strategies for managing challenging behavior in children and youth

8/12/2019 Strategies for Managing Challenging Behavior in Children and Youth

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Age: &'-&( years

Physical:(apid growth may create aw%wardness /eginning pu/erty tires easily increased

appetite may participate in fads *e.g. clothing styles+.

Social/!otional:Sensitie to appearance deeloping a personal moral code *sense of right

and wrong+ /eginning to deelop identity critical of parents strong desire to assertindependence.

Cogniti"e:A/stract thought deelopment thin%ing a/out future self needs freedom forreflection can organi4e and plan ahead understands /igger social issues.

Age: &5-&$ years

Physical:Completing pu/erty tires easily increased appetite participates in fads *e.g.

clothing or music+ testing with ris%ier /ehaiors *e.g. alcohol or se#+.

Social/!otional: ;ery critical of adults and parents strong personal moral code *sense of

right and wrong+ continued desire for independence desires status in social group wants to

/e recogni4ed as uniue deeloping romantic relationships still sensitie to criticism and

appearance. Cogniti"e:uture oriented self directed deeloped a/stract thought well deeloped

community awareness and actiism.


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Strategies for Managing Challenging )eha"ior in Children and

Youth

t is not your 3o/ to discipline the child.

You play an important role in encouraging and reinforcing positie /ehaiors. Model and

teach the child?youth how to communicate needs in a positie accepta/le way.

You are not alone. @o not hesitate to as% your superisor for help wheneer you are

unsure of the appropriate action.

*ood practices to support positi"e interactions

Treat children and youth as indi"iduals. et to %now them and dont presume they are all

ali%e. or e#ample dont ma%e assumptions /ased on appearance. ind out what is important tothe child or youth you are mentoring so you can /etter relate.

Clearly state e+pectations and li!its. This will help to preent misunderstandings later.

,isten fully to the child/youth and li!it your interruptions Show through your /ody

language that you are listening *eye contact interested facial e#pression etc.+.

.alidate their feelings and e+perience. This does not mean approal or agreement /ut it shows

you sympathi4e and ta%e them seriously. or e#ample 6> understand what you are saying. Youfeel angry /ecause7

!pathie. You can imagine how a child or youth feels and encourage them to tal% a/out it. Be

sensitie to their needs and /e aware of how they react to you.

Model appropriate 0eha"ior. Children and youth are pic%ing up cues from you model the

/ehaiors you e#pect from them. or e#ample apologi4e when you ma%e a mista%e or hurtsomeone accidentally. Be respectful and as% for respect in return.

1einforce desira0le 0eha"ior. A smile gesture or a /rief word is often all that is needed to

encourage that /ehaior.

Allo2 the child/youth to 0e e+perts4 so!eti!es. or e#ample as% for adice a/outsomething you are genuinely unsure of *e.g. 6how does that gadget wor%D7+.

Allo2 the child/youth to sa"e face4or e#ample when s?he ma%es a mista%e and feels /ad

a/out it already let it pass without a 6hope you learned your lesson7 speech.

Help children and youth find 2ays to !ae a !eaningful contri0ution to their co!!unity.

or e#ample encourage them to get inoled in a serice learning pro3ect with you or with theirpeers *e.g. community gardening or mural painting par% restoration etc.+.

Help the! set personal goals 2here they can tae safe riss and achie"e success. This /uilds

self confidence and deelops new interests.

6eep your co!!it!ents and ne"er 0rea a pro!ise. This is especially important when

wor%ing with children and youth who do not hae relia/le adults in their lies.


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7hen a Challenging )eha"ior 8ccurs

Strategies for all ages

5se non9er/al cues.

$hen: You can see a situation is going to arise. Before responding er/ally it may /e

possi/le to eliminate it /y ma%ing your disapproal clear. "ye contact complete with afrown may send the message without em/arrassing the child?youth. Eften positioning

yourself near the child?youth will discourage the unwelcome /ehaior. "#ample: The youth /egins to respond defensiely when you as% him?her to help clean up.

Simply raising your eye/rows without a er/al response may /e enough to gain compliance.

ie choices within limits.

$hen: The child?youth is not doing whatFs e#pected and the situation has not escalated.

"#ample: GYou can clean up your snac% on your own or > can help you.G 6You can tell your

mom a/out the fight /y yourself Hohn or > accompany you. $hat would you li%e to doD7

(edirect and su/stitute an accepta/le choice for the unaccepta/le one.

