Question:

I have a student with autism in my third grade general education classroom. Everything is going really well except he makes noises while he’s doing his work. It’s pretty disruptive to the other students and me, too! What should we do?

Answer:

Making noises in class is actually a very common concern. As with all challenging behaviors we must dedicate some thought to determine the purpose of the behavior. Is the function of the behavior (i.e. making noises) to ‘get something’ or to ‘protest, reject, escape or avoid’? Let’s begin with the hypothesis that the purpose of this behavior is to ‘get something.’ To get what? Well, let’s explore some of the possibilities

• The student may be making noises to ‘get attention.’ It may have been that from the very first time the student made noises while engaged in class work an adult came over and said, “Shh!” and then maybe even helped the student with the work. Guess what may have happened? Yep, from that moment on, making noises was reinforced as a way to gain an adult’s attention! So, if this hypothesis is correct then you’re going to replace the challenging behavior of making noises for the purpose of getting attention with a more socially acceptable means of gaining another’s attention.
  
  I’d recommend that you teach the student to raise his hand when he wants the teacher’s attention just like the other students in the class. How? Use visuals. Explore placing a visual behavior rule card on his desk that has a picture symbol of a student raising his hand. Make sure to have the word ‘help’ printed on it, too. Each time the student makes a noise, point to the behavior rule card and say, “Raise your hand” and then acknowledge the student. Eventually fade your verbal prompt and pointing to the card. Always reinforce the student for performing the desired prosocial behavior (e.g., “Thanks for raising your hand. What do you need?”) Don’t forget to collect data to see if this strategy results in a decrease in making noises.

Help

• The student could possibly be making noises as a way to ‘get regulated.’ That is, the student may be feeling stressed (‘dysregulated’) while doing his class work; making noises may be a way he soothes himself. If this hypothesis is correct, then you should review the class work being assigned to the student. Evaluate the work by asking yourself these questions and then make appropriate adjustments:

• Is the work too hard?
• Did I give him too much work?
• Is the work boring/uninteresting?
• Does he know how much work he is to complete?
• Is there enough time to complete the work?
• Are appropriate accommodations provided?

• The student may be making noises to simply ‘get sensory stimulation.’ He likes making noises!!! If this hypothesis is true, then you might implement strategies to delay making noises and include it on his mini-task schedule as a reward. For example, you would first show him the visual behavior rule card:

Shhh! Quiet!

Then you would show him his mini task schedule that might look like this:

• Do math problems 1-5.
• Put math worksheet into finished basket.
• Go outside to recess and make noises or play.
• Return to class and check schedule.

You might also consider using an ‘If / Then’ card. For example,

If I do my work Then I can make noises in my break area for 5 minutes

I’ve had success in developing a social story to address this issue. Teaching a student when and where he can make noises is an important life-long skill that will help him become more socially successful in many contexts such as school, community and the workplace. Social stories are a way of teaching social and life skills to students with an ASD. According to Carol Gray, the developer of Social Stories, “ A Social Story describes a situation, skill, or concept in terms of relevant social cues, perspectives, and common responses in a specifically defined style and format. Although the goal of a Story should never be to change the individual’s behavior, that individual’s improved understanding of events and expectations may lead to more effective responses.” Examples of a social story title for your student might be, “When and Where I Can Make Noises.” To learn more about how to write a social story visit www.thegraycenter.org The Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding, the “Official Home of Carol Gray and Social Stories.”

Finally, don’t forget to take data so you’ll know if your strategy is effective at reducing the noisemaking.

Thanks for your great question and best of luck as you explore the most effective intervention strategy for your individual student.