Introduction
Children with challenging behaviors present signs and symptoms which are not easy to detect.
Challenging behaviours are a characteristic that all humans have as a result of being uncomfortable with something. Children display such behaviours by crying or showing tantrums (Matson & Timina, 2008).
However, the behaviour becomes questionable if it risks the life of other people around or makes it difficult to manage the child, this calls for a thorough examination to understand the causes.
Therefore, behavior becomes challenging when it is difficult to understand and manage the situation that the child is facing.
How to tell challenging behaviour in children
Children with challenging behaviours display the following characteristics.
Refusing orders and requests from adults and parents.
They are easily frustrated.
Display longer tantrums unlike other children
Can be aggressive and difficult to manage and control
They do not respond to simple behaviour strategies that work on other children (Lapointe, 2017)
The child has difficulties coping with the environment like learning and playing with other children, thus shows signs that are beyond the basic characteristics of children their age (Hunter & Hemmeter, (2009).
Anappropriate reactions to situations around them. For example the child can be aggressive to other children.
Excessive crying and tantrums for unexpected reasons
On other hand, they display excessive behaviours like kicking of toys, throwing objects and sometimes use of abusive language.
Some Behaviour That Challenges Is More Likely In Children With Particular Medical Conditions Or Disabilities. For Example:
ADH children can report challenges in longer periods of concentration as compared to normal kids.
Autistic children with ASX can be unsettled making them anxious and upset with situations. Such children sometimes react strongly to some environmental situations like crowds (JinaJang, Tarbox & Granpeesheh, 2011).
Sensory impairment children can be stimulated by other environmental situations like sound which can make them display challenging behaviours.
Children with other disabilities like speaking challenges require special attention to make them not look like they are ignoring communication.
Some Behaviour That Challenges Is More Likely In Children With Particular Medical Conditions Or Disabilities. For Example
Some genetic characteristic can make children display certain behaviours even though they are not challenging.
Other behaviours like being tearful, phobia, challenges making friends, low esteem and being easily angered are classified as emotional or behaviour difficulties rather than challenging behaviours (JinaJang, Tarbox & Granpeesheh, 2011).
- children with learning, speaking and reading difficulties can display difficulties adapting which needs support from the school system to reduce the likelihood of the behaviour becoming challenging.
Improve child behaviours
Hunter & Hemmeter (2009) suggests the following approaches
Talking with family members to make them understand the child.
Reviewing support programs to meet the needs of the child.
Plan, implement and review intervention strategies
Ongoing communication and regular check up with the child’s family
Communication with relevant staff to improve intervention strategies
WHAT IS Behaviour Management Plans
Presser (2004) suggests that a behaviour management plans seeks to control the behaviour through:
Understanding the function of the behaviour that the child is using
Teaching alternative behaviours through redirecting.
Providing other alternatives for the child to use in response
Physical Enivourment
Use strategies that encourage ownership and acknowledge efforts of the child in the intervention. This improves communication with the child and increases development (Presser, 2004).
Use materials that link the child to the environment that he/she knows (e.g., culture, disability, language, family structures)
Communicate the performance of the child with evidence like scores for ownership.
Teach daily activities that the child can easily work on and asses them every time now and then.
Keep consistent routines for the child to follow and introduce new ones gradually.
Use schedules that are in line with the age of the child. For example, use of visuals for children in a younger age (Matson & Timina, 2008).
Learning experience
Use symbolic objects that the child understand and associate with in their own environment. (Odom et al, 1992). The toys should capture the social and cultural background of the child for easy acceptance.
Play materials and equipment should meet different needs of the child. For example, disability. The toys need to accommodate more than one child for easy sharing to improve learning (Lapointe, 2017)
Children use challenging behaviour to communicate.
Understanding the function of the behaviour is the first step in redirecting it.
Children with challenging behaviour require moral support to redirect. Negative reactions increase the behaviour.
Understanding the child is the only option in helping them change (Hunter & Hemmeter, 2009).
References
Hunter, A., & Hemmeter, M. (2009). Mental Health consultation in child care: Transforming relationships. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
JinaJang, R.D., Tarbox, J.D & Granpeesheh, D. (2011). Symptom severity and challenging behavior in children with ASD. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5(3), 1028-1032.
Lapointe, V. (2017). What is your child’s Challenging Behaviour trying to tell you? Disability Service Commission.
Matson, J., & Timina, R. (2008). Characteristics of challenging behaviours in adults with autistic disorder, PDD-NOS, and intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual Development and Disability, 33(4), 323-329.
Park, K. L., & Scott, T. M. (2009). Antecedent- based interventions for young children at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. Behavioral Disorders, 34, 196-211.
Presser, K. (2004). Supporting and managing children's behavior. Port Road, Hindmarsh: DECS Publishing.
