Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is most notably used in the treatment of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. But in truth, ALL children experience problem behaviors at some point in their lives - from the “terrible twos” to the rebellious teen years. This blog is designed to provide an overview of ABA and how it can be a useful tool for typically developing children, teenagers, and even your husband;)



Thursday, August 30, 2012

Sensory Seeking Behaviors

Thanks to a friend for the inspiration on this one.  Just last week someone asked why their child was chewing on fabric.  We forget that our "neurotypical" children engage in somewhat strange behaviors too.  Nail biting, sleeve chewing, nose picking, hair twirling, hair chewing, thumb sucking, teeth grinding, etc.  Oh the things our kids do!  Maybe YOU even do a few of these yourself!?  These behaviors can be classified as sensory seeking.  They are most likely automatically reinforcing - that is, the sensory stimulation received from engaging in these behaviors makes the behavior reinforcing in and of itself.  While these behaviors are relatively harmless and normal, it is bothersome to most parents.   So what can you do?  A) live with it and hope they outgrow it on their own B) punish it or C) teach them an alternative behavior. 

Are you hoping they will outgrow it?  I'm a 28 year old nail biter.  Apparently I didn't outgrow that one.  The problem with punishing such a behavior?  Well, you can't be with your child 24/7, right?  Remember how punishment works?  You have to punish EVERY instance of a behavior, otherwise the behavior is reinforced on an intermittent schedule (meaning every now and again).  Remember intermittent reinforcement is THE worst kind of reinforcement when you are trying to get rid of a behavior - it just makes the behavior stronger!  What's an "alternative behavior" you say?  Well, an alternative behavior is a behavior with which you want to replace the problem behavior.  It should be something that is incompatible with the problem behavior (meaning both behaviors can't occur at the same time), is equally as reinforcing as the problem behavior (in this case meaning it serves the same sensory function - touch, taste, smell, sight, sound), and that is an appropriate alternative (meaning a behavior that you can live with and that doesn't seem "strange" to society).  Of course, you can always chock it up to part of your child's unique personality;)  Everybody needs a little something to make them quirky, right?   

10 comments:

  1. Can you post some alternative behavior suggestions?

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  2. Depends on the behavior of concern and what type of reinforcement the child receives from it. For example, thumb sucking can be very comforting to younger children. First, there's a natural instinct to suckle as a baby that maybe they haven't outgrown. Then, there is a certain amount of oral sensory stimulation - either for the teeth/gums or the tongue. Of course, there is also the thumb itself that receives sensory input. The trick is finding something that 'fits the bill". For a baby or toddler it could be as simple as introducing a paci, which can eventually be faded out to be used only at certain times (like sleep) and then not at all.

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  3. Nose picking is a common one. Sometimes it's just about having something in their nose that they want to get out. Start prompting them to use a tissue every time you see them start to pick their nose. It's not necessary to say "stop picking your nose" but simply "here's a tissue".

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  4. I am student teaching at an elementary school, and we have a kindergarten student who chews on the sleeve or neck ribbing of his shirt, or sucks two fingers while he twirls his hair. I understand that it is sensory stimulation and reinforces itself. Since I am just learning the ropes of behaviors in a real classroom setting,I was hoping you could give me some suggestions of things I could try to teach him an appropriate replacement behavior that would reduce and eventually eliminate this inappropriate problem behavior, especially at school.

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  5. First, you have to start picking apart the behavior. When does he do this? During times when he is working, playing, waiting for something to do? And what do you think is reinforcing about the behavior? Is it the sucking which is an oral stimulation or is it stimulation to his hands (i.e. the feel if his hair, his tongue and/or teeth rubbing against his fingers, etc). You can start by modifying his environment. For example, maybe he only does this when he is "bored" so your first step is to keep him engaged in activities. If he continues to do these the behaviors even while engaged in activitues, maybe you can give him something to chew (ask his parents to send in something appropriate) or give him something to occupy his hands. You didn't mention if this was a neurotypically developing child or child with special needs. Lots of young children with special needs have "chewy toys" because it is more acceptable than chewing on their clothes or fingers. If these types of strategies do not help, there are punishment techniques as well - with parental consent and a behavior plan in place, of course. The simplest of these may be to introduce a token system. He can earn token for appropriate behavior and an absence of these behaviors of concern and he would lose tokens for engaging in the inappropriate hand or clothes chewing behaviors. Introducing a token system is simple but must be done correctly to be effective. I can talk more about that process if you are interested.

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  6. Also, it is good to rule out health issues first. For example, maybe he has a tooth ache and chewing helps ease the pain.

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  7. Hi,
    I am a teacher who is ABA certified and have been racking my brain regarding a friend of mine. When he gets anxious or stressed he sniffs, coughs (he has rhinitis and nasal polyps) and clenches one hand. My question is, what kind of behaviour modifications would you suggest in the case of an adult male? He's open to suggestions.
    Thanks!

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  8. First, I would figure out WHY he is stressed or anxious. I would consider that an underlying medical/psychological condition much like I would some type of pain. Figure out how to make the situation less stressful or come up with calming techniques to use when presented with such situations.

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  9. hi my son keeps wiping poo all over my bathrom walls plus fills toilet roll with it and wets it then smears it everywere , hes always hyper and keeps every1 awake at nyt when he should be sleeping im at my wits end

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    1. Hi Leeanne - It sounds like you've got your hands full! I would definitely suggest seeking a Behavior Analyst in your area to analyze why your son is engaging in these behaviors. You can find a provider on the BACB.com website. You will see a link that says "Find/Contact Certificants" and you can search by your zipcode or city/state.

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