$hen: The child?youth is doing something they shouldnFt *e.g. running around the room or

playing loud music+. Sometimes pro/lems result from dissatisfaction or /oredom. >f possi/le

consider a change of actiity.+ "#ample: G'lease remem/er to wal% in the classroom. $ould you help me to set up chairsD7

6You are welcome to listen to music at our agreed upon leel. Are you ready to start the

gameD7

5se cool9off periods.

$hen: The child?youth is too silly or angry.

"#ample: 68ets ta%e two minutes to listen to some music *or read run around etc.+.7 After

two minutes gie a clear reason why you had the /rea%. 'ositiely state the desired /ehaior

and hae the child?youth restate desired /ehaior.7

E/sere and clarify.Provide your observation in a calm and nonjudgmental way and ask for

clarification and/or suggestions. $hen: The child?youth is haing trou/le cooperating or challenging /ehaior continues.

"#ample: 6You 3ust po%ed two other students on your way oer to my des%. >m wondering if

you are feeling angry. $hat happened /efore classD $hat else could you do /esides po%e

peopleD7 "ncourage child?youth to consider ideas to resole the situation.

Allow for natural conseuences State consequences up-front in nonjudgmental way and then let

the child/youth experience them.

$hen: The child?youth is testing limits *not safety related+.

"#ample: G$e wont hae time to play an e#tra game today /ecause you didnt get cleaned

up on time /ut letFs try again ne#t wee%)G 6$ow since you /ro%e the door %no/ you are

going to hae to learn how to fi# it.7 6By preparing your /ac%pac% so well you found yourassignments uic%ly.7

Tal% with teacherprogram staff or parent !if appropriate".

$hen: 8ower leels of responses hae not wor%ed or when the child?youth continue to defy

authority. @o not use this as a threat.

"#ample: 6>t seems that we are continuing to hae this pro/lem and > am out of ideas. 8ets

go and tal% with your teacher to see if she has some suggestions that might help us.7


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Strategies that !ay 2or 0etter 2ith different age groups

5se a secret signal or a #code# to prompt child.

Age: !9I years old

$hen: The child has trou/le with self9control or needs special reassurance. 5se a win% of an

eye or thum/s up.

"#ample: The youth is pic%ing up the supplies after an actiity and you gie a thum/s up

sign.

Smoothing helps you to validate the child$s feelings while encouraging him/her to complete thetask.

Age: !9I years old or older youth if they are acting younger than their age

$hen: You hae only a small amount of time or child is uncooperatie.

"#ample: G> %now you are tired /ut letFs get through this last , minutes and we can rest)G

5se a special actiity.

Age: !9I

$hen: The child is cran%y or argumentatie.

"#ample: (ead a faorite /oo% together.

This for that. %ffer a positive consequence for the desirable behavior.

Age: -911 years

$hen: The child?youth is not doing whatFs e#pected.

"#ample: G>f you can help me out >Fll help you with your clean9up.G

riendly challenge

Age: -911 years old.

$hen: The child?youth is not cooperating or losing interest in the tas%. 5se light9hearted

competition with caution some children?youth will perceie this as an opportunity to fail.

"#ample: G@o you thin% you can clean up *complete the paragraph finish the chapter+ in fie

minutesD (eadyD o)G

ie >nformation to help child understand what s/he should be doing in a nonjudgmental way.

Age: J912 years old

$hen: The child?youth is not doing what is e#pected.

"#ample: G$hen you hold a large /owl you need to use two hands.G Er 6$hen we listen to

music inside it needs to /e at olume leel 1! or lower.7

State and @etach

Age: 1291K years old

$hen: The youth is resisting necessary rules. State the e#pectations stay out of any

arguments restate e#pectations and then disengage.


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Strategies for Children and Youth 2ith Additional 9eeds

Many of the common strategies for managing challenging /ehaior also wor% with children andyouth with special needs.


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+ercise 7orsheet: Strategies for Managing Challenging )eha"ior

CH,>19 1 A* &'

As you wor% with children you may find yourself in situations li%e the ones descri/ed /elow.

This e#ercise is designed to help you mentally prepare for those situations.

nstructions:(ead the situations and suggested strategies *ideas+ and discuss with your group.

Hot down some ideas on how you might handle the /ehaior using the strategy suggested.

