1. Mary Louise Hemmeter mlhemm@uiuc.edu
I Need Help with These Children: Supporting Teachers in Addressing the Needs of Children with Challenging Behavior
Mary Louise Hemmeter

2. Agenda Overview of Centers Overview of Model
Emphasis on children with ongoing persistent challenging behavior
A Program Wide Model
Local preschool program
Large early childhood center
Large Head Start Program
Training issues, barriers and suggestions

3. For More Information:
Center for Evidence Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behavior -
Syntheses
Recommended practices documents
PBS example
Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning - csefel.uiuc.edu
What works briefs
Training modules
Book nooks - coming soon!

4. Intro Activity What behaviors “drive you crazy”?
How do these behaviors make you feel when they are persistent and intense?

5. The Teaching Pyramid Program Philosophy
Teacher Training/Implementation
Intensive Individualized Interventions
Administrative Supports
Social Emotional Teaching Strategies
Creating Supportive Environments
Want to use this pyramid to talk about the context of instruction
Creating environments that help children know what to do, when to do it and what is expected of them but also to create a context that provides opportunities for contextually relevant instruction
Administrative supports - let teachers implement effective instruction, provide support for teachers to learn about effective instruction
Program philosophy - leads to studies on different approaches to instruction
Positive Relationships with Children, Families, and Colleagues
Adapted from Fox, Dunlap, Hemmeter, Joseph, & Strain, 2003

6. Training Modules Training Modules
Promoting children’s success: Building relationships and creating supportive environments
Social emotional teaching strategies
Individualized intensive interventions: Determining the meaning of challenging behavior
Individualized intensive interventions: Developing a behavior support plan
Leadership strategies for supporting children’s social emotional development and addressing challenging behavior
(moved from page 18)

7. Format of Modules Speaker notes Activities Videoclips
Powerpoint slides
Handouts
Resources
Inventory of Practices

8. Promoting Social and Emotional Competence
Individualized Intensive Interventions
Social and Emotional Teaching Strategies
Creating Supportive Environments
Building Positive Relationships

9. Supporting Children’s Social Emotional Development: The Big Picture
This is a place you can trust - How can we do this??
Safe
Predictable
Helpful
This is a caring place
Relationships
Recognizing and responding to emotions
Modeling emotions
You belong here, We belong here
Uniqueness, diversity, individuality
Community, caring working together
Teaching children to be friends
(New slide)

10. Building a Foundation Importance of relationships: With children
With parents
With colleagues
Supportive environments:
Environment is well designed
Consistent routines
Expectations are well defined and consistently implemented
Transitions are planned and orderly
Activities are engaging

11. Promoting Social and Emotional Competence
Individualized Intensive Interventions
Social and Emotional Teaching Strategies
Creating Supportive Environments
Building Positive Relationships

12. What is Social and Emotional Development?
A sense of confidence and competence
Ability to develop positive relationships with peers and adults/make friends, get along with others
Ability to persist at challenging tasks
Ability to identify, understand and communicate feelings/emotions
Ability to manage strong emotions
Development of empathy
(New slide)

13. Social Emotional Teaching Strategies
What to teach
Friendship skills
Recognizing emotions in self and others, expressing emotions
Problem solving
Anger management
How to teach
Systematic
Comprehensive
Range of strategies
Teachable moments
Understanding the relationship between engagement, curriculum, and problem behavior

14. Identifying Teachable Moments

15. Think about children who are well liked….
What do you notice about their behavior that makes it easier for them to have friends?

