Gaining compliance and reducing problem behaviors – such as tantrums and aggression – is a goal for any parent of a child with autism. However, caregivers often mistakenly use techniques that create the desired effect in the moment, but may ultimately cause negative side effects. Commonly, parents use punishment as a way to correct their child’s unwanted behavior. What many don’t know is that punishment can cause a variety of problems and harm the relationship you have with your child. Adding further complication, when reprimanding and other forms of punishment lose impact, parents often increase severity to produce similar results thus increasing the negative side effects.
Alternatively, using praise as a way to reinforce desired behaviors offers many benefits. According to research, praise and other forms of positive reinforcement can be as effective as punishment and do not cause negative side effects. Praise nurtures and grows the relationship between caregiver and child. When coupled with other positive reinforcement, praise can create desirable long-term effects and develops socially acceptable habits.
Here are 4 tips on delivering praise to your child with autism:
- Set realistic goals for yourself. Be realistic in what you can accomplish. Identify two or three behaviors that you want to target. Discuss the goals with other caregivers and partners.
- Be systematic and consistent. Praise should be delivered as part of a larger, overall plan. If you are inconsistent with delivering praise, the result can be that your child relies on the positive reinforcement and never adopts the desired behavior. Stay away from one-time praises. Remember your two or three target behaviors and provide praise when your child complies or accomplishes the task. The bigger the accomplishment, the bigger the praise!
- Be clear and concise. Speak with your child. Let her or him know what the desired behavior is. If possible, model the behavior. When giving the praise, be specific. By saying things like, “good job,” or “awesome work,” you are missing out on an opportunity to fully reinforce the behavior. Instead, say, “good job brushing your teeth for three minutes,” or “awesome work finishing all of your math homework!”
- Deliver the praise immediately. The reward is most powerful when delivered timely. If you wait, the impact of the praise decreases. Also, if the praise is not delivered immediately, you may unknowingly be reinforcing another, less desirable behavior.
Some parents have reservations about using praise and positive reinforcement as their main tool for shaping their child’s behavior. They may feel that using praise is like bribery. If praise and positive reinforcement are not part of a bigger strategy, and not delivered consistently, their impact fades. If delivered systematically over time then the results are notable!
These are a few tips on how to deliver praise to a child with autism. Connect with one of Animate Behavior’s Board Certified Behavior Analysts today to learn how we partner with parents so that you and your family can get the most out of ABA therapy!