Which is an escape-maintained behavior intervention example?

Which is an escape-maintained behavior intervention example?

• A. Teach a break card to escape and modify demands
• B. Increase demands to escalate escape
• C. Provide punishment with time-out
• D. Reinforce compliance without offering a break

Answer: (A)

Escape-maintained behavior is driven by the chance to avoid or end a demand. A break-card intervention fits this function because it gives the individual a clear, appropriate way to request a break when tasks become difficult, rather than using the challenging behavior to escape. By teaching the break card and pairing it with adjustments to demands (making tasks manageable and offering breaks predictably), the student learns that they can obtain relief through a communication that supports compliance rather than disrupts learning. Over time, this reduces the reinforced value of escaping via problem behavior and promotes more adaptive responses. The other options don’t provide a functional escape alternative: increasing demands tends to heighten escape-maintained behavior; punishment with time-out is an aversive consequence that doesn’t teach a functional way to request breaks; reinforcing compliance without offering a break fails to address the escape function and may not reduce avoidance.

Escape-maintained behavior is driven by the chance to avoid or end a demand. A break-card intervention fits this function because it gives the individual a clear, appropriate way to request a break when tasks become difficult, rather than using the challenging behavior to escape. By teaching the break card and pairing it with adjustments to demands (making tasks manageable and offering breaks predictably), the student learns that they can obtain relief through a communication that supports compliance rather than disrupts learning. Over time, this reduces the reinforced value of escaping via problem behavior and promotes more adaptive responses.

The other options don’t provide a functional escape alternative: increasing demands tends to heighten escape-maintained behavior; punishment with time-out is an aversive consequence that doesn’t teach a functional way to request breaks; reinforcing compliance without offering a break fails to address the escape function and may not reduce avoidance.