It is important to know that all behaviour has a function, a purpose. This is also true for inappropriate behaviour . It is therefore important to analyze the function of the behaviour to understand the situation. Then, we can try to change the inappropriate behaviour by choosing the appropriate intervention methods related to our assumptions made following the functional analysis of the

behaviour.

Rewards are effective to increase the child’s motivation to perform one or more tasks. The reward system encourages the child to make the necessary efforts to accomplish what is required. Once the task is achieved and the child does it easily, the reward system should be modified. The reward should now be associated with a new task, which is more difficult for the child. Thus, the child stays motivated to learn new tasks constantly.
Different types of rewards exist, for example , primary reinforcers (ex: favourite food ) , secondary reinforcers (ex: activities or games ) and tertiary reinforcers (ex: verbal encouragement ) . The adult has to choose the type of reinforcements according to the interests and developmental level of the child and also, according to the degree of effort required to accomplish the task.

The visual sequences are useful because they allow the child to predict the sequence of events to come (ex: schedule). These visual structures can also be used to help the child improve his autonomy skills. The child can also learn a new task with the images showing the sequence of actions to do.

The social stories, also called social scenarios were developed to help understand the rules of a game and social rules. Social scenarios also address the Theory of Mind (ability to understand the perceptions of another person). These scenarios help clarify social expectations, redefining misinterpretations and provide a guide of conduct for social situations.

(Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication handicapped Children ) is a treatment and education program for children of all ages with autism and related development disorders. TEACCH is an approach that uses a structured environment to promote the child’s independence in all areas of his life.

When this program is used, the environment, the schedule and the child's activities should be well organized and structured . For example , at home, it is useful to use the TEACCH method to structure the child’s spare time, in order to promote his autonomy skills during play.

The "Picture Exchange Communication System " has been designed to teach the child how to communicate. When the child does not understand the fact that the words are used to communicate, the PECS method is useful because it gives the child an alternative means of communication ( with pictures) . With this system , the child learns to initiate an interaction in order to communicate, learns the function of communication and thus develop communication skills. * Empirical evidence supports this method. The results of various studies show a spontaneous emergence of speech among users of this method.

This method is used with children that are able to use verbal language. The child learns the sentence structure and learns to extend the sentences he uses when he speaks.

Also known under the name of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Lovaas Method. This individual educational program aims to develop many skills such as: attention, imitation, receptive and expressive language development, pre-academic skills and personal autonomy (self-help skills).

Several recommendations are given to teach the child how to use the toilet and to motivate the child to do so. Following discussions, an individualized plan will be provided including various tips and suggestions for planning and starting the toilet training. If you prefer, direct intervention can also be offered. I could come to your house for several hours in order to implement the toilet training plan with your child.