ABSTRACT
Punishment is said to “work” when the punished behavior decreases in frequency in the future. The positive consequences of engaging in the punished action, however, do not go away. Punishment as a method of control does not remove the reinforcement that maintains an inappropriate action. Extinction does. Extinction by itself only works when controlling the main source of reinforcement for the action to decrease. Although functional behavioral assessment and functional behavioral analysis usually target problem behaviors to decrease, solutions lie in addressing positive behaviors to increase. When appropriate behavior is strengthened enough to replace inappropriate actions, the problem is solved. Building positive actions can be started before disruptive behavior worsens enough to require an Individualized Education Plan. The usual aversive methods of reducing behavior decreases an action at the moment, but usually produces more problems than it solves. Teachers need to be taught better ways of handling difficult behavior, ways that behavioral science provides.
