Sponsored by: Oregon Technical Assistance Corporation: Community Supports and Crisis Project

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 Positive behavior support  Strategies for supporting: Prediction, control, outlet, social support Housekeeping: Breaks/bathroom Confidentiality Opportunities to share

Changing the environment, changing our behavior, and teaching skills to help the person achieve a goal

Annoying and irritating behaviors: “Put it on the back burner” Whatever is causing behavior that: Impacts health and safety Decreases quality of life Unlawful Address now Address later

What we do not see…. Underlying conditions Age Personality Strengths, abilities, interests Health issues Medication (side effects) Life experiences Communication Sensory needs How the brain processes information Diagnosis (characteristics specific to your child) Behavior (observable actions) What’s driving the behavior we see? Aggression Biting self Tantrums Climbing Refusal Screaming Running away

List 1-2 behaviors above the iceberg and fill out the underlying conditions below Age Personality Strengths, abilities, interests Health issues Medication (side effects) Life experiences Communication Sensory needs How the brain processes information Diagnosis (characteristics specific to your child)

What sets my child up: What sets my child off: What my child does: What does my child gain or avoid by doing this: Who is my child: Underlying conditions Setting Events TriggerBehaviorOutcome

Common setting events

Common triggers “No” “Wait” “Later” “nobody is listening to me!”

Challenging routines, activities Words or phrases that upset your child Non-preferred environments, people Consider some of these things:

Common triggers

Shawn Hungry Tired Watching favorite TV show Asked to turn off TV Screams and throws remote at TV Avoids transition Gains outlet of emotion

What sets my child up: What sets my child off: What my child does: What does my child gain or avoid by doing this: Who is my child: Underlying conditions Setting Events TriggerBehaviorOutcome Add proactive supports here: irrelevant Control in their life Meaningful relationship Community connections Supported caregivers Teaching skills (replacement behavior) Reducing barriers Engineer the environment Meets the same need as the challenging behavior: inefficient Replacement Behavior Change the outcome to make the behavior ineffective

 Predictability  Control  Outlet  Social support We all need support- it can just look a little different!

Create “Islands of predictability” Answer the “all important questions” Develop functional routines

Increase supports during challenging activities and transitions Centralize information: Wall calendar Transition area

1.Where am I going? 4.How will I know I am finished? 6.Who’s going to be with me? 3.How much am I doing? 2.What am I doing? 5.What’ s next?

 Level of representation…… Banana

“First we are going to read, then we will go to the park”

Eggs Milk Bananas Coffee

Eggs Milk Bananas Coffee

Eggs Milk Bananas Coffee Go to movies!

Build trust Provide options Teach skills

Basic needs Likes/dislikes Ask for help Space/break Yes/No Must be honored and possible Avoid offering too many choices, as this can be stressful for some people Identify and avoid power struggles Take time to engage in preferred activities together- play! Adapt your communication

 Recognize you are in one so you can disengage.  Identify the difference between behaviors that are truly challenging (those that affect quality of life) or unsafe, and those that are just annoying.  Save your “No’s” for the really important things- typically health and safety.  Give in early, or don’t give in at all, unless it is unsafe.

 Offer only as many options as a person can process.  All choices offered need to be available.  Be clear on what the choice is: the choice is not “do you want to go to bed?” but “do you want to wear your red pajamas or your blue pajamas to bed?”  Offer choices throughout the day- this helps build the person’s skills as a problem solver and builds confidence.

Basic needs Likes/dislikes Ask for help Space/break Yes/No How does the person communicate their needs? iPad

 Give the person time to process the information before expecting a response.  Avoid saying things like “what did I just tell you” or “repeat what I just said” in order to check for understanding. Ask the person to show you that they understand.  Tell the person what TO do, instead of what NOT to do.  Instead of saying “wait,” “not right now” or “in a little while” give more predictability as to when the requested activity will happen.  Social Stories

Use tools to help measure stress and identify coping methods Identify early warning signs Determine safe alternatives Support sensory needs Develop stress management plan

36 Take small steps Practice with your child Model positive behavior What are your stress relievers?

Describe what you see Encourage kids to express emotions Avoid terms such as “inappropriate” Validate their emotion Attach a physical outlet to the emotion Don’t wait for the once a month social opportunities Allow the natural process between kids to occur Staring happens, it’s ok Inclusion is not something you earn or have to prove you can handle

Building relationships Parent to parent networks Resources: share!

Contact Information: Main office: (503) Fax: (503) Bev­erly Avenue NE, Build­ing I, Suite 21 Salem, Ore­gon

 Association for Positive Behavior Support  Understanding the Nature of Autism Janice Janzen, M.S.E. Schopler, 1994  TEACCH,  