Aggressive behaviors are interfering behaviors that come with the threat of causing harm or destruction, or that actively cause harm or destruction to another individual, to objects, or to oneself. For children on the autism spectrum, these interfering behaviors can have many functions. Generally, the primary functions of interfering behaviors are related to a desire to escape, to obtain something the child wants or needs (e.g., a favorite snack, a toy out of reach, etc.), or to get someone’s attention. Aggressive behaviors can manifest when the child has difficulty communicating needs related to these functions. For example, aggressive behavior may originate from the desire to escape from a demand (e.g., homework), if the child needs help with that demand but is not able to properly communicate the need for help. Aggression may be directed inward, where the child engages in self-injurious behaviors, or outward, where it is directed towards other individuals (e.g., parents or caregivers) or toward material items (e.g., destroying a toy). Aggression can be physical or verbal, the latter which may involve escalated volume (e.g., yelling), using an aggressive tone or words when speaking, or verbal abuse. Aggressive behaviors can lead to injuries, social stigma and / or isolation, as well as elevated stress within the family. Decreasing aggression can improve outcomes for individuals on the autism spectrum, improve family functioning and parental stress, as well as improve social and educational functioning. 

The following strategies may help to mitigate aggression:

• Explore the function of the behavior. Identify your child’s triggers (the stimulus / antecedent), observe the behavior, and the consequence. To determine the trigger, think about 1) where did your child begin to engage in aggressive behavior, 2) when (time of day), 3) who was your child with when the aggressive behavior began, and 4) what were events that occurred that may have triggered the behavior. This will help you to understand the specific cause that may have led to aggressive behavior and can help you to recreate the environment where the behavior occurred in order to practice the use of replacement behaviors. In instances where you want to decrease behavior, the consequence should be to ignore the behavior. Note: If the behavior is physical aggression towards a parent or caretaker, protect vulnerable areas (e.g., eyes, etc.) while you move out of the way. If need be, gently remove their hands from you and respond in a manner that will not escalate the situation (see next bullet point).
• Practice your response. Some responses to aggressive behavior may cause the behavior to escalate. To avoid escalation as an aggressive behavior is occurring, follow these tips:

• -> Stay calm. 
• ->Do not use physical restraint or punishment. If you need to stop your child from actively being physically aggressive to avoid someone getting injured, for example, a sibling, gently remove your child’s hands from the sibling and have the sibling leave the room.
• -> Do not talk while the aggressive behavior is ongoing, if possible. If you do need to speak, use a soft voice to say something like, “No. I will not let you hurt your sibling.”
• -> Keep your facial expressions neutral. An expression that indicates distress, anger, or fear may reinforce the behavior since it is a “consequence” of the behavior.
• -> After the aggressive behavior is controlled (or even better, before it occurs as you notice your child getting upset!), validate your child’s feelings. For example, you may say “[Child’s name], you look like you’re upset.” You can then follow this up by validating how they feel about whatever is triggering the behavior. For example, you can say, “I understand that you are upset that I turned off the TV because it is time to do homework. If that happened to me, I would feel the same way.” The goal is to demonstrate to your child that you are aware of their feelings and that those feelings are valid as opposed to making the child feel as if it is wrong to feel a certain way. The latter may induce feelings of shame or guilt, which can exacerbate aggressive behavior.

• Functional communication training (FCT). Helping your child learn different ways to communicate, such as manding, the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) ®, signing, or using speech-to-text tools, provides your child with skills to communicate a need appropriately and clearly and can encourage appropriate replacement behaviors. Encouraging appropriate behavior with the use of delicate prompting methods (as opposed to hand-over-hand) and ignoring inappropriate behavior helps to avoid escalating your child’s reaction as you practice communicating appropriately. For example, your child may be given a reading assignment that they do not understand. They may react by breaking their pencil or tearing up the assignment. This may be your child’s way of communicating that they need help or a break. The following steps may help guide your child towards more appropriate behaviors:

• Step a): Demonstrate appropriate communication

• First, show your child an appropriate way to ask for help or a break using their preferred communication method. In this example, you can show your child how to sign for “help” or “break” in the context of doing homework, when you know that doing homework often causes your child to use aggressive behavior. 
• Have your child sit at a desk or table and put a homework assignment down on the desk or table in front of your child. If they begin to show signs of distress or escalating behavior, say “I see that you could use a break” or “I see that you may need help” as you show your child the sign for “break” or “help.” Remove the assignment immediately until your child is calm. 

