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What Are the Steps in Setting Boundaries?
Step 1: Address the need- Step 2: Define the boundary
- Step 3: Teach the boundary
- Step 4: Reinforce the desired behavior
- Step 5: Evaluate success
Step 1: Address the need
The first step in boundary settings is to prioritize the child’s
needs. Issues of safety should come first. Once issues of safety have
been resolved, other concerns involving social interactions and compliance
can be addressed.
When determining whether a child needs boundaries to be
set, ask the following questions. Does she:
- Have difficulty staying in one place?
- Have difficulty transitioning from one area to another,
or losing her focus?
- Run away when frustrated, frightened, or upset?
- Have trouble sitting (i.e., at the dinner table or
at a desk)?
- Experience problems leaving others’ belongings
alone?
Once these questions are answered and safety issues have
been addressed, it is time to prioritize
the needs. Special consideration should be given to the areas of social
interactions and compliance.
Step 2: Define the boundary
The various areas in the classroom or home must be set up and organized.
Boundaries can be defined by where materials and furnishings are placed.
Areas within the classroom that may need boundaries include: play area,
group area, and work area. Within the home, boundaries may include toys
that belong to the child and those that belong to others; rooms (i.e.,
the workshop or office) that are accessible only with adult supervision.
Establishing a boundary will help children understand (a) where things
begin and end, and (b) areas that are accessible without supervision.
In addition, boundaries make it easier to identify the meaningful parts
or aspects of the environment.
When setting boundaries, the more visual they are, the
more effective they’ll be. A play area would be a good place for
setting and teaching a boundary.
Boundaries for a play area could be created by:
- Blocking off the area with tape on the floor
- Physically arranging the furniture to define the area,
such as setting up the shelves that contain the toys on the border
- Placing a carpet remnant in the play area
Step 3: Teach the boundary
Guidelines for teaching how to recognize and follow the guidelines establishing
by boundary settings include:
1. Model the correct behavior
The teacher/parent models the appropriate behavior for staying within
the given boundary. For instance, if the adult is playing with Legos
in the play area, he leaves the Legos™ in the play area before
going out of the room to get a drink of water. Self-verbalization techiques
are a useful way to reinforce boundaries. For example, while modeling
the appropriate behavior, the adult says to himself, "When I want
to play with Legos, I need to stay in the play area. If I need to go
to the bathroom or get a drink, I need to leave the Legos in the play
area. I can always come back later and I know the Legos will be there."
Modeling may also occur via videotape. The teacher could
prepare a videotape showing the area and its defined boundary. He indicates
by actions (i.e., sitting in the area and playing) and words where he
can play with the Legos. Some students with ASD may benefit by also
seeing nonexamples. If you have students who learn from this type of
feedback, identify in the videotape which areas are not appropriate
for Lego™ play and how the student can distinguish appropriate
from inappropriate areas for Lego play.
2. Model reinforcement
An adult (i.e., teacher, paraprofessional) verbally reinforces the adult
who models the correct behavior and keeps within the appropriate boundaries.
Reinforcement should be specific, stating the behavior that is appropriate
and a rationale for following the rule. For example, a paraprofessional
could reinforce a teacher who is modeling playing the Legos in the play
area by saying, "Mrs. Johnson, good playing with Legos in the play
area. You will always know where the Legos are when you keep them in
the play area. Good job!"
3. Model correction
When the teacher walks out of the area, holding Legos in her hand, the
paraprofessional calls her back to the play area. When the teacher returns
to the play area, she is reinforced for complying. The paraprofessional
should also specifically reinforce that the teacher needs to stay within
the defined area to play with the Legos.
4. Be consistent with the use boundary settings from
day to day
Once a boundary has been taught, it is very important
to be as consistent as possible.
Step 4: Evaluate success
You know you are successful with boundary settings if the child:
- independently leaves objects where they belong
- consistently transitions successfully from one area
to another
- eats all or most of his lunch while sitting at the
lunch table
- stays in the designated area when upset
- leaves others’ belongings alone
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