The use of symmetrical "do" and "don't" requests to interrupt ongoing activities.

The team worked with one adult who had a developmental delay.

The adult hit others every time staff told him to stop an activity.

Instead of saying "don't lie on the floor," staff tried a new script.

They gave a clear "do" request like "stand up and put your hands in pockets.

The study tracked how often aggression happened before and after the switch.

Aggression dropped almost to zero when staff used the "do" wording.

The old "don't" phrasing had triggered hitting every single time.

The new wording let the adult know exactly what to do next.

DeLeon et al. (2003) also cut aggression by teaching a specific request.

They first found that wheelchair movement kept the hitting alive.

Then they taught the child to ask for wheelchair moves instead of hitting.

Both studies show that giving a clear, doable request replaces the need to hit.

Eugenia Gras et al. (2003) looked at request style too, but in a different way.

They built a four-step ladder of requests, from easy to hard.

Their ladder worked with kids, while Garcia et al. (1999) worked with one adult.

Together they tell us that how you ask matters more than how often you ask.

Next time you need to stop a client’s favorite activity, skip the "don’t."

Say the exact action you want to see, like "put the iPad on the table."

This tiny wording swap can save you from a full-blown aggressive episode.

Try it during transitions, clean-up, or when turning off screens.