Understanding and intervening with the challenging behavior of young children with autism spectrum disorder

Young children with autism and behavioral challenges are at great risk for lives that are characterized by social isolation and segregated placements. These restrictive placements often occur when the child's challenging behavior interferes with successful adaptation in educational, therapeutic, and community environments. In this article, positive behavior support is described as a process that may be used to understand and intervene effectively with the challenging behavior of young children with autism. The article describes the history, empirical support, and implementation steps of positive behavior support. A case study is provided to illustrate successful application of the process.