1. The Basics of Autism
Spectrum Disorders
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Training Series
Regional Autism Advisory Council of
Southwest Ohio (RAAC SWO)
(RAAC-SWO)
Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Task Force

2. Adult Training S i M d l
Ad lt T i i Series Modules
Module One: Autism Defined, Autism Prevalence
and Primary Characteristics
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Module Two: Physical Characteristics of Autism
Module Three: Cognition and Learning in Autism
Module Four: Autism and Sensory Differences
Module Five: Communication and Autism

3. Adult Training S i M d l
Ad lt T i i Series Modules
Module Six: Behavior Challenges and Autism
Module Seven: Understanding Behavior in
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Persons with Autism
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Module Eight: Functional Behavior Assessment
Module Nine: Autism and Leisure Skills to Teach
Module Ten: Special Issues of Adolescence and
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Adulthood
Module Eleven: Safety and Autism

4. Big Idea
We must first understand
why a behavior occurs
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before we are able to
change it.
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5. Steps to Understanding
Reasons for Behavior

6. Step One: Describe What Was
Happening Before the Behavior Started
Who, What, When, Where, and then Why?
Where does the behavior happen?
When does the behavior happen?
Who is there when the behavior occurs?
What
Wh t was hhappening right b f
i i ht before the
th
behavior started?

7. Step Two: D
Describe th Behavior
ib the B h i
Describe the behavior exactly
exactly.
What did it look like (as if you had a
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video camera)?
Who was involved?
How long did it last?
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What was being said?

8. Step Three: What Happened
Immediately Following the Behavior?
What happened to end the behavior?
What did the person do?
Was someone else involved in ending the
behavior?
Did the person get what he wanted?
What was it?

9. Big Idea
All behavior happens for
a reason and it is
motivated by something.

10. Some Reasons Behind
Behavior
Behaviors are a way of coping with what is happening
B h i f i ith h t i h i
around us.
Behaviors are l
B h i learned through trial and error.
d h h i l d
Behaviors that are reinforced are likely to continue.
If a behavior continues to occur or it is increasing,
it is being reinforced in some way.
To change the person’s behavior, we must change
what we are doing.

11. Reinforcement
Reinforcement is something that f
f g follows a
behavior that either makes it occur more often
or less often. Examples:
a baby says “mama” for the first time and mommy
smiles, claps, and yells her excitement. (Positive)
a teenager comes home past curfew and the
parent grounds the teenager for two weeks.
(Negative)
I receive a paycheck every 2 weeks. (Positive)

12. Reinforcement is Important
We all reinforce ourselves throughout the day.
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(i.e. an ice cream cone, a break, a favorite
television show, praise)
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Persons with ASD tend to need a lot of
reinforcement throughout their day.
f m ug u y.
- It increases motivation to participate.
- Participation can help in learning new things.
- Once the behavior is learned, the reinforcement
can usually be lessened.

13. Big
Bi Idea
Everyone’s reinforcers are
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different. We have to find
out what works for each
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person.