Case Summary
Armaan, a 7-year-old student with ADHD, exhibits significant problem behavior. When he does not want to share building blocks with other students, Armaan starts screaming or scratching the hands and arms of his peers to make them leave him alone. Ultimately, Armaan gets his blocks back at the cost of upsetting other children and disrupting the classroom. In that regard, Armaan must be taught a different way of demonstrating his frustration and getting the teacher’s attention.
Method for Teaching the Desired Behavior
Armaan’s unwanted behavior needs to be replaced with a desired alternative. Specifically, Armaan should learn to get the teacher’s attention without making his peers uncomfortable. In that regard, the replacement behavior strategy is an optimal choice for the subsequent development of the desired reaction. According to Webster (2019), replacement behavior shares a function similar to the problematic target behavior it aims to replace.
In Armaan’s case, an educator can teach him to express his needs or frustration with words by using a break choice board. Choice boards help students to know what options are available to them and facilitate their decision-making (Howell, 2019). Furthermore, a teacher should deploy a positive reinforcement strategy to reward Armaan for successfully replacing unwanted behaviors. For example, when Armaan expresses his frustration verbally, a teacher may give him stickers, building blocks, or an iPad so he can listen to some music.
Replacement Behavior for the Student
When frustrated, Armaan chooses or says what he needs using a break choice board instead of harassing fellow students to get the teacher’s attention. Initially, a teacher will have to prompt the replacement behavior by giving Armaan the break choice board and offering him a selection from several alternatives. If Armaan struggles to choose, the teacher should guide him toward the most beneficial activity.
In addition, an educator should teach Armaan to take a deep breath and count to ten before acting. As a part of replacement behavior, this routine action will make Armaan calmer. Ultimately, Armaan will get the time to collect and constructively express his thoughts.
Examples of Replacement Behaviors
The concept of function is crucial for developing and reinforcing a replacement behavior. Unwanted behaviors help a student achieve specific goals via disruptive means. Therefore, a replacement behavior must share functionality with the problem behavior to become effective. For example, Armaan cries, yells, and scratches his peers’ arms to show his frustration.
Several factors might trigger frustration, such as Armaan’s unwillingness to share building blocks with other children. In that regard, going to the teacher and using words to express his frustration would be an effective replacement behavior for Armaan since it would satisfy the same basic function. Hence, it would be wise for a teacher to show Armaan a contingency map to make him aware of what he can do when frustrated.
Resources Corresponding to Teaching Strategies
Specific resources provide informational support on the behavioral replacement approach and the ways of its implementation. For instance, Webster (2019) explains what makes replacing unwanted behavior a better alternative to focusing on the problem. Howell (2019) provides various examples of how visual materials may be used in behavior management. In particular, these resources inspired the use of a break choice board and positive reinforcement technique to overcome Armaan’s problem behavior. Overall, incorporating the experience of professional educators and psychologists is a wise move for anyone willing to correct problem behaviors in little children.
References
Howell, D. (2019). Using visuals to manage behaviors in the classroom. Especially Education. Web.
Webster, J. (2019). Replacement behavior: A positive approach to problem behaviors. ThoughtCo. Web.