Assessing and Treating Patterns of Unwanted Behavior Maintained By Negative Reinforcement in Preschoolers: Eating, Sleeping, and Pooping, Oh My!

Behavior analysts are uniquely trained to assess and address patterns of unwanted behavior maintained by negative reinforcement. Children are super efficient at using their behavior to delay, avoid, “control” (as parents and laypersons call it), or get out of non-preferred or difficult tasks. The answer to resolve the issues of potty training, sleeping, and bedtime MUST include plans to capitalize on negative reinforcement to strengthen participation, persistence, and cooperation in children as early as 2 years old and through adolescence.

At the end of this training, participants will:

• List at least 3 skills to teach children to prevent or replace unwanted patterns of behavior maintained by negative reinforcement.
• Explain how to assess unwanted patterns of behavior maintained by negative reinforcement.
• Develop a plan informed by an assessment of a client’s unwanted behaviors to address patterns of unwanted behavior maintained by negative reinforcement.
• Use common language to describe to parents and laypersons the process of assessing and treating patterns of unwanted behavior.
• Use assessment information provided to develop a plan to address a child’s severe constipation that has resulted from said child “refusing to poop on the toilet.”