Autism: Chaos to Calm

How I Gave My Child with Autism the Gift of Choice

January 7, 2014February 15, 2016 Martha Gabler

By Martha Gabler

Freedom. We all want it. We want to have choice in our lives; it gives us opportunities, independence and a sense of control.

Now consider a child with autism. A child with autism may have a limited range of behavioral choices: he can only do what is in his repertoire. When my son Douglas was little his repertoire consisted of just four behaviors: running around, shrieking “Deeeeee, deeeee, deeeee,” spinning, and hitting himself or others. He was a nightmarish child to care for. If we talked to him, his response was to plug his fingers in his ears and run away.

I know now that he was only doing this as a self-defensive reaction to the confusing and overwhelming stimuli that bombarded him. These behaviors must have been self-reinforcing, or they would not have continued. Creating his own noise, engaging in repetitive movements, destructive behavior and even self-injury must have been reinforcing to him, since we know from the findings of behavioral science that behavior that is repeated is behavior that has been reinforced. It is very sad to think that a child finds his environment so overwhelming that it is necessary to engage in these types of behaviors as a way to cope.

My Son Was Not Happy While Overwhelmed

I didn’t believe that my son was happy while engaging in these self-stimulatory and destructive behaviors. I believe that these behaviors stopped him from being able to learn and interfered with basic functional skills. These behaviors sucked him into a downward spiral which he was unable to control or get out of, and they caused pain, anger, frustration and despair in the rest of the family. How could that be good for him or for us?

Behavior Basics 11 and 12: End of week wrap-up

January 3, 2014February 15, 2016 Martha Gabler

11. The consequence, NOT the antecedent determines the future course of a behavior.

The consequence rules! The consequence of a behavior determines what course the behavior will take in the future. A behavior that results in a pleasing consequence to the learner will be repeated in the future. A behavior that results in painful or distasteful consequences will generally not be repeated in the future. We all seek pleasure and avoid pain and discomfort.

12. A pleasant consequence maintains a behavior, keeps it going.

When a learner experiences a pleasant consequence (praise, treats, rewards, affirmation, recognition) after doing a behavior, the learner will perform that behavior more often. The more the learner experiences pleasant consequences, the stronger the behavior will become, and the longer it will last.

REMINDER: This concludes the wrap-up of Behavior Basics for the week. Please remember the schedule: On the release date of each module, the Behavior Basics for that module will be compiled into a PDF ebook available from our blog and Facebook page. Click on this link to download the entire series of 42 Behavior Basics for free: http://statictab.com/m7bizwt.

Behavior Basics 9 & 10: End of week wrap-up

December 27, 2013February 15, 2016 Martha Gabler

9. The antecedent is the cue or stimulus that comes before the behavior occurs.

The antecedent is an event that precedes another event. The antecedent includes the setting, events and persons or things in an environment that preceded the behavior of the learner. The antecedent could be the sound of the smoke detector in the home, the growling of a dog on the street, or the arrival of a group of students in a classroom. Antecedent events can also be things like requests to do perform a task or directions to follow.

10. The consequence is what happens after the behavior as a result of the behavior.

After a learner performs a behavior (makes a physical movement), there is a consequence that follows immediately. Karen Pryor explains, “Consequences frequently . . . affect future behavior, making the behavior more or less likely to occur.” A behavior followed by a pleasant consequence is more likely to occur again. The common behavior of opening the refrigerator door will occur more often when the refrigerator is well-stocked and offers pleasant food options. Opening the refrigerator door will occur less often if the refrigerator is empty and dirty.

Behavior Basics 7 and 8: End of week wrap up

December 20, 2013February 15, 2016 Martha Gabler

7. Behavior is movement.

It can be observed, counted, charted and analyzed.

After you have observed, counted and charted a learner’s behavior (physical movements), you can analyze the data. This analysis is called a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA). The purpose of the FBA is to determine what function the behavior serves for the learner: i.e., the learner is doing this behavior for a reason, so what is the student gaining from this behavior? Studying the consequences that follow the behavior will shed light on this question. Some common reasons for learners to engage in behaviors are to gain attention, seek relief (escape), or divert attention. There are many other potential reasons.

8. Behavior is movement.

It can be observed, counted, charted, analyzed and changed.

