Challenging behaviors that co-occur with autism for some individuals include aggression, self-injury, property destruction, noncompliance, tantrum behavior, etc. (2:25). These behaviors, just like any other, are learned through association, modeling, and observation (5:13) and are adapted to serve a specific purpose or function (6:49). Because communication difficulties are a core symptom of autism, challenging behaviors are generally understood as functions of communication in individuals with autism (13:14). However, as with all behaviors, they can be modified with positive supports (6:35). 

To understand and treat these behaviors, it is essential to remember that they “do not occur in a vacuum” (7:45) but instead depend on context and environmental surroundings (i.e. social settings, physical discomfort, etc.). The presenter gives a framework showing the context leading up to behaviors and subsequent consequences (16:15). Viewing challenging behaviors through this lens provides clinicians and families with four different levels where intervention can take place (20:13): 

1. Setting events (17:38) – “Broad contextual factor that makes an antecedent more or less likely to trigger a certain behavior” (i.e., social, physical, or mental settings) 

2. Antecedents – Anything which can potentially trigger a specific behavior (i.e. demands) 

3. Behavior 

4. Consequences 

Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA) are conducted to determine context (setting events + antecedents) and function of an individual’s behavior (21:30). FBAs generally include interviews (25:13), direct observation (36:24), checklists and questionnaires (43:40), and functional analysis (experiment to verify the function of behavior) (22:02). Because behavioral context and function vary greatly across individual lived experiences, proper treatment and intervention plans should be created in concert with a Functional Behavior Assessment (47:20). 

Behavioral treatments generally involve a combination of three strategies (48:08): 

1. Prevention (49:34) – Altering setting events and antecedents 

2. Replacement (57:54) – Teaching replacement communication behaviors and coping skills, etc. 

3. Response (1:02:50) – Consequence-based, focused on positive reinforcement for good behaviors 

The presenter closes with example intervention scenarios based on various behavioral functions such as gaining attention (1:09:32), gaining preferred items or activities (1:11:00), or escaping a demand (1:11:55) and emphasizes again that challenging behaviors serve a function.