Overview of Promoting Social Emotional Competence

(PBS for young children/students)

Cristine Deaver, MS, BCBA, LABABehavior Analyst

Most of the materials can be found at: http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu /

Learning Objectives

Rationale for using addressing behavior in young children

Components of the training materials Training module information

Rationale

Some Sobering Facts

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An estimated 9 to 13% of American children and adolescents between ages 9 to 17 have serious diagnosable emotional or behavioral health disorders resulting in substantial to extreme impairment.

(Friedman, 2002)

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Students with SED miss more days of school than do students in all other disability categories (U.S. Department of Education 1994)

More than half of students with SED drop out of grades 9-12, the highest rate for all disability categories. (U.S. Department of Education, 2002)

Of those students with SED who drop out of school, 73% are arrested within five years of leaving school (Jay & Padilla, 1987)

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Children who are identified as hard to manage at ages 3 and 4 have a high probability (50:50) of continuing to have difficulties into adolescence (Campbell & Ewing, 1990; Egeland et al., 1990; Fischer, Rolf, Hasazi, & Cummings, 1984).

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Early appearing aggressive behaviors are the best predictor of juvenile gang membership

and violence.

(Reid, 1993)

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When aggressive and antisocial behavior has persisted to age 9, further intervention has a

poor chance of success.

(Dodge, 1993)10

Of the young children who show early signs of challenging behavior, it has been

estimated that fewer than 10% receive services for these difficulties.

(Kazdin & Kendall, 1998) 11

Preschool children are three times more likely to be

“expelled” than children in grades K-12

(Gilliam, 2005)

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There are evidence based practices that

are effective in changing this

developmental trajectory…the problem is not what to do, but

rests in where and how we can support children

and help families access services.

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Pediatricians first line of defense for children with emotional and behavioral problems.

Treatment most likely to be recommended: supportive counseling, prescriptions or referrals.

These treatments do not take into consideration the environmental influences that may contribute to and possibly exacerbate the problems.

Most frequent behaviors: child discipline, incontinence, sleep disorders, habit disorders, and symptoms of ADHD.

Behavior interventions look at the environmental variables and have few (if any) side effects.

(Friman & Piazza, 2011)

ND Study on PBS in Preschools and Head Start (Green, 2010)

Based on a questionnaire sent to preschool and Head Start teacher: The majority of items on the questionnaire were

implemented sometimes, most of the time, or always.

ResultsItem Always

ImplementedRules with 3 – 5 positively stated posted 54%Posted classroom routine/schedule 69%Written description of behavioral expectations 24%Use transitional signal 60%Provide warning of transition 50%Pre-Correction 52%Acknowledge system 32%4 to 1 positive to negative ratio 32%Verbal praise 54%System approach 42%Leadership team that informs behavioral expectations and data collection

26%

Preventative approach 50%Individualized behavioral process 42%Teach social skills 66%Function or purpose of behavior 33%Examine context of behavior 40%Data collection 39%Use data to develop behavior programming 35%Continuum of procedures for problem behaviors 33%Use natural environments and routines to reinforce behavior

97%

Evidence based practices 32%

Results Trend toward inconsistent

implementation of elements Up to 50% of young children with

challenging behaviors go on to receive special education supports for disabilities related to the behaviors (Duda, Dunlap, Fox, Lentini & Clark, 2004)

Most of the time, sometimes and rarely are not enough support for young children with or at risk for challenging behaviors or disabilities

Evidence Based Practice

What Does “Evidence BasedPractice” Mean?

Levels of evidence or levels of confidence that the practice will have the desired outcome: Peer-reviewed published research findings Published synthesis of research Multi-authored position papers Government reports Consensus/values Opinion, etc.

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High

Low

Effective Practices Changing adult behavior and expectations Promoting overall high program quality Promoting social skills, preventing & addressing

challenging behavior (pyramid model) Using empirically validated interventions which

include: Comprehensive strategies e.g., adaptations to

environment and activities, learning class rules, role-playing alternative behaviors, arranging for peer models & reinforcing desirable behaviors

Individualizing approaches Positive programming, e.g., Positive Behavior

Support (PBS) Team-based and multidisciplinary approaches Using data-based strategies and decision

making 20

What Positive Social Emotional Outcomes Can Be Expected from Evidence Based Practices? Decrease in:

Withdrawal, aggression, noncompliance, and disruption

Teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency, and special education placement

Increase in: Positive peer relationships including

understanding of friendship, cooperation, and sharing

Self-control, self-monitoring, self-correction, and improved social emotional health

Academic success

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The Triangle and Pyramid Approach

