define the behavior (start small--1 or 2 behaviors)
Identify the antecedents (the events before the behavior)
Identify the consequences (what happened after the behavior)
Antecedent Behavior Consequence

6. What Causes Negative Behaviors?
Many negative behaviors are caused by inadvertent reinforcement
Negative behaviors may get attention, reaction, reprimands, etc.
Negative behaviors may get access to reinforcers
Negative behavior may allow one to avoid undesirable activities

7. What Causes Negative Behaviors?
Negative behavior may allow one to escape undesirable activities
Negative behavior may be fun (Self-stim, destruction, climbing)
Positive behaviors don’t have the same effect as above
No alternative skills to achieve the same reinforcer (Expressive language)

8. What is Reinforcement?
Reinforcement is anything that increases a behavior
Reinforcement can be getting good things (e.g., attention, toys, food)
Reprimands and negative attention can sometimes be reinforcers for kids
Reinforcement can be getting rid of bad things (e.g., demands, bedtime, putting on shoes)

9. What is Reinforcement? Reinforcement increases good and bad behavior
Most reinforcement occurs naturally and unplanned
Understanding how reinforcement works is essential to reducing negative behaviors

10. Both good and bad behaviors are strengthened by reinforcement

11. How to Change Negative Behaviors
First identify the cause and frequency of the behavior
Reinforcers are your behavior change tools: Identify and control them
Three parts to the intervention
Prevention (antecedent intervention)
Teach and reinforce (positive) replacement behaviors
Change the consequence after the problem behavior (reduce negative behavior)

12. Minor Negative Behaviors
Behavior: Loud voice, knocking things off the table, taking other’s toys for attention, fidgeting, whining, mild pouting, sulking, etc.
1st step: Identify the cause using an ABC analysis: For example, seeking attention
Intervention:
2nd step: Prevention: Identify high probability settings and time of problem behaviors, and re-schedule competing activities (e.g., phone calls, bill paying), plan activities that will engage the child

13. Minor Negative Behaviors
3rd step: Teach positive behavior: Reinforcement: Deliver reinforcement for appropriate behavior, on a consistent basis (e.g., times per hour)
4th step: Reduce negative behavior: Extinction: Ignore minor negative behaviors. Choose your battles wisely.

14. Attention Seeking: Minor Negative Behaviors
Other possible causes of minor negative behaviors
Weak expressive language
Provide mand training
Manding is asking for reinforcers with words, signs, or PECS
It is often very easy to teach a child to mand (see Sundberg & Partington, 1998)

15. Attention Seeking: Minor Negative Behaviors
Other possible causes of minor negative behaviors
The curriculum is too hard, out of developmental sequence, or of little value to the child.
Use an assessment tool to identify a developmentally appropriate language and social skills curriculum

16. How to use Reinforcement to Reduce Negative Behaviors
Make sure you really have a reinforcer
Deliver the reinforcer immediately after good behavior
Set up lots of opportunities for good/correct behavior (Don’t just wait for them)
Use a variety of reinforcers
Deliver some reinforcers free (pairing)

17. How to use Reinforcement to Reduce Negative Behaviors
Smile, be sincere, laugh, goof around, have fun with your child
Some kids will require lots of reinforcers per hour (30-50)
Engagement usually is reinforcing!
Lack of reinforcement for positive behavior may increase negative behavior

18. Examples of Reinforcers that Many Children Like
Social/physical reinforcers: attention, smiles, hugs, praise, funny faces, high fives, tickling, rough housing, chasing clapping hands, praise, a good laugh together, thumbs up, pats on the back, etc.
Activity reinforcers: playing a game, going to the park, reading a book together, pushes on a swing, riding a bike, wagon rides, swimming, adventures, put up a tent in the yard, watching a DVD, helping cook, etc.
Material reinforcers: food, drink, toys, bubbles, balloons, crayons, musical toys, playdough, cars, sand play, etc.