After the behavior has been analyzed, the next step is to set up a plan so that the learner can achieve his/her needs (as determined by the FBA) in more acceptable ways. Often, a decision is made to provide positive reinforcement for an alternative, acceptable behavior to replace the less desirable behavior. We know from behavioral science that a behavior that is reinforced is a behavior that will occur more often. With consistent delivery of positive reinforcement, along with monitoring the behavior plan and making adjustments as indicated by data, it is possible to make good progress in achieving helpful behavior change in a sensitive, humane manner.

“Nothing is troublesome that one does of his own volition”

December 17, 2013February 24, 2016 Martha Gabler 3 Comments

Thomas Jefferson, author of the American Declaration of Independence, wrote these words in a letter to a granddaughter in 1811. This “canon” was one of several in a famous document known as “A Dozen Canons of Conduct in Life.” The canons are rules–advice–for living a good life.

As an autism parent, I have always been drawn to this one. Let’s read it again:

“Nothing is troublesome that one does of his own volition.”

So, if you do something willingly or voluntarily, “of your own volition,” it is not a chore, it is not difficult. It may even be something that you do gladly, perhaps even with joy. Hmm.

What does that have to do with autism? Well, for many children with autism, the opportunity to do something “of their own volition” is very rare. Our children are expected to perform or behave in certain ways, even though they may not have the capacity to do those things. They have language deficits and sensory issues which affect them in myriad ways. They cannot comply with the norm, and as a result are often isolated or punished. Every autism website has heart-breaking stories about the difficulties these children encounter and the resulting agonies for families in trying to get help. It’s a situation ripe for failure, outbursts, emotional reactions, and despair for everyone involved.

Behavior Basics 5 and 6: End of week wrap-up

December 13, 2013February 15, 2016 Martha Gabler

Behavior Basic #5:

Behavior is movement, so it can be observed and counted.

Behavior is movement that can be observed (it can be seen or heard), so it can also be counted. A simple way to count a behavior is to count how many times it happens each day. In the example of a child shrieking, you can count how many times during the day the child shrieked. Many parents count behaviors with tally counters; simply attach one to your belt, count every instance of shrieking, and write down the number of instances at the end of the day. This will provide helpful information. You can establish a baseline of how often the behavior occurs. After implementing a behavior plan, the daily counts will tell you whether the plan is succeeding in reducing the behavior.

Behavior Basic #6:

Behavior is movement, so it can be observed, counted and charted.

Behavior is physical movement of the body that can be seen or heard (observed). The movements can be counted. After counting behavior for several days you will have data; for example: on Monday, Johnny shrieked 59 times; on Tuesday, Johnny shrieked 83 times; on Wednesday, Johnny shrieked 76 times. These numbers can be charted or graphed; the line on the chart shows whether the behavior is increasing or decreasing. The Standard Celeration Chart, a Precision Teaching tool, is a particularly effective, scientific tool for charting the rate of change of a behavior.

Now you’re talking my language!

December 11, 2013February 15, 2016 Martha Gabler 2 Comments

Bonjour! Hola! Ciao!

Hello! If you travel to another country, it helps to know a few words in the native language. It makes getting around so much easier and builds relationships with local residents. But, having a few words takes you only so far. To really communicate, you need to make a study of the local language.

Now let’s look at kids with autism; they seem to live in a different world from ours. Their condition is often characterized by deficits and delays in language and communication. How do you communicate with a kid who cannot endure the sound of human speech? How do you find out what is bothering a child who is hitting or biting, if he can’t explain? We could not communicate with our son and had very hard times during the early years.

Over time I learned that there is a language, or more specifically, a form of communication in which my son excelled: he was brilliant at comprehending positive reinforcement. Bingo! We achieved communication.

The Language of Positive Reinforcement

The method I stumbled upon is called TAGteach, or Teaching with Acoustical Guidance. TAGteach is a teaching and communication method based on the science of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), and involves the use of positive reinforcement to achieve behavior goals. The unique aspect of TAGteach is that it combines positive reinforcement with an audible event marker signal. The marker—the key communication tool used in the system—makes a distinctive “click” sound to mark a behavior at the time it occurs. The mark (or “click”) means YES, YOU DID SOMETHING GOOD, and the absence of the mark means TRY AGAIN.

With my event marker (sometimes referred to as a “tagger” or “clicker), I was able to “tag” my child every time he did something good. “Good” things were behaviors like Quiet Mouth, Both Feet On The Floor, Hands Still, or Eye Contact. The procedure is: Observe child, “tag” (press clicker) when child performs Quiet Mouth, reinforce child (give a treat or token).

