2 ABA Strategies to Prevent Behavior Problems in Kids

Dealing with challenging behaviors can feel like an uphill battle, especially when you’re parenting a child with special needs. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when unwanted behaviors pop up and stick around.

But what if you could wipe those problem behaviors away before they start? That’s where Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) comes in! Today, we’ll explore practical ABA strategies to prevent behavior problems.

This post is part of a series designed to help you understand and implement ABA techniques at home. We’re focusing on concrete methods to eliminate unwanted behaviors, using the ABCs of behavior as our foundation.

To get started, check out the first blog post in this series, Understanding the ABCs of Behavior in ABA -Parent’s Guide.

Understanding the Foundation: The ABCs of Behavior

Before diving into specific strategies, let’s quickly review the ABCs of behavior:

Antecedent: What happens before the behavior?
Behavior: What is the action or behavior itself?
Consequence: What happens after the behavior?

Understanding these components is crucial for effective behavior modification. Let’s take the example of “Little Johnny” we discussed in the previous blog post:

Antecedent: Johnny asks his mom for a cookie.
Behavior: Johnny throws a temper tantrum when his mom says no.
Consequence: Johnny gets the cookie.

In this scenario, Johnny learns that a temper tantrum (the behavior) results in getting a cookie (the consequence). Now, the important thing to remember is that actual teaching happens primarily during the antecedent phase.

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Teach During Calm Moments

New information is best absorbed when your child is calm and not emotionally charged. Trying to teach during a tantrum is like trying to fill a cup that’s already overflowing – it just won’t work.

Two Powerful ABA Strategies for Eliminating Unwanted Behaviors

So, how do you change those unwanted behaviors? We’re going to discuss two main ABA strategies that focus on modifying behavior during the antecedent phase:

Replacement Strategies
Giving Choices

Let’s break down each one.

#1 Replacement Strategies

Replacement strategies involve teaching your child an acceptable behavior to achieve the same desired outcome as the unwanted behavior. In other words, you’re not trying to take away what they want. You’re guiding them to get it more appropriately.

The “First… Then…” Approach

A core principle of replacement strategies is using “First… Then…” language. This approach helps to communicate expectations and rewards clearly.

In Johnny’s case, instead of giving him a cookie after a tantrum, you could say: “First say ‘please,’ then you can have a cookie.”

This sets a clear expectation: polite request first, cookie second.

The Importance of Immediate Reinforcement

It’s vital that you immediately reward the desired behavior with positive praise and the desired item (the cookie). This reinforces the connection between the appropriate behavior (“please”) and the desired outcome (cookie).

Praise is essential to remember because words of affirmation can mean the world to a child.

Age-Appropriate Language

Use language your child understands. If Little Johnny is five years old and doesn’t understand what a “complete sentence” is, don’t instruct him to use one. This will only lead to confusion and, ultimately, frustration. Confusing language can really hinder learning, so keep it simple and clear.

Example: Swearing

Let’s say Johnny is swearing. You can say, “First say ‘I am upset,’ then you can tell Mommy why.” When Johnny says, “I am upset because my sister took my toy,” reward him.

Over time, you can add to the sentence to be more descriptive, but it’s important to start small.

Additional Tips For Replacement Strategies

Identify the function of the behavior.
Teach an appropriate replacement behavior.
Reward the replacement behavior.
Be consistent.
Fade rewards over time.
Be patient.
If the replacement behavior is not working, re-evaluate.

#2 Giving Choices: Empowering Children and Preventing Tantrums

Another powerful Applied Behavior Analysis strategy is offering choices. This fulfills the underlying need while setting boundaries. By giving choices, you can help control behavior at home.

Example: Cookie Alternatives

Instead of an outright “no” to a cookie, you can offer this choice:

“I know you’re hungry, but it’s almost dinnertime. You can have an apple now while I cook dinner or a cookie after dinner. I’m making your favorite…pizza!”

Benefits of Giving Choices

Choices work very well with children. Giving choices offers several benefits:

Gives the child a sense of control
Helps prevent power struggles
Allows you to guide the outcome

The Importance of Following Through

Once a choice is offered, you must honor it. Inconsistency undermines the strategy and damages trust. If you don’t follow through, your child will quickly learn that your words don’t mean much.

The Pitfalls of Empty Threats

Think about the scenario of a child who was told if they didn’t stop a specific behavior, they would not go to Disneyland next week.

The parents had no intention of following through on that threat, and the child knew that. So the child did it anyway, and the family went to Disneyland.

This teaches the child that the parent’s words are meaningless. Credibility and consistency are key.

Additional Tips For Giving Choices

Don’t offer too many choices.
Make sure the child understands the choices.
Offer choices that make you happy with the outcome.
Make sure the choices are realistic.
Let the child decide on their own.
Be prepared to follow through.
Give a time limit for the choice.

Making ABA Strategies Work for Your Family

Here are some additional tips for using these strategies successfully.

– Make Dreaded Tasks Fun

Turn chores into games or songs. For example, use the “clean up song” or make cleaning a race to be the “clean-up king or queen.” Gamification can reduce resistance and increase cooperation.

– Teach Children to Ask for Breaks

Recognize frustration and teach kids to ask for a break before a meltdown. For example, during homework, teach your child to say, “I need a break” when they feel overwhelmed.

Empowering children to ask for breaks is essential in building self-advocacy skills. Discover more strategies in our Self-Advocacy in Special Education Parent’s Guide.

– The Importance of Patience

Patience is key when working to eliminate unwanted behaviors. It takes time and consistency to see results.

Understanding Your Child’s Perspective

Try to understand your child’s perspective and the reasons behind their behavior. This understanding can help you tailor strategies for better effectiveness.

– Seeking Professional Help

It’s okay to seek professional help if you’re struggling. ABA therapists and BCBAs (Board Certified Behavior Analysts) can provide valuable support.

You may also want to consider One-On-One Special Education Tutoring to help your child’s individual educational needs.

– Parent Self-Care

Take care of yourself when dealing with challenging behaviors. Check out this post for self-care ideas.

– Positive Reinforcement

Focus on rewarding good behavior rather than only punishing bad behavior.

Learn how to use positive reinforcements effectively with children in this post.

– Emotional Regulation First

Remember, learning cannot occur during heightened emotions. Addressing emotional regulation is a prerequisite for effective teaching.

Next Steps

The next blog post will cover effective methods for managing unwanted behaviors when they occur. These methods will build on the foundation we’ve established.

Behavior modification is an ongoing journey. Celebrate small victories and stay committed to the process. Parenting a child with special needs can be challenging.

Additional Resources to Tackle Behavior Challenges

If you’re looking for additional ways your child can get help with their education… We offer one-on-one special education tutoring that can be done from anywhere you are! Our special education experts conduct their sessions online!

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