The 4 Functions of Behavior series: Gaining Attention

Most children diagnosed with Autism have difficulty in expressing their needs. Some are verbal but still don't know how to efficiently use their language to communicate with others. They often engage in challenging behaviors as their way of communication.

 In ABA, we learned that finding out the function of the inappropriate behavior rather than focusing on the behavior itself, is the key to help understand these children. The function of the behavior is important to identify for several reasons, including behavior prevention, choosing socially appropriate replacement behaviors and the creation of Behavior Plans.

 As parents, it is helpful to observe your child and try to find out why he/she is acting out. It is crucial to find out first the function of the inappropriate behavior then it will be easier for you to help them. There are four functions of behavior (attention, access to tangibles, escape and Automatic/sensory), but let’s just focus on attention for now.

 Attention is a form of positive socially mediated reinforcement. The attention itself may appear positive (e.g., a child looking at you and says ‘hug’, or tapping your shoulder, etc.); or negative (e.g., biting, crying, hand flapping, tantrums, etc.).

Children with autism who have difficulty in communicating may resort to different forms of challenging behaviors just to get your attention because they don’t know how to. How do we overcome these types of situations at home? How do we teach our children to gain our attention in a more appropriate way? Let me give you simple ways that you can use effectively and practice at home and that will help you and your child cope.

Functional Communication Training (FCT)

In our practice, we utilize functional communication training (FCT) as a replacement behavior to any challenging behaviors. Teach the child to verbalize to gain your attention in replacement for inappropriate behaviors. We can also teach a non-verbal child to tap your shoulder, walk to you, pull your hands or use an assistive device (e.g., iPad) if any, in getting your attention.

Contriving teaching situations at home

Let say that you’ve identified the function, which is attention, and you know how to teach the child to gain your attention more appropriately. Spend at least 10-15 minutes of contriving teaching situations at home. Set up situations where your child will have lots of opportunities to practice using his/her words in gaining your attention (e.g., ‘mommy, come or help me.’). It might be beneficial to set up any situation where you pretend to be work in close proximity to the child (e.g., 3-5 feet away) while the child is completing a simple inset puzzle, playing with toys or playing with his/her iPad. I would say pretend to be working because your focus right that moment is catching every opportunity in prompting your child and reinforcing communication. Working near the child will also provide easy access for the child to get your attention (e.g., asking for help, asking you to look at his work, etc.).

 The first thing that you need to do is to verbally prompt the child or use a full physical prompt (e.g., physically guide him/her in tapping your shoulder) then gradually fade the prompt until the child learns how to gain you attention independently. It is also important to know the verbal skill level of your child. If the child can only say one word, then just teach him/her to just use one word (e.g., ‘Help’, come, etc.). If the child can already utter simple phrases or sentences, then teach phrases or full sentences in gaining your attention whether verbally or using an assistive device.

During the occurrence of challenging behaviors

 You can only teach them the replacement behaviors when they are calm and not when they are engaging in those other behaviors (e.g., crying, kicking, hand flapping, tantrums, etc.). We don’t want them to learn the pattern of displaying inappropriate behaviors first then using their words. Most children with autism can quickly learn that way.

 When the child is engaging in challenging behaviors to gain your attention, try your best to not attend to it (e.g., don’t try to talk to him or calm him down). This can be done by just calmly being there but at the same time making sure that the child is safe from hurting themselves or hurting others. Clear the room by removing all the toys or things that can hurt them or hurt you or other family members. Ask the other family members to just stay outside the room and let you handle the situation not unless you need help. Wait for the child to calm down which can take a few minutes to an hour or so. Don’t be alarmed and just make sure that the child and everyone else is safe. Once the child totally calms down, set another opportunity to prompt him/her to gain your attention and praise the communication heavily. It is important to always end any situations at home with the child responding calmly and appropriately.

In teaching children with autism, consistency in dealing with the behavior across people and the environment is crucial to your child’s success. Attention must be sufficient to meet the individual preferences of the child. Implementing proper behavioral strategies at home will help your child learn socially appropriate ways to have his or her wants and needs met. It will help decrease problem behaviors and help your child to be independent.

The Four Functions of Behaviour

Why Do People Do What They Do?

Have you ever wondered why a person does something? You aren’t alone and there are many approaches to understanding why people do the things they do. In the field of ABA, when we want to find out why a behaviour is happening, a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) performs a Functional Assessment (FA’s or FBA’s), which can be composed of interviews, observations, and clinical conditions. At all stages, data is taken on specific behaviours of concern and the scientific process is used to determine what function is “behind the behaviour”. Behaviour Analysts reference what they call the “Four Functions of Behaviour” which are supported by scientific research, they are:

Escape: The behaviour gets the person out of an undesirable situation or avoids the situation entirely. An example would be a student who acts out in maths class and is sent to the Principal’s office. If the effect is that the child did not do their maths work, they are more likely to act out before maths class again. 

Access to Attention: The behaviour gets the person attention or a reaction from others. An example would be a child climbing onto a counter and their mother telling them to stop, finally picking the child up  and saying “Now you stop that!” when they do not listen. If the effect is that the child got satisfaction out of being picked up and yelled at, they are more likely to climb on the counter and refuse to listen again.

Access to Tangibles: The behaviour gets the person access to something, an item or an activity. An example of this would  be a child whining and pleading when told to get off of the iPad, and a caregiver giving them more time with the iPad. If the effect is that the child gets more time with the iPad, they are more likely to  whine and plead again when told to get off the iPad.

