Rebecca S. Blakeman, PhD
Licensed Psychologist
 

I frequently get calls from parents needing to know how they can help their child who is having behavior problems at school or in a daycare setting.  My response is always the same…we first need to understand why the behavior problems are there before we can determine what strategies are most likely to be effective.  Behavior problems are not all the same…some are related to frustration about learning difficulties, some are related to children not being able to understand and “read” the social situation, some are due to anxiety, some are due to depression, some are due to Autism spectrum disorders, some are due to ADHD, and some are due to children inadvertently being taught that acting out is an effective way of getting their way.

The first step in understanding a child’s behavior problem is to complete a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA).  An FBA involves a professional observing your child in the school setting.  This observation will preferably occur on several different days, and at different times throughout the day.  During the observation, the professional will document (1) the setting (e.g., how crowded is the classroom, how noisy or quiet, what is the student-teacher ratio, etc.), (2) the demands of the setting (e.g., what directions the teacher gave, basic expectations for the task at hand), (3) how the child responds to the teacher and other students, (4) how and when the behavior problems are exhibited, (5) how the teacher responds to the behavior problems, (6) how other students respond to the behavior problems, and (7) how the identified student responds to the teacher’s response.  The goal of an FBA is to accurately describe what the problematic behaviors are, identify what things in the setting are most likely to “trigger” the problematic behaviors, determine what purpose or “function” the behavior serves (e.g., to escape work, to get attention, to communicate frustration), identify what behavior management strategies are currently being used, and evaluate the effectiveness of those strategies. 

Based on the FBA, it can then be determine if further evaluation is warranted related to learning disabilities, Autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, etc., and appropriate intervention strategies can be identified and implemented.  It is important that behavior management strategies be focused on teaching skills (e.g., staying at desk, sitting with group, raising hand, etc.) rather than simply punishing inappropriate behaviors (e.g., losing points every time the child leaves his/her desk).  Research has indicated that positive behavior strategies (i.e., those aimed at teaching new skills and rewarding appropriate behavior) are more effective for behavior change than simply focusing on punishing inappropriate behaviors.  Thus, a positive behavior plan would identify “target” behaviors to be taught or increased, and what reinforcement/reward will be used. 

Consider a child whose FBA revealed that she is unable to stay in the group during circle time for more than 20 seconds at a time. The skills to be taught would be sitting in the group for the entire instructional time. Her behavior plan may include a teacher sitting next to her during circle time to provide immediate and frequent feedback and prompts.  The child may receive a star or verbal praise for every 15 seconds she sits in the circle (this must be done immediately, not at the end of circle time).  This frequent reinforcement will likely result in the child being able to stay in the group for longer periods of time.  When the child is able to consistently participate in the group for 30 seconds at a time, the reward/reinforcement schedule may be thinned, such that reinforcement is provided more randomly, and for longer periods of success.   While this process may seem burdensome, it can be extremely effective when properly implemented…and can teach your child the skills he/she needs to be successful in the classroom.