19. Ignoring Bad Behavior: Extinction
Be prepared for an extinction burst
Eye contact is often attention (reinforcement)
Don’t show facial reactions
Don’t argue, scold or talk (attention)
Don’t show anger (attention)
Act absorbed in some other activity, walk away
Give your child attention shortly after the bad behavior stops

20. More Serious Negative Behaviors
Behavior: Tantrum, hitting, throwing, scratching, falling to the floor, etc.
1st step: identify the cause of the behavior for that child
Some possible causes: Adult demand (e.g., go to bed, eat at the table, academic work), remove/denial of reinforcers (turn off TV, come inside, can’t have desired activity)
OFTEN, THE CHILD HAS LEARNED THAT NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR WILL REMOVE OR DELAY A TEACHER’S OR PARENT’S DEMANDS

21. More Serious Negative Behaviors
2nd step: Prevention, expressive language training, and curriculum change
3rd step: Intervention: Teach positive behavior
4th step: Intervention: Weaken negative behavior

22. More Serious Negative Behaviors
2nd step: Prevention
Identify high probability problem areas
Initially avoid demands that compete with powerful motivators
Verbally prepare the child if possible
Use “if-then” contingency for more verbal children
Take activities and reinforcers to Drs office, store, airplane or car trips, friends houses, etc.

23. More Serious Negative Behaviors
Ask for the same behavior under less “high probability” times, and reinforce
Break demand into small steps and reinforce each step
Make your expectations clear, and be consistent
Reinforce approximations
Establish time limits for reinforcers
Use extra time as reinforcers for no tantrums

24. More Serious Negative Behaviors
Step 3: Teach the positive behaviors
Obtain the most powerful reinforcers for that child
Carefully control and deliver those reinforcers after positive behaviors
However, periodically deliver free reinforcers (pairing)
Create a hierarchy of demands beginning with the simplest tasks (“clap hands” might be an easy demand)
Provide lots of opportunities for the child to comply and be successful

25. More Serious Negative Behaviors
Gradually increase the demand, always reinforce
Work in short sets of demands throughout the day
Work in all environments
Transfer control to other adults (generalization)
Gradually begin to include high problem area demands (e.g., giving up reinforcers)
Occasionally give back the reinforcer when given up
Always end the interaction on a positive note

26. More Serious Behaviors and Noncompliance
4th step: Weaken the negative behavior
Extinction: Do not remove the demand
Follow through with the demand
Be prepared for an extinction burst
Make your expectations clear
Caution: Removing the demand will make the problem worse

27. More Serious Negative Behaviors
Make sure negative behavior DOES NOT get reinforced in any way
Do not promise reinforcers for stopping
Do not show reinforcers when engaging in negative behaviors
Do not try and “talk a child down” (reinforcement)
Be calm, firm and non-emotional. Do not get caught up in an argument or power struggle

28. Be Organized and Plan Ahead to be More Effective
Anticipate your child’s needs before his bad behavior forces you to meet his needs
Avoid situations that you think might make the child irritable (e.g., staying out past their bedtime, shopping for a long time)
Start your program in an environment that you can control (not at church, in a store, etc.)
Teach others who work with the child how to use these behavioral techniques

29. Summary Most negative behavior is learned behavior
Use the four steps to reduce a negative behavior
1st step: Use the three-term contingency to identify what causes the behavior
2nd step: Prevent behavior problems (Change the task or demand levels, increase prompts, increase reinforcers for approximations)
3rd step: Actively teach positive behaviors and continue to build on them
Identify a wide variety of reinforcers and frequently deliver them for good behavior

30. Summary
4th step: Change the existing consequences for negative behavior
Negative behavior often gets reinforced more often than positive behavior
Don’t reinforce the problem behavior
Ignore minor misbehavior
Change is often gradual
Learn as much as you can about Behavior Analysis, it is a powerful tool for improving the lives of children with autism and their families

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