TheraTree Pediatric Therapy - TheraTree Blog #autismTheraTree Pediatric Therapy - TheraTree Blog #autismhttps://www.theratreepeds.com/blogs/tag/autismWed, 12 Nov 2025 18:51:32 -0800http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[The 4 Functions of Behavior]]>https://www.theratreepeds.com/blogs/post/the-4-functions-of-behaviorImagine this: You are grocery shopping and, in the aisle, next to you, you hear a child arguing with their parents. They won’t stay seated, and they a ]]>

by Lauren Haire, RBT

Imagine this: You are grocery shopping and, in the aisle, next to you, you hear a child arguing with their parents. They won’t stay seated, and they are yelling. It is very common to watch a child “act out” in public with their parents. You sometimes think, “can they just tell them to stop and be quiet?” It is not always as simple as that. 

As a parent and professional that works with children, it’s important for you to understand the 4 functions that drive behaviors that you see in children. Children with Autism can often struggle to communicate and engage in problem behavior to get their point across. 

ABC's of Behavior

Behavior can be broken down into 3 parts to determine the function: 

  • The antecedent is what happened prior to the behavior of concern.
  • The behavior is the behavior of concern.
  • The consequence is what happened after the behavior was demonstrated. 
Example: Lauren saw the toy on the counter and began to cry. Her mom gives her the toy. 

The antecedent is that Lauren saw the toy, the behavior is when she began to cry, and the consequence was her mom giving her the toy. The function here is that Lauren was looking for access to a tangible (to get something.) Her mom gave her the toy which extinguished her crying behavior. 

4 Functions: SEAT

A child's behavior is always functional - they're behaving a certain way for a reason. There are four main functions/reasons for a child's behavior. The easiest way to remember the functions of behavior is with this simple acronym. SEAT. Sensory, Escape, Attention, and Tangibles. 

Sensory

The sensory function provides stimulation from the world to the brain. Sensory information can be in the form of touch, sound, visual, smell, taste, movement, or pressure. 

When does it happen? Children seek out this sensory information because their body can’t get enough of it to use functionally OR they’re overriding a different sensation. In many children with Autism, this shows up as stimming. It can occur at any time, especially when anxious or excited. 

How can I help? Redirect to more appropriate behavior that offers similar sensation. If you notice any behaviors that indicate a sensory deficit, you may benefit from receiving a free screening from one of our occupational therapists to address sensory needs. Occupational Therapy can address deficits related to sensory modulation (I.e. sensory over responsiveness or under responsiveness), sensory discrimination(i.e. attention), and sensory based motor(i.e. motor planning, balance, and postural adjustments.)

Example, a child may exhibit signs of overexcitement. You can relieve that need to release energy by allowing the child to go for a walk or riding a bike. 

Escape

The function of escape removes undesired activities, interactions, or situations. The child is getting out or away from the situation, environment, or task. 

When does it happen? It can occur when the tasks are understimulating, too easy, too hard, boring, or just completely undesired. 

How can I help? Provide a “first, then” prompt, offer choices, or alter the length of task. 

Example: “First clean up, then you may go watch tv.”

Attention

The function of attention provides access or awareness to/from people or interactions. It’s important to consider what kinds of attention the child likes and how much and when they’re currently getting attention.

When does it happen? It occurs when social attention is desired. 

How can I help? You can provide positive reinforcement or attention before the behavior occurs, so they don’t “need” to do the problematic behavior. 

Example: “Great job picking up. I like that you are following my directions.” 

This statement gives positive reinforcement for picking up and following directions while feeding the potential attention seeking behavior. If we reinforce the negative attention seeking behavior, we could risk making the behavior worse. So, it’s important to reinforce only the positive things your child is doing during a difficult situation. 

Tangibles

The function of access to tangibles provides preferred activities/items. This is what we usually think of as a “reward”. Although rewards don’t always need to be tangible to be considered reinforcing. We can use tangible rewards to help each then fade them. 

When does it happen? It occurs when there is a preferred activity or item desired. 

How can I help? There are several different ways you can approach this.


- You may teach the child to verbalize their wants and needs.

- If your child is nonverbal, teach sign language, use pictures to communicate (ABA uses Picture Exchange Communication), or assistive device like an iPad. 

- Contrive teaching situations at home and this goes along with teaching the child to verbalize wants and needs. 

