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How to Create a Behaviour Contract for Autism

MAY 4, 2023

If you have a child with autism who has challenging behaviours, you may be wondering what strategies you can use at home to prevent escalation. One strategy to consider is a behaviour contract. Some families experiencing challenges behaviours may also benefit from our Urgent Response Services.

A behaviour contract is a written agreement that relies on positive reinforcement to help promote behavioural change. When the parent and child collaborate to come up with a mutually beneficial plan, a behaviour contract can be a powerful tool for shaping positive behaviour while minimizing more challenging ones.

What is a behaviour contract?

A behaviour contract is a written agreement between a parent or caregiver and their child that outlines expected behaviours during a specific timeframe. The child understands that they will earn a reward at the end of the timeframe if they follow the rules laid out in the contract. The idea is to encourage behaviours that you want to see in your child. Examples of behaviours you may want to teach your child include:

  • Keep your hands to yourself
  • Ask for a break when you need one
  • Be gentle when playing with toys

How to create a behaviour contract for autism

A behaviour contract can be created with the help of a Board-Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) or you can create one on your own. Either way, it should be developed in collaboration with your child – this is key to the success of the contract. When you give your child a chance to provide input, they feel more ownership over the project, which increases their motivation to stick to the agreement.

To create a behaviour contract, follow these steps:

  • Have a conversation with your child. Tell them the behaviours you would like to see them learn.
  • Use clear and concise language when discussing the behaviours included in the contract.
  • Be careful not to include too many behaviours. Start small and build from there. You want to set up your child for success and ensure they receive the reward.

While the contract you create with your child will be based on your child’s specific needs, behaviour contracts often have some common features. These include:

  • The date the contract is created
  • The behaviour(s) the child is expected to engage in
  • How long the behaviour should last (for example, “work quietly for 15-minutes at a time.”)
  • The schedule for when and how often your child gets to access their reward (e.g., at the end of each day or at the end of each week.) Although the idea is for the reward to be delayed to a certain extent, consider how long your child can reasonably wait to receive it.
  • The agreed upon reward (sometimes referred to as a “reinforcer”)
  • A section for you and your child to sign, that shows what each person has agreed to.

How is a behaviour contract for autism useful?

A behaviour contract has many benefits for you and your child.

Increases motivation: A behaviour contract can increase your child’s motivation to engage in positive behaviours. It can also make your child more aware of their actions, which can help them monitor their own behaviour. This makes it easier for them to change their behaviour and earn their reward.

Creates consistency: By providing the child with predictable outcomes whenever they follow a rule outlined in the behaviour contract, the contract helps encourage consistent behaviours in anticipation of a consistent reward. (i.e. “If I follow this, I get this.”)

Hold everyone accountable: Both you and your child should sign the contract, so you’re both bound by it. For your child, the contract can also serve as a visual reminder of what they have agreed to do and the reward the parent or caregiver has agreed they will receive.

Creates expectations clear: The contract outlines clear expectations for both the parent or caregivers and child. It tells the child exactly what kind of behaviour is expected of them while making it clear what their caregiver will provide if they meet expectations.

Determine an appropriate reward

A reinforcer – or reward – is an important part of the behaviour contract. This is what helps reinforce the desired behaviour, increasing the likelihood of it happening again. The reward doesn’t necessarily need to be a tangible item. Determine with your child what kind of reinforcer will work best for them.

These are examples of popular reinforcers:

  • A snack or treat
  • Screen time/video game time
  • A break from a task
  • Extra one-on-one time with a parent or caregiver
  • A favourite activity

If your child doesn’t follow the behaviour contract, try to resist the temptation to let them access the reward. They will have less motivation to follow the rules in the contract if they can still access the reward despite engaging in inappropriate behaviour. It’s extremely important for your child to learn that they will only get their reward when they follow the rules you have agreed upon together. Choose an item that is special and only available at special times. (e.g., If your child always gets a cookie after dinner then a cookie shouldn’t be used as a motivating reward.) This is key to ensuring the success of the behaviour contract.