• Step b): Extinguish aggressive behavior

• After you have demonstrated appropriate communication, the next step is to work on decreasing aggressive behavior. In this step, set up the environment to mimic the situation where your child acts aggressively. For example, if you give your child a homework assignment to work on and they tear up or destroy the paper, practice in the exact same environment (location, timing, etc.). For example, the environment may be your kitchen at the table after your child has arrived home from school. Set your child up in that environment and put the homework assignment in front of them on the table. If your child tears up or destroys the assignment, stay calm and quiet, and simply put a new copy of the assignment back onto the table in front of your child. Repeat as often as needed. Do not use verbal or physical prompting to encourage completion of the work in order to avoid escalating your child’s behavior.  

• Eliminate stimuli before they prompt aggressive behavior. Find ways to eliminate your child’s specific antecedent / stimuli (e.g., triggers). For example, if your child is triggered by loud noises, provide them with noise canceling headphones. However, be mindful of your child while wearing noise canceling headphones, as they may be unable to hear emergency sounds: for example, a fire alarm.
• Maintain regular bedtime habits to encourage healthy sleep. Sleep disorders can exacerbate a child’s tendency towards aggression. Promote healthy sleeping habits by ensuring that your child is going to bed at a consistent time and in the same location each night, limiting screen time several hours prior to bed, and creating a comfortable environment to promote sleep (e.g., cooler room temperature, dim or no lights, etc.).
• Differential reinforcement. The process of differential reinforcement can decrease interfering behavior by encouraging preferred replacement behaviors and discouraging behaviors you would like to eliminate. For example, if your child is trying to get your attention by hitting, biting, or engaging in another aggressive behavior, do not engage the behavior. If your child is trying to get your attention with desired behaviors (verbally or using images or anything that is appropriate and non-aggressive!), reward your child by immediately engaging them and their request.
• Offer a Distraction. If you can anticipate when your child is at risk for engaging in aggressive behavior based on a known stimulus, try to distract them before the aggressive behavior starts with calming activities. For example, you can have your child count the number of green items they can see or play eye-spy and see how many of an item you and your child can locate in a given setting.
• Develop coping skills / replacement behaviors. Helping your child to develop coping skills will provide them with the tools to manage many different types of stressful situations. Strategies for coping may include asking for help, asking for a break, doing breathing exercises, etc.
• Zones of Regulation. Help your child to communicate their current emotional status using Zones of Regulation. This is the process of using four colors to identify how you’re feeling in a given moment. The different zones represent a person’s alertness and feelings that coincide with that state of alertness. When using the Zones of Regulation, be sure to reinforce the concept that all Zones are valid.

     --->      Blue Zone: Low energy, sad, tired, etc.

     --->      Green Zone: Neutral, able to concentrate, happy, interested in interacting, etc.

     --->      Yellow Zone: Agitated, excited, annoyed, anxious, etc.

     --->      Red Zone: Aggressive, angry, not in full control of emotions or behaviors relating to these emotions, etc.

• Rule out medical problems. When strategies are not working for decreasing aggression, have your child’s doctor rule out medical conditions that may be causing pain (e.g., gastrointestinal conditions, dental concerns, etc.) or exhaustion (e.g., sleep disorders) which may be the stimulus for the behavior.
• Additional Resources: 

For the parent:

Replacement Behaviors

Knowledge base (fortahealth.com)- Manding

Knowledge base (fortahealth.com) - Tacting

Handling Aggressive Behavior in Children with Autism - Bing video

Zones of Regulation: Activity Check-in at Home via Social Thinking - Bing video

For the child: 

Anger Management for Kids! - Bing video

What Is Anger? Part 1 | Mindstars Mental Health & Wellbeing #childrensmentalhealth - Bing video

Coping Skills For Kids - Managing Feelings & Emotions For Elementary-Middle School | Self-Regulation - Bing video

Decreasing Aggressive Behavior During Homework Time / Replacing with “Asking for Help”

A-B-Cs Groundwork: Identify and consider the following:

a.    The interfering behavior that should be decreased and concurrently replaced with an acceptable behavior. For example, if your child is physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver, their physical aggression should be decreased / replaced with an acceptable behavior (e.g.,  asking for help).

b.    The environment or setting in which the interfering behavior occurs / is triggered, if relevant. For example, your child is physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver when your child is asked at home to complete a homework assignment.

c.     Any antecedent or other stimulus (e.g., a trigger) that causes your child to exhibit the interfering behavior, if relevant. For example, your child is physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver when your child doesn’t understand the instructions for a homework assignment.

