Introduction
Overview
PurposeIncreasingly, teachers are expressing their growing concern about problem behaviors many children display in their classrooms. Teachers' frustrations and struggles are evident in many ways, from informal conversations to requests for resources and technical assistance. In fact, our needs assessment of Head Start programs across the country indicated that including children with challenging behaviors was clearly the top priority. Grantees talked openly about the challenges they faced, especially in working with children who exhibit violent, destructive, or unpredictable behavior. They expressed a need for more information, and for ongoing practical and emotional support from supervisors and from each other.
A developmentally appropriate classroom lays the groundwork; teachers can also draw from a number.of approaches, such as conflict resolution and behavior modification strategies. A nurturing, consistent relationship between a child and her caregiver is also key when working with children with complex and significant problem behaviors. As one program director emphasized, "Caregivers are not interchangeable; there's simply no substitute for bonding." It is this relationship that provides the context for every strategy. In addition, staff need support to view each child's behavior as a means of communication. These behaviors provide important clues about what the child needs, how she copes, and the strategies that may be effective in helping her.
This guide will offer Head Start staff a process for reflecting on their own practice, assessing difficult situations, and designing interventions through joint problem solving. The guide will help Head Start staff understand their own behavior, their assumptions, and their relationships with children with challenging behaviors and with each other. Such an understanding reinforces the importance of teamwork, and provides the necessary foundation for developing strategies and using techniques that support children with challenging behaviors and their families.
Audience
This technical guide is written for Head Start teaching teams and their immediate
supervisors; it will also be useful to family service workers, home visitors,
managers, and other Head Start staff, as well as consultants.
Performance Standards
This guide applies Head Start core values, as well as the Head Start Pro gram
Performance Standards on Services for Children with Disabilities. It also
applies Head Start Program Performance Standards related to individualizing,
developmentally appropriate practice, and supporting the social and emotional
development of all children.
Organization of the Guide
This guide includes the following sections:
Module 1: Laying the Groundwork helps participants identify ways in which their own perceptions and experiences influence how they interact with children with challenging behaviors.
Module 2: Practically Speaking helps participants develop a system for collecting data, and then use it to develop strategies that capitalize on children's strengths and needs.
Module 3: Building a Supportive Environment helps participants identify when and how to seek appropriate supports within the program and within the community in an effort to fully integrate children with challenging behaviors into their programs.
Continuing Professional Development offers strategies that supervisors can use to help staff apply new skills and extend their learning.
Resources lists print and audiovisual materials and other resources that staff can use to learn more about the key issues presented in the guide.
Organization of the Modules
In order to accommodate the needs of different grantees, each module offers
two different delivery strategies: workshop and coaching. Work shops are suitable
for groups of 10 or more participants. Workshops can build strong site-based
teams, as well as help staff from multiple sites develop a program-wide identity.
Coaching permits one, two, or three staff members to work together under the
guidance of a coach, who could be a Head Start manager, head teacher, or outside
consultant. Coaching provides individual flexibility and helps participants
to work on actual issues and challenges in their own program. While activities
vary according to the type of delivery strategy, the content and objectives
are the same for each approach.
Each module is organized so that workshop leaders and. coaches can easily implement the activities. All modules contain the following sections:
- The Outcomes section summarizes the skills participants will learn in the module.
- The Key Concepts section describes the critical issues addressed.
- The Background Information section provides a rationale for the module.
- The Activities section provides step-by-step instructions for workshop or coaching sessions.
- The Next Steps: Ideas to Extend Practice section includes strategies to help participants practice the skills learned in the module.
Some activities include a Discussion Guide or Lecture Guide to help workshop leaders and coaches think through the session's key ideas and anticipate participants' responses. Handouts- appear at the end of each module.
Ideally, participants should complete all the workshops or all the coaching activities in each module sequentially. Similarly, the modules should be used sequentially, since activities in each delivery strategy build on those in the previous module. If possible, allow participants to complete the modules over an extended period of time, perhaps over a four- to six month period. With Next Steps: Ideas to Extend Practice and Continuing Professional Development, training could extend into a year-long process.
