Escape Behavior
Hi there! How are you? It’s so nice to see you here!
Have you ever experienced a time when you did not want to go somewhere or do something?
What did you do? Did you go or did you find a way out of going?
Much like in the movies, I remember as a little kid not wanting to go to school and using the age-old excuse of being “sick” when I wasn’t really sick. Eventually, I had to go to school and eventually I learned that being “sick” wasn’t going to keep me away from school. (Dun-dun-dun.)
In this week’s blog post, we are going to be discussing all things escape behavior. If you’re wondering if you’ve seen escape behavior discussed here before, then yes, you would be correct! Our August 26th blog post gave an overview all about the behavior functions. But now - we’re really going to settle into it and break down a lot of what’s out there.
What are Escape Behaviors?
Escape maintained behaviors occur when a learner wants to escape something they do not want to do or be a part of.
What is the reason (the function) that Escape Behavior serves for the learner?
These behaviors occur because at some point along the road, when the learner engaged in the behavior, they were reinforced, a.k.a. they were able to leave or escape from what they did not want to participate in or be a part of (activity or event.) Therefore, in the future, the behavior is “maintained” by their ability to leave or escape.
Learners will use escape behaviors to end or move away from something they find aversive (very disliked.) There is a range within this behavior for not only what it looks like but also the intensity of the behavior. The learner, over time, gains the understanding of what they need to do to escape.
What can Escape Behavior look like?
(Disclaimer: these are examples, they are not the only escape behaviors out there; all behaviors are unique.)
- Eloping (running or walking) away and staying within a room (minor) or leaving the room, building (major) to get away.
- Asking for breaks (either repeated breaks, breaks every day at the same time, etc.)
- Yelling as a way to verbally refuse to escape from an activity or event
- Throwing items to get others away from them (if escaping from interactions with others)
Escape behaviors - what to do when they get unsafe (major vs. minor eloping)
The first area I always like to explore is why - why is our learner engaging in escape behavior.
What is happening around the learner that could support their need for using behavior to escape?
When a learner gets to the point that they use their body to communicate their need to leave whether they leave the table or leave a space entirely, its critical to ask yourself “what is happening right before” as well as “how am I responding?” Taking note of those antecedents (before activities) to see what the learner is trying to avoid. The consequences (our responses) help determine if the learner is actually able to escape (we are reinforcing them) or not and is the learner trying to increase the intensity or way they are escaping over time.
Oftentimes if the learner does not know how to express their need to leave a setting for any reason, they will tell us with their body. This has the potential to be extremely dangerous.
The learner’s desire to leave can result in engaging in behaviors ranging from property/ environmental destruction (throwing and/or breaking items in a setting), aggression (hitting, throwing, biting, kicking), elopement (leaving a specific area), etc.
Is the behavior happening because of the task, the setting, or both?
Like I mentioned above, escape behaviors range in intensity. Property/environmental destruction as well as aggression both have a level of danger for the learner and those around them because items are thrown or broken and the learner uses their body, with force, to express themselves, in this case to escape. These behaviors can often be contained within a particular setting and help those around the learner gain an idea for what task is giving this response.
If the setting itself is resulting in the escape behavior, this can result in the learner leaving a part of a setting (minor elopement) or leaving the setting entirely (major elopement). The danger rises greatly as we don’t know where the learner is going and the learner can be going into unsafe settings such as near a road if out in the community or out the front door of a building and out of sight.
How can we support escape behavior in a functional, purposeful way?
One way I like to start is with a replacement behavior that the learner cannot do at the same time as their escaping. And what is that you ask? Requesting.
Giving the learner a sense of control and ownership to express their needs surrounding something they dislike sends the message:
My words are powerful.
We want our learner to understand that words carry more weight than the use of their body in expressing their needs
This can look like offering functional communication training with phrases such as:
- “I need a break”
- “I am all done”
- “I need help”
- and more…
When the learner starts to make the connection that they can make a functional request for support or to take a break instead of engaging in escape behavior, it is an opportunity to reinforce the learner with their preferred method of reinforcement (token board, verbal praise, high-fives, hugs, etc.)
During these experiences, use them also as times to communicate with your learner. Interact with them and inquire about what they need. Depending on their form of communication this can look like using their AAC device, modeling with language, using visuals, pointing or having a verbal discussion.
Letting your learner know that you support their needs and their needs are important to you will only further grow the connection you have together.
Escape Behavior Across Settings & Environments
Just like all other behavior, the topography (a fancy way of saying what the behavior looks like) and the function (the purpose the behavior serves) can change across environments.
Sometimes, a behavior can look the same but serve a different purpose or it can look different and serve the same purpose as a different behavior.
All this means is the learner understands ways to have a behavior meet their needs and get them their desired outcome.
Be mindful of how your learner uses their escape behavior in different settings. Be mindful of what's happening around the learner at that time and who is there. Intensity with escape behavior can increase over time so looking at the A-B-C sequence and finding what the antecedents are that elicit the behavior to proactively support the learner is critical.
Keep in mind, additional interventions such as providing choice, building structure within the breaks, etc. will vary from learner to learner as each learner’s behavior is different.
It is our job now to support them in a purposeful way and navigate their needs appropriately.
I would love to support you and your family in crafting collaborative, sustainable behavior and special education supports at home through a free 15-minute Coffee Break to find out just what your cup needs.
Be sure to follow us this week on Instagram @coffeemugsandclipboards as we bring this weeks information to life!
