HELPING STAFF AND PARENTS STOP BEING NEGATIVE AND DO WHAT WORKS Early Childhood Positive Behavior Support Ashley Lindberg October 2010

Agenda Part 1: B eing positive and why it works Part 2: Writing behavior plans that parents and teachers will follow Part 3 How to get parents/teachers /kids to buy in How are you going to use this knowledge to change or to invite others to change

Being positive means: Creating an environment where kids are invited to try Practicing the manners/tone we expect from children Stating things developmentally appropriately Expecting the best More encouragement. (Less praise?)

Invite kids to try

Reinforcement: The 5:1 rule Gottman, J. (1994). Why Marriages Succeed or Fail: And How You Can Make Yours Last. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Universal Supports to Prevent Attention- Getting Misbehavior ses/2008/05/ htm ses/2008/05/ htm

Use the manners/tone we expect from children

developmentally appropriate wording

Expecting the best

More encouragement. (Less praise?)

Tips for encouragement Tip 1 Get the child’s attention. Tip 2 Use behavior specific language. Tip 3 Keep it simple—avoid combining encouragement with criticism. Tip 4 Encourage with enthusiasm. Tip 5 Double the impact with physical warmth. Tip 6 Use positive comments and encouragement with your child in front of others. Adapted from ???

Examples of Encouragement “Thank you for __________.” “What a good problem solver you are, you were able to__________.” “It’s so much fun to play with you; you are so good at ________.” (sharing, taking turns) “You were being so kind when you ________.” 12 Adapted from ???

What’s a better way to say… Stop yelling! Don’t throw your toys! Stop bothering your sister! Don’t spill your milk. Stop whining. Be good. Be nice. Cut it out. Adapted from ???

How to be positive with 4 hard types of behavior

Part 2 Writing Behavior Plans using Functional Behavioral Assessment

What is Functional Behavioral Assessment? Define behavior (observable/measurable) Identify setting events and antecedents Identify maintaining consequences Identifies function of behavior in order to change behavior (Crone & Horner, 2003)

Why do a Functional Behavioral Assessment? Problem Solving Documentation Frustration  3 tantrums doesn’t feel much different that 7

Buy this: Background Philosophy Human behavior is functional. Human behavior is predictable. Human behavior is changeable. (Crone & Horner, 2003)

Behavior is Functional “Misbehavior” is always communicating something!  I need you! (to get attention)  I want that! (to get toys, money, a turn)  Go away! (escape something, like hard work!)  **Chomp** (To meet our sensory needs) Jack won’t hold the rope.

Behavior is Predictable By understanding the function of misbehavior we can learn to predict what situations will trigger problems.

Behavior is Changeable Our kids are cute and little! We can change our responses We can teach socially expectable ways to get their needs met.

Acronyms to know ABC  Antecedent (trigger), Behavior, Consequence.  (also known as a Simple FBA) Full FBA  Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence.  Interviews  Data collection FA  Functional Analysis  Behavior is researched by manipulating consequences.

The ABCs AntecedentBehavior Consequence In this situation… if I do this… I get this! Let’s practice: Write down an example of a specific problem behavior.

The ABCs: Antecedent A In this situation… For example: In non-preferred tasks that include waiting… All the time! It comes out of the blue!

The ABCs: Behavior B if I do this… For example: Jack runs from teacher. He hits, bites and swears at teachers in redirection. Jack is violent Jack is rude

The ABCs: Consequence C I get/get out of this! The consequence doesn’t have to hurt! Nothing happens, he gets away with it. I punish him For Example: He gets to run; everyone looks at him; the teacher chases him; the teacher gives him 1:1 attention; the teacher reprimands him.

Competing Behavior Pathway AB C B

Writing a Full FBA: I need more info Routines analysis Parent and team interviews (together?) Make a graph Add this info to your ABC chart

Step 1: Routines Analysis Arrival Circle Art Free Choice Outside Snack Story Circle Books/Puzzles Departure

Step 2: Interviews From: Activity-based Approach to Developing Young Children's Social Emotional Competence. Dave has it!! Ask to see it!