An Evidence Based Framework:The Pyramid Approach

PROMOTION

PREVENTION

INTERVENTION

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Teaching Pyramid

Designing High Quality and Supportive Environments

Building Positive Relationships

Social Emotional Teaching Strategies

Intensive Individualize

d Intervention

sChildren at-

risk

Children with persistent challenges

High quality Education

Social Skills Curricula

Positive Behavior Support

All children

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Critical Elements Leadership Team; administrative support Staff buy-in Family involvement Program-wide expectations Strategies to teach and acknowledge

expectations Implementation Procedures to respond to problem behaviors Staff development and support Data-based decision making and monitoring

of outcomes

Training Materials

Consist of 6 two- to three-hour training modules focused on developing and implementing effective research-based interventions for professionals working with young students with challenging behaviors and their families.

The training is designed to build the capacity of professionals working with young children to understand and implement quality early intervention practices.

The modules reflect a commitment to the following: Interventions and supports should be

developmentally appropriate and child-centered;

Early intervention services and supports must be delivered with consideration of the unique and diverse cultures of children;

Professionals should seek to understand and implement evidence-based practices;

Behavior intervention should use positive practices;

A collaborative, problem solving approach should be used to ensure that all people involved are actively involved in the development and implementation of support strategies that will promote the development of the child.

Guiding principles

Supporting the social and emotional development to prevent challenging behaviors;

Individualizing interventions to meet the unique interests, strengths, and needs;

Promoting skill building with enough intensity to affect change;

Implementing strategies in the context of naturally occurring routines and environments;

Ensuring fidelity of use through a systematic change process; and

Modifying strategies to meet the cultural and linguistic diversity of families and children.

Topics Social and Communication Development Promoting Children's Success: Building

Relationships and Creating Supportive Environments

Social-Emotional Teaching Strategies Determining the Meaning of Challenging

Behavior Developing a Behavior Support Plan Leadership Strategies for Supporting

Children’s Social and Emotional Development and Addressing Challenging Behavior

The foundation of this model is grounded in the context of positive, supportive relationships between teachers and children.

To ensure that the majority of children will engage in appropriate social behavior and flourish in their emotional development.

It is important to note that research indicates that the first two levels of the Teaching Pyramid are absolutely essential for all children but that some children will need additional focused and systematic strategies to support their social and emotional development.

The third level provides information on the implementation of effective social emotional teaching strategies. These strategies are used to teach important

skills, such as expressing emotions appropriately, solving problems, and building friendships.

The third level emphasizes the need for systematic ways to support children in developing competence in emotional literacy, problem solving, impulse control, and friendship skills. As many as 30% of the children will need this

level of intervention (i.e., social and emotional teaching strategies) to develop these critical skills.

In situations where a disproportionate number of children are from high risk environments, a greater percentage of children will need focused instruction to develop social competence.

The fourth level is designed for those children who continue to exhibit significant challenging behaviors when the other levels of the model are in place. Small number of children who have

challenging behavior that is unresponsive to the foundational levels of the pyramid.

They may have developmental delays, be exposed to multiple risk factors (e.g., poverty, single parent homes, inadequate health care), or may have been exposed to other events or influences that have impacted their social development.

The last training module provides training on the

administrative supports and processes that are necessary to adopt and sustain the practices described in the other modules, and

reflect a commitment to promoting social emotional development in all children.

Social and Communication Development

Social and Communication DevelopmentThis module focuses on: Identify major milestones of communication and

language development

Identify a variety of forms of non-symbolic and symbolic communication

Describe the reasons or functions that children communicate even before using words

Describe how the adult and the activity support social and communication skills in young children

Describe how to promote children’s social competence with peers

Children can use challenging behaviors at any of these stages of language development.

A developmental framework for the acquisition of communication and language can help us understand children’s use of challenging behaviors.

Link Between Behavior and Communication

Challenging behavior can be a form of communication.

Supporting the child begins by determining what communicative function behavior serves.

Promoting Children's Success: Building Relationships and Creating Supportive Environments

Promoting Children’s Success: Building Relationship and Creating Supportive Environments

Addresses strategies for preventing challenging behaviors. Positive relationships with children serve as

the foundation for addressing social emotional needs.

When children understand routines and expectations for their behavior, and when they are engaged in meaningful activities, they are less likely to engage in challenging behaviors.

Expectations and routines have to be taught using a range of teaching strategies.

