A Note on Self-Management

What is Self-Management?

Self-Management is an EBP found to support autistic individuals. It requires a learner to tell the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behavior, record the behavior on a data sheet, and then provide self-reinforcement when specific goals are met. While it must initially be taught, the eventual goal is independence, or self-determination. It is highly generalizable and can be used for a long list of target behaviors and outcomes — academic, social, and behavioral.

Who can use Self-Management?

Although it seems to require a high degree of self-awareness and accountability, Self-Management has demonstrated empirical success for ages 3–22. Match the target outcome to the appropriate age group when planning.

Why I use Self-Management

In my teaching institution we use a curriculum centered around competitive debate. There are winners and losers in each debate, and our students regularly compete against students from other schools. One of the main virtues debate can teach is self-determination in social situations: once a student is in a debate, there is no outside help. Whether they win or lose is completely up to them, and their ability to advocate for themselves against a well-prepared opponent is frequently the difference between victory and defeat. Unlike many other competitions, there are no time-outs or opportunities for coaching.

So I ask myself what kind of EBPs will be useful for situations where the chance of a prompt from an adult is low, or where only a peer can issue a prompt. I find EBPs like Self-Management and Naturalistic Intervention to be effective tools for debaters, because I can teach them how to use these strategies within the debate framework itself.

Sam, A., & AFIRM Team. (2016). Self-management. National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder, FPG Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina. https://afirm.fpg.unc.edu/self-management