Overview of Promoting Social Emotional Competence (PBS for young children/students)

1. Overview of Promoting Social Emotional Competence(PBS for young children/students) Cristine Deaver, MS, BCBA, LABA Behavior Analyst Most of the materials can be found at: http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/

2. Learning Objectives • Rationale for using addressing behavior in young children • Components of the training materials • Training module information

3. Rationale

4. Some Sobering Facts 4

5. An estimated 9 to 13% of American children and adolescents between ages 9 to 17 have serious diagnosable emotional or behavioral health disorders resulting in substantial to extreme impairment. (Friedman, 2002) 5

6. Students with SED miss more days of school than do students in all other disability categories (U.S. Department of Education 1994) More than half of students with SED drop out of grades 9-12, the highest rate for all disability categories. (U.S. Department of Education, 2002) Of those students with SED who drop out of school, 73% are arrested within five years of leaving school (Jay & Padilla, 1987) 6

7. Children who are identified as hard to manage at ages 3 and 4 have a high probability (50:50) of continuing to have difficulties into adolescence (Campbell & Ewing, 1990; Egeland et al., 1990; Fischer, Rolf, Hasazi, & Cummings, 1984). 7

8. It begins early... 8

9. Early appearing aggressive behaviors are the best predictor of juvenile gang membership and violence. (Reid, 1993) 9

10. When aggressive and antisocial behavior has persisted to age 9, further intervention has a poor chance of success. (Dodge, 1993) 10

11. Of the young children who show early signs of challenging behavior, it has been estimated that fewer than 10% receive services for these difficulties. (Kazdin & Kendall, 1998) 11

12. Preschool children are three times more likely to be “expelled” than children in grades K-12 (Gilliam, 2005) 12

13. There are evidence based practices that are effective in changing this developmental trajectory…the problem is not what to do, but rests in where and how we can support children and help families access services. 13

14. Pediatricians first line of defense for children with emotional and behavioral problems. • Treatment most likely to be recommended: • supportive counseling, • prescriptions or • referrals. • These treatments do not take into consideration the environmental influences that may contribute to and possibly exacerbate the problems. • Most frequent behaviors: child discipline, incontinence, sleep disorders, habit disorders, and symptoms of ADHD. • Behavior interventions look at the environmental variables and have few (if any) side effects. (Friman & Piazza, 2011)

15. ND Study on PBS in Preschools and Head Start (Green, 2010) • Based on a questionnaire sent to preschool and Head Start teacher: • The majority of items on the questionnaire were implemented sometimes, most of the time, or always.

17. Results • Trend toward inconsistent implementation of elements • Up to 50% of young children with challenging behaviors go on to receive special education supports for disabilities related to the behaviors (Duda, Dunlap, Fox, Lentini & Clark, 2004) • Most of the time, sometimes and rarely are not enough support for young children with or at risk for challenging behaviors or disabilities

18. Evidence Based Practice

19. What Does “Evidence BasedPractice” Mean? • Levels of evidence or levels of confidence that the practice will have the desired outcome: • Peer-reviewed published research findings • Published synthesis of research • Multi-authored position papers • Government reports • Consensus/values • Opinion, etc. High Low 19

20. Effective Practices • Changing adult behavior and expectations • Promoting overall high program quality • Promoting social skills, preventing & addressing challenging behavior (pyramid model) • Using empirically validated interventions which include: • Comprehensive strategies e.g., adaptations to environment and activities, learning class rules, role-playing alternative behaviors, arranging for peer models & reinforcing desirable behaviors • Individualizing approaches • Positive programming, e.g., Positive Behavior Support (PBS) • Team-based and multidisciplinary approaches • Using data-based strategies and decision making 20

21. What Positive Social Emotional Outcomes Can Be Expected from Evidence Based Practices? • Decrease in: • Withdrawal, aggression, noncompliance, and disruption • Teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency, and special education placement • Increase in: • Positive peer relationships including understanding of friendship, cooperation, and sharing • Self-control, self-monitoring, self-correction, and improved social emotional health • Academic success 21

22. The Triangle and Pyramid Approach

23. An Evidence Based Framework:The Pyramid Approach • PROMOTION • PREVENTION • INTERVENTION 23

24. Intensive Individualized Interventions Children with persistent challenges Positive Behavior Support Teaching Pyramid Social Emotional Teaching Strategies Social Skills Curricula Children at-risk High quality Education Designing High Quality and Supportive Environments All children Building Positive Relationships 24

25. Critical Elements • Leadership Team; administrative support • Staff buy-in • Family involvement • Program-wide expectations • Strategies to teach and acknowledge expectations • Implementation • Procedures to respond to problem behaviors • Staff development and support • Data-based decision making and monitoring of outcomes

26. Training Materials • Consist of 6 two- to three-hour training modules focused on developing and implementing effective research-based interventions for professionals working with young students with challenging behaviors and their families. • The training is designed to build the capacity of professionals working with young children to understand and implement quality early intervention practices.

