The following is an example of a behavior modification plan. It is essential when working with a child with an emotional disability to come up with a game plan to help them succeed and meet their goals. This specific behavior modification plan is based on attendance, but behavior modification plans can be created around anything from raising their hand to be called on to not running away during school hours. The same ideas can be used at home to create success in family life. Just be creative and think of what the specific child’s needs and interests are so that the behavior modification plan is applicable to them. It is essential to be consistent with the behavior modification plan for the first week to month and then as the child becomes more successful they can be weaned from the plan back to normal daily life.

Sample Behavior Modification Plan

Target Behavior

Classroom Attendance: This is important to ensure the child is receiving a full education, where the child is learning responsibility as well as their curricular goals.

• Appropriate behavior, regular attendance, to be increased
• Inappropriate behavior, irregular absence and extreme tardiness, to be decreased

Classroom attendance to improve, so that child is missing only one day a month or less; only when child is sick or needs to attend pertinent appointments. Absence to be parental approved with call to school.  This will help the child to learn appropriate material and build consistent interactions with classmates.

Reinforcement

• Attendance to class will be rewarded with token daily, which will help child earn larger reward.
• Daily reinforces can help children see accomplishment, while larger prize helps them to see importance of consistency.
• Child will receive token daily after sitting through, completing, class.
• Final prize can be gauged by child’s interest and should be largely rewarding to them.

Data Collection

• Attendance will be taken daily and noted in teacher’s log.
• This log can be used to determine progress.
• Child should start attending more regularly and continue their positive behavior over two months time.
• Child will be observed over two months time with evaluations weekly on progress toward goal.