We have talked a lot about the function (the why) of a behavior and different ways to identify what is causing these behaviors to continue (read more here). You can break down most behaviors into attention (+ tangible), escape, or sensory. Attention maintained behaviors are done to get someone’s attention – even negative attention! Included in that category can be the tangible function. This is behaviors that are done to get access to something (cheetohs, iPad, your cell phone…). Escape behaviors are used to get out of something whether that is a work task, social situation, or specific environment. And sensory behavior are done to receive some type of internal satisfaction.

So after recapping those functions, behaviors and students automatically pop into my head that don’t quite fit exactly into one category. Our kids can’t make it too easy on us of course. Some of us have students that seem like their negative behaviors are done to control the situation. They want to dictate how and when attention is given, they want to decide what tasks are done when – it’s their world and we are just living in it. Am I describing to a student you have to the tee? With these kiddos it seems like maybe the function of the behavior is to control.

These kids can be very challenging to work with because we seem to find ourselves in a “damned if you do and damned if you don’t situation.” These kids win every time. When you withhold attention, they are cool with because they are escaping the demand. When you refusing to provide an escape from the task, they are cool with because they are getting tons of attention. Sneaky geniuses. Checkmate.

 

So is there a function of behavior that is control? Let’s look at the definition of control and see if we an break this down.

So if we think of the definition of control related to our student’s behavior – they are try to guide our what we are doing. And if we get down to the root of it – what we are doing is either giving attention (or a tangible) or providing escape (from a task, social situation, etc). So if we think of that way our student is trying to regulate how and when we give both attention and escape. Bingo! We have a multiply controlled behavior on our hands! 

Multiply controlled behaviors are especially challenging because the intervention for one function may contradict the intervention for another function. For example, let’s say a behavior is used to gain attention and to escape demands. When the teacher uses planned ignoring on the behavior to eliminate the attention consequence – she is actually reinforcing the behavior by giving the student an escape from demands. You can comply to any demands when you aren’t getting attention. So if she switches it up and provides hand over hand prompting to complete a demand – she is not reinforcing the behavior by giving attention while prompting. You can’t prompt without giving attention. It becomes a vicious cycle.

It’s not simple and it’s going to require a LOT of trial and error. Trial and error will only be successful when you are taking DATA! Or else how will you know what is actually working and what isn’t!?! You will need a multi-component intervention. That is just a fancy way of saying you will need an intervention with several different strategies involved. You will need to switch your tactics based on the context. So you will need to change your intervention based on the what the student is doing, what the situation is, and what else is happening around the student. It’s no easy feat.

In your behavior plan, clearly explain and lay out in which situations to provide which type of intervention. This will probably be difficult for you to follow yourself so make it easier on your staff members by writing this out in an easy to understand method. See to the left.