Polly Bath: If we were to walk into a situation we didn’t like, what would we do? How would we handle it? Would we pitch a fit? Fall on the ground crying? Talk about our father who treated us poorly at nine years old?

No! Why? Because we have skills. We are able to avoid situations using skills that someone has taught us.

But these are the things that some of our students are doing when they are put into a situation they don’t like. If a child continues to use avoidance over and over again, then they haven’t learned any new skills to avoid situations that are difficult.

If someone takes the toys I want to play with, how do I deal with that? I would want the adult to run in, take the toys back, and give them to me. But it isn’t always going to happen that way. And we need to teach these kids that!

It’s ALWAYS time to introduce new skills. Teach, teach, teach!

By teaching these kids new skills, they won’t continue to seek avoidance using the behaviors they’re using now.