Behavior changes are more likely to occur when you pair the target behavior with preferred activities or follow the behavior with access to something the child enjoys.
I was recently asked by an RBT working with one of my clients how to get the child to sit at the table and complete activities, instead of playing with his preferred toys on the floor and displaying problem behaviors when he was requested to work at the table. The solution seems clear: to build the behavior of sitting at the table, we must offer preferred activities and toys there. Once the child is consistently sitting at the table for enjoyable activities, it will be easier to gradually introduce less preferred tasks and demands in that setting and extinguishing problem behaviors.
Similarly, a parent asked for my advice on how to get her child to be ready to go out without having intense tantrums. I learned that the child resisted getting ready for outings, especially when they involved activities that she found boring, like running errands. In this case, we need to break the existing pattern—getting ready to go out followed by a tantrum—by incorporating preferred destinations into the routine. The parent can practice getting the child ready for outings by selecting reinforcing places the child enjoys. This will make it more likely that the child will want and comply with getting ready without exhibiting problem behaviors. Once this skill is established, we can gradually introduce less preferred destinations and still maintain a low level of problem behaviors.
In summary, behavior change is most successful when we first pair the target behavior with reinforcing activities or environments. Whether it’s encouraging a child to sit at the table or get ready for an outing, using preferred items and places as motivation can help build the desired behavior and help extinguishing problem behaviors. Over time, with repeated practice and consistency, you can introduce less preferred tasks while minimizing problem behaviors. The key is to create positive associations that gradually make the new behavior easier to perform.
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