Challenging Behaviors: Strategies to Make Your Life Easier Manhattan Family Support Fair December 14, 2017

Before you get started with any intervention…..:

Ask yourself some questions: Why does this behavior need to change? Who benefits when the behavior changes?

You are on a behavior plan too! 2. Acknowledge: There are expectations for your behavior as well!

3. Know yourself…. Especially your kryptonite! Implementing a behavior plan requires consistency, attention to detail, and clear and logical thinking. What might prevent you from being fully present and on your game?

4. Practice managing your emotions. Who is in control of your emotions?

5. Remember it’s not personal! Q-tip Quit taking it personally! People engage in behavior because it meets a need

6. Prepare the environment. Tell the people in the environment what they should expect Organize and rearrange the physical environment where warranted

7. Share your plans with others. Get the support of others who can: Hold you accountable Offer feedback Pat you on the back Fill in during your kryptonite moments

8. Expect it to get worse before it gets better.

Now for the intervention... What should you do when…?

Your child is “being good” Be on the lookout for and recognize every incident of good behavior Use Reinforcement - give rewards and praise as soon as the behavior occurs Use tangible rewards for behaviors that required lots of effort Use items that your child really likes

Types of rewards Edibles (candy, raisins, soda, juice, etc.) Social (praise, hugs, high-fives, etc.) Sensory (bubbles, get a massage, sitting in a rocking chair, etc.) Natural (stay up late, spend time with a friend, shooting hoops, etc.) Tangibles (stickers, pencils, trading cards, etc.) Generalized reinforcers (items that can be exchanged later, e.g. tokens, money)

Your child is not “being good” Behaviors occur for four main reasons Attention **Attention could be to get an item or to get you to respond in some way Escape Self-stimulation Pain/distress reduction

Behavior is communication Remember…. Behavior is communication What your child does sends a message. Are you listening?

Your child is seeking attention Remember to give lots of attention when the child is appropriate Do not respond to the behavior Use Planned Ignoring Identify and teach a new means of asking for attention

Your child is seeking attention …. but the behavior presents a danger to the child or others Gently Stop the Behavior

Your child is trying to escape Lessen demands Help the child with the task Offer choices Never let the child escape or avoid a demand that you have placed Teach appropriate ways to ask for something to go away

Your child is self-stimming Self-stimulation Movements or activities of the body that produce ‘pleasurable’ feelings that make the behavior more likely to occur

Your child is self-stimming Provide an enriched environment If appropriate allow child to engage in self- stimming behaviors as rewards for good behavior or completing tasks If self-stimming is dangerous prevent it from occurring Teach child to enjoy more appropriate behavior

Your child is avoiding some internal distress (pain) The behavior is reducing or removing something that the child does not like/want

Your child is avoiding internal distress If child is in pain or you are not sure consult a doctor If child exhibits a new behavior rule out a medical cause If there is an ongoing behavior whose function remains unknown rule out a medical cause

In conclusion: Before starting an intervention make sure you are ready Observe to discover the function (cause of the behavior) Your intervention should address the cause of the behavior Implement Evaluate - how is it going?

QUESTIONS or COMMENTS?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!!!