Introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Online Tutorial
	Module 6: Reducing Problem Behaviors Why Not Punishment? The use of punishment has a variety of disadvantages for reducing problem behavior of children with autism. These include: Students with autism may genuinely not know what the appropriate behavior in any certain situation is. Punishment only teaches them which behaviors to avoid. It doesn’t help teach an appropriate behavior that they should be doing instead. If non-verbal or limited-verbal students use inappropriate behavior as a method to communicate their needs or wants, it is better to teach appropriate communication skills rather than just punish the problem behavior. This topic will be covered in more detail in the section on “FBA/Replacement Behaviors.” Students may begin to fear the person or situation where punishment occurs, which may lead to more problem behavior. If punishment is used, it should always be used in conjunction with positive reinforcement. As with all ABA procedures, it should be implemented under the supervision of a qualified behavior analyst. Next --> FBA/Replacement Behaviors