Important points to keep in mind

When developing a behaviour contract with your child, here are a few guidelines:

Keep it positive: Use clear statements that focus on the positive behaviours you want to see your child engage in for them to access the reward. For example:

  • “I will ask for a break when I’m frustrated”
  • “I will keep my hands to myself”
  • “I will play with toys nicely”

Pay attention to wording: Be sure to use encouraging language that focuses on the positive or replacement behaviours you want to see. Avoid language that focuses on problematic or negative behaviours (e.g., don’t write “I will not run away from my homework” or “I will not hit.”)

Be realistic: Your child should have the skills outlined in the contract. The goal is to build your child’s motivation to use skills they already have, not to try to teach skills they haven’t learned. Otherwise, the child is set up for failure. For example, if a child doesn’t have the skills to keep their hands down, this shouldn’t be a behaviour outlined in the contract.

Be flexible: Behaviour contracts may change over time. If your child is showing a lot of success with the contract, you and your child may decide to add other behaviours. Or you may decide to reduce the frequency of the reward. In some cases, you may need to change the reward if it no longer works as well for your child. Remember to make any changes to the contract in collaboration with your child.

Create a behaviour contract for autism in six steps

Not sure how to get started? Follow these steps to create a behaviour contract with your child:

  1. Write the date and your child’s name at the top of the page
  2. Decide on one or two behaviours to target. Then write down the behaviours your child is expected to engage in (for example, “I will keep my hands to myself” or “When I’m angry, I will count to ten to calm myself.”) Remember to write down the positive behaviour that will replace the challenging behaviour.
  3. If appropriate, write down the length of time. For example, “I will work quietly for 10 minutes.”
  4. Write down the reward your child will receive when they follow the rules in the behaviour contract. This will be something you and your child agree upon together (for example, time on an iPad, going to the park together, or whatever else will motivate your child.)
  5. Write down what happens if your child doesn’t fulfill the contract. This will make it clear that if your child doesn’t engage in the appropriate behaviour, they won’t receive the reward.

When the behaviour contract is complete, sign the contract. Instruct your child to sign it as well.

How Surrey Place can help

If you’re a family member or caregiver whose child exhibits high-risk behaviours that require an urgent response, like violent thinking, aggression, or property destruction, you may be eligible for Surrey Place’s Urgent Response Services. For autism support for needs that are not urgent, please visit Surrey Place’s Autism Services page.

About Urgent Response Services

This resource was written with support from staff in the Urgent Response Services. Urgent Response Services are part of the Ontario Autism Program. They were created to support children or youth with an emerging urgent need. Surrey Place leads Urgent Response Services for Toronto Region in partnership with 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations, Community Living Toronto, Family Service Toronto, Geneva Centre, Holland Bloorview, Kerry’s Place, Lumenus, SAAAC, SMILE Canada and Strides Toronto.

YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN:

Using the Mediator Model

Learn more about a method you will be expected to use at home with your child while participating in the Urgent Response Services

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General Proactive Behaviour Strategies to Use at Home

Manage behaviour at home with proactive strategies like recognizing warning signs, maintaining routines and using positive reinforcement

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How to Make Your Home Safe for Children with Challenging Behaviours

List of quick tips to help make your home a safer environment for your child or youth with autism with challenging behaviours

READ MORE

By 2 months

Has your baby had their hearing screened? YES NO

By 6 months

Does the child?

Startle in response to loud noises? YES NO
Turn to where a sound is coming from? YES NO
Make different cries for different needs (hungry, tired)? YES NO
Watch your face as you talk? YES NO
Smile/laugh in response to your smiles and laughs? YES NO
Imitate coughs or other sounds such as ah, eh, buh YES NO

By 9 months

Does the child?

