If you have followed this summer series – Reducing Problem Behaviors – you are familiar with my soap box style rants regarding replacement behaviors. Don’t let that stop you from reading this post because you need the critical first step to be annoyingly engrained in your head. The absolute, must-not-forget, essential step to eliminating aggressive and disruptive behavior is to teach and reinforce the appropriate way to access the consequence the problem behavior once delivered. And even if you are nodding your head along with mean, thinking “amen honey child” you might still be guilty of skipping this step or not completing this step fully. I am too. Don’t feel bad. No shame my friends. We get caught up in the my-intervention-is-so-badass mentality that let the whole replacement behavior concept fall to the wayside. But I caution you with every ABA bone in my body to slow your roll and ensure that you are solidifying the replacement behaviors in a whole hearted manner.
When the problem behavior no longer results in a healthy does of that sweet, sweet reinforcement – you need a replacement behavior to come to the rescue. When the replacement behavior results in reinforcement, your child will no longer have a need for the problem behavior. Teaching & reinforcing a replacement behavior will make your intervention more successful more quickly.
What does a replacement behavior look like?
How do I reinforce a replacement behavior?
This post is part of Summer Series: Reducing Problem Behavior. Click here to see more in this series!
- Planning for the Fall: Part 4 and 5 – Visually Structured Tasks and Routines - January 30, 2026
- Using TAH Curriculum for Homeschooling from a Homeschooling Parent - September 10, 2022
- Using The Autism Helper Curriculum for Homeschool - August 8, 2022
