Solving Behavior Problems in Autism Improving Communication with Visual Strategies By Linda Hodgdon

About this Book Provides a very practical and pragmatic approach to managing problem behaviors Behavior is related to communication. Better communication is supported by visual strategies Packed with many samples and examples of strategies that have worked to improve communication and solve behavior

Table of Contents Part 1: the Link Between Behavior, Communication, and Visual Strategies Chapter 1: What Do We know About Behavior discusses: What are causes of behavior problems and why do they exist Common causes of behavior problems Behavior management 101 Behavior intervention and the ASD student Discusses annoying behavior to behavior causing injury Must focus on identifying the cause for the behavior not the behavior itself Causes-age, family issues, Discuss areas of communication breakdown that contribute to behavior problems Discuss learned behavior that causes difficulty-learned helplessness, dependency, routines, responses Discusses physical and social environment Discusses need for you to change so the student will change-communicating, environment Autistic kids have different reasons for behavior problems-difficulty with communication and differences in their brain **how they perceive environment:how they are able to understand and interpret communication and social interaction: how they are able to express themselves to get wants and needs met

Chapter 2:Understanding Communication Communication problems in ASD students How communication problems affect behavior Chapter 3:What are Visual Strategies What are visual tools and supports? Why use visuals for behavior Discusses skills that kids develop-not just speech but understanding, socialization, turn taking communicative intent, forms of communication, functions of communication Discusses the complexity of the development of communication Behavior situations occur due to communication cause –kids don’t understand, difficulty expressing themselves, kids don’t know what else to do

Part 2: Assessment Considerations Part 3:Improving Communication Chapter 4:Evaluating Behavior Situations Discusses different tools for assessment *ABC-Antecedent Behavior Consequence *FBA-Functional Behavior Analysis *Data collection Provides a 6 page sample Guide for Assessing Behavior Situations Part 3:Improving Communication Chapter 5: Ten Keys to Becoming a Better Communication Partner Chapter 6: Seven Critical Communication Skills to Teach Must have a plan-without assessment management becomes series of reactions to specific actions rather than a plan of improving them Unless the cause is assessed-behavior will keep occurring ABC-easy to look logically at big picture—helps to guide us to determine what is causing it FBA-systematically look at all information and develop a plan for change ABC< FBA< and data collection gives ways to gather info about what is occurring Guide for Assessing behavior Situations-help lead to some solutions

Part 4: Using Visual Strategies to Support Communication and Solve Behavior Problems Chapter 7: Visual Tools to Improve Understanding Examples of visual schedules and calendar Examples of visuals to give information about life-lunch time, shopping, going to the Dr. Chapter 8: Strategies to Help Students Control Their Environment Examples of making choices and requests Examples of ways for students to appropriately tell use what they don’t want Examples of appropriate ways for students to negotiate their options Chapter 8— Protest-what to teach will depend on several listed factors, teach non verbal protest strategies-shake head, move back, give appropriate things to say verbally, help teach student understanding of knock it off-mean leave me alone Discusses how to teach protest-role playing, video taping ect

Chapter 9: Using Visual Tools to Regulate Behavior Examples of visuals for communicating no Examples of visuals for rules and behavior guides Chapter 10: Improving Language Skills with Visual Tools Examples of how to teach powerful early communication Examples of how to communicate feelings Chapter 11: Tools to Support Self-Management Examples of how to teach students to handle their own behavior problems when Chapter 9; how to teach a kid to Communicating no and techniques Rules-examples of general rules, rest room rules, picking nose, doing your work, Chapter 10-need to be specifically taught exactly what to do and how to do it Discusses emerging language-selecting vocabulary to teach-start with wants and needs, focus on teaching communication-not just speech Chapter 11- help recognize they are having difficulty, make choices, teach kids to determine when they are calm—examples-too noisy, relaxation, what to do when frustrated, someone bothering you

Part 5:Implimenting Visual Tools and Supports Chapter 12: Developing Visual Tools How to make visuals Chapter 13: Addressing Special Needs Students with limited cognitive ability, visual impairments, multiple diagnosis, and students with extreme behaviors Photos, objects, pictures or what—things to consider when deciding what type to use Also part 6 of questions and answers