Behaviour Skills For Teachers, Parents, and Support People

Although yellow zone behaviors are not sanctioned, parents tolerate them to give children learning opportunities or to indulge children during particularly difficult or stressful times i. Red zone behavior is not tolerated as it is either dangerous to the child or others, or it is immoral, unethical, illegal, or socially unacceptable.

After setting limits, parents can teach their children to more effectively solve social problems. We have found a problem-solving sequence described by D'Zurilla and Goldfried useful:. Initially, children may require assistance when using problem-solving strategies. Parents can help children use problem-solving steps through thinking out loud:. I could just go over and ask to play.

Incidental teaching

Or I could go over and stand by them and wait to see if they ask. Or I could wait until it's time for someone else to turn the rope and ask if I can turn it. If I ask them, they may say no, but if I just stand there, they may never ask. I think I'll ask to turn the rope when someone's turn comes up. I guess my plan worked. Camp and Bash a, b, c developed a curriculum to teach children how to solve cognitive and social problems. The Think Aloud curriculum can be used by teachers or parents. However, Gottman cautioned that children under the age of 10 may have difficulty considering multiple solutions; parents may have to present one solution at a time and have the child evaluate each option in turn.

Parents must not attempt to use emotional coaching when they do not have time, are not alone with the child, are tired or upset, or a red zone behavior occurs Gotterman, Lawson sends a note home to Mr. Staunton telling him that Gerald's fourth-grade class is working on being able to accept criticism.

Staunton is asked to use the home note to report Gerald's use of this skill. Homework allows children the opportunity to use social skills as situations arise in natural, rather than in artificial, settings. Homework is also an excellent way to involve parents in social skills instruction and to foster home-school collaboration Baumgartner et al. However, it is simple to design your own homework assignments using the format illustrated in Figure 2. Rivera and Rogers-Adkinson emphasized that culture influences social behavior.

Children from Hispanic American, Native American, and Asian American backgrounds tend to be passive, whereas African American children tend to be assertive. Teachers must take care not to label the former behavior as overly compliant and the latter as overly aggressive. These four minority cultures tend to value cooperation. Home note for elementary-age students.

Our class is learning to accept criticism. We learned that when someone accepts criticism that person:. Please watch your child to see if he or she uses the skill accepting criticism.

Managing behaviour

If your child does use the skill, try to praise him or her. This list may be photocopied for noncommercial use only. Nonverbal communication differences among the cultures is evident as well. For example, Anglo American individuals value more physical space between speakers than do people from Hispanic American, Native American, and African American cultural backgrounds.

Eye contact, although valued by the Anglo American culture, may be a sign of disrespect in many minority cultures. Rivera and Rogers-Adkinson recommended the following when working with parents from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds:. Social skills are defined as those behaviors that are reinforced by the cultural group. Students are taught a "cue generation" procedure to help them identify social behaviors that result in acceptance or rejection. Behaviors related to social acceptance, as identified by the students, taught using modeling, role-playing, feedback, and reinforcement.

CLASSIC can be adapted for use with parents from diverse cultural backgrounds when teaching them to teach their children social skills. Cartledge, Lee, and Feng described the balancing act a teacher must perform when teaching social skills: The social skills trainer is challenged to interpret the behaviors of learners from culturally diverse backgrounds accurately, to distinguish social skill differences from deficits, and to employ instructional strategies effective to help these learners maximize their schooling experiences and acquire the most productive interpersonal skills.

While focusing on the unique patterns that are instructive for these purposes, it is imperative to remain cognizant of the universality of children's behavior. Although we have been successful in teaching students prosocial skills, we have been far less successful in making sure these skills are used when and where they count. If generalization of social skills is to occur, we must adopt strategies that actively promote use of social skills across settings, situations, and individuals.

Involving parents in the social skills instructional process can help us promote social skills generalization. There are several ways in which teachers can teach parents to teach their children to become prosocial. Incidental teaching enables teachers and parents to capitalize on teachable moments, by having parents teach, prompt, and reinforce the use of skills at home. Parents also can be taught to conduct social skills autopsies, which involve discussing the outcomes of using or failing to use a social skill. As emotional coaches, parents can assist children in understanding and dealing with their emotions and help children become better social problem solvers.

She has a long-standing interest in social skills assessment and instruction. Other research interests include assessment, collaboration among parents and professionals, and career and vocational education for adolescents with disabilities. Nicky Elksnin, PhD, has more than 20 years experience as a school psychologist, special education consultant, and special education administrator. He is particularly interested in occupational social skills and the social development of infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children. The first author gratefully acknowledges the support of The Citadel Development Foundation in the preparation of this article.

