What is Behavioral Management Therapy?

Liam, a 7-year-old with autism, struggled with transitions and often had meltdowns when it was time to switch activities. His parents worked with a behavioral therapist to develop a plan using behavioral management techniques:

• Visual schedules: Liam’s parents created a visual schedule with pictures representing each activity in his daily routine. This helped Liam understand and anticipate transitions.
• Positive reinforcement: When Liam successfully transitioned between activities without a meltdown, his parents praised him and rewarded him with a sticker on his chart. After earning a certain number of stickers, Liam could choose a special activity or treat.
• Gradual exposure: The therapist helped Liam’s parents introduce new transitions gradually, starting with short, easy transitions and building up to more challenging ones over time.

With consistent use of these strategies, Liam’s meltdowns during transitions significantly decreased, and he began to handle changes in routine more flexibly.