d.    The function of your child’s interfering behavior. For example, your child is physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver in order to express frustration that they do not understand the instructions for a homework assignment.

e.    The skill that you would like your child to learn in order to decrease or replace the interfering behavior. For example, you would like your child to ask for help instead of being physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver.

f.      How you might simulate the environment and / or stimulus which results in your child displaying the interfering behavior, in order to work with your child towards decreasing / replacing the interfering behavior. For example, if you would like your child to ask for help  instead of being physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver when your child doesn’t understand the instructions for a homework assignment, consider simulating a modified / tolerable version of completing a homework assignment by providing a one-question assignment that is new to your child, as applicable.

g.    Optional: Model for or explain to your child the desired behavior change. For example, modeling or explaining the acquisition of the skill of asking for help when being given a homework assignment to complete in order to replace being physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver could employ the following strategies:

--->      Communicate to your child that when your child doesn’t understand the instructions for a homework assignment, they should ask for help instead of being physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver.

--->      Use whatever communication strategy works best for your child, and role-play asking for help. You can simulate the physical setup of your child’s homework environment by placing a one-question assignment that is new to your child on the kitchen table, then model or explain asking for help using your child’s preferred method of communication, followed by immediately reading the instructions for the homework and providing an explanation after asking for help. This will allow your child to observe how asking for help causes the frustration of not understanding the instructions for a homework assignment to go away.

--->      Provide your child with whatever suitable means they need to communicate asking for help.

“Asking for Help”: Teach this skill to replace Aggression.

●  Step 1: Decide what skill acquisition goal or target you would like your child to practice for replacing the interfering behavior. For example, you can choose the skill acquisition goal of asking for help for replacing aggression. The task analysis for the skill acquisition target of asking for help to understand instructions for a homework assignment could be as follows:

--->      Simulate a modified / tolerable version of doing a homework assignment by providing a one-question assignment that is new to your child, as applicable.

--->      Ask your child to complete the assignment. 

--->      Your child should ask for help when your child doesn’t understand the instructions for a homework assignment and this bothers them.

--->      As soon as your child asks for help, read the instructions for the homework and provide an explanation instantaneously, followed by showing them the correct answer and / or demonstrating how to complete the assignment.

Note: As your child consistently displays the replacement behavior of asking for help, slowly increase the time between when your child makes the request and when you read the instructions for the homework and provide an explanation in small intervals (1 second, 2 seconds, 5 seconds, etc.) This will help your child learn to wait in instances when you cannot provide help  immediately.

--->      Provide a great deal of verbal praise after reading the instructions for the homework and providing an explanation. Note that for interfering behavior replacement goals, positive reinforcement such as a favorite snack or toy should not be used. For interfering behavior replacement goals, the removal of the antecedent or stimulus or providing what your child asked for is the reward and should be provided as instantaneously as possible.

Step 2: An initial / specific discriminative stimulus (SD) should be selected that will cue your child that the task will start. This SD can be a visual SD, such as a picture of a child doing homework, or a verbal SD (“Time to practice asking for help with your homework!” or “Let’s practice asking for help when you don’t understand homework instructions!”).

●  Step 3: Collect baseline level data for the skill acquisition target (i.e., asking for help when your child doesn’t understand the instructions for a homework assignment) by providing the SD from Step 2 and allowing your child to attempt their part independently. The baseline level will vary according to your child and their specific abilities. As an example, you can count how many times your child is able to complete their part of the task analysis independently (i.e., successful attempts). Note that this baseline collection data step is for the skill acquisition target, and baseline level data for the interfering behavior may already be present in your child’s treatment plan.

●      Step 4: To begin the trial to monitor progress towards meeting the skill acquisition target (i.e., asking for help when your child doesn’t understand the instructions for a homework assignment), provide the SD from Step 2, follow the task analysis from Step 1, and allow your child to attempt their part independently. When your child is successful, instantaneously grant their request, for example, instantaneously read the instructions for the homework and provide an explanation, followed by showing them the correct answer. You can then, if appropriate, provide verbal praise for your child, such as saying, “Good job at asking for help with your homework assignment!”. If the behavior was not displayed, end the trial and provide the appropriate level of prompting on the following trial. For example, employ a model prompt to show your child what to do at the beginning of the following trial (e.g., model for your child how to ask for help with a homework assignment, for example as suggested immediately above under Item g in A-B-Cs Groundwork). Note that for interfering behavior replacement goals, positive reinforcement such as a favorite snack or toy should not be used. For these goals, the removal of the antecedent or stimulus or providing what your child has asked for is the reward and should be provided instantaneously.

