Identify and describe the five different functions that problem behaviors can serve for children within the learning environment. Why is it important for parents and teachers to identify the function of a child's behavior?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Hot, Walker, Robinson, and Raymond (2017) describe five possible functions of behavior: sensory stimulation (engaging in a behavior as a means of stimulating one of the senses--e.g., clapping hands in order to hear the sound); escape or avoidance of tasks that are perceived by the child as undesirable or challenging; attention seeking (either from peers or adults--or both); a desire for tangible reinforcers such as stickers, candy, and so on; and power/control over a situation. Student answers may vary on the second half of this question. Students should note that it is imperative that the function of a behavior is identified before implementing interventions to address it. For example, children engage in problem behaviors because they get something desirable from it. They are reinforced by the attention, power, sensory stimulation, or the ability to escape that they get when they engage in the problem behavior. If teachers are able to identify the function of a behavior, they can develop an appropriate replacement behavior that serves the same function as the problem behavior. For example, if a child talks out in class without raising his hand to get attention from his teacher, then any replacement behavior that is designed must allow the child to receive the same level of adult attention, if not more, than he was getting when he was talking out of turn in class. Understanding the function of problem behaviors allows teachers and other professionals to develop effective behavioral intervention plans.