The nurse is working with the mother of a child with autism. The goal of the session is to plan strategies to increase the child's socialization. The nurse is explaining behavior modification as a treatment process. The nurse will encourage the mother to:
A)Create a reward system when the child interacts with a person.
B)Punish the child when the child's social behaviors are inappropriate.
C)Use dolls to demonstrate appropriate social interactions to the child.
D)Enroll the child in a day care to encourage interaction with other children.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The best choice is A because behavior modification is based on the principles of positive reinforcement. Creating a reward system when the child interacts with a person would provide positive reinforcement for the desired behavior and increase the likelihood of the behavior being repeated in the future. Punishing the child when the child's social behaviors are inappropriate is not a recommended approach, as it can increase anxiety and decrease motivation. Using dolls to demonstrate appropriate social interactions to the child can be helpful, but it is not the best choice for this scenario, as it does not involve active practice and reinforcement of the desired behavior. Enrolling the child in a day care to encourage interaction with other children may be helpful, but it is not directly related to behavior modification as a treatment process.

The Nurse Is Working with the Mother of a Child