One way to decrease a \"bad\" behavior.

One way to decrease a problem behavior is to increase an incompatible behavior!

One way to change a behavior is to train in a behavior that is incompatible with the behavior that you must change. You train a new behavior that can’t happen at the same time as an old behavior.

For example, if you have a child who yells, you could train in a whisper. Many times, playing with fidget toys can be an incompatible behavior. This works for children who make banging or other noises with their hands when bored, children who grab or hit kids next to them, children who self-injure with hands, and other destructive behaviors. Instead of saying, “Johnny, keep your hands to yourself,” you could say, “Johnny, would you like to hold this fidget?” If Johnny is playing with the fidget, his hands are not free to hit others.

Another example: If a child in your class is putting everything in the church in his or her mouth, consider getting a chewy for the child. An example of a chewy is a necklace with a rubber toy on it. As the child chews on it, it will be covered in spit and need to be cleaned every week, but it can literally save a kid’s life. Whenever a child puts something in his mouth, remove that item and put the chewy back in his mouth.” From Wrangling to Shepherding.