Time-Out and Time-In Strategies
Autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions that often bring challenges related to: social skills, speech, and behavior. For many parents, trying to understand and manage their child’s behaviors can be difficult. One of the biggest challenges is trying to create a consistent structure for handling situations when their child is acting out. Additionally, having a consistent way to reinforce positive behaviors is often overlooked.
What is Time-Out?
When a child is told to go somewhere – like a chair or facing a wall, alone for a determined amount of time.
How to effectively implement Time-Out.
- Use a calm voice and avoid making choices based on emotions.
- Set specific rules and criteria and ensure a consistent implementation.
- Use brief statements of the behavior you want to see next/again.
- “When you are calm, you can tell me what you need.”
- With an inside voice, let them know what you want when you are ready.
- The video games are not available, you can have a book or your race car. Let me know when you are ready to pick with an inside voice.
- Avoid offering to many options.
- Avoid offering options after the behavior occurred.
When NOT to use Time-Out
- With children who use behavior to avoid or escape situations, tasks, or activities.
- With children who engage in self injurious behavior and could cause harm to themselves.
What is Time-In?
Reinforcing positive behaviors through praise or attention.
How to use Time-In
- Provide lots of attention for the behaviors you want to see again.
- Labeling the things you like. (Descriptive praise.)
- “I love how you are sharing your blocks with your sister!”
- “You are sitting waiting so nicely!”
- “Thank you for helping clean up!”
- Identify what your child likes.
- Verbal praise, hugs, tickles, squeezes, high fives, tokens, toys.
- Use these paired with descriptive praise.
- Use high energy and incorporate them with activities your child likes.
These strategies can also be applied in everyday situations like sibling conflicts and teaching life skills at home.
At EAS, we build individualized applied behavior analysis autism programs which help address behavior planning, as well as social skills, fine motor skills, language and communication, play skills, self-help, and more. To see how these strategies are applied in practice, explore what ABA therapy sessions look like.
If you would like to speak with a clinician to set up a time to discuss building a personalized program for your child, please fill out our consultation request form. We offer individualized ABA therapy for autism and in home aba therapy in many cities like Duluth, Beaverton and Sterling Heights.
For parents seeking more details about how we support children, you can explore our range of autism services, or learn more from our related resources:
- Explore the difference between reinforcement and punishment in this insightful guide.
- Read about helping your child manage their emotions in our detailed blog.
With consistent use of both Time-Out and Time-In strategies, families can create a balanced approach that encourages positive behaviors and helps children thrive with the right ABA services for autism.
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