$hat specifically would you say to the child?youthD 'ractice saying it aloud. f you hae another strategy you feel would wor% /etter note some ideas and /e ready to

discuss.

& Sa!You are haing lunch in the school cafeteria with Sam *- years old+ /ut he has a hardtime sitting still. =ow he has gone under the ta/le to 6loo% for gum7.

Strategy ?dea@ Suggestion: 1>1CTSu/stitute accepta/le choice for unaccepta/le

/ehaior.

a. @escri/e how you might handle this situation using the suggested strategy. State specifically

what you will say to Sam.

/. >s there another strategy you might try with SamD

c. >f yes what specifically will you sayD


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4. Madison.You are supposed to help Madison *I years old+ practice her reading for 2minutes today. She finds all %inds of reasons to stall until the 2 minutes are nearly up.

Strategy ?dea@ Suggestion: *. CH8CSSuggest some options and let the child decide.


what you will say to Madison.

/. >s there another strategy you might try with MadisonD


5 BaNa% *& years old+ has a hard time with transitions. s there another strategy you might try with Na%D



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+ercise 7orsheet: Strategies for Managing Challenging )eha"ior

Y8s there another strategy you might try with BrandonD



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2. Maya.Maya *1- years old+ is a youth you mentor and she is supposed to meet with you forat least one hour a wee%. She often shows up late cutting into your time together and sometimes

she doesnt show up at all.

Strategy Suggestion: STAT A9> >TACHState your e#pectations stay out of any

arguments restate e#pectations and then disengage.

a. @escri/e how you might handle this situation using the suggested strategy. State specificallywhat you will say to Maya.

/. >s there another strategy you might try with MayaD


3 ,aTonya8aTonya *1& years old+ is usually in a good mood when you meet /ut today shecomes in angry. $hen you as% what is wrong she starts swearing at you.

Strategy Suggestion:8)S1. A9> C,A1Y.'roide an o/seration in a non3udgmental

way and as% for clarification or suggestions.


what you will say to 8aTonya.

/. >s there another strategy you might try with 8aTonyaD



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Positi"e 1einforce!ent 7ors

7e 0elie"e e"ery child 2ants to: Children co!!unicate for different

reasons:

eel successful

Be includedBe accepted

Be loed

eel important

Contri/ute in a meaningful way

=eed for peer attention

=eed for adult attention'eer aoidance

Adult aoidance

Academic aoidance

Sensory fulfillment

Catch The! (emem/er to catch students when they are displaying appropriate

positie /ehaiors)"eryone li%es to /e ac%nowledged for doing a good 3o/)

,TT, TH9*S THAT CA9 H,P 9C1AS P8ST. )HA.81:

reet each student

Call each student /y name

5se eye contact

ocus on successes

8")

T8 A.8> A C89,CT CYC,D


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1eco!!ended 1esources on Challenging )eha"iors

Techni;ues and Strategies for Managing Challenging )eha"iors

>f you sere in a classroom these are some techniues you may see the teacher use to influence/ehaior from The ;irginia @epartment of "ducationFs Training and Technical Assistance

Center at Eld @ominion 5niersity: http:??www.ttac.odu.edu?Articles?influenceLtech.html

>f you sere young children you may find this article helpful. 6$hat $e Say to Children: The

irst Step to Managing Challenging Behaiors7 was written /y Tom 5dell 'am @eardorff and

ary lasenapp for The Teaching (esearch >nstitute and The Eregon >nclusion Centers "arlyChildhood =ewsletter *winter 1IIK+: http:??www.tr.wou.edu?train?winterIK.htm

The Circle of 'arentsprogram is aimed at parents /ut they do hae short tip sheets in "nglishand Spanish for different /ehaior challenges that olunteers may find enlightening. See 6The

'ower of Choice7 and 6Say $hat You Mean Mean $hat You Say7:

http:??www.circleofparents.org?parentLresources?inde#.shtml

*eneral Child/Youth >e"elop!ent

The Search nstitute=s (E >e"elop!ental Assetsdescri/e ualities and positie e#periences for

children and youth /y age group including suggested actiities that adults can do to help /uild

them: http:??www.search9institute.org?deelopmental9assets.

Conflict 1esolution

Boo%s:

(aising a Thin%ing Child:


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Mental Health

The =ational >nstitute of Mental Mnstitutes of


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strategies for managing challenging behavior in children and youth

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