For instance, let’s say your child loves to listen to songs on their iPad/tablet. As you listen to the song, try to pause and play the song. When the song is paused, verbally prompt the child to say ‘Play it.’ Praise the child heavily: ‘Great saying play it.’ And then immediately play the song. Again, this is just an example of how to use a highly preferred item as a teaching moment. 

You can prompt your child to request based on their needs and level of language skills, then gradually fade the prompt. Remember, reinforcement increases the occurrence of behavior whether it is positive or negative. 


We're Here to Help!

Don’t forget that “SEAT” is your go-to acronym when deciphering your child’s function of behavior. By contriving teaching situations in the natural environment, you can help your child practice communication skills, social skills, and give them the ability to communicate their sensory needs. Take ABC Data to keep track of behavior and present data to your pediatrician and/or your Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA.) Your child may benefit from ABA Therapy or Occupational Therapy to assist in these behaviors!

Behavior can be complex! That’s why professionals have specialized in this science and are devoted to educate and help. If your child engages in challenging behaviors, you don’t have to figure it all out on your own!

We want to help. Call or text us at 270-688-8449 or email newpatients@theratreepeds.com to schedule a free screening or comprehensive evaluation. Let’s decrease your overwhelm and increase your relationship with your child together!

Get Started Now
]]>Thu, 13 Jan 2022 11:34:00 -0600<![CDATA[5 Signs Your Child May Benefit from ABA Therapy]]>https://www.theratreepeds.com/blogs/post/5-Signs-Your-Child-May-Benefit-from-ABA-TherapyApplied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is a therapy based on the science of understanding and improving learning and behavior. It helps us to understand how behavior works, how behavior is affected by the environment, and how learning takes place.]]>

5 Signs Your Child May Benefit from ABA Therapy

By Lauren Haire, RBT

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is a therapy based on the science of understanding and improving learning and behavior. It helps us to understand how behavior works, how behavior is affected by the environment, and how learning takes place. 


Below are some of the signs that your child may benefit from ABA Therapy: 

  1. Autism Spectrum Disorder 

If your child has been diagnosed with Autism, we are here to help your child acquire skills or decrease those behaviors of concern. ABA Therapy can break down skills to smaller, discrete tasks to help a child learn. 

  1. Delay of Social Skills

Through ABA Therapy, your child will be able to increase their social skills and build meaningful relationships. If your child has difficulties making eye contact, taking turns with peers, or identifying their coping strategies, it could be a sign they could benefit from receiving ABA services to help increase those skills. 

  1. Delay of Receptive/Expressive Language

If your child has difficulties with “out of the box” thinking, ABA Therapy can be used to spark creativity. It can help a child to follow those simple to multi step instructions, comprehend who/what/where/why questions based on stories or pictures, or even increase imitation skills. 

  1. Delay of Communication/Speech

You may have noticed that your child is delayed in their communication skills. ABA can help increase their ability to express their wants and needs. While using motivating operations and positive reinforcement, ABA will teach the child to mand, or request, as well as engage in conversation. 

  1. Problem Behavior 

The four functions of behavior include sensory, escape, attention, and tangibles. These functions help Behavior Analysts to create a proper treatment plan based on the behavior function presented. While there are many examples of problem behavior, if your child exhibits tantrums, self-injury, non-compliance, or eating nonedible items, ABA may be able to decrease these behaviors by using replacement behavior that can serve as the same function. 

Difficulties and Diagnoses ABA Therapy Can Help With Include:

  • Aggression
  • Self Injury
  • Noncompliance
  • Tantrums and Outbursts
  • Decreased attention
  • Poor social skills
  • Poor Memory
  • Challenges with academics
  • Depression
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • Fears and phobias
  • Anxiety
  • Traumatic brain injury 

Techniques Used in ABA Therapy:

  • Positive Reinforcement
  • Prompts
  • Task Analysis
  • Generalization
  • Picture Exchange Communication
  • Errorless Teaching
  • Social Skills Training
  • Discrete Trial Training (DTT)
  • Natural Environment Training (NET)

If you have any questions or concerns about your child, please reach out to us at TheraTree. We provide free screenings! You can reach us by phone/text at 270-688-8449 or email at newpatients@theratreepeds.com.