Definition of Icons
| Coaching |  |
A training strategy that fosters the development of skills through tailored instruction, demonstrations, practice, and feedback. The activities are written for a coach to work closely with one to three participants. |
| Workshop |  |
A facilitated group training strategy that fosters the development of skills through activities which build on learning through group interaction. These activities are written for up to 25 participants working in small or large groups with one or two trainers. |
| Next Steps: Ideas to Extend Practice |
 |
Activities assigned by the trainer immediately following the completion of the module to help participants review key information, practice skills, and examine their progress toward expected outcomes of the module. |
| Continuing Professional Development |
 |
Follow-up activities for the program to support continued staff development in the regular use of the skills addressed in a particular training guide. It includes:
|
At A Glance
Module |
Activity |
Time |
Materials |
| Module 1: Laying the Groundwork | Activity 1-1: Why Does He Act This Way? (W) Participants reflect on their own |
120 minutes |
Handout 1—Phil's Story Handout 4—Scotty Must Easel, chart paper, |
Activity 1-2: The Power of Participants observe and |
90 minutes |
Handout 5—Role Play Easel, chart paper, |
|
Activity 1-3: Seeing. Coaching adaptation of Activity |
60 minutes |
Handout 5—Role Play Easel, chart paper, |
Module |
Activity |
Time |
Materials |
| Module 2: Practically Speaking |
Activity 2-1: Take a Look (W) Participants
practice their |
90 minutes |
Handout 8—Running Record Easel, chart paper, |
Activity 2-2: Promoting Participants assess their |
120 minutes |
Handout 10—Making A Easel, chart paper, |
|
Activity 2-3: Finding Strengths (C) Coaching adaptation of Activity |
90 minutes |
Handout 8—Running Record Easel, chart paper, markers,
|
|
Activity 2-4: Assessing the Participants develop a plan for |
120 minutes |
Handout 13—Trouble Spots Easel, chart paper, markers,
|
|
Activity 2-5: Assessing the Coaching adaptation of |
90 minutes |
Handout 14—Checklist Easel, chart paper, |
Module |
Activity |
Time |
Materials |
| Module 3: Building a Supportive Environment | Activity 1-1: Asking for Help (W) Participants
analyze journal |
120 minutes |
Handout 17—Rose's Journal Easel, chart paper, |
Activity 3-2: What If? (W) Participants develop contingency |
120 minutes |
Handout 20—Draft Easel, chart paper, |
|
Activity 3-3: Finding the Participants observe and |
90 minutes |
Handout 21—Cartoon Easel, chart paper, |
|
Activity 3-4: Take Care of Coaching adaptation of Activity |
120 minutes |
Handout 17—Rose's Journal Easel, chart paper, |
Getting Started
While there are no simple recipes for a successful staff development experience, here are some key steps to follow:
- Learn about the program. If you are not a Head Start staff member, identify background information about the program and the real concerns that teachers, specialists, and administrators struggle with daily as they work to meet the diverse needs of children. The more relevant the session is to staff members' immediate needs, the more effective the experience will be.
- Develop links with participants. Just as children need a supportive, safe environment to learn and grow, staff, too, need a climate that facilitates team building and open communication. They need encouragement and time to reflect on their practice as they develop strategies for meeting the individual needs of children and their families. It is a complex journey, requiring careful observation, collaboration, and re-evaluation.
- Become familiar with the guide. Before conducting any activities, familiarize yourself with the guide, its contents, and its underlying philosophy.
- Develop links with supervisors. Supervisors can help you assess the interests and needs of staff; they can also give you a picture of the day-to-day issues that arise. Lay the foundation for a positive partner ship by meeting with supervisors before you begin. Ask: Have staff, parents, and consultants discussed their ideas and feelings about including children with challenging behaviors in the program? What are their greatest concerns and fears? What are the greatest barriers?
The section below, Questions and Answers about Children with Challenging Behaviors, outlines some, questions that Head Start staff across the country often ask. While the issues described are not the focus of the training, participants may raise similar questions during activities.
Questions and Answers about Children with Challenging Behaviors
Q: Why are there increasing numbers of children who exhibit problem behaviors?