16. Identifying feelings in Self and others
Learning words for different feelings
Learning how to recognize feelings in self and others
Learning ways to relax
Empathy training

17. Teaching Emotional Literacy
Use children’s literature
Use songs and games (e.g., if you are happy and you know it)
Checking in
How would you feel if?
Feeling dice and feeling wheels

18. On Monday when it Rained
Use of Children’s Literature
On Monday when it Rained
Disappointed
Embarrassed
Proud
Scared
Angry
Excited
Lonely

21. Promoting Social and Emotional Competence
Individualized Intensive Interventions
Social and Emotional Teaching Strategies
Creating Supportive Environments
Building Positive Relationships

23. Children with persistent, challenging behavior
Children whose behavior is persistent, unresponsive to typical guidance procedures, and interferes with learning or engagement
Comprehensive approach, all environments and all stakeholders
Systematic plan
Plan based on understanding the child and the problem behavior

24. Old Way New Way Intervention matched to purpose of the behavior
Intervention is proactive
Focus on teaching new skills
Long term interventions
General intervention for all behavior problems
Intervention is reactive
Focus on behavior reduction
Quick Fix

25. “If a child doesn’t know how to read, we teach.”
“If a child doesn’t know how to swim, we teach.”
“If a child doesn’t know how to multiply, we teach.”
“If a child doesn’t know how to drive, we teach.”
“If a child doesn’t know how to behave, we…… ……….teach? ………punish?”
“Why can’t we finish the last sentence as automatically as we do the others?”
Tom Herner (NASDE President ) Counterpoint 1998, p.2)

26. Positive Behavior Support
A values-based, empirically-valid approach for resolving problem behaviors and helping people lead enhanced lifestyles
A new applied science of behavior change

27. Research on PBS
Effective for all ages of individuals with disabilities 2-50 years.
Effective for diverse groups of individuals with challenges: mental retardation, oppositional defiant disorder, autism, emotional behavioral disorders, children at-risk.
The only comprehensive approach to address problem behavior within a variety of natural settings.

28. Importance of PBS
Video

29. Positive Behavior Support
Step 1: Convene a team and identify goals of intervention
Step 2: Gathering information (functional assessment)
Step 3: Developing hypotheses
Step 4: Designing behavior support plans
Step 5: Implementing, monitoring, and evaluating outcomes

30. Overview of Functional Assessment
Problem behavior has meaning for the child
Children communicate in many ways (e.g., words, signs, crying, biting)
Children communicate a variety of messages (e.g., request, escape)
The function of problem behavior is defined by the context
Functional assessment is the formal process for determining the why (i.e., function) of problem behavior
Observe child in target routines and settings
Collect data on child behavior looking for situations that predict problem behavior and are linked with appropriate behavior
Interview significant others
Review records

31. Support Plan
Behavior Hypotheses - Purpose of the behavior, your best guess about why the behavior occurs
Prevention Strategies - Ways to make events and interactions that predict problem behavior easier for the child to manage
Replacement Skills - Skills to teach throughout the day to replace the problem behavior
Responses - What adults will do when the problem behavior occurs

33. Tim
In group play situations, Tim uses verbal aggression (threats), physical aggression (hit, push, kick, punch), and property destruction (throwing or banging toys) to obtain toys. When this occurs, the peer relinquishes the desired toy and leaves the play area and/or an adult intervenes and provides Tim with excessive negative attention.

34. Tim’s Plan Prevention Pre-teach skills via social story
Use visual cards to help him remember lessons when in difficult situation
Self-monitoring form to work on social goals
Replacement
Asking to play
Everyone can play with the toys
Flexibility, accepting other’s ideas/space
Asking for teacher’s help

35. Responses
Immediately respond to his requests for help
Intervene to prevent harm by providing attention/support to child who is attacked
Provide certificate and praise at end of each day for successfully achieving goals. Fade certificate.

36. Created for Tim by Lisa Grant & Rochelle Lentini
I Can Be a SUPER FRIEND!
SUPER FRIEND
Created for Tim by Lisa Grant & Rochelle Lentini
2002

37. I like talking and playing
with my friends
at school.

38. Sometimes, I want to play with what my friends are playing with.
When I play, I sometimes feel like taking toys, using mean words, or hitting and kicking.
My Friends get sad or mad when I hit, kick, use mean words, or take toys.

39. I can say, “Can I play with that toy?” or “Can I play with you?”.
If I want to join in play, I need to join nicely or ask to play with my friends’ toys.
Can I play with you?
I can say, “Can I play with that toy?” or “Can I play with you?”.

