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Positive Behavior Supports
Positive Support
Team (Barbie Simpson, Debbie Burrows and Mara Moore)
Behavior Interventions provides support to
classroom staff and parents when a child is display inappropriate,
disruptive and/or interfering behaviors. Support usually focuses on
proactive and positive interventions in the
least restrictive possible manner. When necessary, formal behavior plans
are designed, implemented and
monitored.
In order to provide support for parents and other
family members, Behavior Intervention staff is available to make
home visits and participate in physician appointments. Prize Patrol is an
integral part of our objective to promote
positive and appropriate behaviors in the classroom. In the classrooms
that participate, the children know that if he/she
follows the rules, listens to the teachers and is nice to others, he/she will
earn a small prize, sticker and award sheet
at the end of each school day.
A second vital component of our department is the
School Psychologist. She is involved in initial evaluations of
incoming students and apart of the comprehensive re-evaluation of our present
students. The results of these evaluations
are essential for the placement of the student in the most appropriate classroom
and development of IEP goals.
Debbie Burrows, Mara Moore and Barbie Simpson
WHAT’S NOT A BIG DEAL NOW….
COULD BE A BIG DEAL
5, 10, 15 YEARS FROM NOW!!
By Debbie Burrows and Mara Moore
Do you remember the first time your child dropped something and said, "S_ _
t!" and you laughed because it was so cute? Do you also remember how that same
child was a lot less cute when he/she said the same word but was 10 years old?
Do you remember the first time your two year old tried to hit you and it didn’t
seem like a big deal? After all, he’s little, he’s cute and he doesn’t
understand what he’s doing. Fast forward, your child is now bigger and stronger.
You’re afraid that he is going to hurt you. Here at Madison School, we have
encountered many situations similar to the ones described above. Young children
begin displaying what starts off as being minor behaviors. As the child grows
however, the behavior goes from being minor to being one that is disruptive,
socially unacceptable and possibly even dangerous.
Many families are dealing with behaviors such as spitting, swearing,
aggression, hand mouthing, tipping furniture. These behaviors started out as
small and inconsequential. They seemed harmless in the beginning. But as the
children get older, the behaviors become viewed as inappropriate. These
behaviors are now part of the child’s everyday life. They may even interfere
with the child being open to new learning experience, and also may affect the
child’s socially appropriate interactions with others. Because these behaviors
had not been addressed when the children were young and the behaviors were new,
it is much more difficult to put a stop to these longstanding behaviors. But is
it hopeless now? NO! It may take longer to stop an inappropriate behavior but if
everyone works together, big problems can become small again. But those of us at
Madison cannot solve these issues without the families support.
Tips to reduce inappropriate behaviors and increase positive behaviors :
Remember - it takes one month of consistent intervention for every
year the child has displayed the behavior before the behavior shows
improvement.
Catch your child being good – give a lot of verbal and physical
praise and affection when the child is being good.
Be consistent. Everyone in the child’s life must address behaviors in
the same manner.
It may be necessary to change the child’s environment, for example,
your child tends to hit a lot. Don’t let them watch them television
shows or movies that have violence that the child can copy (Power
Rangers, Spiderman the Movie, wrestling shows, COPS).
Keep your child on a schedule. Children do best when given structure
and consistency.
Make rules and stick to them.
Have reasonable expectations of your child and then enforce them.
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