Homework as a critical component in social skills instruction. Teaching Exceptional Children, 24, Parent comments about homework, tests, and grades.

Social-emotional development of students with learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 17, Incidental teaching of social behaviors: A naturalistic approach for promoting young children's peer interactions. Think aloud classroom program, grades Contextual considerations in social skills instruction. School Psychology Quarterly, 9, Teaching social communication skills to elementary school students with handicaps.

Teaching Exceptional Children, 22, Multicultural factors in teaching social skill. Milburn, Teaching social skills to children and youth: Innovative approaches 3rd ed. Teaching social skills to children and youth: Cultural diversity and social skills instruction. Synthesis of research on homework. Educational Leadership, 47 3 , Teaching your child the language of social success. The effects of social skills curricula: Now you see them, now you don't.

School Psychology Quarterly,9, The culture and lifestyle appropriate social skills intervention curriculum: A program for socially valid social skills training. Problem solving and behavior modification. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 78, Promoting generalization of social skills. Learning Disabilities Forum, 20 1 , Assessment and instruction of social skills.

Positive Behavior Support at Home

A review of the literature on social skills deficits. Psychology in the Schools, 31, Why it can matter more than IQ. Raising an emotionally intelligent child The heart of parenting. Assessment of children's social skills. Journal of SSchoolPsychology, 19, Should we raze, remodel, or rebuild? Behavioral Disorders, 24 1 , Integrating schools, families, and communities through successful school reform. School PPsychologyReview, 15, A social skills program for adolescents. A review of special education classroom practices in the Southeast.

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Research issues and needs. Behavioral Disorders, 22, Skillstreaming in early childhood. Skillstreaming the elementary schoolchild-Revised edition. Interventions for improving homework performance: SSchoolPsychology Quarterly, 6, Were they apparent initially? A natural means of home-school collaboration. A comparison of the homework problems of students with learning disabilities non handicapped students Learning Disabilities Practice, 7, Lessons for teaching social and emotional competence, grades K Lessons for teaching social and emotional competence, grades Social skills training with children and parents from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

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Homework's powerful effects on learning.

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Educational Leadership, 47 7 , Adolescent Curriculum for communicatiOn and effective social skills. Skillstreaming the elementary school child-Revised edition. Lessons for teaching social and emotional competence, Grades Social skills in the classroom- 2nd edition. An emotional education curriculum for children, Grades Skillstreaming the adolescent-Revised edition. An emotional education curriculum for adolescents, Grades Often they are the first people to recognize a developmental problem, and they must pursue their concern until they receive a satisfactory diagnosis and find or develop appropriate services for their child.

As members of the individualized education plan IEP team, parents may also be active advocates for the child, ensuring that the educational process goes forward appropriately. These many demands on parents occur in the context of family life, including the needs of other children, the parents as individuals and as a couple, and family needs as a whole. Most families cope effectively with these demands, but some may encounter very substantial stress as they raise their child with autism.

In the s and s the psychodynamic explanation of autism held sway in the United States Bettelheim, That perspective, now clearly counter to a large body of research on the biological roots of autism, had important implications for treatment. We recognize that parents are partners in an educational process that requires close collaboration between home and school e.

In order to provide an appropriate education for their child, parents of children with autism need specialized knowledge and skills and scientifically based information about autism and its treatment. Parents also need to be familiar with special education law and regulations, needed and available services, and how to negotiate on behalf of their child. In addition, some parents need help coping with the emotional stress that can follow from having a child with a significant developmental disorder.

The identification of parents as serving a key role in effective treatment of their child has great benefit for the child. However, it is a role that is not without costs, and the implications for family life are considerable. Many parents of children with autism face multiple, demanding roles. These include serving as teacher and advocate as well as loving parent and family member.

Gallagher points out the complex demands this places on parents and the need to support family decision-making and control, while providing sufficient professional expertise to enable their choices. Research suggests that while many families cope well with these demands, the education of a child with autism can be a source of considerable stress for some families see, e.

In general, mothers report more stress than do fathers, often describing issues related to time demands and personal sacrifice e. Mothers of children with autism also report more stress in their lives than do mothers of children with other disabilities e. Fathers of children with autism or Down syndrome report more disruption of planning family events and a greater demand on family finances than do fathers whose children are developing typically.

These three groups of men do not differ, however, on measures of perceived competence as a parent, marital satisfaction, or social support Rodrigue et al. This difference was not due solely to employment outside of the home. The time spent working with a child with autism is sometimes stressful and demanding, but it also has the potential to reduce family distress and enhance the quality of life for the entire family including the child with autism Gallagher, Techniques such as individualized problem solving, in-home observations and training, and didactic sessions have been employed with families.