When I started doing this, I was amazed by all the good behaviors my son was able to deliver. Tantrumming? Tag Quiet Mouth and Both Feet On The Floor; the tantrum was over in 12 minutes with no exertion on my part. Bolting? Tag Walks Next To Parent. Toe walking? Tag Heel On Ground. My son’s world changed. Previously, it had been incomprehensible to him. With the tag and positive reinforcement, he understood precisely what he was being rewarded for, and he responded by producing more of the desired behaviors.

Now we’re talking the same language!

The more I communicated with him via tags and positive reinforcement, the happier and better behaved he became. Despite the lack of speech, despite the sensory issues, the tag rang loud and clear and told him he had done something good. He loved that and responded brilliantly. My favorite moments were when I would tag him for something, and a look of total comprehension flooded across his face, “Oh! So that’s what I’m supposed to do!” We all like knowing what to do, and we all like the feeling of success. With TAGteach, I communicated with my son by giving him lots of success.

We found the right language and made a study of it. It is called positive reinforcement with an event marker signal. Tag!

Behavior Basics 1 and 2: End of week wrap-up

December 8, 2013February 15, 2016 Martha Gabler

Behavior Basic #1: Remember the ABCs of behavioral science:

Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence.

Behavior (physical movement of the body) occurs in a specific time and place. When studying behavior, analysts look at what happened just prior to the behavior (the Antecedent), the specific physical movements that the learner made (the Behavior itself), and what happened immediately after the behavior (the Consequence). For example, let’s look at this scenario: The antecedent: a powerful storm rolls in with thunder and lighting. Behavior: a little boy dives under a table and screams. Consequence: instructor comes over, comforts the child and gives him a lollipop. This sequence of events will have an effect on the future behavior of both the boy and the instructor.

Behavior Basic #2: What is Behavior?

Behavior is movement, physical movement of the body.

Behavior is composed of physical movements of the body. Imagine somebody playing the violin: one hand supports the instrument, the fingers of that hand press on the strings, and the other hand moves the bow over the strings. Now imagine somebody hailing a taxi in New York City: the body leans toward the street, the head faces oncoming traffic, the hand nearest to the street waves at passing cabs. Every behavior we do is composed of anywhere from one to dozens of distinct physical movements of the body.

REMINDER: This concludes the wrap-up of Behavior Basics for the week. Please remember the schedule: On the release date of each module, the Behavior Basics for that module will be compiled into a PDF ebook available from our blog and Facebook page. Click on this link to download the entire series of 42 Behavior Basics for free: http://statictab.com/m7bizwt.

Behavior Basics 3 and 4: End of week wrap-up

December 6, 2013February 15, 2016 Martha Gabler

Behavior Basic #3:

When we behave, we move parts of our body.

To do even the most mundane chores, we move several parts of the body, move those parts in specific ways and often in a specific sequence. Think of making coffee in the morning: Walk to the cupboard and grasp coffee can, grasp coffee pot, walk to sink to fill with water, pour water into coffee maker, scoop coffee into filter basket, push basket back into place, press ON button. The everyday behavior of making coffee requires the physical movements of walking, grasping, lifting, turning knobs, pouring, scooping, pushing and pressing.

4. Behavior is movement, so it is observable.

Behavior is movement of the body, so it is something that you can see or hear. If you can see or hear it, you can observe when and where that behavior happens. For example, if a child engages in the behavior (physical movement) of shrieking, you can observe to see if it happens in certain rooms of the house, outside in the yard or playground, or in the car. You can observe to see if it happens more often in the morning, afternoon or evening, on weekdays or weekends. This observation provides information that can be used to develop a behavior plan to address shrieking.

Behavior Basics: An introduction to behavior science for parents

December 4, 2013February 15, 2016 Joan Orr

By popular demand, Chaos to Calm will be re-issuing its series on Behavior Basics! The newly designed series of Behavior Basics will address six topics to help autism parents understand the fundamentals of behavioral science. Two Behavior Basics will be released each week on Tues and Fri, starting on November 29, 2013. These will be just like the one you see here. You will be able to download these from here at the blog and from the Chaos to Calm Facebook page.

Be sure to collect the whole set of Behavior Basics! On the release date of each module, the Behavior Basics for that module will be compiled into a PDF ebook available from our blog and Facebook page.

Once a week on Fridays I will write a short article about the Behavior Basics released that week to provide additional explanation.