A: Increasingly, teachers are expressing their growing concerns about challenging behaviors children display in their classrooms. These children may lack social skills, become lost and disorganized when switching from one activity to another, be prone to sudden outbursts, or may be persistently withdrawn or aggressive. While teachers can not always be sure of the source of children's difficulties, they are keenly aware of the risks that contribute to problem behaviors: the effects of poverty; exposure to community and/or family violence; inadequate health care; or lack of social supports. It is, in fact, the combination of these risks that is the most powerful indicator of later developmental problems.
Q: Are children with challenging behaviors eligible for special education services from the public schools?
A: Many children with challenging behaviors do not qualify for special education and related services according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act's (IDEA) criteria for "serious emotional disturbance." In fact, this diagnosis, which only covers the far end of the spectrum of behavioral disorders, applies to just one percent of the child population. While children may not meet IDEA's criteria for "serious emotional disturbance," they may meet the criteria for emotional/behavioral disorders set forth by the Head Start Program Performance Standards on Services for Children with Disabilities. In these cases, Head Start is responsible for developing an educational plan for the child and assuring that it is implemented; Head Start would also be responsible for securing special supports needed to include the child in a Head Start program.
Q: Can experienced teachers quickly determine if a child has an emotional/behavioral disorder?
A: While teachers may rightly suspect that they have a child with an emotional/behavioral disorder in their classroom, they cannot make a diagnosis. After permission is obtained from parents, a diagnosis may be made by a, qualified professional. According to the Head Start Program Performance Standards on Services for Children with Disabilities, the evaluation process must include an assessment of the child's behavior in multiple settings and a "review of the child's regular Head Start physical examination to eliminate the possibility of misdiagnosis due to an underlying physical condition."
Q: Can a diagnosis ensure that children will get the help they need?
A: While a diagnosis can be helpful in suggesting (and perhaps ensuring payment for) needed interventions, it is not the solution to the problem. Knowing for sure that a child has an emotional or behavioral disorder is only the beginning. The diagnosis still does not help adults know how best to work with a child on a day-to-day basis. To successfully accomplish this, a process of ongoing, collaborative inquiry is essential, in which all the team players (parents, staff, and specialists) are involved in observing, identifying needs, brainstorming strategies, and evaluating outcomes.
Q: Can medication such as Ritalin or other stimulants help children manage their behavior?
A: Yes, in certain circumstances. However, monitoring the effects of medication is critical. Teacher's feedback about individual children's responses to medication can help parents and physicians make important medical decisions about whether or not to continue the medication, whether the dosage is appropriate, etc. While some children can benefit from medication, it is never a substitute for individualized support and attention. Many practitioners recommend that medication not be the only treatment used. It should be supplemented with educational and/or psychological interventions.
Q: What types of interventions are most successful?
A: Some interventions targeted at remediating specific and common problem behaviors in young children have been very successful in certain situations. For example, behavior modification has been used successfully with children with one behavior difficulty, such as biting or bed-wetting. But children with complex emotional and behavioral problems have difficulties that are pervasive and more significant in intensity, frequency, and duration. For these children, it is important to take into account the complexity of the classroom environment, the needs or style of the teacher and other caregivers, the home and community environment, and the strengths of the child and her family. For these children, a more comprehensive approach is needed. Recently, researchers have begun to shift the focus from risk to resilience. They ask: What do children who have positive outcomes, despite their exposure to multiple risks, have in common? What can we learn from them? Many researchers agree that most crucial to such success, is the establishment of a close bond with an adult. This relationship provides the context for every strategy; it is the glue that gives strategies their power.
Trainer and Coach Preparation Notes: Throughout the training, remind participants that what people judge as "acceptable behavior" is often very subjective, and can be, in fact, "culture bound." That is, what is considered unacceptable in one ,culture might be acceptable and common practice in another. This should be kept in mind when dealing with children from diverse cultures who may be exhibiting "challenging" behaviors. If the child's behavior is not dangerous, staff should gather facts about the behavior within the child's culture, before judging such behavior as "troubled" or planning interventions. Behavior must be assessed within the appropriate context. Also, remind participants that all families have a right to confidentiality. That is, information about Head Start children and families can only be shared within Head Start on a "need-to-know" basis. Before participants share their descriptions of children in the program, make sure they fully understand issues around confidentiality. |