This workshop is designed to empower caregivers with an understanding of challenging behavior in children and equip them with strategies for effective intervention. The 5-part ConnectCare series on understanding and managing behaviour dives into the foundations of behavior, its motivations, and its impact on a child’s daily life. It will explore the reasons behind challenging behaviors, emphasizing the importance of viewing these behaviors as communicative signals rather than mere disruptions.
Completing all 5 parts will grant the participant a certificate of completion. Please note that ConnectCare does not provide continued education credits for mental health professionals.
The Video Content (ConnectCare) is provided solely for educational and informational purposes.
The Video Content is not meant to replace professional mental health services, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your mental health professional, physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding mental health concerns. Never disregard expert counsel or delay getting professional services because of what you have read, heard, or seen in the Video Content.
Permission to redistribute audio or video recordings and make digital or hard copies of portions of this work for personal or classroom use is not permitted without the express permission of Kidthink Children’s Mental Health Centre Inc.
In this installment of the ConnectCare series, we explore challenging behaviors in children. We define behavior, its purposes, and its impact on a child's life. We highlight the four core functions behind these behaviors: attention, tangibles, escaping tasks, and sensory needs. Using the ABC (Antecedent, Behavior, and Consequence) method, we demonstrate how to interpret behavioral cues. This session lays the foundation for understanding and positively influencing children's behaviors.
This lesson delves into methods such as adjusting the child's environment, offering non-contingent attention, setting daily routines, providing age-appropriate tasks, delivering clear instructions, and the significance of rewarding positive behaviors. These approaches aim to preemptively address potential triggers and behaviors.
In this lesson, you will learn about reactive strategies for handling challenging behaviors. We'll cover methods to calmly address behaviors based on their motivations—whether for attention, task avoidance, item access, or sensory needs. The lesson highlights the significance of patience, the possibility of behaviors intensifying or re-emerging, and the need for immediate safety actions when behaviors become threatening.
In this lesson, you'll learn how to teach adaptive behaviors as alternatives to challenging ones. Children's challenging behaviors are a form of communication, and by understanding the ABCs of behavior (Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence), we can determine their purpose. Our goal is to introduce behaviors that fulfill the same need but are more appropriate. These new behaviors should be teachable when the child is calm, developmentally suitable, and require equal or less effort.
In this lesson, you'll learn about managing challenging child behaviors while prioritizing your well-being. Addressing these behaviors is crucial, but so is self-care for caregivers. By teaming up with supportive partners, staying emotionally regulated, and employing strategies like deep breathing, you can maintain composure. Amidst addressing behaviors, nurturing a positive bond with your child is essential. Understand behavior as a form of communication, employ proactive measures, and when challenges arise, use adaptive strategies.
