Behavior Management

Dr. Yesheswini KamarajuChild & Adolescent Psychiatrist

Behavior management of the child

starts with

managing yourself first !!!

You won’t be able to manage your child if

you can’t manage yourself !!!!

Regulate emotional volume

Assess if the child understood instruction

Keep instructions simple

Break tasks into multiple steps

Start slow

Backward Chaining

Child starts with last steps while learning the task

Give enough time to master the task

Continue to practice until the child achieves the task

Go Steady

Understand what triggers the behavior

Understand if the child is capable of learning or how to teach a task

Be consistent while teaching a task

Adequate signals for transitioning to another activity

Maintain the pace

Consistency is the Key !!!!

Enforcement by both parents

Different places Different times Between siblings

Consistency

Too many problems at a time

Prioritize behavior issues

Expectations Regulatory disorders have difficulty controlling

behaviors

Reward system ineffective

Behavior management Pitfalls

Cause- effect thinking immature

Executive function Deficits

Limited verbal abilities

Poor discriminating abilities Fantasy vs. reality Truth vs. lies

Developmental Delays

More supervised and little unsupervised times

Check without relying on the child alone

Don’t demand an explanation from the child

Realistic expectations

Developmental Delays

Changing the environment not the child

Reduce triggers for undesirable behavior More support Cueing / reminders Prerequisite skills

to be taught if child has no prerequisite skills

Behavior Management

Plan A on most days

Preserve their motivation to follow a plan

Plan B for bad days if symptoms cycle / vary

Implement a plan only after parent – teacher discussion

Behavior Management

Parents to reward school based behavior

Rewards not immediate Parents as reinforces not teachers Inconsistent

All reinforces to be at school Consequences at school Parents may add to the list

School Behavior

List of reinforces

Immediate reinforces

long term can also be planned

Change reinforces

Review reward system

Rewards

Individual Needs

Formal Assessments

Learning styles

Academic needs

Behavior needs

FormalAssessment

Understanding Behavior

Behaviors

Class room

Recess Play ground

School BusPremises

Other

d …….

What is the problematic behavior? How severe? Does any thing provoke the behavior? How is it handled? Any evidence of Medical condition?

Approach Listen……

Understand……………….

Inform……….

Functional Behavior Assessment

Function based approach Environmental Events

Set up

Set off

Maintain

Behavior

ABC Model

Behavior

Antecedent

s

Problem Behavior

Consequence

Functional Behavior Assessment

Modify AntecedentsEvents /situations

Explore task avoidanceChange activities

Behavior ModificationDevelop skills /desired

behaviorReduce inappropriate

behavior

Plan consequencesMake problem behaviors

ineffective

Behavior Intervention Plan

Behavior Modification

Behavior Modification Plan

Collaborate sources

Identify Behaviors

Implement Behavior

modification

Reassess / modify plan

Do’s

Don’ts

Identify Safety issues

Establish support network

Explain your role clearly in the beginning

Identify cases which need medical referral

Provide expertise recommendations

Wait & see approach

Look for support as per situation

Let time delineate the role

Wait until asked

Provide recommendations without expertise

PEARLS

Behavior management involves time, effort

Collaborative effort

Planning, implementation and consistency are the keys

Realistic expectations

Summary

Thank you !!!