●      Step 5: Collect data on how your child makes progress on the skill acquisition target of asking for help with a homework assignment. For example, track progress by counting how many times your child is able to complete their part of the task analysis independently (i.e., successful attempts). Alternatively, count how many times your child is unable to complete their part of the task analysis independently (i.e., unsuccessful attempts).

●      Step 6: Collect data on how your child makes progress on decreasing being physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver. For example, count the number of instances your child is physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver instead of asking for help when your child doesn’t understand the instructions for a homework assignment over a certain period of time (e.g., a session, a certain number of sessions, etc.). Alternatively, count the number of instances your child is physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver when your child doesn’t understand the instructions for a homework assignment over a certain time period (e.g., 1 month, 3 months, etc.).

Decreasing Aggressive Behavior While at a Crowded Public Event / Replacing with “Asking for A Break”

A-B-Cs Groundwork: Identify and consider the following:

1. The interfering behavior that should be decreased and concurrently replaced with an acceptable behavior. For example, if your child is physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver, their physical aggression should be decreased / replaced with an acceptable behavior (e.g.,  asking for a break).
2. The environment or setting in which the interfering behavior occurs / is triggered, if relevant. For example, your child is physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver when your child is at a crowded public event.
3. Any antecedent or other stimulus (e.g., a trigger) that causes your child to exhibit the interfering behavior, if relevant. For example, your child is physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver when your child feels overwhelmed at a crowded public event.
4. The function of your child’s interfering behavior. For example, your child is physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver in order to express feeling overwhelmed when at a crowded public event.
5. The skill that you would like your child to learn in order to decrease or replace the interfering behavior. For example, you would like your child to ask for a break instead of being physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver.
6. How you might simulate the environment and / or stimulus which results in your child displaying the interfering behavior, in order to work with your child towards decreasing / replacing the interfering behavior. For example, if you would like your child to ask for a break instead of being physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver when your child feels overwhelmed at a crowded public event, consider simulating a modified / tolerable version of being at a crowded public event by playing a video of a large public gathering and / or playing a video of ambient sounds from a large public gathering, as applicable.
7. Optional: Model for or explain to your child the desired behavior change. For example, modeling or explaining the acquisition of the skill of asking for a break within being at a crowded public event in order to replace being physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver could employ the following strategies:

--->      Communicate to your child that when at a crowded public event that is overwhelming, they should ask for a break instead of being physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver.

--->      Use whatever communication strategy works best for your child, and role-play asking for a break. You can turn on a low (non-triggering) video or sounds to simulate being in a large crowd, then model or explain asking for a break using your child’s preferred method of communication, followed by immediately turning off the video or sound after asking for a break. This will allow your child to observe how asking for a break causes the images and/ or sound to go away.

--->      Provide your child with whatever suitable means they need to communicate asking for a break.

“Asking for a Break”: Teach this skill to replace Aggression.

●  Step 1: Decide what skill acquisition goal or target you would like your child to practice for replacing the interfering behavior. For example, you can choose the skill acquisition goal of asking for a break for replacing aggression. The task analysis for the skill acquisition target of asking for a break when at a crowded public event could be as follows:

--->      Simulate a modified / tolerable version of being at a crowded public event by playing a video of a crowded public gathering and / or playing a video of ambient sounds from a crowded public gathering,  as applicable.

--->      Ask your child to watch the video and / or listen to the sounds.

--->      Your child should ask for a break when the video and / or noise from simulating being at a crowded public event bothers them.

--->      As soon as your child asks for a break, eliminate the video and / or noise instantaneously.

Note: As your child consistently displays the replacement behavior of asking for a break when at a crowded public event, slowly increase the time between when your child makes the request and when you turn off the video and / or sounds in small intervals (1 second, 2 seconds, 5 seconds, etc.) This will help your child learn to wait in instances when you cannot eliminate the simulation of being at a crowded event immediately.

--->      Provide a great deal of verbal praise after turning off the video and / or sounds. Note that for interfering behavior replacement goals, positive reinforcement such as a favorite snack or toy should not be used. For interfering behavior replacement goals, the removal of the antecedent or stimulus or providing what your child asked for is the reward and should be provided as instantaneously as possible.

