Topics > Accepting No

Understanding

A chid's ability to accept "no" depends on who they are as an individual, as well as the environment in which they are supported.  The care giver must understand the environmental variables that surround the behavior (What happens before and What happens after) as well as who the child is an individual (Skill Strengths and Weakness) in order to understand why a child will/will not accept "no."  Without a thorough understanding of the behavior, treatment simply becomes a guessing game.

Many children, especially those with developmental disabilities require additional supports to help them learn to accept denial appropriately.  Children challenged by developmental disabilities such as autism often struggle with flexibility, thus being told "no" is an incredibly difficult concept for them to accept.  Communication deficits can also result in undesirable behaviors such as tantrums when a child is told no.  For example, the child's lack of functional communication may prohibit them from expressing frustration appropriately ("I am busy now.."), an inability to request desired items ("I want another cookie"),and/or an inability to understand why access is being denied ("What does later mean?)