40. I can join my friends and play nicely.
I can take turns nicely.
I can go with the flow.
I can stop, think, and do.

41. I CAN BE A SUPER FRIEND
I can join my friends and play nicely. ________
I can take turns nicely ________
I can go with the flow ________
I can stop, think, and do ________
DATE: ___________

42. Teaching Self-Management

44. Monitoring Outcomes Identify outcomes valued by the team
“KIS it” (Keep It Simple) Create simple, user-friendly forms to monitor outcomes (e.g., rating scales, check sheets)
Monitor implementation of the plan
Schedule dates for check-ins and evaluate the effectiveness of the support plan

45. Implementation Issues
Blaming others
Emotionality of the situation
Need for attention to the foundation
Desire for a quick fix
Lack of support, policies and procedures

46. The Teaching Pyramid Program Philosophy
Teacher Training/Implementation
Intensive Individualized Interventions
Administrative Supports
Social Emotional Teaching Strategies
Creating Supportive Environments
Want to use this pyramid to talk about the context of instruction
Creating environments that help children know what to do, when to do it and what is expected of them but also to create a context that provides opportunities for contextually relevant instruction
Administrative supports - let teachers implement effective instruction, provide support for teachers to learn about effective instruction
Program philosophy - leads to studies on different approaches to instruction
Positive Relationships with Children, Families, and Colleagues
Adapted from Fox, Dunlap, Hemmeter, Joseph, & Strain, 2003

47. School-wide PBS Began to emerge in mid-1990s
(though basis existed well before this time)
Inspirations
Impossible to use individual PBS with all students (children) with behavior problems
Need for more comprehensive prevention approach
Increasing concern about school safety and school culture

48. Center for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (2002)

49. School-wide model Whole school (universal) systems
For all students, staff, settings
Classroom and non-classroom systems
For setting-specific routines (reflecting whole-school procedures and expectations)
Targeted group (secondary) systems
For at-risk students
Individualized (tertiary) systems
For students with existing, high-risk behavior problems

50. Features of School-wide PBS
Clear Statement of Purpose (& full staff commitment)
Clearly defined expectations and rules – for all students and staff
Procedures for teaching expected behaviors
Procedures for acknowledging and encouraging expected behaviors
Consequences and clearly stated procedures for correcting problem (challenging) behaviors
Procedures for data collection and data-based decision making

51. Features of School-wide PBS (2)
Procedures for family and community involvement
Strategies for specific settings
Strategies for targeted (at-risk) groups
e.g., academic supports, social skills groups
Strategies for intensive, comprehensive individual supports

52. Evidence Re: SW-PBS
Extensive data showing decreases in Office Discipline Referrals
Data indicating improvements in school culture
Some emerging data showing school-wide academic improvements

53. Characteristics of EC Programs
Philosophy
Curriculum practices
Age and cognitive abilities of children
Availability of resources, expertise, and supports
Structure of early childhood programs
Need for different types of outcome measures

54. The Teaching Pyramid Program Philosophy
Teacher Training/Implementation
Intensive Individualized Interventions
Administrative Supports
Social Emotional Teaching Strategies
Creating Supportive Environments
Want to use this pyramid to talk about the context of instruction
Creating environments that help children know what to do, when to do it and what is expected of them but also to create a context that provides opportunities for contextually relevant instruction
Administrative supports - let teachers implement effective instruction, provide support for teachers to learn about effective instruction
Program philosophy - leads to studies on different approaches to instruction
Positive Relationships with Children, Families, and Colleagues
Adapted from Fox, Dunlap, Hemmeter, Joseph, & Strain, 2003

55. Critical Elements of a Program Wide Model in EC Programs
Administrative support and buy-in
Buy-in from staff
Family involvement
Identification of schoolwide expectations that are developmentally appropriate
Specially designed
Linked to state, program standards/outcomes

56. Critical Elements of a Program Wide Model in EC Programs (continued)
Curriculum approaches that promote expectations and acknowledge children’s achievement of the expectations
Strategies for responding to problem behavior
Crisis situations
Ongoing problem behavior
Team based, individualized approach for addressing ongoing problem behavior
Professional development plan
Strategies for supporting teachers
Process for monitoring outcomes

