Autism is a mental-health disorder that falls along a spectrum of severity of autism spectrum disorders and is usually diagnosed before the age of 3, according to HelpGuide.org. Children with autism usually display problems with their communication, socialization and restriction of behaviors, the National Association on Mental Illness says. Behavior modification techniques are usually intense, structured and individualized. The desired behaviors are increased and the unwanted behaviors are reduced.
Discrete Trial Training
Discrete trial training is a general use of behavior modification. According to Interactive Autism Network, discrete trial training is used to establish new behaviors. Under this technique, a child is directed to do something or behave in a certain way by his therapist or parent. When the child engages in the behavior or completes the tasks the child will receive a reward for his behavior.
Language Development
Children with autism may have trouble developing or may seem to refuse to develop their language skills. Behavior modification techniques can be used to improve these skills. People generally respond to children when they point to something or cry for something, but with some children who have autism, this will only reinforce their lack of language. Therefore, it becomes important to require that a child with autism use language to obtain the items he wants. Parents and other people in the child’s life must wait until the child asks for the specific item that he wants before giving it to him. For instance, when a child is thirsty, he will have to ask for a drink instead of gesturing to it or screaming when he doesn’t get it. When he asks for the drink and then he gets it, the drink then reinforces the behavior, increasing the chances that he will learn to ask first next time.
Praise
Children with autism generally experience a large amount of redirection and punishment from teachers, parents and peers. Therefore, the use of praise can be a valuable behavior modification technique. To increase a child’s desired behaviors, parents and teachers should let the child know when they engage in desired behaviors. Praise can be given through verbal affirmations, smiles, laughter, hugs, high fives and kisses, depending on what the individual child finds enjoyable.
Food
Many times, it can be hard to find items to reward children who have autism. They can be picky and what they like might change from day to day. Therefore, therapists and parents usually find a number of snack foods and small candies that the individual child enjoys. These foods are then kept on hand to use as quick reinforcers for certain behaviors such as taking a bath, washing their hands or smiling. Food must be used with caution because it may be unhealthy in large quantities.
Repetitive Reinforcement
Children with autism tend to need to engage in certain behaviors repeatedly so that they can learn them. Therapists and parents may ask the child to complete an action a number of times in a row and provide a reward each time the behavior was completed, which reinforces the behavior in a repetitive fashion and increases the chance that it will occur again.
