1. Behavioral Skills Development in Foster Care
Jodi Polaha, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Licensed Psychologist
Munroe-Meyer Institute
University of Nebraska Medical Center

2. Overview 8:30-8:45 Overview 8:45-9:45 What are behavioral skills?
Three essentials for teaching them.
9:45-10:00 *Break
10:00-10:45 Increasing skills.
10:45-10:55 *Break
10:55 – 12:00 Decreasing problem behaviors.
12:00 – 12:30 Conclusions/Questions

3. Why are we here?

4. Why are we here?
Why are you a foster parent?

5. Why are we here? Why are you a foster parent?
Why do we need to talk about behavior management?

6. Why are we here? Good behavior management program can:
Improve self-esteem
Allow for more time to learn
Allow for more time to have fun
Increase safety
Decrease caregiver burn-out
Teach children behavioral skills they’ll use their whole lives!

7. Developing Behavioral Skills
What are behavioral skills?

8. Developing Behavioral Skills
What are behavioral skills?
Behaviors that society expects.

9. Developing Behavioral Skills
What are behavioral skills?
Behaviors that society expects.
Behaviors that we need to have mastered in order to learn any other skill we pursue.

10. Developing Behavioral Skills
What are behavioral skills?
Behaviors that society expects.
Behaviors that we need to have mastered in order to learn any other skill we pursue.
Behavioral skills are the key to success!

11. Developing Behavioral Skills
Birth to age 1:
Independent sleep
Self-quieting

12. Developing Behavioral Skills
Toddler Years:
Self-quieting
Independent play

13. Developing Behavioral Skills
Preschool Years:
Beginning anger management
Following one-step instructions
Following simple long-term and short-term rules
Waiting one’s turn
Sharing and parallel play

14. Developing Behavioral Skills
Elementary Years:
Advanced anger management
Following increasingly complex instructions
Following multiple and complex long-term and short-term rules
Cooperation in group activities

15. Developing Behavioral Skills
Adolescent Years:
Responsibility for long-term objectives.
Problem-solving.
Increased emotional management.
Perspective taking.

16. (for teaching behavioral skills)
The Three Essentials
(for teaching behavioral skills)

17. Three Essentials
1. Predictability

18. Three Essentials 1. Predictability In your daily structure
In the consequences you provide

19. Three Essentials
1. Predictability
2. Practice

20. Three Essentials 1. Predictability 2. Practice
Break the new skill down to make it easy at first
Give lots of opportunities to try it (over and over)
Provide predictable feedback for success vs. failure

21. Three Essentials
1. Predictability
2. Practice
3. “Big Difference”

22. Creating a “Big Difference”
Your consequence for demonstrating a skill appropriately should be
VERY DIFFERENT
than your consequence for demonstrating a problem behavior.

23. Creating a “Big Difference”
Mom’s Reaction
none
BABY LEARNS TO GAG

24. Creating a “Big Difference”
Mom’s Reaction
none
BABY LEARNS NOTHING

25. Creating a “Big Difference”
Mom’s Reaction
none
BABY LEARNS TO STOP GAGGING

26. Encouraging Behavioral Skills

27. Encouraging Behavioral Skills
Problem:
Not enough of a reaction for using the skill appropriately.

28. Creating a “Big Difference”
Mom’s Reaction
none
BABY LEARNS NOTHING

29. WHAT ARE YOU DOING WHEN YOU SEE THE SKILL?
BIG
Your Reaction
none

30. Encouraging Behavioral Skills
1. Frequent, brief, “bursts” of attention for AVERAGE behavior.

31. Encouraging Behavioral Skills
Frequent, brief, “bursts” of attention for AVERAGE behavior.
BIG REACTION for demonstrating the skill.

32. Encouraging Behavioral Skills
Frequent, brief, “bursts” of attention for AVERAGE behavior.
BIG REACTION for demonstrating the skill.
Play the Child’s Game

33. Encouraging Behavioral Skills
The Child’s Game:
A relationship-building activity that makes children want to earn your POSITIVE attention.

34. Encouraging Behavioral SkillsDO
Describe
Praise
Touch

35. Encouraging Behavioral SkillsDO
Describe
Praise
Touch
DON’T
Command/direct
Reprimand
Question

36. Decreasing Problem Behavior

37. Decreasing Problem Behavior
Problem: Too much reaction for problem behaviors.

38. NO BIG DIFFERENCE!
BIG
Your Reaction
none

39. BIG DIFFERENCE!
BIG
Your Reaction
none

40. Decreasing Problem Behavior
Use a consequence with less talk

41. Decreasing Problem Behavior
Why not talk?
Child may not understand

42. Decreasing Problem Behavior
Why not talk?
Child may not understand
Understanding doesn’t mean the child will change behavior, anyway.

43. Decreasing Problem Behavior
Why not talk?
Child may not understand
Understanding doesn’t mean the child will change behavior, anyway.
Experience is a better teacher.