57. Program Wide Models Florida; Palma Ceia Presbyterian Preschool
Kansas; SEK-CAP Head Start
Illinois; Valeska-Hinton Early Childhood Education Center

58. Palma Ceia Presbyterian Preschool
A community preschool in 21st year of operation
Inclusive model
NAEYC accredited, staff serve as validators

59. Collaboration for PBS 1997 - 2000
Conflict between wanting to serve children with all special needs and wanting to provide safe, high quality program
Failure of expert model
Search for comprehensive, integrated strategy
Match between philosophy and PBS

60. Universal Foundation Well planned and responsive learning environments
High quality interactions between staff and children
Staff “toolkit” of effective behavior management strategies
Environmental arrangement
Predictability
Visual cues
Culture allowing reflection and honesty

61. Individualized Positive Behavior Support
Collaborative Teaming
Functional Assessment
Behavior Support Plan Development
Implementation and Monitoring

62. SEK-CAP Head Start Linda Broyles, SEK-CAP Head Start
Susan Jack, Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities
(two years and still going!)
Program serves 768 children in 12 counties with 167 staff

63. Program Implementation
Adoption of model with staff support as priority
Collaborative leadership team
Commitment of resources and time

64. Outcomes
Shift in funding from mental health intervention to prevention
Reduction in referrals to special education
No use of time-out
Staff satisfaction
Program quality

65. Valeska-Hinton

66. Training challenge
Blaming families

67. Working with Families to Address Challenging Behaviors
What are you doing to involve, support, and build relationships with families before challenging behavior becomes an issue?
What materials or training are you providing to parents to help them understand children’s behavior?
What data do you give parents to help them understand the problem behavior?
How are you involving families in solving the behavior issue?
Are you talking with families or to families?

68. Training Challenge
Developing awareness of the need to use a comprehensive, proactive approach for children with the most challenging behavior—Beyond the quick fix!

69. Behavior Problems and Solutions
Ask the group to name the kinds of challenging behaviors they have encountered…record their responses
Ask the group to list the interventions they use to address challenging behavior
Guide the group to examine the fit of their interventions to the severity of the behaviors they have encountered
Comprehensive
Matched to problem behavior
Consistently implemented

70. Training Challenge
Developing an awareness of the importance of functional assessment
Addressing the impulse to get to the intervention and bypass the assessment phase

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73. Training Challenge
Resistance to examining behavior through a behavioral lens
Facilitating an acceptance of behavioral principles

74. Evan
Evan is playing with Duplos. He tries to attach a block to his stack of 3. He can’t quite get the blocks to connect. He looks up at a teacher and begins fussing. He holds the stack of blocks up, looks at the blocks, and looks at the teacher. The teacher helps him put the blocks together.

75. Madison
Madison is in housekeeping, putting on high heels and a hat. Emily moves into the area and selects a purse from the dress-ups. Madison shouts “no” and bites Emily. A teacher comes over, she asks Madison to go to the thinking chair and takes Emily to the bathroom to look at the bite. After 4 minutes, Madison leaves the thinking chair and returns to housekeeping. She grabs the purse Emily had selected and continues to play. Emily leaves the bathroom with the teacher and then begins an art activity where the teacher is present.

76. Trigger Behavior Maintaining Consequence
Joey is asked to come to circle. Teacher provides physical prompt to move him to group
Joey resists and cries, hits teacher
Teacher moves away from Joey and allows Joey to select a different activity

77. OBSERVATION VIDEO VIGNETTE3

78. Training Challenge
Moving from reactive, simple interventions to proactive, complex interventions
Understanding that our first impulse is to use what we have learned in the past or what has been internalized and is expected

79. Given 60 seconds, use 4 straight lines to connect all of the dots without lifting your pen

81. Case Study Group Instructions
Assign roles
Review child description
Review hypotheses
Review observations
Review interview
Develop a support plan
Report to group