Collaborative and Proactive Solutions Approach to Treating Challenging Behaviors

“Collaborative and Proactive Solutions” Approach to Treating Challenging Behaviors When it comes to ADHD, there is no one-size-fits-all treatment. Every child has unique strengths and weaknesses, and every parent and teacher have their own way of engaging with a child. Matching appropriate treatment strategies to each childs specific needs is essential for successfully managing ADHD symptoms. For most kids, it will take more than one intervention to address all the areas affected by ADHD. Treatment should always include ADHD-specific, evidence-based interventions, like behavioral parent training and/or medication, but it can often be helpful to supplement with alternative models of care, like the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) approach to addressing challenging behavior. Collaborative and Proactive Solutions is a model of care designed to target challenging behavior, regardless of a childs diagnosis. The CPS model was developed by Dr. Ross Greene and is described in many of his books, including The Explosive Child, Lost at School, and Raising Humans. Schools often have counselors and social workers who are trained in the CPS model, making it a good fit for kids with ADHD who benefit from strategies that are used consistently across home and school. Typical behavioral interventions for ADHD use positive and negative consequences to reduce challenging behaviors, like whining, hitting, and general non-compliance. In contrast, the CPS model views these behaviors as symptoms of an underlying skill deficit, which cause the child to act out because they simply cannot meet the expectations that have been placed on them. Rather than target the negative behaviors directly, the CPS model emphasizes identifying the specific skills that the child is lacking and the expectations that are out of reach. The goal of CPS is to help parents, teachers, and the child change behavior without using rewards or punishments. In contrast to standard interventions for kids with ADHD, which rely almost exclusively on the caregiver and teacher to create and enforce rules and structure, the CPS approach emphasizes a collaborative partnership between the parent or teacher. As a team, the child and adult identify strategies that will help reduce the skill-expectation gap. When the gap closes, challenging behaviors naturally decrease, and skills and confidence increase. Not surprisingly, the CPS model has been shown to reduce conflict between children and adults, improve relationships and communication, and help kids better appreciate how their own behavior affects others. The CPS model aims to answer three important questions before the child and adult start searching for solutions. Why is the childs behavior challenging? The CPS model assumes that a child is not being defiant or non-compliant willfully. Instead, it assumes that the child would follow through on instructions and behave appropriately if they could. So, parents and teachers are encouraged to reconsider their previous explanations, beliefs, and labels related to the childs behavior. For example, a childs challenging behavior may not be attention-seeking; rather, it may reflect the fact that the child is unable to do what is expected of them at that time. When is the childs behavior challenging? What are the times of the day at school or at home when a child displays challenging behaviors? Is it in the morning before school when everyone is trying to get out of the door? Is it during homework time? Or on the playground during recess? What are the expectations placed on the child at those times? What are the skills they need in order to meet those expectations? What behaviors does the child exhibit when they are being challenging or disruptive? Does the child whine, hit, yell, or become increasingly stubborn? Do they get out of their seat during classwork time, take ten minutes to put on their shoes in the morning, forget to bring their homework to school? The behavior is the signal that there is a gap between the childs skills and the adults expectations. These questions lay the foundation for the CPS approach to problem-solving, which is outlined in the CPS programs Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C. In my next post, Ill discuss these three plans and will point you to resources designed to help parents and teachers use the CPS model at home and in the classroom. ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

Teaching Kids Leadership

Teaching Kids Leadership Most parents recognize the importance of time management, strong communication, good listening and other study skills, but what about leadership? Your child doesnt have to aspire to be the next president of the United States to benefit from the lessons of leadership, says Eileen Huntington, co-founder of Huntington Learning Center. Activities and programs that instill leadership help teach children about perseverance, conflict resolution, building ones character, goal setting and more. Huntington offers parents these tips to help their child develop leadership skills: Encourage volunteering for a cause your child cares about. What gets your child excited? Animals? The planet? Helping other kids? Encourage your child to make a difference through volunteering, or try doing service learning as a family. Getting involved is a wonderful way for kids to discover a passion, make friends, and share their experiences and excitement with others. Give your child opportunities to teach others. Whether it is a sibling or a classmate, children who teach their peers often become more engaged in the subject matter. If your student is a good reader, how about reading to younger siblings and teaching them reading basics? Your child will build a sense of pride in sharing his or her knowledge and helping others learn something new. Check out extracurricular activities. Your childs school likely has a plethora of clubs and activities with which your child could get involved. Sports are an obvious way to instill in your child the lessons of hard work, teamwork and determination, but if your child isnt interested in athletics, dont overlook things like student council, yearbook, drama club, music, math club, science club or a student ambassador program. Explore leadership programs and camps. Do you live near a college? Check to see what programs they have for rising middle and high school students. Some colleges offer enrichment, college preparatory or other programs for children and teens designed specifically to build leadership aptitudes. How about experiential or other types of leadership camps in your area? You can check with your childs teachers, guidance counseling office and school district for suggestions or referrals. Huntington encourages parents to be creative when it comes to leadership development opportunities for their child. The key is to empower your child to take on new responsibilities, strive for things he or she wants, take risks, and recognize and build his or her strengths. Doing so will help your child become a more engaged and involved student and citizen.