|
Using Time Out Effectively Time
out has been used as a practical and effective behavior management technique for
more than 30 years. When used correctly, it can be a powerful tool for
reducing problem behaviors with children ages 2 ½ through 12. There are many
misconceptions about time out. First,
time out is not “cool-down,” or “think-time.”
Instead, it is the removal of the opportunity to obtain positive
reinforcement for a specific behavior. This
article summarizes the key rules for using time out effectively.
Many of these procedures are described in detail in a well-written,
parent-friendly volume by Lynne Clark, Ph.D., called SOS: Help for Parents. The length of time out is
one minute for each year of developmental age. Time out should be done
in a boring place such as the bathroom, the hall, a stairwell, or other area
where there is likely to be little entertainment. A tall, straight-backed
chair in a boring place can be used for children through age 5.
For children 6 through 12, the bathroom is preferable (of course, with
dangerous objects removed). Use a kitchen timer to
monitor the length of time out.
Using
a timer frees the parent from the monitoring role and eliminates calls from the
child such as, “Is time out done yet?”
Set the timer when the child sits in the time out chair or enters the
time out place. Time out begins
when the child enters the time out area; not when the child becomes quiet. When sending a child to
time out, use a simple instruction with fewer
than ten words such as, “No fighting, go to time out.”
Resist the urge to lecture or scold. The child should be
instructed to go to time out within 10-15 seconds of the problem behavior.
As with all consequences of behavior, time out is most effective when it
occurs immediately. For every 10 seconds of
delay or arguing after the instruction to go to time out, add one additional
minute up to a maximum of five additional minutes. For example, the
child argues for 10 seconds, say, “That’s one more minute.” If the arguing or negotiating continues for another 10
seconds, say, “That’s two more minutes,” etc. Do not speak or attend to
the child during time out.
Do not even make eye contact. If a young child (under age 6) leaves time out before
the time is up, simply place the child back in the time out chair without
speaking or making eye contact. When time out is over,
you may say, “Time out is over.” Do
not counsel or discuss the behavior that resulted in time out.
There is no evidence that
discussing the infraction adds any positive effect to time out, and it may even
reduce the effectiveness of time out by providing attention at the end of the
process. If the child is still
crying or shouting at the end of the time out period, set the timer for one
additional minute (or two additional minutes for a child over 6).
Repeat this procedure, as needed, up to three times.
Say only, “That’s x more minute/s for you to get quiet,” and
do not make eye contact. If crying
or shouting persists beyond this point, just ignore. Note: In no case should the child be permitted to leave time
out without loss of a preferred activity unless he/she has been quiet for a
minimum of 30 seconds. Start by using time out for
only one behavior (e.g.,
hitting, profanity, etc.), and plan to continue using time out consistently for
at least four weeks. In the
beginning, the child will likely test your persistence.
Measure your progress by tracking the daily frequency of the selected
behavior. For children ages 4-12,
describe the time out procedure with them before you start.
Expect objections. Ignore these and do not negotiate. If you must speak, say only, “We’re going to do is.”
If objections persist, walk away. Do
not engage in debate. The book by
Lynn Clark (see below) will provide a good reference for using time out
effectively. The article by Jeffrey
Danforth provides a more in-depth, detailed study. References: Questions and Answers about
Time Out
·
Where is the best place to
do time out?
Generally, the child's
room is not a good place to do time out unless the sources of
entertainment have been removed. Time
out, by definition, means time out from access to positive reinforcement. Time out must be done in a boring place, and the child's room
is often anything but boring. For
children ages 5 and under, time out should be done in an adult-sized chair in a
boring place such as a hall, the dining room, or other low-interest area.
For children 6-12, the bathroom can be a very effective place for time
out (see the book by Lynn Clark noted at the end of the article in the last
newsletter). Overall, time out can be
done anywhere, provided there is
limited access to sources of positive reinforcement. ·
But what if my child makes a
mess in the bathroom during time out? Have the child
thoroughly clean up the mess before leaving the bathroom at the end of time out.
If your child has a history of breaking objects, obviously, you should
remove high-risk objects from the time out place before you begin using it.
Making a mess in the bathroom has been reported on occasion, but this
typically responds well to the consistent requirement that the child must clean
up the results. ·
What do I do if my young child
(2 1/2 - 5) keeps getting out of the time out chair? You gently pick the child up
from behind, and replace him/her in the chair without speaking or making
eye contact. Then, immediately step
about 2 1/2 to 3 feet away from the chair and wait.
Repeat this process as necessary. Some
children may attempt to escape time out a number of times when the procedure is
first started; however, most children learn to sit through a developmentally
appropriate time out (i.e., one minute for each year of developmental age) after
the first day or two. ·
When does the time out period
start? Isn't time out a certain
required period of quiet? The second question is a
common misconception with no clear origin.
It certainly does not come from the research in applied behavior
analysis. The time out period
starts when the child enters the time out place.
The time out period should be monitored using a kitchen timer and
is one minute for each year of developmental age (i.e., 5 minutes for a
five- year old child who is not developmentally delayed).
The only time period of quiet that is required is 15-30 seconds of quiet
when the time out is completed. This
short period of quiet pairs leaving time out with quiet.
Most importantly, time out begins when the child enters the time out
place; not when the child is quiet.
This is a very common misuse of time out. ·
What do I do if my older child
(6-12) refuses to go to time out? Add one minute of time out, up to a maximum of 5 minutes, for every ten seconds of delay in going to time out. For example, if after instructing your child to go to time out, the child begins to argue, you should ignore the arguing, silently count ten seconds, and then say, "That's one more minute of time out." Then, be quiet. If the arguing or delay continues, repeat the procedure, and extend the number of minutes by one each time as needed (e.g., "That's two more minutes of time out."). Remember, the maximum additional time out is 5 minutes. ·
What do I do if my older child
still refuses to go to time out or leaves time out? Withhold a preferred
activity or reward until the time out is completed.
For example, "You have no computer until you do your time out."
If the child continues to refuse to go to time out, you may withdraw
another preferred activity, (e.g., music, TV, telephone, etc.).
Do not withhold more than two activities, and this is only for the
current day. ·
Will time out damage my child's
self-esteem? To my knowledge, there is no evidence of this in the clinical literature. I include this question because it came up during some recent presentations. While there may be some professionals who "say" this, until they can produce some experimental evidence, it's just an unsupported opinion. A key question to ask any professional who makes this statement is, "Compared to what, and what is the evidence?" ·
How do I use time out in a
public place? In some places, this can be
difficult. However, in many public
places, there are restrooms, dressing rooms, and other areas where time out can
be done. With some children, time
out can be done on a bench in the shopping mall.
For some children, time out can be done in the car.
In this case, you would take the child (or children) out of the
restaurant (for example) and do a time out in the car.
You sit quietly in the front seat or remain outside of the car. ·
Is time out effective with
adolescents? Time out, as described in
this series of articles, has limited effectiveness with adolescents, but there
are variations of time out which are more effective with older children and
teenagers. Some of these will be
described in future articles. Become a member to receive our newsletter.
This page designed by Opal Harris.
|
This page meets Bobby's guidelines to be ADA compliant.