44. Decreasing Problem Behavior
Why not talk?
Child may not understand
Understanding doesn’t mean the child will change behavior, anyway.
Experience is a better teacher.
Child needs to learn to perform the skill independently.

45. Decreasing Problem Behavior
Why not talk?
Child may not understand
Understanding doesn’t mean the child will change behavior, anyway.
Experience is a better teacher.
Child needs to learn to perform the skill independently.
Talking creates too much reaction for the problem behavior!

46. Decreasing Problem Behavior
Types of Consequences
Natural
Related
Unrelated

47. Decreasing Problem Behavior
Types of Consequences
Natural
Related
Unrelated
Time-Out (0-6)
Job Card Grounding (10+)

48. Decreasing Problem Behavior
Time Out: Advantages

49. Decreasing Problem Behavior
Time Out: Advantages
Easy to do
Portable

50. Decreasing Problem Behavior
Time Out: Misconceptions
Time-out is a place for “cooling-off.”

51. Decreasing Problem Behavior
Time Out: Misconceptions
Time-out is a place for “cooling-off.”
Time-out is a place for the child to think about what s/he did wrong.

52. Decreasing Problem Behavior
Time Out: Misconceptions
Time-out is a place for “cooling-off.”
Time-out is a place for the child to think about what s/he did wrong.
Children must sit still and be quiet in time-out.

53. Decreasing Problem Behavior
Time Out: Misconceptions
Time-out is a place for “cooling-off.”
Time-out is a place for the child to think about what s/he did wrong.
Children must sit still and be quiet in time-out.
Children must look like they are sad for time-out to be “working.”

54. Decreasing Problem Behavior
Time Out: Misconceptions
Time-out is a place for “cooling-off.”
Time-out is a place for the child to think about what s/he did wrong.
Children must sit still and be quiet in time-out.
Children must look like they are sad for time-out to be “working.”
Time-out is a place or a chair.

55. Decreasing Problem Behavior
Time Out: Misconceptions
Time-out is a place for “cooling-off.”
Time-out is a place for the child to think about what s/he did wrong.
Children must sit still and be quiet in time-out.
Children must look like they are sad for time-out to be “working.”
Time-out is a place or a chair.
Time-out works all by itself.

56. Decreasing Problem Behavior
Time Out: A Procedure
Establish chair in boring corner
Use 1-2 minute time out regardless of behavior.
Target only 1-2 behaviors at a time.
Ignore all behavior occurring in chair.
Attend to the first occasion of appropriate behavior after time-out is over.

57. Decreasing Problem Behavior
Job Card Grounding: A Procedure
Components
List of rules
List of odd jobs
List of rewards

58. Decreasing Problem Behavior Job Card Grounding
Examples of Rules
1. Do your chores
2. Follow instructions
3. Tell us where you are going

59. Decreasing Problem Behavior Job Card Grounding
Odd Job Examples
1. Dust baseboards/ceilings
2. Sweep out garage
3. Wipe down inside refrigerator

60. Decreasing Problem Behavior Job Card Grounding
GROUNDING MEANS
No television, telephone, stereo, video games
No friends over/go to friends
No snacks, naps
No outside social activities
No toys

61. Decreasing Problem Behavior Job Card Grounding
GROUNDING DOES NOT MEAN
Nagging
Reminding
Discussing
Explaining

62. Conclusion Ask yourself:
Is the structure/are the consequences predictable?
Am I providing plenty of practice at good practice times?
Is there a high contrast?

63. An Example: The Stop Light Program

64. The Stop Light Program
1. Establish classroom rules.

65. The Stop Light Program Establish classroom rules.
Follow teacher’s instructions
No physical or verbal aggression
Use inside voice
Stay in the designated area

66. The Stop Light Program Establish classroom rules
Create list of daily rewards

67. The Stop Light Program Establish classroom rules
Create list of daily rewards
Playing with special toys.
Extra recess or snack.
“Fun” chores (clapping erasers, messenger)
Line leader
Stickers

68. The Stop Light Program Establish classroom rules
Create list of daily rewards
Make a “stop light” with a clothespin marked with each child’s name.

69. The Stop Light Program Establish classroom rules.
Create list of daily rewards.
Make a “stop light” with a clothespin marked with each child’s name.
Scan the room “every so often” at unannounced times.

70. The Stop Light Program Establish classroom rules.
Create list of daily rewards.
Make a “stop light” with a clothespin marked with each child’s name.
Scan the room “every so often” at unannounced times.
Praise children who are following the rules.
Without comment, move pin toward yellow for those children who are not following the rules.

71. The Stop Light Program Establish classroom rules.
Create list of daily rewards.
Make a “stop light” with a clothespin marked with each child’s name.
Scan the room “every so often” at unannounced times.
At the end of the day, put all pins on yellow and green into a reward lottery.

72. The Stop Light Program To make it work: Predictable
Both structure and as consequence

73. The Stop Light Program To make it work: Predictable Provide practice
Both structure and as consequence
Provide practice
Especially first few days
Use in context of “Big Difference”