Mothers who learned skills based on the TEACCH model of education for their child showed a decrease in depressive symptoms over time in comparison with a group of mothers not given this training Bristol et al. The use of effective teaching methods for a child with autism can have a measurable positive impact on family stress.

Professionals serving children with autism and their families in the United States must also be sensitive to the cultural context of service delivery see e. That cultural sensitivity means providing services in a language in which parents are fluent e. Some cultures may encourage an expectation of a magical cure for a developmental disorder Stahl, Because of the nature of autism, young children with this disorder need a consistent and supportive environment to make optimal educational progress.

For example, children with autistic spectrum disorders often have problems transferring a skill learned in one setting to another place or time.

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This process of generalization of learning needs to be anticipated and supported, and so parents of children with autism need to be more closely involved in the educational process than do parents of children with many other childhood disorders. For example, early research on the benefits of applied behavior analysis by Lovaas and his colleagues showed that children with autism who returned to a home prepared to support their learning maintained their treatment gains better than children who went to institutional settings that failed to carry over the treatment methods.

Parents can learn techniques for teaching adaptive skills and managing the behavior of their child with autism. Based on that early observation of the importance of the home environment Lovaas et al. That research documented that parents could master the basics of applied behavior analysis, and many became highly skilled teachers e. The proponents of applied behavior analysis have carried the role of parental involvement farther than other approaches, and in some cases it is parents who provide much of the oversight and management of home-based applied behavioral analysis programs, with an outside consultant offering periodic input e.

Although the bulk of the research on teaching parents to work with their child in the home has been done using applied behavior analysis, Ozonoff and Cathcart reported a study in which parents of young children with autism were taught to use TEACCH instructional methods in the home.

In contrast with a no-treatment control group, the children whose parents used TEACCH methods in the home showed greater improvement in a variety of skills over a 4-month interval. It is important for schools to recognize that parents need both initial training and on-going support for trouble shooting if they are to sustain their effort at home teaching Harris, Simply providing a basic training course in teaching principles is often insufficient to ensure the long-term ability of many parents to solve new problems as they arise.

Our review of the practices of the most frequently cited programs serving children with autism indicates that all of them offer training to parents in the teaching methods used in the programs see Chapters 11 and Their expectations for parental involvement range from the assumption of a major role on a daily basis to a less central but still essential role of ensuring that a child can transfer material from school to the home and community.

Families: Description and Links

Most studies of parents as teachers were carried out when parents had an auxiliary role in supporting school based programs. There has been a dearth of studies of the role of parents in intensive home-based programs. Today, though it is not uncommon for parents to have the central function in a home-based program, little is known about the most effective ways to help them master the skills they need for this role or about the stress this role may bring to family life.

Like parents of children with other disorders, these parents need to serve as effective members of the IEP or Individual Family Service Plan IFSP team, helping to ensure that appropriate educational programs are in place for their children Seligman and Darling, Being an effective advocate means that parents understand the legal rights of their child according to federal and state law and regulations. For most families the advocacy role focuses mainly on the needs of their own child.

There will also be some parents for whom that role may encompass work at the local, state, or national level to advocate on behalf of policies to meet the needs of all children and adults with autism. Although some parents may resort to legal processes to obtain the educational resources needed by their children, for most families the advocacy process is a much less adversarial one.

Being a good advocate means being an effective collaborator with the professionals who serve a child. It also means learning how to disagree and resolve differences within a con-. Public school systems and advocacy groups can offer training in advocacy skills, including conflict resolution, to parents and school staff to ensure both groups are well informed and to ease tensions that may arise in their interactions. Such research might be useful in determining how best to prepare parents for advocacy and when additional support from others may be most useful in the advocacy process.

In addition to research specifically on the support needs of families of children with autism, there is a valuable tradition of research in the early intervention literature that explores the needs of families who have children with a range of developmental and physical disorders. Both of these bodies of research have the potential to make important contributions to serving and empowering children with autism and their families Dunst, ; Seligman and Darling, , including parents, siblings, and members of their extended families. The perception of the meaning of having a child with autism and of family support can have an impact on how well parents cope.

In a study of mothers of children with autism whose husbands assumed a share of child care, Milgram and Atzil reported enhanced life satisfaction from that sharing of responsibilities. Similarly, perceived social support and psychological hardiness both tended to buffer mothers of children with autism from the effects of stress Gill and Harris, Younger children and those who are less impaired have a better prognosis than those who are older or have very severe autism.

It is useful for school personnel to be sensitive to these different problems and to work closely with parents to provide family support and help them find the resources that fit the developmental needs of the child and the family as whole. Many families benefit from the availability of both formal and informal social support to handle the complex demands in their lives.