BEHAVIOR CHANGE PROJECT
Cieslak 1
Desiree Cieslak
Behavior Change Project
Old Dominion University
BEHAVIOR CHANGE PROJECT
Cieslak 2
Operational Definition
Darin is a nine-year old, third grader, who has been diagnosed with autism. Throughout Darin’s
day at school, he displays self-injurious like behaviors including- slapping himself, hitting,
kicking, and screaming. This behavior is normally triggered due to him not being able to
comprehend what it is that he is supposed to be doing. Whether he is instructed to speak in front
of his peers or asked to write something; if he does not comprehend, he will act out, displaying the
following actions mentioned, prior. Taking heed to these behaviors, the team would like to
decrease and eliminate such activities that appear to Darin as aversive by adjusting environmental
factors. While trying to accommodate his needs, the team still has to take into consideration that
the replacement behavior must not affect his educational goals. The replacement behavior is for
Darin to communicate with his teachers by asking for a break rather than automatically being
