Competing stimuli
Providing an item or activity that safely mimics the sensory input of the challenging behaviour, making it difficult to engage in both simultaneously.
Competing stimuli involve giving the learner something to do that provides the same type of feeling as the problem behaviour, but in a safe and appropriate way. Importantly, the safe item should make it physically difficult to engage in the problem behaviour at the same time.
You use this when automatically maintained behaviour is dangerous or highly stigmatising. If a learner bites their own hand, you provide a durable, safe chew tube. It provides the oral sensory input they are seeking, and they cannot bite their hand while the chew tube is in their mouth. It competes with the challenging behaviour.
Practitioners often fail by choosing items that don't effectively compete. If the learner spins objects to watch them blur, giving them a stress ball won't work because it doesn't provide the visual input they are seeking. The stimulus must match the specific sensory function. Another mistake is only providing the competing stimulus after the problem behaviour starts. It needs to be available beforehand to prevent the behaviour.
Implementation
- Analyse the challenging behaviour to determine the specific sensory input it provides.
- Identify a safe item that provides near-identical sensory input.
- Ensure the item is highly preferred and easily accessible.
- Prompt the learner to engage with the competing stimulus during times when the challenging behaviour is likely.
- Reinforce the use of the safe competing stimulus.
Common Mistakes
- Selecting items that do not match the specific sensory function of the behaviour.
- Only offering the item reactively, after the challenging behaviour has begun.
- Providing items that are not preferred enough to compete with the challenging behaviour.