Teach Strategy Ask for More Your child may engage in challenging behavior when they want more of an item or activity. Use these steps to teach your child that appropriately asking for more of what they want will reliably IES Grant # result in getting more rather than engaging in challenging behavior. Barton Lab R324A160086 [email protected]

Identify opportunities in your day when you could encourage your child to Wait for your child to finish eating, request more of an item or activity (ex: more pause while playing. You can also blueberries at breakfast, more Legos when pause an activity (ex: stop pushing the playing, more reading during story time). swing, stop reading a book). This is the Start by creating the opportunity for your child perfect time to remind your child they to ask for more by limiting the quantity you can ask for more. provide for each request. For example, provide 1-2 Goldfish at snack or one lego during play time. This sets an occasion for your child to ask For example, you may give your child for more. only one lego. Then say, "if you want more legos you can say 'more legos please'" or model the sign for more while saying "more".

If your child appropriately asks for more, provide more of the item or activity Practice this several times throughout and positive descriptive feedback for asking. the day with different items and activities (ex: games, food at different If your child does not ask, or asks meals) until you notice your child asking inappropriately (ex: yelling), model the for more without a model or challenging desired communication from step 2 again. behavior. If your child begins to engage in challenging It is important to comply with your child's behavior, stay calm and avoid attending to the behavior. Delay providing more of the item or requests while they are learning this activity until your child appropriately asks for skill. Your responsiveness helps them more. understand they can get what they want by asking for more and not by engaging in challenging behavior.

Once your child independently asks for Helpful Hints! more often, you can begin to let your child Before letting your child know that know that having more is not an option in some situations (ex: you have no more having more is not an option, provide a Goldfish, you can't allow them to play a game warning that they will not have access to longer because it is time for bed). more. For example, say "okay, only one more When you do this, let them know why they handful of pretzels and then we are all cannot have more. If possible let them know done" or "only 5 more min of iPad and when having more of the item or activity then it's time for bath." might be an option (ex: after dinner, after If you tell your child they can have more school). of an item or an activity at a certain time, make sure to follow through by honoring that statement.

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