Behavioral Interventions and Solutions
Have you tried the “trade a toy” method when teaching your child(ren) how to share? Sharing is a complex skill that requires higher-level thinking; however, with some gentle coaching, you can easily set your child up for success. Before I dive in, I want to explain that this is just ONE of many different schools of thought out there. The “trade… Read More
How can I encourage my child to keep a mask on his or her face? Helping your child adapt to wearing a mask is a topic that has raised concerns with parents everywhere. Whether you are currently living in a state where wearing a mask (for children over age 2) is now mandatory, or you just want to ensure protection… Read More
I am excited to announce that some of your favorite infographics are now available in Spanish, French, and Croatian. This blog post contains a picture of each translated infographic, along with a link to the original blog post. Just click on the title to read more about each topic. You can also grab a printable PDF version of each by… Read More
Now that we are several weeks into distance learning, I figured it was the right time to ask, “How is it going?” Many of the families I work with are expressing concerns about engagement in addition to wondering how they can ensure that their child’s schoolwork gets completed. There are many different distance learning strategies that I typically suggest, some… Read More
It has been about a week since our lives drastically changed. Without much notice, many of you found yourself thrust into working from home, while simultaneously homeschooling your children. Like others, I assume you feel pulled in two directions. Families everywhere are in a similar position, trying to conduct Zoom meetings and meet deadlines while also trying to keep their… Read More
What if I told you that positive reinforcement involves more than just rewards? Positive reinforcement is the addition of a stimulus, which increases the likelihood of a behavior happening again in the future. It is one small part of a larger concept – operant conditioning. In my experience, the concepts of reinforcement and punishment are the hardest to understand in… Read More
A few days ago, I posted an infographic that provided twelve tips for avoiding or defusing a power struggle. My goal for this poster was to give parents (and professionals) multiple strategies that they could use if they found themselves entrenched in a power struggle with their child. Often, I hear people say the best way to avoid a power… Read More
Premack Principle sounds like a complex concept, however, it is a contingency that you encounter every day. Everyone knows that grandma’s rule is to eat your veggies before you can have dessert. But did you know that this simple theory can also apply to many other situations? In fact, many of you are probably already using this strategy without realizing… Read More
When you have a child with academic, social, or behavioral challenges, your goal is to provide them with the best support available. But how do you ensure that teachers and therapists effectively meet the needs of your child? For many families, the creation of an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) accomplishes this goal. An IEP is a legal document that outlines… Read More
What is behavioral momentum? Do you ever have one of those days where you think to yourself; “If I could just get the ball rolling, I would be able to get so much more done.”? Enter BEHAVIORAL MOMENTUM. Behavioral momentum (which is also known as a high-probability request sequence) is “an antecedent intervention in which two to five easy tasks… Read More
If you feel as though your children are frequently pushing boundaries, making it difficult to set limits, you may need to work on your follow through? When you follow through, you show your child that they can trust you because you mean what you say. In the ABA world, this concept is often linked with having instructional control. When you… Read More
The pairing process or “building rapport” is a topic that I love teaching to others. For teachers and other school professionals, it is a quick and effortless way to gain instructional control; however, it is a concept that parents can utilize as well. Day-to-day life can be stressful. Parents balance the struggle of having to maintain order within their households… Read More
If you have worked with a BCBA in the past, it is likely that you have heard the term FUNCTIONS OF BEHAVIOR. BCBAs look at functions in order to determine WHY specific behaviors are occurring. Then they develop a document called a Behavior Support Plan or BSP. It contains the definitions of challenging behavior, antecedent strategies, replacement behaviors, and consequence… Read More
Snap Together Stories are the perfect addition to the millions of building bricks you have scattered around. Do you have a child who enjoys playing with LEGOs? A few years ago when I was working as a special education teacher, I had a classroom full of boys who LOVED LEGOs. I searched high and low for brick design cards to… Read More
Behavior specific praise is an important aspect of positive reinforcement. Children are constantly looking for attention from the adults in their life. Yet, that attention is often delivered following a negative behavior. For example: A child who follows their bedtime routine on the first request will often get less attention than the child running around refusing to go to bed…. Read More
Arguing with your child about every little thing can be exhausting, am I right? Enter CONTROLLED CHOICE-MAKING. Giving your child the power to make choices is an important strategy for any parent. It allows children to have some control over their own lives. Which in turn can help you avoid those dreaded power struggles. With controlled choices, children are given… Read More
Parents, do you feel like you are constantly saying “No/Stop/Don’t” to your child? Learning about how to use the power of positive phrasing can be an asset for parents everywhere. Children are on the receiving end of hundreds of instructions every day. Yet, many times these commands are both abrupt and negative in their delivery. Why? In the real… Read More
Do you struggle to provide reinforcement when your child isn’t cooperating? Parents will often ask me why they should be “giving in” to certain behaviors. Enter the reinforcement vs. bribery infographic. This is a easy way to see the differences between the two. When you use reinforcement you ensure that lasting behavior change will occur and the adult remains in… Read More
Wouldn’t it be great to have a tool that uses positive reinforcement to make meaningful behavior change? Token boards do just that. They reward desired behaviors, with a series of “tokens,” which the child can then exchange for something valuable. However, before you implement a token economy system, you need to ensure that the child understands that “tokens” represent good… Read More
Visuals are a necessity when supporting children with special needs. I recently wrote a blog post for Especially Education all about the importance of using visuals in the classroom. You can read that post here. One of the most significant areas where visuals can be helpful, are in assisting with the development of PLAY SKILLS. For many children with Autism… Read More
I work with two of the best BCBAs I know. Last week we began updating a parent training that focused on managing difficult behaviors at home. We quickly got to work creating a powerpoint and a set of handouts for the parents to take home. On Friday, we got up in front of a small group of parents and walked… Read More
How do you give your child meaningful consequences while also giving enough praise? Yesterday, I received a text message from my cousin. The message said: “Can E get shipped to your house for three days. She needs military school. I’m just tired. Everything is a battle and her new mantra is, “Mama, I’m just trying to make a deal.” Let… Read More