This is the Universal Foundation Well planned and responsive learning

environments High quality interactions and

instruction Effective behavior management

strategies Environmental arrangement Predictability Visual cues

Key Social Emotional Skills Children

Need as They Enter School• Confidence• Capacity to develop good relationships

with peers and adults• Concentration and persistence on

challenging tasks• Ability to effectively communicate emotions• Ability to listen to instructions and be

attentive• Ability to solve social problems

What do children do when they don’t have each of these skills? 43

• When children do not have these skills, they often exhibit challenging behaviors

• We must focus on TEACHING the skills!

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“If a child doesn’t know how to read, we teach.”

“If a child doesn’t know how to swim, we teach.”

“If a child doesn’t know how to multiply, we teach.”

“If a child doesn’t know how to drive, we teach.”

“If a child doesn’t know how to behave, we… …teach? …punish?”

“Why can’t we finish the last sentence as automatically as we do the others?”

(Herner, 1998)

Some Basic Assumptions

• Challenging behavior usually has a message.

• Children often use challenging behavior when they don’t have the social or communication skills they need to engage in more appropriate interactions.

• Behavior that persists over time is usually working for the child.

• We need to focus on teaching children what to do in place of the challenging behavior.

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Promote Children’s Success

• Create an environment where EVERY child feels good about coming to school.

• Design an environment that promotes child engagement.

• Focus on teaching children what To Do! •Teach expectations and routines.•Teach skills that children can use in place of challenging behaviors.

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Major Messages• The first and most important thing that we can do is to build positive relationships with every child and family.

• Focus on prevention and teaching appropriate skills.

• Promoting social emotional development is not easy. There are no quick fixes to challenging behavior.

• It requires a comprehensive approach that includes building relationships, evaluating our own classrooms and behaviors, and TEACHING.

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Social-Emotional Teaching Strategies

Social Emotional Teaching Strategies This module focuses on effective strategies

for teaching problem solving, communication of emotions and building friendships. Identifying teachable moments Facilitating the development of friendship

skills Teaching problem solving Teaching children to recognize and

express emotions Teaching anger management

Teaching Social Emotional Skills

WhyWhen WhatHow

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What Is Social Emotional Development?

• A sense of confidence and competence• Ability to develop good relationships with

peers and adults/make friends/get along with others

• Ability to persist at tasks• Ability to follow directions• Ability to identify, understand, and

communicate own feelings/emotions• Ability to constructively manage strong

emotions• Development of empathy

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What happens when children don’t have these

skills?…

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Identifying Teachable Moments

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Stages of Learning

• Acquisition – new skill or concept• Fluency – the ability to immediately use the

skill or concept without a prompt• Maintenance – continuing to use the skill or

concept over time• Generalization – applying the skill or

concept to new situations, people, activities, ideas, and settings

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Friendship Skills

Think about children who are well liked and friendly…

What do you notice about their behavior that makes it easier for them to make friends?

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Friendship Skills

• Gives suggestions (play organizers)

• Shares toys and other materials

• Takes turns (reciprocity) • Is helpful• Gives compliments• Understands how and

when to give an apology• Begins to empathize

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•Rationale•Describe skill

–Child has materials–Offers or responds to request from peer for

materials•Demonstrate

–Right way–Wrong way

•Practice•Promote

Sharing

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Taking Turns•Rationale•Describe skill

–“You take a turn, I take a turn”–Might ask for a turn with a toy–Might initiate turn taking games

•Demonstrate–Right way–Wrong way

•Practice•Promote

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Giving Compliments•Rationale•Describe skill

– Verbal – say things like:• “Good job _____!”• “I like the way you _____!”

– Physical – Do things like:• Hug• Pat on the shoulder• High Five

•Demonstrate–Right way–Wrong way

•Practice•Promote

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Knowing How and When to Give Apologies•Rationale•Describe skill

–Children might say, “I’m sorry I hit you when you took my ball.”

–“I didn’t mean to push you.” •Demonstrate skill

–Right way–Wrong way

•Practice•Promote

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Setting the Stage for Friendship

• Inclusive setting• Cooperative use toys• Embed opportunities• Social interaction goals and

objectives• Atmosphere of friendship

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Strategies for DevelopingFriendship Skills • Modeling

• Modeling with video• Modeling with puppets• Preparing peer

partners• Buddy system• Priming• Direct modeling• Reinforcement

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Activities to Support the Development of Friendship Skills

Friendship Can Planting Seeds of

Friendship Friendship

Tree/Compliment Tree Books about Friendships Friendship Quilt Friendship Journal Music/Songs

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ActivityEmbedding Friendship Opportunities into Daily Routines and Activities

ArrivalCircle TimeCenter TimeSmall GroupOutsideSnackStory TimeGood-bye CircleTransitions

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Catch Them Being Good!!!!

