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| Saint Dymphna Patroness of Neurological Disorders |
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Sometimes labels are mistakenly identified as the causes of behavior. For example, a person might say that an autistic child engages in problem behaviors (such as screaming, hitting himself, refusal to follow instructions) because the child is autistic. In other words the person is suggesting that autism causes the child to engage in the behavior. However, autism is simply a label that describes a pattern of behaviors the child engages in. The label cannot be the cause of the behavior because the label does not exist as a physical entity or event. The causes of the behavior must be found in the environment (including the biology of the child).
The scientific study of human behavior is called behavioral analysis. Behavior modification procedures are based on research in applied behavioral analysis that has been conducted for more than 40 years. (Ullmann & Krasner, 1965; Ulrich, Stachnik, & Mabry, 1966).
Behavior Modification procedures are designed to change behavior, not a personal characteristic or trait. Therefore, behavior modification de-emphasizes labeling. For example; behavior modification is not used to change autism (a label); rather, behavior modification is used to change problem behaviors exhibited by autistic children.
(Miltenberger, Raymond; Behavior Modification Principles and Procedures Third Edition)
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