Addressing and Managing the Challenging Behavior of Young Children

1. Addressing and Managing the Challenging Behavior of Young Children Shelby County (AL) Early Childhood SPED Services Professional Development March 22, 2010 William McInerney / Laurie Dinnebeil Judith Herb College of Education University of Toledo Support provided by Margie Spino, M.A.

2. Early Predictors • Temperament Difficulties • Early Aggression • Delayed Language • Difficulties in Communication • Noncompliance

3. Strategies to Reduce Challenging Behavior • Analysis and design of learning and living environments • Evaluation of schedules • Implementation of rules, rituals, and routines

4. Classroom Arrangements: Traffic Patterns • Carefully plan traffic patterns • Minimize large open spaces • Insert obstacles and other dividers to divert child traffic and minimize running • Consider the needs of children with physical and sensory disabilities re: mobility and access to materials/centers

5. Classroom Arrangement and Design: Learning Centers • Physical Design • Clear boundaries • Visibility of children and opportunity for children to scan other centers • Visual prompts to indicate when centers are ‘open’ or ‘closed’ • Adequate number of centers • Size and location of centers: minimize congregation • Identify the number of children allowed in specific centers • Organize materials in classroom to allow or deny access and to indicate where materials are stored

6. Classroom Arrangement and Design: Learning Centers • Create Meaningful and Engaging Learning Centers • Relevant to children’s needs, interests, and lives • Highly engaging and interesting • Variety of materials in each center • Items and materials need to be changed and rotated on a regular basis to ensure novelty and engagement

7. Schedules and Routines • Develop schedules that promotes child engagement & success • Plan for transitions (Centering Ativities) • Balance the following activities: 1. Active and quiet 2. Small group and large group 3. Teacher-directed and child-directed • Teach children the ‘schedule’. Post schedule. • Establish routines and follow them, consistently • When changes are necessary, prepare children ahead of time • Provide guidelines for expected behavior in learning centers, in groups, and during choice time

8. Transitions • Minimize the number of transitions in a day • Minimize the length of time children spend waiting with nothing to do (centering activity) • Structure the transitions so that children have something to do while they wait • Prepare children for transitions by providing a warning (Auditory……song/CD……Visual…….raise a flag…..colored light cue) • Teach children behavior expectations related to transitions • Provide individual supports and cues (especially visual cues) where necessary

9. Schedule/Routine/Transition Activity • Divide into groups • Create a schedule from an EC partner teacher’s classroom. • Consider what we have discussed. What changes could you make in what you are currently doing that might increase engagement and prevent challenging behaviors?

10. Providing Directions • Make sure you have the children’s attentionbefore you give the direction • Minimize the number of directions given to children • Individualize the way directions are given (cue cards, linear sequence cards, step x step task analysis cards) • Always provide directions • that are concrete and organized (sequence of tasks)

11. Providing Directions • Give children the opportunity to respond to a direction before repeating or prompting • When appropriate, give the child choices and options for following directions • Follow through with positive acknowledgment of children’s behavior

12. General Guidelines about Rules and Directions • Have a few simple classroom rules • Involve the children in developing the rules • Post the rules in locations (may need multiple postings / different font size) where they can be seen. Print and graphics. • Teach the rules, systematically • Reinforce the rules at high rates initially and at lower rates throughout the year. Ditto with individual children entering the program at different times during the year.

13. Remember … • The single best way to address challenging behavior in young children is to take steps to decrease the likelihood that it will occur. • Focus on the strategies discussed: • Look closely at the physical environment • Consider the schedules, routines, transitions, and rules within your ‘host’ settings

14. So Now What ? What do we do when a child engages in behaviors that … • Cause injury to self or others • Cause damage to the physical environment • Interfere with learning • Socially isolate a child

15. Functions of Challenging Behavior:WHY Do Kids Engage in Inappropriate Behavior? • Attention: to get someone's attention (positive or……. negative attention aka…. ‘punishment’) • Escape: to get out of or avoid something or some task • Tangible: to get something (e.g. toy, food, etc.) • Sensory: to get some kind of sensory stimulation (e.g. vibration, noise, pressure)

16. What might be the function of this behavior……from the perspective of the CHILD? Devon, a 3-year old, hits the teacher and says “NO!” when given a puzzle to complete. The teacher removes Devon from the table and places him in a chair away from the group. See MAS Tool - Exercise

17. What might be the function of this behavior? Christina, a 4-year old, shrieks and spins when she knows it is time to paint at the easel. The teacher tells her ‘no painting if you yell’. She continues to shriek and spin, and the teacher allows her access to the easel in hopes of reducing the shrieking.

