Understanding the Functions of Challenging Behaviours

Understanding the Functions of Challenging Behaviours…

Children can demonstrate challenging behaviours at home, school, or in the community. At times, these challenging behaviours such as aggression (physical and verbal), absconding, non-compliance, avoidance, etc. can be frustrating for all those who work and interact with the child. Before we can manage these behaviours, it is extremely important that we determine the FUNCTION of the behaviour. The function of the behaviour helps us to better understand WHY the behaviour is occurring. All behaviours have a function. The behaviour itself, although challenging, serves to communicate this function.

There are 4 possible functions of children’s behaviour:

FUNCTION 1: ESCAPE – “I don’t want to do this!”

  • Difficult tasks
  • Prolonged work
  • Social demands
  • Being in a certain place
  • Being with a certain person

FUNCTION 2: ATTENTION – “I want attention!”

  • From parents
  • From teachers
  • From peers
  • From siblings
  • From anyone!

FUNCTION 3: TO GAIN ACCESS – “I want this!”

  • A toy
  • An object
  • Food/treats
  • An activity
  • A privilege

FUNCTION 4: AUTOMATICALLY REWARDING – “I like doing this!”

  • It feels good
  • It looks good
  • It sounds good
  • It tastes good
  • It’s a habit

 

To ascertain the function of a child’s behaviour it is important to first observe and collect lots of data about the behaviour. Through this, patterns begin to emerge and the function becomes more clear.

Written by Marisa Donnoli – Psychologist at De Silva Kids Clinic.