27. The modules reflect a commitment to the following: • Interventions and supports should be developmentally appropriate and child-centered; • Early intervention services and supports must be delivered with consideration of the unique and diverse cultures of children; • Professionals should seek to understand and implement evidence-based practices; • Behavior intervention should use positive practices; • A collaborative, problem solving approach should be used to ensure that all people involved are actively involved in the development and implementationof support strategies that will promote the development of the child.

28. Guiding principles • Supporting the social and emotional development to prevent challenging behaviors; • Individualizing interventions to meet the unique interests, strengths, and needs; • Promoting skill building with enough intensity to affect change; • Implementing strategies in the context of naturally occurring routines and environments; • Ensuring fidelity of use through a systematic change process; and • Modifying strategies to meet the cultural and linguistic diversity of families and children.

29. Topics • Social and Communication Development • Promoting Children's Success: Building Relationships and Creating Supportive Environments • Social-Emotional Teaching Strategies • Determining the Meaning of Challenging Behavior • Developing a Behavior Support Plan • Leadership Strategies for Supporting Children’s Social and Emotional Development and Addressing Challenging Behavior

31. The foundation of this model is grounded in the context of positive, supportive relationships between teachers and children. • To ensure that the majority of children will engage in appropriate social behavior and flourish in their emotional development.

32. It is important to note that research indicates that the first two levels of the Teaching Pyramid are absolutely essential for all childrenbut that some children will need additional focused and systematic strategies to support their social and emotional development.

33. The third level provides information on the implementation of effective social emotional teaching strategies. • These strategies are used to teach important skills, such as expressing emotions appropriately, solving problems, and building friendships. • The third level emphasizes the need for systematic ways to support children in developing competence in emotional literacy, problem solving, impulse control, and friendship skills. • As many as 30% of the children will need this level of intervention (i.e., social and emotional teaching strategies) to develop these critical skills. • In situations where a disproportionate number of children are from high risk environments, a greater percentage of children will need focused instruction to develop social competence.

34. The fourth level is designed for those children who continue to exhibit significant challenging behaviors when the other levels of the model are in place. • Small number of children who have challenging behavior that is unresponsive to the foundational levels of the pyramid. • They may have developmental delays, be exposed to multiple risk factors (e.g., poverty, single parent homes, inadequate health care), or may have been exposed to other events or influences that have impacted their social development.

35. The last training module • provides training on the administrative supports and processes that are necessary to adopt and sustain the practices described in the other modules, and • reflect a commitment to promoting social emotional development in all children.

36. Social and Communication Development

37. Social and Communication Development This module focuses on: • Identify major milestones of communication and language development • Identify a variety of forms of non-symbolic and symbolic communication • Describe the reasons or functions that children communicate even before using words • Describe how the adult and the activity support social and communication skills in young children • Describe how to promote children’s social competence with peers

38. Children can use challenging behaviors at any of these stages of language development. • A developmental framework for the acquisition of communication and language can help us understand children’s use of challenging behaviors.

39. Link Between Behavior and Communication • Challenging behavior can be a form of communication. • Supporting the child begins by determining what communicative function behavior serves.

40. Promoting Children's Success: Building Relationships and Creating Supportive Environments

41. Promoting Children’s Success: Building Relationship and Creating Supportive Environments • Addresses strategies for preventing challenging behaviors. • Positive relationships with children serve as the foundation for addressing social emotional needs. • When children understand routines and expectations for their behavior, and when they are engaged in meaningful activities, they are less likely to engage in challenging behaviors. • Expectations and routines have to be taught using a range of teaching strategies.

42. This is the Universal Foundation • Well planned and responsive learning environments • High quality interactions and instruction • Effective behavior management strategies • Environmental arrangement • Predictability • Visual cues

43. Key Social Emotional Skills Children Need as They Enter School • Confidence • Capacity to develop good relationships with peers and adults • Concentration and persistence on challenging tasks • Ability to effectively communicate emotions • Ability to listen to instructions and be attentive • Ability to solve social problems • What do children do when they don’t have each of these skills? 43

44. When children do not have these skills, they often exhibit challenging behaviors • We must focus on TEACHING the skills! 44

45. “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?” (Herner, 1998)

46. Some Basic Assumptions • Challenging behavior usually has a message. • Children often use challenging behavior when they don’t have the social or communication skills they need to engage in more appropriate interactions. • Behavior that persists over time is usually working for the child. • We need to focus on teaching children what to do in place of the challenging behavior. 46

47. Promote Children’s Success • Create an environment where EVERY child feels good about coming to school. • Design an environment that promotes child engagement. • Focus on teaching children what To Do! • Teach expectations and routines. • Teach skills that children can use in place of challenging behaviors. 47

48. Major Messages • The first and most important thing that we can do is to build positive relationships with every child and family. • Focus on prevention and teaching appropriate skills. • Promoting social emotional development is not easy. There are no quick fixes to challenging behavior. • It requires a comprehensive approach that includes building relationships, evaluating our own classrooms and behaviors, and TEACHING. 48

49. Social-Emotional Teaching Strategies

50. Social Emotional Teaching Strategies • This module focuses on effective strategies for teaching problem solving, communication of emotions and building friendships. • Identifying teachable moments • Facilitating the development of friendship skills • Teaching problem solving • Teaching children to recognize and express emotions • Teaching anger management