●  Step 2: An initial / specific discriminative stimulus (SD) should be selected that will cue your child that the task will start. This SD can be a visual SD, such as a picture of a crowded public event, or a verbal SD (“Time to practice asking for a break when we’re at a crowded event!” or “Let’s practice asking for a break when you feel overwhelmed in a crowd!”).

●  Step 3: Collect baseline level data for the skill acquisition target (i.e., asking for a break at a crowded public event) by providing the SD from Step 2 and allowing your child to attempt their part independently. The baseline level will vary according to your child and their specific abilities. As an example, you can count how many times your child is able to complete their part of the task analysis independently (i.e., successful attempts). Note that this baseline collection data step is for the skill acquisition target, and baseline level data for the interfering behavior may already be present in your child’s treatment plan.

●      Step 4: To begin the trial to monitor progress towards meeting the skill acquisition target (i.e., asking for a break at a crowded public event), provide the SD from Step 2, follow the task analysis from Step 1, and allow your child to attempt their part independently. When your child is successful, instantaneously grant their request, for example, instantaneously eliminate the video and / or sounds that are simulating a crowded public event. You can then, if appropriate, provide verbal praise for your child, such as saying, “Good job at asking for a break when you’re feeling overwhelmed by a crowded event!”. If the behavior was not displayed, end the trial and provide the appropriate level of prompting on the following trial. For example, employ a model prompt to show your child what to do at the beginning of the following trial (e.g., model for your child how to ask for a break when at a crowded public event, for example as suggested immediately above under Item g in A-B-Cs Groundwork). Note that for interfering behavior replacement goals, positive reinforcement such as a favorite snack or toy should not be used. For these goals, the removal of the antecedent or stimulus or providing what your child has asked for is the reward and should be provided instantaneously.

●      Step 5: Collect data on how your child makes progress on the skill acquisition target of asking for a break when at a crowded public event. For example, track progress by counting how many times your child is able to complete their part of the task analysis independently (i.e., successful attempts). Alternatively, count how many times your child is unable to complete their part of the task analysis independently (i.e., unsuccessful attempts).

●      Step 6: Collect data on how your child makes progress on decreasing being physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver. For example, count the number of instances your child is physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver instead of asking for a break when at a crowded public event over a certain period of time (e.g., a session, a certain number of sessions, etc.). Alternatively, count the number of instances your child is physically aggressive toward a parent or caregiver when at a crowded public event over a certain time period (e.g., 1 month, 3 months, etc.).

Decreasing Aggressive Behavior When in Need of Help Getting a Desired Item / Replacing with “Asking for Attention”

A-B-Cs Groundwork: Identify and consider the following:

1. The interfering behavior that should be decreased and concurrently replaced with an acceptable behavior. For example, if your child aggressively yells at a parent or caregiver, their verbal aggression should be decreased / replaced with an acceptable behavior (e.g.,  asking for attention).
2. The environment or setting in which the interfering behavior occurs / is triggered, if relevant. For example, your child aggressively yells at a parent or caregiver when your child needs your attention to access a desired item.
3. Any antecedent or other stimulus (e.g., a trigger) that causes your child to exhibit the interfering behavior, if relevant. For example, your child aggressively yells at a parent or caregiver when your child needs your attention for accessing a desired item and you are on a phone call.
4. The function of your child’s interfering behavior. For example, your child aggressively yells at a parent or caregiver in order to communicate that they need your attention for accessing a desired item.
5. The skill that you would like your child to learn in order to decrease or replace the interfering behavior. For example, you would like your child to ask for attention instead of aggressively yelling at a parent or caregiver.
6. How you might simulate the environment and / or stimulus which results in your child displaying the interfering behavior, in order to work with your child towards decreasing / replacing the interfering behavior. For example, if you would like your child to ask for attention instead of aggressively yelling at a parent or caregiver when your child wants the parent or caregiver’s attention for accessing a desired item, consider simulating a modified / tolerable version of your child having to ask for attention by placing a favorite snack slightly out of your child’s reach (e.g., higher on a shelf) when they are not hungry, pointing to the item to show your child where it is, putting a phone to your ear, and  instructing your child to get the item, as applicable.
7. Optional: Model for or explain to your child the desired behavior change. For example, modeling or explaining the acquisition of the skill of asking for attention to access a desired item in order to replace aggressively yelling at a parent or caregiver could employ the following strategies:

--->      Communicate to your child that when they want access to a desired item that is out of reach and you are on a phone call, they should ask for attention instead of aggressively yelling at you.