Step 2: Interviews…continued List strengths and motivators To brainstorm rewards To start meetings on a positive note

Step 2: Interviews…continued

All the time! It comes out of the blue!

Step 2: Interviews…one last thing

Step 3: collect some data, make some graphs. 11/511/611/711/1211/1311/1411/2611/2722/28

What now? Write a Behavior Plan Plan to change APlan to change BPlan to change C

Practical Strategies: Change the A Make the behavior irrelevant  Anticipate problems and plan accordingly  Move furniture?  Show the child exactly what will happen (pictures)  Make sure your requests are at the student’s level  Monitor the child’s well being (sick? tired? hungry?)  Communicate with parents  Decide what you will do  Ask for help from your team  Be more fun!! You’re never too old to be distracted!

Practical Strategies: Change the B Make the behavior inefficient by teaching a replacement behavior  Make his replacement behavior work FAST!  Make a social story to teach replacement behaviors.  Communicate with parents (is the child doing this at home?) (Story about Buba)  Offer limited choices  Ask for help from the child  Make it a game. Learning good behavior doesn’t have to hurt!

Practical Strategies: Change the C Make the behavior ineffective  Natural reinforcers  Extinction (removing the reinforcer…it usually gets worse before it gets better)  Time out (not as a punishment, but as an (almost) natural consequence)  Be firm and kind  Check yourself before you wreak yourself  Distract and redirect

One last note: The Law For school aged kids it’s the law; for preschool it’s just best practice. Restraining

How is your behavior plan coming?

CREATING BUY IN Part 3

Getting buy-in with tough parents Note: these are not tough parents. They are my in-laws, and they are lovely.

PBS, it’s all about relationships Build a relationship with every family  Provide info about child development  Give parents a person to turn to if they are ever ready to learn more about parenting.  Help plan for the next transition.  Report suspected abuse and neglect.

Barriers: They are not that friendly  Your hardest kids probably have your hardest families.  Stuff that makes kids misbehave sometimes make adults misbehave.  Some parents are worried about your judgment, have a problem with authority, or have had past negative experiences in school.

Solutions: They are not that friendly.  5:1 rule phone calls, voic , , bravo cards, photos, certificates, awards  Face time

Barriers: They don’t have time for you  Parents may be struggling with getting basic needs met.  Parents can’t get work off, don’t have transportation.

Solutions: They don’t have time for you  Home-visit  Meet them on their lunch break  Make plans months in advance, then give reminder calls/notes/stickers  Go out that day  Open house v. graduation

Barriers: We don’t have time for them Many agencies don’t give staff members adequate time to build family relationships Too much to do during the work week!

Solutions: We don’t have time for them  Once in a while deliver a forgotten coat  More Parent-Teacher Conferences  Open house  School productions/plays  Art shows  Graduation parties  Parents come in for a class party/event, etc.  Bravo cards  Photos home  Certificates or awards

Barriers: We can’t get a hold of them!  Stupid cricket phones

Solutions: We can’t get a hold of them  My business card laminated with my photo and a magnet for fridge  Communication notebooks  Tape notes to backs  Call their emergency numbers

Barriers: We are mad at them Its hard not to judge! We love their kid and we’re mad that they are making his life hard.

Solutions: We are mad at them Everyone is doing their best with the education they have been given.

Solutions: We are mad at them You can’t darn a sock starting in the hole.

“I’m not trained for this!” Let simmer. Repeat. 1. Hi! (add positive story) 2. How are you? Last time we talked we talked about… How’s that going? 3. Find something they did right! (encourage) 4. Summarize “we have a plan. I will.. You…”

Parent buy in

Teacher buy in Make the plan with everyone you expect to implement it. Work hard to incorporate all positive ideas. Bad ideas are an opportunity to teach.

Kid buy in? How do we teach this great plan to the kid?

Identifying Teachable Moments

How will you make change?

Questions/references References Crone, D., & Horner, R. (2003). Building Positive Behavior Support Systems in Schools: Functional Behavioral Assessment. New York, NY: The Guilford Press. Squires, J., & Bricker, D., (2006). Activity-based Approach to Developing Young Children's Social Emotional Competence. Baltimore: Brookes Publishing Company. Also see: