How can you connect this new skill to the student’s priorities? How can you assure ownership by making the development of this skill the student’s goal rather than your goal for the student?
First of all, it is important to note that this issue should be addressed in a sensitive manner and in a private setting. Obviously, the goal is not to shame the student, nor is it advisable to convey that such behaviors are never okay under any conditions. Moreover, a constructive and non-judgmental discussion with family on how to approach the issue will be helpful.
If the student is motivated by social acceptance, then you would capitalize on this motivation as you introduce the issue. If the student is not motivated by social acceptance, but he or she is motivated to get his work done and/or make good grades, it might be prudent to clarify how this private behavior detracts from his ability to complete tasks (i.e. if he spends time in the bathroom at school or work, then he is not getting tasks done on time). Perhaps the student is motivated to refrain from a behavior in order to avoid punishing consequences that could be applied in a school, work, or community context.
Can your use of visual supports help get agreement that there is a problem, get agreement on the solution, and create the motivation for change?
When you address this issue, one initial objective might be to present the rationale behind why the behavior is not appropriate in certain settings. Consider visual supports to clarify and organize private versus public behaviors and to distinguish appropriate versus inappropriate settings under which these behaviors occur.
It will also be important to understand (and to help the student understand) why he engages in this behavior. Is it in response to anxiety, overstimulation, under-stimulation, boredom, avoidance of a task, etc.? Functional assessment of behavior will be necessary in some cases (i.e. analyzing the events that precede and follow a behavior, in order to better understand, predict, and manipulate that behavior).
Depending on the behavior, it may be appropriate to devise a behavior contract or some other visual reminder cue that reiterates when, where, and for how long the student can engage in a particular behavior. Build reinforcing consequences into this contract. The student should participate in the selection of these reinforcing consequences. If necessary, also include punishing contingencies (e.g. after school detention, removal of video games at home) in this contract.
Priming is a form of negotiation that can reframe and sharpen a student’s assessment of self. Below are the self-assessment tools that align with this intervention topic:
"Self Regulation - Private Behaviors"
As you introduce the topic, how will you incorporate (visually, thematically) the student’s unique interests?
For example, is this student highly motivated by particular political or historical figures, or by fictional characters from certain movies, books, or games? If so, you could develop a coping card that thematically connects the expected behavior to the student’s high interest figure.
Before the student encounters a situation where he is likely to engage in a private behavior, how do you help the student prepare? How do you orient the student to the upcoming situation and remind him of the “rules”? How will you remind him of the alternative behaviors that are appropriate for that setting?
Will you engage him in rehearsal sessions where he can practice the alternative response? Present familiar visual supports (e.g. social narratives, established behavior contracts and other cues) that will serve to remind this student of the expected behavior.