--->      Use whatever communication strategy works best for your child, and role-play asking for attention. You can simulate a desired item being out of reach while you are on a phone call by placing the desired item higher on a shelf, pointing to the item to show your child where it is, putting a telephone to your ear, then model or explain asking for attention using your child’s preferred method of communication, followed by immediately putting the phone down and providing the desired item after asking for attention. This will allow your child to observe how asking for attention causes the frustration from being unable to access a desired item to go away.

--->      Provide your child with whatever suitable means they need to communicate asking for attention.

“Asking for Attention”: Teach this skill to replace Aggression.

●  Step 1: Decide what skill acquisition goal or target you would like your child to practice for replacing the interfering behavior. For example, you can choose the skill acquisition goal of asking for attention for replacing aggression. The task analysis for the skill acquisition target of asking for attention for accessing a desired item when you are on a phone call could be as follows:

--->      Simulate a modified / tolerable version of a desired item being out of your child’s reach by putting a favorite snack higher on a shelf when your child is not hungry, followed by pointing to the item to show your child where it is, as applicable.

--->      Ask your child to get the snack followed by putting a phone to your ear.

--->      Your child should ask for attention when they can’t access the desired item and it bothers them.

--->      As soon as your child asks for attention, set the phone down instantaneously, followed by providing your child with the desired item.

Note: As your child consistently displays the replacement behavior of asking for attention, slowly increase the time between when your child makes the request and when you put down the phone and provide the desired item in small intervals (1 second, 2 seconds, 5 seconds, etc.) This will help your child learn to wait in instances when you cannot give them attention  immediately.

--->      Provide a great deal of verbal praise after providing your child with the desired item. Note that for interfering behavior replacement goals, positive reinforcement such as a favorite snack or toy should not be used. For interfering behavior replacement goals, the removal of the antecedent or stimulus or providing what your child asked for is the reward and should be provided as instantaneously as possible.

●  Step 2: An initial / specific discriminative stimulus (SD) should be selected that will cue your child that the task will start. This SD can be a visual SD, such as a picture of a person reaching for something on a shelf, or a verbal SD (“Time to practice asking for attention when you want something that you can’t reach and I’m on the phone!” or “Let’s practice asking for attention when you need help getting something and I’m busy!”).

●  Step 3: Collect baseline level data for the skill acquisition target (i.e., asking for attention to access a desired item) by providing the SD from Step 2 and allowing your child to attempt their part independently. The baseline level will vary according to your child and their specific abilities. As an example, you can count how many times your child is able to complete their part of the task analysis independently (i.e., successful attempts). Note that this baseline collection data step is for the skill acquisition target, and baseline level data for the interfering behavior may already be present in your child’s treatment plan.

●      Step 4: To begin the trial to monitor progress towards meeting the skill acquisition target (i.e., asking for attention to access a desired item), provide the SD from Step 2, follow the task analysis from Step 1, and allow your child to attempt their part independently. When your child is successful, instantaneously grant their request, for example, instantaneously set down the phone and provide the desired item. You can then, if appropriate, provide verbal praise for your child, such as saying, “Good job at asking for attention to get your snack when I was on a phone call!”. If the behavior was not displayed, end the trial and provide the appropriate level of prompting on the following trial. For example, employ a model prompt to show your child what to do at the beginning of the following trial (e.g., model for your child how to ask for attention to access a desired item when someone is on a phone call, for example as suggested immediately above under Item g in A-B-Cs Groundwork). Note that for interfering behavior replacement goals, positive reinforcement such as a favorite snack or toy should not be used. For these goals, the removal of the antecedent or stimulus or providing what your child has asked for is the reward and should be provided instantaneously.

●      Step 5: Collect data on how your child makes progress on the skill acquisition target of asking for attention to access a desired item when you are on a phone call. For example, track progress by counting how many times your child is able to complete their part of the task analysis independently (i.e., successful attempts). Alternatively, count how many times your child is unable to complete their part of the task analysis independently (i.e., unsuccessful attempts).

●      Step 6: Collect data on how your child makes progress on decreasing aggressively yelling at a parent or caregiver. For example, count the number of instances when your child aggressively yells at a parent or caregiver instead of asking for attention to access a desired item when you are on a phone call over a certain period of time (e.g., a session, a certain number of sessions, etc.). Alternatively, count the number of instances your child aggressively yells at a parent or caregiver when your child needs your attention to access a desired item when you are on a phone call over a certain time period (e.g., 1 month, 3 months, etc.).