Positive punishment eliminates problem behaviors without being caustic.

To effectively change children's behavior, the goal should be to replace the behavior, not just eliminate it.

Finding out why a child acts out can reveal how to change that behavior.

In the world of applied behavior analysis (ABA), what matters most is the data. Many parents use verbal redirections—often born of anger—to stop their children's behaviors, even though the data indicate the behaviors don't actually stop. In fact, they often get worse. In this post, we will explore why yelling at a child seldom works in the long run and how to win the battle of wills with your child.

Many modern parenting movements cast punishment in a negative light. However, punishment in ABA is simply the application of an outcome that decreases the chances of a behavior recurring. It is not the harsh (often called aversive) response to a child. But, many folks confuse aversives—yelling, spanking, social isolation—with punishment.

Another form of punishment is often called positive punishment. Positive punishment usually works, while aversives typically are not nearly as effective. So why do people........

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