Every person exhibits behavior. Everything we do is behavior. Everything we don’t do is behavior. Behavior is a form of communication. For nonverbal individuals diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum, behavior may be their only form of communication.
I know this because I communicate with my six-year-old son based on his behavior, every day.
We take a clinical approach to his mental health all day, on a daily basis. We are constantly observing his behavior in hopes to figure out what he is trying to communicate to us.
We take a clinical approach to his mental health all day, on a daily basis. We are constantly observing his behavior in hopes to figure out what he is trying to communicate to us.
He attends Applied Behavior Analysis therapy for 2 to 3 hours a day, after his full day of school. There, he is learning to learn, learning to be motivated, learning to follow instruction, learning to toilet himself. This is a list of behaviors that are innate to most people.
Those with Autism Spectrum Disorder often need to be taught these behaviors. Applied Behavior Analysis is an evidence-based therapy focusing on improving those behaviors or eliminating/decreasing inappropriate behaviors (such as hitting, screaming, elopement, etc.).
When we analyze an individual’s behavior, we can apply what we know about behavior to that individual in social, academic, or cultural contexts; using those observations to apply behavioral techniques for fostering behavioral changes.
For my son, those changes will allow him to participate in class at school, independently toilet himself, and ask for his basic needs or wants to be met. These behaviors are usually taken for granted by neurotypical individuals, as they are instinctive to most people.
