The functions that challenging behaviors serve for children can be categorized as those that are emitted to avoid/escape undesired outcomes and those that are emitted to gain access to desired outcomes.

For example, Carlos throws his plate, spoon, and cup each time he is requested to eat green vegetables (a nonpreferred item). The form of Carlos' problem behavior is throwing objects (e.g., cup, spoon, plate) and the function that it serves is to avoid the presentation of nonpreferred foods.

Another child, Kristin, begins to tantrum each time her teacher begins to work with other students in the class. Kristin's problem behavior (tantrumming) serves the purpose of gaining access to a desired outcome--her teacher's attention.

Within these two general functions (avoid/escape and gain access), challenging behaviors can be further categorized as socially motivated or nonsocially motivated.

What is a socially motivated challenging behavior?

Challenging behaviors that require the mediation of others in the environment are referred to as socially motivated challenging behaviors. For example, Ben, who is unable to communicate the desire to join his friends at recess, engages in self-injurious behavior (i.e., slaps himself in the face) until his teacher wheels him out to the play ground. Mary throws materials around the room in order to indicate the desire to terminate an activity. John, on the other hand, becomes aggressive (e.g., hits, bites, spits) at the sight of an undesirable object or activity (e.g., a nonpreferred food item). In the preceding examples, each child was engaging in "socially motivated" problem behaviors. A child who engages in socially motivated challenging behavior may do so in order to gain access to attention, objects or activities, or to escape or avoid nonpreferred situations (attention, objects, events or activities).

What is a nonsocially motivated challenging behavior?

Children who engage in nonsocially motivated challenging behaviors do not require mediation from others in the environment. Their behaviors may serve the function of obtaining or escaping internal stimulation. For example, a child may bang his head in order to escape the pain of an earache. The same child may enjoy the feeling of his/her body in motion, and therefore rocks his/her body back and forth. Another child may enjoy loud noises, and as a result bangs objects. None of these behaviors require any interaction with others in his or her environment in order to maintain the probability that they will occur in the future. It is important to note that some children may not require a communicative alternative. Consider Tommy, who enjoys rocking his body back and forth. Tommy may benefit from being provided with opportunities to play on a swing. He could be taught that when he would like to experience this rocking sensation, he should go to the swing instead of rocking his body back and forth. Sandra, who bangs her materials because she enjoys loud noises, might benefit from learning how to play loud musical instruments. Teaching her to go to her musical instruments when she desires loud stimulation might prevent her from banging her other play materials.

Can a nonsocially motivated challenging behavior become socially motivated?

Nonsocially motivated challenging behaviors may become socially motivated over time. Consider a child who bangs his head in order to alleviate the pain of an earache. During the first few occasions when his mother noticed him banging his head, she immediately picked him up. Subsequently, she rubbed his head soothingly and offered him his favorite toy. Eventually the child's mother became concerned and began to examine her child. She noticed that there was drainage from the ear and immediately brought him to the doctor. The doctor prescribed medication for an ear infection and, within several weeks, the infection was gone. Although the child no longer had an earache, he would still occasionally bang his head but only in the presence of his mother. His mother continued to respond by picking him up and offering him his favorite toy. In this situation, it appears that the child learned that engaging in head-banging results not only in the alleviation of an earache, but also in the procurement of attention and preferred items. In this example, a behavior that was once nonsocially motivated may have become socially motivated.

Does the child's engagement in challenging behavior affect the way interventionists interact with him or her?

When a child engages in challenging behaviors, it often affects the way interventionists interact with him or her (Taylor & Carr, 1993). The following examples illustrate how three children--one who is attention motivated, one who is attention/avoidance motivated, and one who is escape motivated--each affect the way their interventionists interact with them.

Example 1: Attention Motivated

George is a young child who engages in problem behavior (i.e., acts aggressively towards peers) in order to obtain his teacher's attention. As a result, his teacher's instructional strategies have changed considerably since George became a member of her class. During morning circle, she always sits next to George and is sure to call on him at least four times during the 15-minute activity. When assigning play groups to classroom staff, George is always assigned to her group, and this group purposefully has less children so that she can provide George with a great deal of attention. When the play group rotates from center to center within the classroom, his teacher spends most of the time interacting with George. The time that she does spend with the other children is often interrupted while she diverts her attention to George (e.g., praises his work, comments on his good behavior, etc.). It is apparent, that George's teacher has adapted her instructional style by providing George with an abundance of attention in order to decrease the likelihood that he will engage in problem behavior.

Example 2: Attention/avoidance motivated

Another student, Bobby, engages in problem behavior to avoid attention (e.g., interventionists interacting with him). He prefers to play by himself and begins to flail his arms and run away when others (both peers and interventionists) approach him. Bobby's problem behaviors have affected the way his teacher and classroom assistant interact with him. Generally, the teacher and the assistant move around the classroom encouraging students to play together, share materials, and role play. However, neither the assistant nor the teacher ever approach Bobby. If he is playing quietly, they will walk past him and begin to interact with other children in the class. It is clear that the classroom teacher and assistant purposefully avoid interacting with Bobby in order to decrease the likelihood that he will engage in problem behaviors.

Example 3: Escape motivated

Allison is a young girl who often tantrums when a task becomes too difficult. For example, she often begins to tantrum during art if she is not able to open the glue container or use her scissors correctly. As a result, her teacher has Allison engage in activities that she can complete with 100% accuracy. Therefore, while the rest of the class is making decorative holiday projects that entail use of glue, scissors, and a variety of other craft materials, the teacher requests that Allison engage in a coloring activity, requiring only the use of crayons and paper. It is clear that Allison's teacher avoids certain instructional activities in order to decrease the likelihood that Allison will engage in problem behaviors.

References

Doss, L.S., & Reichle, J. (1991). Replacing excess behavior with an initial communicative repertoire. In J. Reichle, J. York, & J. Sigafoos (Eds.), Implementing augmentative and alternative communication: Strategies for learners with severe disabilities. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.

Taylor, J. C., & Carr, E. G. (1993). Reciprocal social influences in the analysis and intervention of severe challenging behavior. In J. Reichle & D. Wacker (Eds.), Communicative Approaches to the Management of Challenging Behavior (pp. 63-81). Baltimore: Brookes.

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Joe Reichle, Ph.D., Co-Principal Investigators
LeAnne Johnson, Project Coordinator
Phone: 612-626-3457  E-mail: chaf0032@umn.edu

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