Behavior

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Understanding Human Behavior
Rare is the special education teacher who has not experienced behavior issues in the classroom. When discussing behavior, we tend to use broad generalizations like "good behavior" and "bad behavior". In understanding and attempting to change behavior, however, you may find it more helpful to think in terms of specific, discrete behaviors that are either **desireable** (staying seated, listening, raising hands, taking notes, discussing) or **undesireable** (throwing things, making inappropriate comments, hitting).

Functions of Behavior
Although your students engage in a lot of different behaviors in the course of a block, most human behavior is designed to serve one of four basic functions:
 * 1) **attain/maintain attention**
 * 2) **escape from demand** (avoiding a task that is unpleasant or difficult - e.g., reading out loud)
 * 3) **self stimulation** (prevalent among people with ADHD and pervasive developmental disorders)
 * 4) **decreasing pain/stress**

Although we all have our own classroom management styles that are perfectly adequate for dealing with behavioral issues that may arise from time to time, persistent, severe behavior problems warrant a closer look. In dealing with problem behaviors, don't ask, "Why does he do that" - ask, **"What function does the behavior serve?"**

Before & After the Behavior
Behaviors don't occur in a vaccuum. What occurs **before** (antecedent) and **after** (consequence) a behavior are paramount in determining whether the behavior will persist or fade. In short, the **antecedent** conditions are what permit or provoke a behavior, which the **consequences** are the reactions or results that will determine the likelihood of the behavior occurring again.

How Do I Change Behavior?
The short answer is, there is no "one-size-fits-all" method. Each child is different; therefore, each behavior intervention must be different. Generally speaking, however, you can look to the antecedent and consequences of each target behavior to help you figure out a course of action. Observe the student, or ask another staff member to do so, and consider the following questions:
 * What target behavior do I wish to reduce/promote?
 * What occurs directly **before** the target behavior?
 * What occurs directly **after** the target behavior?

Your best chance of changing the prevalence of a behavior is to:
 * Identify the **function** of a behavior (e.g., "Student curses at teacher when asked to do division problems because he knows he will be thrown out of class - function is work avoidance [#2 above])
 * Alter the **antecedent** environment to make the behavior less likely to happen ("heading it off")
 * Provide an appropriate **consequence** as immediately as possible after the behavior occurs
 * Provide a **reinforcer** if you want to increase a behavior
 * Provide a **punishment** if you want to decrease a behavior
 * Make sure that the reinforcer or punishment is an **appropriate fit** - under normal circumstances, kicking a student out of class is not an appropriate punishment if he's trying to avoid completing a task
 * Be **consistent** in your approach

What About Writing Students Up?
If they break the rules, by all means, write them up (unless they have a Behavior Intervention Plan that indicates otherwise). However, those consequences are not **immediate** - the more immediate a consequence, the greater influence it will have over whether a behavior occurs again. That goes for negative consequences (e.g., getting punched) as well as positive (e.g., getting a compliment from a teacher or peer).

Further Reference

 * [|Intervention Central] is a great website with a repository of empirically supported behavior interventions for teachers. Tips include dealing with [|defiance], [|off-task/inattentive behaviors], and [|hyperactivity], to name a few.
 * [|Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports] is funded by the United States Dept. of Education, and is aimed at helping establish system-wide behavior supports.
 * [|Dr. Mac's BehaviorAdvisor.com]: Website design aside, you'll find some quality behavioral interventions on this site.