1. Catching the good behavior when it occurs naturally and reinforcing it.
Your child learns best when reinforcement is:
- Immediate
- Natural to the situation
- Frequent
- Predictable
2. Teaching the good behavior by setting up situations when it can occur.
Your child learns best when:
- Expectations are concrete, small
- Rewards are predictable and consistent
- He/she always succeeds
- He/she practices performing the behavior well
- He/she practices the behavior with as many people, in as many places, as possible
3. Anticipating and preparing for “high-risk” situations.
“High-risk” situations are those that are likely to present a behavioral challenge to your child. Examples of high-risk situations are those that involve transitions, change, and unstructured time. You can increase the likelihood that good behavior will occur in these situations by creating a predictable structure for your child.
Predictability is established through:
Advance preparation
Visual schedules
Positive routines