Respond to their name? YES NO
Respond to the telephone ringing or a knock at the door? YES NO
Understand being told no? YES NO
Get what they want through using gestures (reaching to be picked up)? YES NO
Play social games with you (Peek-a-Boo)? YES NO
Enjoy being around people? YES NO
Babble and repeat sounds such as babababa or duhduhduh? YES NO

By 12 months

Does the child?

Follow simple one-step directions (sit down)? YES NO
Look across the room to a toy when adult points at it? YES NO
Consistently use three to five words? YES NO
Use gestures to communicate (waves hi/bye, shakes head for no)? YES NO
Get your attention using sounds, gestures and pointing while looking at your eyes? YES NO
Bring you toys to show you? YES NO
Perform for social attention and praise? YES NO
Combine lots of sounds together as though talking (abada baduh abee)? YES NO
Show an interest in simple picture books? YES NO

By 18 months

Does the child?

Understand the meaning of in and out, off and on? YES NO
Point to more than 2 body parts when asked? YES NO
Use at least 20 words consistently? YES NO
Respond with words or gestures to simple questions (Where's teddy? What's that?)? YES NO
Demonstrate some pretend play with toys (gives teddy bear a drink, pretends a bowl is a hat)? YES NO
Make at least four different consonant sounds (p ,b, m, n, d, g, w, h)? YES NO
Enjoy being read to and sharing simple books with you? YES NO
Point to pictures using one finger? YES NO

By 2 years

Does the child?

Follow two-step directions (Go find your teddy bear and show it to Grandma.)? YES NO
Use 100 to 150 words? YES NO
Use at least two pronouns (you, me, mine)? YES NO
Consistently combine two to four words in short phrases (Daddy hat. Truck go down.)? YES NO
Enjoy being around other children? YES NO
Begin to offer toys to other children and imitate other children's actions and words? YES NO
Use words that are understood by others 50 to 60 per cent of the time? YES NO
Form words or sounds easily and without effort? YES NO
Hold books the right way up and turn the pages? YES NO
Read to stuffed animals or toys? YES NO
Scribble with crayons? YES NO

By 30 months

Does the child?

Understand the concepts of size (big/little) and quantity (a little/a lot, more)? YES NO
Use some adult grammar (two cookies, bird flying, I jumped)? YES NO
Use over 350 words? YES NO
Use action words such as run, spill, fall? YES NO
Participate in some turn-taking activities with peers, using both words and toys? YES NO
Demonstrate concern when another child is hurt or sad? YES NO
Combine several actions in play (puts blocks in the train and drives the train, drops the blocks off.)? YES NO
Put sounds at the beginning of most words? YES NO
Use words with two or more syllables or beats (ba-na-na, com-pu-ter, a-pple)? YES NO
Recognize familiar logos and signs involving print (Stop sign)? YES NO
Remember and understand familiar stories? YES NO

By 3 years

Does the child?

Understand who, what, where and why questions? YES NO
Create long sentences using five to eight words? YES NO
Talk about past events (trip to grandparents house, day at child care)? YES NO
Tell simple stories? YES NO
Show affection for favourite playmates? YES NO
Engage in multi-step pretend play (pretending to cook a meal, repair a car)? YES NO
Talk in a way that most people outside of the family understand what she/he is saying most of the time? YES NO
Have an understanding of the function of print (menus, lists, signs)? YES NO
Show interest in, and awareness of, rhyming words? YES NO
Read to stuffed animals or toys? YES NO
Scribble with crayons? YES NO

By 4 years

Does the child?

Follow directions involving three or more steps (First get some paper, then draw a picture and give it to Mommy)? YES NO
Use adult type grammar? YES NO
Tell stories with a beginning, middle and end? YES NO
Talk to try and solve problems with adults and with other children? YES NO
Show increasingly complex imaginary play? YES NO
Talk in a way that is understood by strangers almost all the time? YES NO
Generate simple rhymes (cat-bat)? YES NO
Match some letters with their sounds (letter b says buh, letter t says tuh)? YES NO