what to do to have an effective behavior management for pre-schoolers and special children?

Answer 1

Behavioral modification/management is a whole field unto itself in the special education community. It takes time to really implement a program and then you have to be unfailingly consistent. It also takes A LOT of patience depending on the program you choose. However, some of the basic principles that apply to any program would be:

1. Do a thorough intake evaluation on the student. This should include reveiwing records from prior placements, observation of the kids in class and in depth interveiws (or worksheets) from the parents asking about specific situations, antecedents and warning signs of behavioral outbursts. The more you know going into a new student, the better prepared you will be!

2. Know why the child is acting out as they are...are they trying to avoid doing a certain task? Are they bored? Do they want attention? Do they need the stimulation the behavior supplies? Figuring out the why can be tough..this is where the prep work can help..but knowing why the child is acting the way they are can make what comes next a bit easier to deal with.

3. When you see a behavior start, try to head it off. This can be by redirecting the child back to the task on hand, pointing out something of interest to distract the child and even putting yourself physically between the child and any people or objects the behavior may be focused on. With a lot of kids, you only have a small window where intervention/distraction is an option. Again, talking to the parents to find out what the child's "warning signals" are will be invaluable. Knowing that when Johnny starts to growl and ball up his fists is a sign that he is about to blow will give you the time you need to try and head off the upcoming storm.

At this point, lets say you have done everything possible and it hasn't worked...you have a full meltdown on hand. How you handle this next will depend on your teaching style, the guidelines of your school and district and the child's IEP and/or behavior managment plan. KNOW THESE ..know them well. Whatever the agreed upon plan is, be prepared to follow it each and every time. Be ready to call for help if the child becomes a risk to themselves, others or you (this can include property damage such as flipping desks, etc.). If you know the written plan is not working, document everything (a good thing to do no matter if it works or not). But above all...for a behavior management plan to work you have to be consistent..each and every time. If the plan is to ignore negative behavior while encourging the child to return to task, then you must do so all the time ( a tough thing when you have a child dumping toys or tearing paper). Rewards should be given only at alloted times and under very clearly defined terms. Loss of privelages should not be "pounded home" or used as a threat, but should rather be seen as a natural outcome of the negative behavior...you can't use the computer until you picked up all the toys you dumped and put them away.

When in doubt...ask for help. Behavior management is a tough issue for the most expereinced teacher. Many school systems have specialized personel to help develop, review, revise and implement plans for both individual students and classrooms. Speak to experienced teachers, administrators, school psychologists, parents (a HUGE resource when it comes to knowing thier kids). KNow that most plans need some revision...both initially and as the student progresses. It will be tiring and frustrating, but the rewards for you and the student will be worth the work.

Answer 2

Be consistent. It takes about 6-8 weeks of consistent reinforcement for a child to get the idea if I do "a" then "b" happens. It may take longer depending on the child's special needs. 1-2-3 Magic by Dr Phelan is full of great ideas. The best thing is to catch them doing good and the behaviors you want modeled. Children will seek any attention even for bad things vs no attention for doign good.

Answer 3

Children model the behavior they see, so the trick is to be sure that you are a model of the behavior you want to see in them first.
Next, set the boundaries. Children love to go up against the boundaries but quickly learn that they are there for a reason.

Make three rules that the children can remember, i.e.

1. You don't talk while I am talking (Remember you have to give the the same respect that you want from them. That means you listen while they talk.)

2, Raise your hand to talk or go to the bathroom.

3. Don't jump out of your seat unless you have ants in your pants.

Number three is the silly one that can be changed every week.
So you would say "Don't jump out of your seat unless..........(the sillier the better)

Answer 4

at that age they are mostly just reflections of the people raising them-A very hard fact I had to deal with when teaching my daughter..you set the example.Mostly just try to stay neutral and understand things through theyre eyes-always try to come from a place of love.

Answer 5

Reward and praise desireable behavior, ignore or reprimand undersirable behavior.

Answer 6

You have to be firm with them, but with a special touch.