When children engage in challenging behaviors at home or in school, there are associated disruptions to learning, social relationships and emotional well-being. Incentive-based or motivation-based systems that reinforce positive behaviors and discourage challenging behaviors are popular among parents, educators and mental health professionals, and can be very effective. However, those children who lack the skills needed to meet behavioral expectations often continue to struggle, regardless of the potential rewards or their level of motivation. The specific skill deficits are not always readily apparent, and, without further assessment, it is often unclear how situational expectations may be exceeding a child’s capabilities. This can prompt a frustrating cycle of interactions for children and adults, and can erode youth self-esteem over time. This training provides an overview of different skill deficit models that can be used to understand and address challenging behaviors in youth. Through examination of our own underlying beliefs about why children and teens exhibit difficult behaviors, the training will explore a variety of assessment approaches for identifying skill deficits that contribute to these behaviors. We will discuss primary prevention models that can be used to promote skill development, as well as intervention strategies that can be used at home or in the classroom and engage children and adults in the problem-solving process. Case examples will be used throughout the day to apply the concepts being covered.

Hosted by The Bridge Training Institute in Marlborough, MA for 6 CEs. For more info, visit The Bridge Training Institute's website.