Preschool Behavior Project


Early Childhood Behavior Project	Request Item/Activity

Skip navigation	What is a request for an item/activity? Requesting an item/activity indicates the desire to gain or maintain access to a preferred object or activity. Who would benefit from being taught to request items/activities? A variety of children who engage in challenging behaviors would benefit from being taught to request items/activities. 1. Gain Preferred Items Children who engage in challenging behaviors in order to obtain items or activities would benefit from being taught a communicative request. Larry bangs his head on the floor when he wants a preferred toy. When he engages in this behavior, caregivers offer him an array of preferred items. 2. Maintain Interaction/Contact-Motivated (Attention-Motivated) Some children engage in challenging behaviors to continue an activity. Denise enjoys interacting with Janis, another child in her class. Denise does not engage in challenging behaviors while she and Janis are participating in Monopoly. However, when the activity is about to terminate (i.e., it is the end of the play period or Janis has become bored), Denise begins to yell and cry in order to prevent her friend from leaving. If Janis comes back to the activity, Denise will immediately stop crying and resume participation. However, when Janis again attempts to leave, the yelling and crying resume. 3. Change Preferred Activities Other children may engage in challenging behavior to change activities. Julia, after becoming bored with painting, begins to yell and scream. Being able to request a preferred activity would preempt the need for her to produce challenging behavior. How might a child indicate a request for an item/activity? A child may request an item/activity in three ways: speaking, using a graphic symbol, or using a gestural symbol. One child may indicate a request by verbally asking, Can I have my radio, please? Another child may point to a graphic symbol for radio to request access to the radio. A third child may use the gestural sign for music as a means to request that the radio be turned on. Getting Ready to Teach Requesting an Item/Activity Step A. Determine the function served by the challenging behavior. Step B. Identify the critical event that cues the child to engage in challenging behavior to gain/maintain access to preferred items/activities. Step C. Identify specific activities that can serve as teaching examples. Step D. Identify a socially acceptable communication means. Step E. Determine the form and consider the efficiency of the communicative replacement. Step F. Determine the point at which the child is likely to engage in challenging behavior to access a preferred item/activity. Teach Request an Item/Activity to Gain Initial Access Step 1. Prompt the child to request the desired item/activity. Step 2. Fade instructional prompts. Teach Request Item/Activity to Maintain Interaction/ Contact When implementing intervention strategies in this situation, the initial six steps of Getting Ready to Teach (described previously) are completed prior to the following procedural steps: Step 1. Engage the child in a highly preferred activity. Step 2. Determine the degree of interruption that can be used. Step 3. Interrupt and immediately prompt a request. Step 4. Fade instructional prompts. Teach Request Item/Activity to Change Item/Activity When implementing intervention strategies in this situation, the initial six steps of Getting Ready to Teach (described previously) are completed prior to the following procedural steps: Step 1. Engage the child in a highly preferred activity. Step 2. Prompt the request item/activity response. Avoid prompting the child following the occurrence of challenging behavior. Step 3. Fade instructional prompts.

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	Early Childhood Behavior Project Center for Early Education and Development (CEED) University of Minnesota Joe Reichle, Ph.D., Co-Principal Investigators LeAnne Johnson, Project Coordinator Phone: 612-626-3457 E-mail: chaf0032@umn.edu


	College of Education and Human Development	University of Minnesota

	Send questions or comments on the web site to Karen Anderson, Web Site Coordinator. http://pebbles.cehd.umn.edu/ceed/projects/preschoolbehavior/strategies/reqitem.htm This page was last updated on November 27, 2007. � 2005 by the Regents of the University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Online privacy statement



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