The Litmus Test for Behavior/Treatment Strategies -- Bill Nason
Autism Discussion Page
This page is developed around a tool box of strategies to help the child feel “safe, accepted, and competent.” After 30 years in the field I have narrowed my analysis down to a foundation that we all have a strong need to feel safe, accepted, and competent. In my job, most people approaching me are seeking help in dealing with a host of social, emotional, and behavioral challenges; almost everyone feeling vulnerable and inadequate in dealing with these challenges. Every individual comes with their own unique strengths and vulnerabilities, social and emotional challenges, and a past history of repeated failure in trying to integrate in society. In addition, all the people supporting the individual (parents, relatives, teachers, etc.) also are frustrated and vulnerable, and feeling incompetent in dealing with the challenges.
In our drastic attempts to “change behavior”, others may want to assign harmful intent to the child, and wish to punish, suspend, or otherwise “force” the child to comply. When we don’t understand the conditions presenting the challenges, we turn to modifying behavior by manipulating consequences. More times than not it either doesn’t help, or makes things worse. It often ends up not reducing the conditions presenting the behavior, but usually ends up invalidating the child. Often we are acting out of frustration when we ourselves are feeling inadequate. Just like the child who needs to “control” when feeling inadequate, us adults will do the same when feeling incompetent.
In my 30 years in the field, I’ve found that if we change the conditions around the child so he feels safe, accepted, and competent, then every child grows and develops. Problematic behavior occurs when we put the child in situations for which the demands of the situation outweigh the child’s current skills for dealing with them. Either the child feels insecure, unaccepted, or incompetent in dealing with the current demands. When the child feels (1) safe and secure (physically, socially, and emotionally), (2) accepted, respected, and valued, and (3) competent in tackling the current demands, then problem behavior subside, and adaptive growth occurs. This is why the current “positive behavior supports” systems are mandated (but rarely used correctly) in our school systems. Positive behavior supports are strategies to lessen the stressors, accommodate for vulnerabilities, match demands to current abilities, and teach better skills for dealing with the social and emotional demands.
So, my request of you is to use this model as a litmus test when evaluating strategies that professionals, teachers, family and friends recommend to use. Ask yourself (and them) “In what way does this strategy help my child feel more safe, accepted, or competent?” If they want your child to loss privileges, force them to stay in situations that are overwhelming them, suspending them from school, or pressure them into compliance, ask them “In what way does this procedure support my child to feel safe, accepted, and competent.” If it doesn’t help support one of those three things, then be very cautious. Most likely the procedure will just invalidate the child even more, and lead him or her to feel even more incompetent than they already feel. If the procedure doesn’t (1) lessen stressors, (2) change demands, (3) accommodate vulnerabilities, or (4) teach better skills, it probably is not a good procedure to use. Whatever strategy that is used, ask yourself how does it support my child to feel “safe, accepted, and competent.” If it does, then you cannot go wrong. Everyone will benefit, feel more competent, and grow more connected with each other. This litmus test is simple, and accurate
