Children with Challenging Behavior

02/04/2008

Children with Challenging Behavior

The truest wisdom is a resolute determination.
Napoleon Bonaparte

In her Exchange (November 2007) article, "We Are All in This Together: Supporting Children's Social Emotional Development and Addressing Challenging Behavior," Mary Louise Hemmeter promotes a philosophy that "all children can be successful." In the article she points out some common issues related to working with children with persistently challenging behavior...

Individualized plans must be implemented consistently and for adequate periods of time to be effective.
Behavior often gets worse before it gets better; and when it gets worse, teachers are often tempted to stop implementing the plan. However, if the plan is implemented consistently, this increase in challenging behavior should not last long. It will be important to provide staff with support through this initial period when behavior is likely to get worse.
Just because behavior gets better does not mean the plan should be stopped. Often the behavior is better because of the plan being in place. Removing the plan may result in an increase in challenging behavior.
When a behavior specialist or mental health consultant is available, the teacher and consultant should work together to develop a plan for supporting the child in the classroom and home as well as to provide any individual therapy the child might need.
Program leaders should be aware of the extra time individualized plans will require on the part of the classroom staff. Extra support in the classroom and time to develop the plan and work with the team should be provided.

New Exchange Resource on Challenging Behavior

Exchange is proud to offer a new video product, Facing the Challenge, that provides insights from experts in the field on why children engage in challenging behaviors and what teachers can do when such behaviors occur in their classrooms. Facing the Challenge is an instructional, interactive DVD designed to help teachers learn how to prevent children’s use of difficult behaviors and develop intervention strategies to work with children who use challenging behaviors to meet their needs. Check out a video sample. The product has two DVDs with the following content:

Disc 1:

What is challenging behavior?
Developmentally appropriate behavior
Why do kids misbehave?
Parents as partners
Skill Development Study #1

Disc 2:

Prevention strategies
Behavioral Planning I
Behavioral Planning II
Intervention strategies
Skill Development Study #2

Challenge your mind, not your schedule, with a distance-learning master’s degree in education from Walden University. Walden offers classroom teachers a practical way to strengthen their skills and advance their career, in areas such as curriculum, technology, leadership, math, science, reading, and more.

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.