The use of punishment with autistic children who use behaviour that challenges

Abstract

"This essay will focus on the use, effectiveness, and ethics of punishment, a topic that often attracts controversy, but is also well installed within our society (e.g. Bunting, Webb & Healy, 2010; Lacey & Pickard, 2015). The ‘lay’ persons use of the word ‘punishment’ is often associated with negativity and retribution, but behavioural theory describes it as a procedure that reduces or eradicates a behaviour (Sundel & Sundel, 2017). This can be through positive punishment (the introduction of a punisher in response to the behaviour), and negative punishment (the removal of a positive reinforcer following the behaviour)."