What is Challenging Behaviour

The Learners Perspective
Often what is considered to be problem behaviour is no more than a person finding different ways of making sense of their world (Donellan 1990). Staff, parents, volunteers and teachers need to avoid the tendency to look at the actions of a person and attach a series of labels to that person’s behaviour such as aggressive and non-compliant.

For example, have you seen any of these behaviours:
aggression, hitting others, verbal abuse, pinching etc.
bizarre verbalisation - strange talking about something, strange sounds
inappropriate oral behaviour
inapproriate anal behaviour
self - injurious behaviour - hurting oneself
self - stimulation, twiddling things, arm flapping, spinning objects etc
tantrum
gazing/staring
inappropriate laughing/giggling
screaming/yelling
gesturing/pointing
hugging/kissing
masturbation
pushing/pulling
standing to close to another person
echolalia - meaningless repetition of speech
swearing
whining/crying

Reconsider….......Could they be…..????

Requests for attention
someone to talk to them
someone to play with them
affection
permission
assistance/help
food

or a way to
say No
say Stop
protest

or be a statement about
events
mistakes
humour

or be a statement about feelings like
confusion
frustration
anticipation
pain
boredom
fear
pleasure

Think about it ......... from the “learners perspective”.

source: Meyer L. Hand Evans (1988). ‘Non Aversive intervention for behaviour problems. A manual for home and community’. Paul H Brooks, Baltimore

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