NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR AND CRISIS BEHAVIOR: CAUSES AND INTERVENTIONS presented by Keith A. Bailey, Ph.D.

Behavior  All behavior has meaning  All behavior has a goal (payoff)  All behavior communicates a need  Wanting to get a need met  Showing how a need gets met  All behavior is based on a developmental need  “Kids don’t do things that don’t work.”

Psychosocial Development (Erikson) Trust vs. Mistrust HOPE (Birth – 1 yr) Autonomy vs. Shame/Doubt WILL (2 – 3 yrs) Initiative vs. Guilt PURPOSE (4 – 6 yrs) Industry vs. Inferiority COMPETENCE (7 – 12 yrs) Identity vs. Identity Confusion FIDELITY (12 – 18+ yrs)

Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow) PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS SAFETY NEEDS BELONGING NEEDS ESTEEM NEEDS SELF- ACTUALIZATION

Goals of Behavior [Rudolph Dreikurs] Positive ApproachChild / Teen GoalNegative Approach Contributing / Cooperating Contact / Belonging Undue Attention Seeking Independence Power Rebellion Assertiveness / Forgiveness ProtectionRevenge Appropriate Avoidance Withdrawal Undue Avoidance Safe Adventures/ [Activities] Challenge/ [Stimulation] Thrill – Seeking [“Trouble”]

Summary of Developmental Needs  Physiological Needs  [Release] [Soothing]  Safety / Protection / Trust  Withdrawal  Contact / Belonging / Attachment  Power / Control  (Autonomy) (Initiative) [Self-efficacy]  Identity / Self-Esteem / Competence  (Industry)  Challenge / Stimulation

Words You Don’t See as Developmental Needs  “Manipulation”  “Attention” Negative terms showing that we are irritated by the behavior

Negative Behavior  Deficits  Developmental Deficits – physical, cognitive, emotional, spiritual Skill deficits Performance deficits Motivational deficits  Skewed Thinking  Mental Health Issues / Trauma Reactivity  Physical Health Issues

Crisis Behavior and Intervention

Crisis  Maturational Crises  Situational Crises  Predictable Crises  Trauma Crises

Therapeutic Crisis Intervention [TCI] – Family Life Development Center, Cornell University, 2001 Stress Model of Crisis

The Brain and Crisis  Physiological Response with cognitive and emotional consequences  Trauma and Brain Reactivity – Survival Behavior

The Triune Brain Dr. Paul MacLean Neocortex Limbic Brain Stem (Reptilian)

Crisis Communication  Meaning  7% = Words  38% = Tone of Voice  55% = Facial Expression and Body Language  Space  Time TCI

Behavior Management Techniques  Managing the environment  Prompting  Caring gesture  Hurdle help  Redirection  Proximity  Planned ignoring and Positive attention  Directive statements  Time away TCI

I ASSIST I - Isolate the young person A - Actively listen S – Speak calmly, assertively, respectfully S – Statements of understanding precede requests I – Invite the young people to consider positive outcomes and behaviors S – Space reduces pressure T – Time helps young people respond to requests TCI

Steps to the Life Space Interview I – Isolate the conversation E – Explore young person’s point of view S – Summarize the feelings and content C – Connect behavior to feelings A – Alternative behaviors discussed P – Plan developed/Practice new behavior E – Enter young person back into the routine TCI

Skill Building

Building Skills Awareness Skills Help children to be aware of:  Triggers of negative behaviors  Negative thoughts  Recognizing and naming their emotions  People who can be helpful to them

Building Skills Communication Skills Help children to:  Communicate their thoughts and emotions in a socially appropriate way  Express their thoughts and emotions in non-verbal ways

Building Skills Coping Skills Help children to:  Engage in positive self-talk  Learn appropriate self soothing techniques  Learn appropriate ways to withdraw appropriately  Learn appropriate ways to release energy  Learn to seek out the people who can be helpful to them

Building Skills Behavior Skills (Replacement Behavior) Help children to:  Develop positive, pro-social behavior to replace the problems behaviors We cannot ask children to stop doing something unless we help them to find something else appropriate to do in its place.

Performing Skills  Skill knowledge and acquisition is not enough  Children must be helped to perform the skills:  Consistently  In different environments  In stressful situations

Motivating Children  This may be the most difficult challenge  Motivate through:  Developing relationships and attachments  Building on strengths  Building smaller successes into larger ones  Having outcomes that appeal to the children and families

Consequences  Discipline oriented vs. punishment oriented  Developmentally appropriate  Time limited  Natural and/or logical  Connections between behavior and consequences are explained  Give positive consequences for positive behaviors: “Catch them being good!”  Process praise vs. person praise

“Simple” Negative Behavior Interventions  Meeting physical needs  Meeting safety needs  Teaching  Skill Building  Redirecting  Replacement behavior  Using Natural and Logical Consequences  Catching them being (doing) GOOD!!

“Severe” Negative Behavior Interventions Prolonged / severe developmental deficits – mental, emotional, physical health  Need multiple levels of support in order to meet needs in appropriate ways  Multi-systemic support  School staff, parent(s), clinical, medical, DCS, legal, …  Multi-modal skills  Awareness  Communication  Coping  Consequences

WARNING ! Negative behavior cannot merely be punished away with the hope that positive behavior will take its place

Behavior Support Plan  Functional Analysis of Behavior  What is the function (goal or “payoff”)? A B C Antecedent Behavior Consequence (Goal)

Behavior Support Planning  How can we meet the child’s needs, on the front end (before the behavior), in a positive, developmentally and socially appropriate way?  What can we teach her/him?  Who needs to get involved?