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Matching Law & Honoring Total Communication
“Behavior goes where reinforcement flows” coined by Aubrey Daniels, this quote displays the essence of how behavior is shaped in our everyday lives. As entities that behave, we tend to behave in ways that offer us a higher, better, and longer amount of reinforcement.
For example, let’s say that you start a business of tending to your neighborhood’s gardens. Yard A requires 5 hours of your time and you get paid $25. Yard B requires 2 hours of your time, but you are paid $40. You would be more likely to choose the option that requires less work and more pay as compared to a yard that requires more work and less pay.
This principle is often considered in ABA therapy with autistic children as we navigate choices that are provided to the learner. A child may be more motivated to follow through with a task if the reinforcement provided to them is of a high value. When we teach replacement behaviors, it is essential to keep in mind that we must provide high levels of reinforcement when the learner engages in a preferred replacement behavior.
In ABA, we frequently implement functional communication training with our learners to teach them alternative and preferred behaviors to replace inappropriate and potentially dangerous behaviors. As we navigate teaching functional communication, honoring total communication by multiple forms of communication fosters a deeper relationship with the learner, while also teaching the learner that they will receive a more desired outcome if they use an appropriate alternative form of communication.
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, over 2 million individuals with expressive language impairment use augmentative or alternative communication devices (Beukelman, 2013). When implementing behavior change, it is important to provide learners with choices and alternatives in place of simply stating “no”. This minimizes tantrums, provides the learner with autonomy, and ultimately teaches the learner a skill that may replace the unwanted behavior. While it is a common concern for parents and caregivers that alternative communication devices stunt the development of vocal language, evidence suggests that the use of alternative or augmentative communication does not stunt vocal language development, but instead has led to an increase in speech production (Schlosser & Wendt, 2008.)
October is AAC awareness month! Below are some further resources about what AAC is, forms of AAC, and its benefits.
Reference
Beukelman, D. & Mirenda, P. (2013). Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Supporting Children & Adults with Complex Communication Needs 4th Edition. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
Dalphonse, A. (2024, September 12). Matching law: Practical applications in Aba. Master ABA. https://masteraba.com/matching-law-practical-applications-in-aba/
Schlosser RW, Wendt O. Effects of augmentative and alternative communication intervention on speech production in children with autism: a systematic review. Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 2008 Aug;17(3):212-30. doi: 10.1044/1058-0360(2008/021). PMID: 18663107.