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Emotional Literacy

Emotional literacy is the ability to identify, understand, and express emotions in a healthy

way.

What is emotional literacy?

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Children with a Strong Foundationin Emotional Literacy:

tolerate frustration better

get into fewer fights engage in less

destructive behavior are healthier are less lonely are less impulsive are more focused have greater academic

achievement68

Enhancing Emotional Literacy…

Direct Teaching Indirect TeachingUse of Songs and GamesHow would you feel if…?Checking InFeeling Dice and Feeling WheelUse of Children’s Literature

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Direct Teaching of Feeling Vocabulary

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English/Spanish

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Characteristics of Classrooms That

Foster Emotional Literacy

*Books about feelings are read and are available in the story center.

* Photos of people with various emotional expressions are displayed.

* Teachers label their own feelings.* Teachers notice and label children’s feelings.* Activities are planned to teach and reinforce emotional literacy.

* Children are reinforced for using feeling words.

* Efforts occur daily. 72

Identifying Feelings in Self and Others Learning words for different feelings Empathy training Learning to recognize how someone

else is feeling Facial cues Body language Tone of voice Situational cues

Learning how to control anger, relax, and calm down

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Empathy

Empathy is the identification with and

understanding of another’s feelings and situation.

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Teaching Empathy

• Model empathy• “Alike” & “different” activities• Draw children’s attention to how

others are feeling• Role plays and role reversals• Reinforce empathy behaviors

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Take 3 deep breaths…

1..2..3

Adapted from Incredible Years Dinosaur School

Relaxation Thermometer

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Key Concepts with Feelings

• Feelings change• You can have more than

one feeling about something

• You can feel differently than someone else about the same thing

• All feelings are valid – it is what you do with them that counts

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Controlling Anger and Impulse

Recognizing that anger can interfere with problem solving

Learning how to recognize anger in oneself and others

Learning how to calm down Understanding appropriate

ways to express anger

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Turtle Technique

Recognize that you feel angry.

“Think” Stop.

Go into shell. Take 3 deep breathes. And think calm, coping thoughts.

Come out of shell when

calm and think of a solution.

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Would it be safe?Would it be right?How would everyone feel?

Problem Solving Steps

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Step 2

Help the Child Think of a Possible Solution:

•Get a teacher•Ask nicely•Ignore•Play•Say, “Please stop.”•Say, “Please.”•Share•Trade toys/item•Wait and take turns

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The Solution Kit

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Problem Solving

• Learning problem solving steps• Thinking of alternative solutions• Learning that solutions have

consequences• Learning to evaluate solutions - Is it

safe? Is it right? Good feelings?• What to do when a solution doesn’t

work

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Problem-Solving Activities

• Problematize everything– “We have 6 kids at the snack table

and only one apple. We have a problem. Does anyone have a solution?”

• Play “What would you do if…?”• Children make their own “solution

kits”• Children offer solutions to problems

that occur in children’s stories

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Supporting Young Children with Problem-Solving in the Moment

• Anticipate problems• Seek proximity• Support • Encourage; and • Promote

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Key Point: Intentionally Teach!(Teach me what to do!)

– Friendship skills– Emotion words/feelings– How to recognize feelings in oneself and

others– How to “calm down”– How to control anger and impulse– How to problem solve

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Determining the Meaning of Challenging Behavior

Individualized Intensive Interventions: Determining the Meaning of Challenging Behavior This modules focuses on the effective strategies

for observing children and identifying the meaning of their behavior as a means of identifying skills that could be targeted for instruction. Identify the function of challenging behavior Identify behaviors and social skills to target for

intervention

Developing a Behavior Support Plan

Individualized Intensive Interventions: Developing a Behavior Support Plan This module addresses strategies for

teaching new skills and arranging the environment to support appropriate behaviors and prevent challenging behavior, and Building teams to effectively support the child’s behavior across settings. Developing a plan for supporting social emotional

development and preventing challenging behavior Using a team approach to address challenging

behavior and social emotional needs

Leadership Strategies for Supporting Children’s Social and Emotional Development and Addressing Challenging Behavior

Leadership Strategies

Focus on identifying barriers to the effective use of these practices and strategies for addressing those barriers. Identifying challenges and barriers to implementing

effective practices Identifying strategies for addressing barriers and

challenges Developing program policies and staff development

plans to promote the use of effective practices Identifying steps to collaborative planning for programs

and systems that support all young children’s social emotional development

Thank you!Cristine Deaver, MS, BCBA, LABA

Behavior Analyst