There is another option...

• Punishment = Last Choice
• What is DRO?
• Ok, So What Do I Do with the Inappropriate Behaviors Then?
• Patience
• Consistency & Immediacy

Punishment = Last Choice
In my previous post, you noticed that I talked a lot about punishment, and how it's the least effective form of long term results.  Meaning, no timeouts, spanking, yelling extremely loud, grounding your child for a month, etc.  And with all the frustration that I had with this (because I used to do it), what other option do I have?  The thing that frustrate some parents is that they were raised to use such teaching methods for their kids, and most of them are labeled under punishment.  And if you can't use these "punishments", it might feel like you've been doing things all wrong and now you have to start all over.  Change is hard, but of course if we look at the big picture we will learn it's for the better.  So instead of punishment we use reinforcement. And a great way to do this is with DRO.

What is DRO?
DRO stands for Differential Reinforcement of Other Behaviors.   Which basically means you will immediately pay more attention in a positive manner to appropriate behaviors that your child will present.  For example: your child puts their shoes on, throws something in the garbage, says "pleases" and "thank you", you get visually excited about it.  You are showing them which behavior are accepted and which ones that are not by showing obvious visual differences.  You can have them keep track of these accepted behaviors through the use of charts and tangibles (items they can have physically).

Ok, So What Do I Do with the Inappropriate Behaviors Then?
A great way to handle these unacceptable behaviors is through a learning technique.  Generally you would be blocking the behavior through interrupting it and redirecting the behavior to something more acceptable.  For example, she/he has  a tantrum.  They begin to yell, cry and scream.  Immediately show them the appropriate behavior during this inappropriate behavior (interrupting them) and say (redirecting) "If you feel mad...say you are mad.  If you want something...say what you want" or if they are too young to understand that, say "Say 'I'm sad'" to try to have them repeat "I'm sad".  Then have them say "I want my toy".  The point of this is to have them replace that problem behavior with something that is socially more acceptable.  So that when they are in school or playing with other children, their interaction with others will be in a more acceptable manner. At the end causing less chaos and less phone calls of your child hitting someone else, bitting, etc.

Patience
Just like in my previous post, remember the importance of patience.  Some children learn fast, while for others it may take some time.  Every child is different and that is ok.  You know your child.

Consistency & Immediacy
And the most important thing with all this is: Consistency and immediacy.  Always providing the same consequence after the behavior and right away.

What's wrong with punishment?

• Defining Punishment
• My History

Defining Punishment
I've recently learned there are three major parts to the function definition of punishment.  (1) A certain behavior first takes place, (2)  immediately a consequence takes place and (3) because of that particular consequence for that particular behavior, the behavior in the future has a great chance of not reoccurring in the future.  People usually would confuse what the term "Punishment" means anyways.  For one thing, our society out of the world of behavior analysis, see punishment as a way to "hurt" someone who had done something "bad".  For example, society would "punish" an individual who stole a car by placing them in jail.

But you are using the punishment term in BA always remember to break it down into the three parts above.  Because you have to understand the "function".

My History
Wow...my history with punishment.  Punishment was highly used in my household as a child and in many generations before me.  It was seen and still is in my culture as the most important thing in raising a child.  If you don't hit your child your immediately for something they have done wrong you are looked at like you are not "doing your job" as a parent.  However, what about some children, they get hit so often?  And they are known as the "bad boy with a steal butt"?  Did punishment work? No!  Why?   Because the child is still engaging in the inappropriate behaviors.  So obviously it isn't quite effective.  This boy is my son.  And because of this...I steer away from this type of behavior modification majority of the time.  Because, as easy as it may seem to implement (such as time out), the consequences of it are very complex.

To much can damage...

• Chart
• Satiation
• Response Cost

Chart
Currently working on a visual chart with daily task that me and my son can use to communicate on what needs to be done to help with each task transition.  I believe this will help greatly in communicating what is expected every day.  In addition, on the chart I will be able to keep tract of this tokens and will able to visual show his reinforcers (so that he knows what he's working for).

Satiation
I've recently learned how important this is.  The value of the dollars given to my son can be determined by how much I give him per day.  For instance what happens if he earned 20 a day?  The value of the dollars would decrease, plus he would be able to abuse the use of the reinforcers.  In turn, the reinforcers will not be as potent as they should be.  In order for a behavior to be affected by a reinforcer: (1) It has to be something the child really values.  Reinforcers solely depends on the each child and (2)  And the availability of the reinforcer has to be restricted.  In other words, he/she can't get that reinforcer for anywhere or from anybody else.  If so, it will be hard to get them to work for it.

Response Cost
I have decided to use punishment.  I basically will be taking away a dollar each time he has to be in time out in order to immediately decrease an unwanted behavior.  But I will have to plan this carefully.  Because I don't want to have to send him to time out for everything.  And he shouldn't have all this tokens taken away, because that will weaken the reinforcer.  So I will choose the top main "socially significant" behaviors that I will be using time out for only.  More about this will be discussed later.