18. What might be the function of this behavior? Kevin, who is 5 and has autism, rocks back and forth and waggles his hands when there is free play in the classroom. His peers ignore him. Mary, who is 4 years old, runs to the play area (violation of class rule) when she is told ‘it’s time to come to reading circle’. The teacher says “no running” and brings her back to the circle to sit next to her.

19. How to Identify the Function(s) of Behavior ? • Choose from a variety of assessment tools • Interview the teacher, caregiver, and/or child • Complete a Rating Scale • Observe the challenging behaviors when they occur, and also observe appropriate behaviors when they occur

20. Using Assessment Information in Planning Intervention • Develop hypotheses about the function of the behavior. The WHY question. • Develop hypotheses about factors that may predict the behavior • Identify new behaviors to teach that match the functions of the behaviors and that can replace the inappropriate behavior

21. Replacement Behaviors • Find a behavior that serves the same function as the challenging behavior • Teach a different behavior that helps the child achieve THEIR objective in a more socially acceptable manner than the challenging behavior

22. Example 1 Other ideas?

23. Example 2 Other ideas?

24. Case Study: Heather Heather is 5 years old with moderate cognitive impairment (mental retardation) and autism. The teacher notices that during recess Heather is socially withdrawn and spends most of her time spinning the wheels on a toy truck or jiggling items in her hand (pop bead chain, doll by hair, etc.).

25. Heather

26. Heather According to a FUNCTIONAL assessment, the function of Heather’s behavior is SENSORY. The teacher also noticed from direct observation that other children asked Heather to play, but she did not respond. What would be a possible replacement behavior for Heather that addresses her sensory needs but also helps her to engage with other children?

27. One Possibility for Heather The teacher decides to teach Heather to play with another child using the toy cars. She uses the following strategy: • Teacher chooses a peer to be a model and buddy for Heather • Teacher instructs peer to initiate with Heather by holding Heather’s hand and taking her over to the cars • Peer instructed to prompt Heather to play with toys. • Teacher praises Heather for playing with her friend

28. Resources On the web: • Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations of Early Learning http://www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel/ • Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention http://www.challengingbehavior.org/ • Positive Solutions for Families: Eight Practical Tips for parents of young children with challenging behavior http://www.challengingbehavior.org/do/resources/documents/positive_solutions_for_families.pdf

29. Resources Articles: • Conroy, M. A., Sutherland, K. S., Snyder, A. L., Marsh, S. (2008). Classwide interventions: Effective instruction makes a difference. Teaching Exceptional Children, 40(6), 24-30. • Michael, M., Meese, R., Keith, S., & Mathews. (2009). Bob bear: A strategy for improving behaviors of preschoolers identified as at risk or developmentally delayed. Teaching Exceptional Children, 41(5), 54-59. • Sandall, S. R., & Ostrosky, M. (Eds.). (1999). Practical Ideas for Addressing Challenging Behaviors. (Young Exceptional Children Monograph Series No. 2). Denver, CO: Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Early Childhood.

30. References • Conroy, M. A. (2004, September). Addressing challenging behavior in early childhood: Strategies for teachers and trainers. Presentation at the DEC Recommended Practices Training Series, Erlanger, KY. Retrieved from http://www.challengingbehavior.org/explore/presentation_docs/9.04_addressing_challenging.pdf • Fox, L. (2010, January). Evidence based practices to reduce challenging behavior [Power Point slides]. Presentation at Opening Minds Conference of the Chicago Metro AEYC. Retrieved from http://www.challengingbehavior.org/explore/presentations_workshops.htm • Hemmeter, M. L. Joseph, G., Ostrosky, M., & Santos, R. M. (2006). Building Supportive Relationships and Creating Supportive Environments. Retrieved from The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning web site: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel/index.html • McFarland, R. (October, 2008). Managing Challenging Behavior by Creating Supportive Environments. Kansas State University. Retrieved from http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/library/famlf2/mf2845.pdf