Keywords

autism, behavioral studies, communication

Abstract

Help! What should I do with Michael? I can't control him! I often hear pleas of help similar to this one. What can a teacher do to help a student with autism learn and demonstrate appropriate behavior? The purpose of this article is provide a framework by which we can view behavior, and a description of a few strategies to help prevent challenging behaviors among students with autism. When I was a fresh out of college working under a provisional certificate, I was educated in the "current" methods of "behavior management." That is, I learned how to observe, count, graph and watch the trends of "maladaptive" behaviors of my students. Even if a student did not have challenging behaviors, I was able to point out even mildly disruptive behaviors. I became the "data queen" of my school. With these data I then planned elaborate behavior management strategies that I could use "on" my students. Typically, the occurrences of maladaptive behaviors decreased and I felt good about how I had changed my students' lives.

Original Publication Citation

Dyches, T. T. (2). Guest Editorial. Strategies for preventing disruptive behaviors among students with autism. Utah Special Educator, 2(3), 3-4.