Together we grow minds, bodies, and spirits! 


Get Started Now
]]>Tue, 09 Nov 2021 17:41:52 -0600<![CDATA[Halloween Tips & Tricks for Kids with Challenges]]>https://www.theratreepeds.com/blogs/post/Halloween-Tips-Tricks-for-Kids-with-ChallengesFall brings sweater weather, changing leaves, pumpkins, and holidays like Halloween. Although trick or treating is not a mandatory childhood experienc ]]>

Fall brings sweater weather, changing leaves, pumpkins, and holidays like Halloween. Although trick or treating is not a mandatory childhood experience, many families would like to share this experience with their child and enjoy memories created as a family. Children with anxiety, autism, and/or other challenges may find it difficult to participate in this event. 

Autism 

Children with autism may present with a variety of challenges with sensory processing, social skills, attention, communication challenges, and/or motor delays. 

Although anxiety and autism are focused on in this article, these tips may be used for so many other children with or without challenges. 

Preparation

Read books: 

  • The language and visual aspects of reading together can be a powerful tool. 
  • Create a personalized social story or download one outlining your events of the evening. This is a good opportunity to establish rules. 
  • Here are a few classic stories about Halloween to introduce the idea of Halloween to your child:

Conversations:

  • Simply talking with your child about Halloween can alleviate some uncertainty. 
  • Ask them questions about why they are fearful. 
  • Watch videos of children trick or treating. 
  • Avoid painting a picture of "good" or "bad". Just state the facts. 
    • "Children will wear costumes"
    • "We will visit grandma's house"
    • "There will be games at the Halloween party" 
  • Reassure your child they are safe.
  • Set any rules or guidelines they must follow ahead of time. 

Costumes:
  • Masks:
    • Children may have aversions to the sensation of wearing something on their face. 
    • Having them responsibly play with make-up could decrease some sensitivity on their face.
    • When other people wear masks, it blocks their facial expressions and this might be disorienting to children. 
    • Have them play with a pleasant looking mask in front of a mirror.
  • Consider the fabric of the costume. Will it be comfortable? Warm? Regular clothing can be transformed into a costume. 
  • Have the child make their own costume for their dolls and dress them up. Aluminum foil, old socks, and paper can be used. 
  • Have your child wear sneakers that light up or a glow stick if they are an eloper. 

Practice:
  • Try on costumes a few days in advanced.
  • Arrange to practice visiting a neighbor of friend's house. 
  • Walk the route around the neighborhood they'll be trick or treating the weekend before. 

Candy & Allergies:
  • Make a candy plan with your child ahead of time of what they can do with the candy when they get home. Can they dump it all out and eat immediately? Are they allow a certain quantity that night and save the rest?
  • Look for houses with a teal pumpkin on their porch, these houses offer non-food treats. Plan your route around them ahead time. 
  • Look for events that are allergy friendly.
  • Drop off a package of allergy approved treats to our neighbors ahead of time. 
  • Set up a candy exchange at home. 
    • Exchange non-approved candy for allergy approved candy from home. 
    • Can they swap with a sibling? 
    • Exchange candy for money. 1 Candy = 10 cents
    • Prepare them ahead of time that this is the plan! 

Offer Alternatives:
  • Despite the preparation and planning, Halloween parties or trick or treating may not be something your child will enjoy. It doesn't mean it will always be this way
  • Coloring Halloween coloring pages.
  • Watching a Halloween or their favorite movie.  
  • Pumpkin carving. View Safety Tips.

Halloween Day

Consider what you already know about your child and recognize if you are supporting them or limiting them with you actions and words. 

  • Go early, before it gets dark. 
  • Go with friends who can help your child remember the rules and model behavior. 
  • Help them identify their own feelings and signs of stress.
      • "When we have to go, you might feel mad or disappointed. That is ok to feel this way. It is not ok to run away or stay longer because you feel this way"
      • "I see you're trying to hide. You seem scared. Let's talk about it."
  • Teach your child to request breaks when they are feeling stressed.
  • Plan for breaks.
  • Set limits and inform your child of limits beforehand.
      • "We will go to 3 houses"
      • "We will stay for 30 minutes"
  • Have a space in mind if they need a calm down area. Plan it out ahead of time. 

    • ]]>    Wed, 24 Oct 2018 09:57:06 -0500