Beyond Behavior: A Conversation About Understanding

IMAGINE THAT THERAPY
Behavior. It's a word we hear often, especially when speaking about children. Sometimes it's used to describe something positive, other times something challenging. But depending on who you ask, the word itself can mean something completely different. For parents and RBTs, behavior is nothing new. It's something they experience, observe, and respond to every day. From the excitement of a child discovering something new to the frustration that comes when things don't go their way, there's a lot that can be expressed without ever saying a word. But what is behavior? And how does our understanding of it shape the way we respond to others? To explore these questions, I spoke with two members of the Imagine That Therapy team about their
experiences working in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and how those experiences have influenced the way they understand behavior.

More Than What Meets the Eye
When asked what behavior meant to them, one team member described it as "A child understanding the world, understanding boundaries, and sometimes not having enough verbal language to express their wants and needs."
Their answer brings attention to something worth considering. Children are learning about the world while also learning how to express themselves within it. Sometimes those two things don't happen at the same pace.
The team member also reflected on how their own understanding has changed over time. "Like most people who hadn't worked with children with autism, I thought behavior was just one thing, someone acting out to gain attention."
They explained that working in ABA introduced them to the many different reasons a behavior might occur. What at one point seemed straightforward became something that demanded more observation and consideration.

We're All Behaving
Another team member approached the question from a slightly different perspective, reflecting on how the word behavior is sometimes used to describe children. "'The behavior kid' is a label used too frequently to describe a child who may not follow the same social norms as others or who stands out for one reason or another." It's a phrase that some of us may have heard before, whether in a classroom, a conversation, or somewhere else.
But as the team member pointed out, "We are all exhibiting behaviors all the time!" It's a statement that broadens the conversation. Behavior isn't exclusive to children, nor is it something that only deserves attention when it becomes challenging. It's part of how we interact with our surroundings and the people in them. The team member also shared how working with children who have different communication abilities has influenced the way they observe others.
"I think I tend to pay more attention to body language and shifts in facial expressions, specifically people's eyes." They described how those observations have carried into everyday interactions, even outside of work.
The more we learn to pay attention to others, the more we begin to notice the different ways people express themselves.

Understanding Before Changing
One question I asked both team members centered on the importance of understanding the circumstances surrounding behavior. In ABA, observing what happens before and after a behavior can help provide a clearer picture of why it may be occurring. As one team member explained, "Once you understand what happened before and after a behavior, you gain a better understanding of the situation and can approach others more effectively."
The other shared a similar perspective when asked whether people sometimes focus too much on changing behavior before understanding it. "Understanding what an individual is trying to communicate or achieve should always be the first step in a therapeutic approach." Both responses return to the same idea that understanding matters. And while every child and situation is different, working to understand and have conversations like these are worthwhile. There isn't always one explanation for why someone behaves the way they do, and sometimes our first interpretation isn't the full picture.

Continuing the Conversation
For families, understanding their children is already part of everyday life. Parents and RBTs spend countless hours learning their children's personalities, recognizing their needs, and figuring out what works best for them.

Our hope with this conversation isn't to tell families what they should already know, but to share a few perspectives from the people who work alongside them. At Imagine That Therapy, these conversations are part of our everyday work. And even with the knowledge and experience that comes from working in ABA, there's still plenty to learn from the children and families we support.
If there's anything these two conversations brought to light, it's that behavior isn't always as straightforward as it appears. Sometimes understanding it means looking beyond the action.