When teaching calming activities and de-escalation skills, it is important to include a program to teach those skills when the child/individual is already relatively calm. Some activities to focus on are aerobic activities (within the safety range that the child/individual's physician will approve), such as walking, and big bubble blowing activities (I say big bubbles because big bubbles require slow deep breathing), deep breathing, and sometimes just taking a safe break away from things/people. When these things are taught as a part of the overall program it makes it easier to access these skills in an emerging crisis situation if needed.
Click here for additional information on writing measurable behavioral objectives
Friday, September 12, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Getting what they want
One of the simplest but often overlooked concepts is helping an individual in therapy get what they want. Therapists have actually taught kids how to request a hug and then given them a “high five” or a “thumbs up” or another reinforcement other than a hug. Sometimes therapists try to teach a frustrated client who wants/needs something, how to identify their feelings or deescalate without actually dealing with what they want/need.
Your priorities should be, (after safety, because safety is always first):
1. Help clients identify what they want.
2. Help clients request what they want in a socially appropriate manner.
Once this is done, there are three options.
1. They get what they want. No need for further reinforcement.
2. They get what they want at a more appropriate time/place. In this case it may be helpful to teach de-escalation/coping techniques and/or feeling identification (may need some reinforcement). The appropriate time and place must be made clear as well as what they need to do (if anything further needs to be done) in order to get what they want. When the person finally gets what they want, there is no further need for reinforcement.
3. They do not and can not get what they want. In this case, there are two things to consider and do. Teach coping techniques (may need reinforcement) and discover underlying needs/wants and teach alternative ways to get underlying needs/wants met (no need for further reinforcement when they get their underlying needs/wants met).
Click here for more information on writing measurable behavioral objectives
Your priorities should be, (after safety, because safety is always first):
1. Help clients identify what they want.
2. Help clients request what they want in a socially appropriate manner.
Once this is done, there are three options.
1. They get what they want. No need for further reinforcement.
2. They get what they want at a more appropriate time/place. In this case it may be helpful to teach de-escalation/coping techniques and/or feeling identification (may need some reinforcement). The appropriate time and place must be made clear as well as what they need to do (if anything further needs to be done) in order to get what they want. When the person finally gets what they want, there is no further need for reinforcement.
3. They do not and can not get what they want. In this case, there are two things to consider and do. Teach coping techniques (may need reinforcement) and discover underlying needs/wants and teach alternative ways to get underlying needs/wants met (no need for further reinforcement when they get their underlying needs/wants met).
Click here for more information on writing measurable behavioral objectives
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