New Training Modules Support Educators of Young Children with Challenging Behavior
The growing number of young children entering school with severe challenging behavior has left many early educators feeling unequipped to meet their needs. Thanks to a joint project of Florida State University and the University of South Florida, early childhood education and special education professionals can find help through a new set of training modules that demonstrate effective ways to help young children with challenging behavior and their families.
Developed by a team of experts in early intervention, behavior support, communication disorders, and developmentally appropriate practice, the modules, “Positive Beginnings: Supporting Young Children with Challenging Behavior,” consist of 6 three-hour sessions that demonstrate ways to be more effective in identifying, preventing, and addressing challenging behaviors through the use of positive behavior support (PBS).
Research has shown that for many children, early challenging behavior predicts future disruptive behavior in school and poor post-school outcomes, and that positive behavior support is a highly effective intervention approach.
In PBS, a functional assessment is used to identify the environmental events, circumstances, and interactions that trigger and maintain challenging behavior. Once the purpose or “function” of challenging behavior is identified, a behavior support plan is developed and implemented by a team of family members, caregivers, and professionals who routinely interact with the child.
“We embarked on this project to provide higher education faculty and professional development personnel with material that could be used to teach early educators, interventionists, and related service personnel about the use of PBS with young children and their families,” said Project Coordinator Rochelle Lentini. “Although there are a number of training materials that address young children’s challenging behavior or the use of PBS with other populations, there are few materials specific to using PBS within the real world settings of preschool and home visiting programs.”
The sessions include content on how to be more effective in identifying, preventing, and addressing challenging behaviors, including:
- defining challenging behavior;
- exploring why children engage in challenging behavior;
- recognizing ways that cultural and linguistic differences may influence perceptions of behavior;
- assessing challenging behavior using functional behavioral assessment;
- determining strategies to teach children behaviors that are more socially appropriate and satisfying;
- encouraging educators and families to work together to decrease challenging behavior;
- discovering how changes in adult behavior and in early childhood environments can decrease challenging behavior.
“We developed the modules by using real life examples of children within community programs,” added Lentini. “And we have provided the instructor with questions to lead the participants in discussion around many of the key concepts. Many of the activities and videos will prompt a lively discussion about the ‘correct approach’ or a different interpretation of the ‘correct response.’ It is important that the instructor guide and support those discussions. It is through the discussions and case study activities that learning for application will occur.”
Positive Beginnings is administered through the Department of Childhood Education, Reading, and Disability Services at Florida State University in coordination with the Department of Communication Disorders at FSU and the Department of Child and Family Studies at USF. Funding for this project was provided by the U.S. Department of Education (Grant number H325N010022).
The CD modules are available from Positive Beginnings, 625 B North Adams Street, Tallahassee, Florida, 32301. For additional information, contact Rochelle Lentini at 813-974-1455, or visit the website at: http://pbs.fsu.edu.
The Department of Child and Family Studies (CFS) is a department of the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida. The faculty and staff of CFS are committed to enhancing the development, mental health and well-being of children and families through leadership in integrating research, theory & practice.