If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to manage your child’s challenging behaviors, you’re not alone. Many parents of autistic and neurotypical children struggle to understand why certain behaviors happen and how to respond in a way that truly helps. 

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That’s where Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) comes in, not just to reduce harmful behaviors, but to replace them with meaningful, functional alternatives. At BPI, we take a comprehensive approach, working with both children and their caregivers to create lasting progress. Understanding behavior is the first step to creating meaningful change. 

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In this blog, we’ll explore why behaviors happen, how to track and analyze behavior patterns, the role of ABA in teaching functional skills, and how caregivers can actively participate in the process.

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Why Do Challenging Behaviors Happen?

All behavior happens for a reason. In ABA, we call this the function of behavior. Whether it's to get someone’s attention, to escape a situation, to access something they want, or to fulfill a sensory need. 

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Understanding these functions helps us teach alternative behaviors that serve the same purpose in a more appropriate way.

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Attention: Some behaviors occur because the child wants to gain attention from a parent, sibling, teacher, or peer.

• Example behavior: A child throws a toy to get a reaction from an adult.
• Replacement behavior: We can teach the child to use words, gestures, or a communication device to request attention appropriately.

Escape: Some behaviors happen when a child wants to avoid a situation they find difficult, frustrating, or unpleasant.

• Example behavior: A child covers their ears and cries when asked to put on their shoes.
• Replacement behavior: Teaching the child to request a break or ask for help provides them with a more effective way to communicate their needs.

Tangible: This function occurs when a child engages in a behavior to gain access to a preferred item or activity.

• Example behavior: A child screams until they are given a tablet.
• Replacement behavior: We work on reinforcing appropriate requests, such as asking vocally, signing, or using a communication device.

Sensory: Some behaviors occur because they provide internal reinforcement, meaning the behavior itself feels good or helps regulate sensory input.

• Example behavior: A child repeatedly rocks back and forth when sitting on the floor.
• Replacement behavior: If the behavior becomes harmful or unsafe, we can introduce alternative ways to meet that sensory need, such as using a rocking chair, fidget toys, or structured movement breaks. If the behavior is not harmful to the child and does not interfere with their learning, then there's no need to step in or try to change it.

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ABA is not just about stopping a behavior, it’s about teaching what to do instead. That’s why BCBAs focus on both reducing challenging behaviors and reinforcing more positive, socially appropriate behaviors that help children communicate and interact more effectively with the world around them.

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Tracking Behavior: Why It Matters

One of the first steps in understanding behavior is collecting data. This may sound intimidating, but it’s really just about observing and writing down what happens before, during, and after a behavior. 

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Keeping track of behaviors over time helps us identify patterns, determine what might be triggering certain behaviors, and see how responses may be unintentionally reinforcing them. 

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A simple way to do this is by using an ABC Chart, which stands for:

• A (Antecedent): What happened right before the behavior? Think about specifics: What activity was going on? Who was present? Where were you at? What time? Any details can help identify the antecedent.
• B (Behavior): What exactly did the behavior look like? Did your child scream, throw objects, hit, cry, or engage in self-injurious behavior? How many times? How long did it last?
• C (Consequence): What happened immediately after? Did you remove an item? Give attention? Ignore the behavior?

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While not all of these questions need to be answered, they are a great starting place when you first start observing your child’s behavior.  

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Let’s look at an example of how to break this down. In this scenario, your child throws a toy when you tell them it’s time to turn off the TV.

• Antecedent (A): You announce, “Time to turn off the TV,” and reach for the remote.
• Behavior (B): Your child screams and throws their toy across the room.
• Consequence (C): You give them extra TV time to calm down.

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In this case, the consequence (giving more TV time) may actually reinforce the behavior, teaching the child that throwing a toy leads to getting what they want. A BCBA would work with you to introduce a replacement behavior, like teaching your child to request “five more minutes” appropriately.

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It’s completely normal to feel unsure about where to begin, but small steps, like tracking just one behavior, can lead to big insights. Try documenting it for a few days and reviewing it with your BCBA to identify patterns and solutions. 

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Some parents worry about writing the "right" response when tracking behavior, but honesty is key. Your BCBA needs to see what actually happened, not what you think they wanted you to do, in order to provide the best guidance. 

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How ABA Helps: Teaching Functional Skills

At BPI, ABA therapy isn’t just about decreasing challenging behaviors, it’s about teaching and increasing functional communication to promote greater independence. 

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One-on-One Therapy for Skill Building

We start in a structured, one-on-one setting where we can carefully teach and reinforce new skills while reducing harmful or challenging behaviors. The reason for this environment is simple: if a child struggles with a skill in a structured setting, it may be even harder in real-world situations. 

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The goal is to create a strong foundation first, then generalize those skills to home, school, and the community.

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Some of the key areas we focus on include:

• Functional Communication: Encouraging the use of vocal language, signs, gestures, or alternative communication tools to express needs and ideas
• Self-Regulation: Building strategies to manage frustration and meet sensory needs
• Social Skills: Practicing turn-taking, making appropriate requests, and following directions in a group setting
• Safety Awareness: Learning to recognize safe versus unsafe situations and respond appropriately to instructions
• Self-Help Skills: Promoting independence in daily activities such as dressing and personal hygiene

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By building these foundational skills during therapy, we can help reduce challenging behaviors by giving children the tools they need to communicate, self-regulate, and navigate social interactions more effectively.

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Parent Involvement and Caregiver Consultations

Caregiver Consultations are a key part of ABA therapy, ensuring that progress made in sessions extends to everyday life. Through these sessions, parents and caregivers learn how to respond to challenging behaviors effectively, reinforce positive behaviors at home, and help their child generalize new skills across different settings. 

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These strategies aren’t always intuitive, and that’s okay. We never expect families to know everything. That’s why your clinical team is there to support and guide you. Our goal is to equip families with the tools and confidence to support their child’s success.

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Creating Long-Term Success

Understanding your child’s behavior doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. With the right tools and support, you can start identifying patterns, responding effectively, and helping your child build positive skills. Tracking behaviors, learning about the functions of behavior, and working alongside a BCBA are all key steps in this process.

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At BPI, we provide families with the resources and guidance needed to navigate challenging behaviors and support meaningful growth. Whether it’s structured therapy sessions, caregiver consultations, or free online modules like Parent Academy, we’re here to help. 

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If you’re not currently working with a BCBA or clinical team and are looking for support in understanding and addressing your child’s behaviors, BPI is here to help. Reach out today to learn more about our approach and how we can support your family’s journey.