Why do certain behaviors occur?
A. Behavior is often a form of communication. A behavior may occur in order to receive attention. For example, when a child says Mommy, his mother typically looks in his direction and smiles. In this case the child is saying Mommy in order to receive her attention. Since the mother looked at the child and smiled, (the desired outcome), the child will be more likely to say Mommy in the future. A child may engage in inappropriate behavior to receive attention. In the above example, the child may not be able to say Mommy. Instead, he may hit his mother until she looks at him and provides attention. Second, a behavior may occur in order to receive access to an activity, toy, or another desired item. For example, a child may say Juice, please. If the child receives access to the juice he will be more likely to repeat the phrase in the future. A child may engage in an inappropriate behavior to indicate desire for an item, activity, or toy. In the above example, the child may not be able to a
