What does a behavioral specialist do?

Question

What are the duties of a behavioral specialist for young teenages ?

Answer 1

Helping/counseling the teen and the family to reduce the frequency of inappropriate behaviors, helping them learn new appropriate behaviors, and fostering the growth of age appropriate social skills. For the family it would include behavioral skills including reinforcing appropriate behaviors and ignoring/reducing inappropriate behaviors. In a treatment faciity the behavioral specialist would intervene to stop inappropriate interactions with others, reduce the intensity by helping the teen to use/develop relaxation techniqies.

The specialist is part of a treatment milieu that includes the social worker, the psychologist, psychiatrist, technicians, etc. Many times the behavioral specialist is the licensed psychologist.

Answer 2

I work with people who have behavioral problems and there are a few options you could try. I would first try ignoring the tantrum, act like you don't even notice it. Step in only if you have to for safety's sake. It may take a while to see improvement but it is worth a try. If you have already done that, positive reinforcement will always work better. Reward your son when he has been doing well, and let him know he is getting the reward because of the good behavior. You could have a special time or treat at the end of each day that he doesn't have a problem. Once he does have a tantrum, and doesn't get his reinforcement, the problem should go away soon. Getting upset while your child is in a behavior could just be feeding the fire. It is best to be short with him if you must speak and talk about why it is wrong after the incident. Another option is that he is feeling like he has no control and doesn't know how to verbalize it yet, so he is trying to gain control over situations like the tv channels. Let him make all the choices that he can. Let him pick out his clothes. Ask him if he wants hot dogs or beef for lunch. See if he wants to play inside or out. Ask what chair he wants to sit in. Ask if he want's you or dad to read a story before bed. I'm sure he makes some of these choices throughout the day, but doesn't realize he is making them. By verbalizing these options, you are making him feel as if he has more independence. Two can be a very tough age, especially if you have an independent, strong willed child. These will be great qualities in him when he gets older. Parenting can be a struggle and it is hard not to let your emotions show when your child is acting out, but do your best. It is good to see you care so much about your child. Hang in there. I wouldn't see a specialist untill all these things fail. Remember it will take time and patience. If you do decide to see a behavioral specialist, you should chart your childs behaviors. Document what he did (bit self, threw items), what he was doing right before it happened, if there were any precursors or signs of the behavior coming on, and the time and date of the incident. These are things they are going to want to know.

Answer 3

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What does a behavioral specialist do?
What are the duties of a behavioral specialist for young teenages ?

Answer 4

Instruct in how to change/improve--behavior issues