Sensory Stimulation: The behaviour grants the person access to something that is automatically rewarding.  Examples include itching an itch, eating food, and movements (tapping your foot, spinning in circles, clicking a pen, twirling hair, etc.) . If the effect is that the behaviour itself is rewarding, the person is more likely to do it again.

Once we have some understanding of what function the child’s behaviour is serving, we have a better idea of how to shape the child’s environment to positively impact their behaviour. 

Why is the Function of a Behaviour Important?

The field of ABA has years of research that indicate just how important it is to identify the function of a behaviour before planning and implementing an intervention, but why is it so important? When we have some understanding of what function the child’s behaviour is serving, we have a better idea of how to shape the child’s environment to positively impact their behaviour. In the field of ABA we help teach and shape behaviour through many means, including prevention, teaching appropriate replacement behaviours , and assisting in the creation of specific plans that describe how to respond to specific behaviours. In order to be effective and ethical, we can’t do that until we know why the behaviour is happening, what those in the field of ABA often call the “function of a behaviour”.

Putting it Together, Function and Intervention

As a general example if an ABA practitioner sees that a child climbing on the counter frequently results in their mother interacting with them (scolding, teasing, laughing, etc.), they would suspect an attention function for “climbing on the counter” behaviour. With that knowledge, we can then make sure that, instead of being talked to and interacted with for climbing on the counter, they are talked to and interacted with for desired behaviour instead. 

Let’s look at the same behaviour another way.

If the child climbing on the counter frequently results in them getting a favourite food item, instead of having their mother interact with them, then providing attention for desired behaviour may have no effect on reducing climbing. We would instead help teach the child ways to ask for the favourite food item and ensure that the child never gets the food after climbing on the counter.

ABA Terms and Jargon

Quick Reference Glossary 

We decided to put together a simplified glossary of commonly used terms within the field of ABA. Since we are a profession based on science, we tend to use technical terms that are related to our profession’s terminology. Please take a look below and bookmark this page for a quick reference to terms.

ABA - Applied Behaviour Analysis is the application of strategic science-based operational techniques based on the principles of behaviour.

ABA Therapist - The ABA therapist is a frontline worker who applies the principles of ABA under the guidance of a professionally trained BCBA, (Behaviour Certified Board Analyst).

ABC's of Behaviour - Antecedent, Behaviour, Consequence.

Antecedent - What happened before a behaviour.

Autism Spectrum Disorders - Disorders which involve a range of deficits that occur along a spectrum.

Behaviour – Observable actions made by an individual.

Chaining – Breaking tasks down into steps.

Consequence – The result of an action.

Deprivation – Being without something considered essential.

Developmentally Delayed – A condition where the person does not reach typical milestones of development, notably physical, cognitive, behaviour, emotional and social.

Discrete Trial Training (DTT) – A highly structured one-on-one teaching method which breaks down skills and teaches them in small increments.

Discriminative stimulus (SD) – A stimulus, (prompt) that increases the probability of a response.

Echoic – A type of behaviour which involves repeating the same sound or word after it is heard.

Echolalia – A type of behaviour which involves repeating sounds, phrases or words at any given time from memory.

Extinction – The elimination of reinforcement for a behaviour.

Extinction burst – Shortly after the removal of a reinforcer the behaviour gets worse before it gets better.

FBA (Functional Behaviour Analysis) – An assessment done that identifies a specific behaviour, identifying the factors that support the behaviour and determine the purpose of why the behaviour is happening.

Fine Motor Skills – Skills which involve the use of small muscle groups, (writing, scissors, etc.).

Generalization – The ability to use new skills across different environments.

Gross Motor Skills – Skills which involved large muscle groups, (standing, walking, etc.).

Intraverbal – A response which is based on verbal input, (eg. responding to a question).

Mand – When a person verbally asks for something.

NET – NET stands for Natural Environment Teaching, where ABA is applied within the natural environment of the learner, (eg. while they’re playing with toys).

Pairing – A term used for building rapport with a client. This term refers to associating yourself with the individual’s favourite items to improve your value from their perspective

PECS – PECS or Picture Exchange Communication System, is an alternative method of communication that uses pictures with words underneath.

Probe – An assessment to measure the level of a specific skill. This is usually used at the beginning of therapy or when a new skill is introduced in order to gauge previous knowledge.

Prompt – A prompt is an instruction that is given before a behaviour. It can take on different forms: visual (pictures), verbal(voice), gestural (pointing), modelling (showing them) and physical (physically guiding them).

Prompt Dependent – Prompt dependency can happen when an individual awaits instructions instead of initiating in a task.

Punishment – A consequence that aims to reduce behaviour.

RBT - Registered Behaviour Technician.

Reinforcement – Something that follows a behaviour that increases the likelihood of it occurring again.

Satiation – The reduction in satisfaction with an item or need, (when a child gets bored with a certain toy).

Scrolling – Multiple responses are given based on effectiveness in the past. Individuals will list or, “scroll” answers they previously gave in hopes that one is correct.

Self injurious behaviour (SIB) – Any behaviour that results in physical harm to themselves.

Shaping – A teaching method that involves rewarding an individual throughout a step-by-step process in obtaining a target behaviour.

Spontaneous Recovery – The re-emergence of a particular behaviour that was thought to be eliminated.

Stimulus - A stimulus is something that causes a reaction or response. It can be anything that we hear, smell, see, touch or taste.

Tact – A verbal behaviour when the individual labels something.

Target Behaviour – The behaviour identified, (by the FBA) that needs to change.

Task Analysis – The process of breaking down complex tasks into small, simple steps.