Working with Temperament to

Influence Behavioral Change

Debra N. Brosius, Psy.D.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist (FL, VA)

Board Certification Eligible in Neuropsychology

Purpose

This talk is geared toward parents and is purposefully non-technical.

To discuss both behavior and temperament but most importantly the interaction between the two.

Facilitate dialog between professionals and parents regarding steps to behavioral change in children.

To gain ideas, knowledge, strategies and techniques to use with your own children at home or in the classroom.

What is behavior

It is an actionGoodBadNeutral

Why do children behave poorly?To obtain something good (positive reinforcement)Avoid punishment or consequence (negative

reinforcement)

Behavior is a form of communication

All behavior is a form of communication.An infant may cry when she is hungry or wet.A child's problematic or inappropriate behavior

is a sign that he is upset and that something is not right

An adult avoiding work may indicate feeling overwhelmed, incompetent, anxious, or negative.

Adults and children are communicating something through their behavior during every moment in every day, even if they are not aware of it.

Behavior often has an origin/etiology

There is often a source/reason for problematic behavior.

Assess the verbal ability

Who are they role-modeling?

Evaluate the purpose

Investigation

There can be many reasons behind one specific behavior. Finding predictable patterns becomes an important source of information.

Behavioral responses may be geared by temperament Common Themes in school age children:

Hungry Tired Bored Scared Sad Lonely

Pattern Analysis

It is often helpful to begin a log of specific behaviors: (i.e., the witching hours)

Antecedent/Behavior/Consequence Is my child avoiding something, some place, or someone? Does my child like the way this behavior (for example hand

flapping or spinning) feels? Is my child uncomfortable, hungry, tired, or not feeling well? Is my child having a reaction to medication or food? Is my child angry, sad, anxious, or scared? Is my child confused, bored, or frustrated? Does my child want

to get away from something or someone? Does my child want something? Does my child need more time or help to finish what she

started?

Temperament: What is it?

Innate

Style of reacting to people, objects, situations

Stable over the life span

Differs from person to person (family member to family member)

Temperamental tendencies are inborn and not the result of bad parenting.

Survey of Temperament

Evaluation of both parental and child temperament

The nine temperament traits and an explanation of the dimensions are given below: ActivityRhythmicityApproach/withdrawalAdaptability IntensityMoodPersistence and attention spanDistractibilitySensory threshold

Three basic temperament styles

Easy or flexible children

Difficult, active, or feisty

Slow to warm up

Working with temperament to influence behavior

Low Energy <-------------------------------------> High Energy

Characteristics of high energy childrenCharacteristics of low energy children

Working with temperament to influence behavior (cont)

Low sensitivity <---------------------------> High Sensitivity

High sensitivity IrritabilityReactivityPsychomotor agitation

Low sensitivity

Working with temperament to influence behavior (cont)

Low Predictability <--------------------> High Predictability

Regulated kidsPredictabilityStructured

Irregular kidsPoor with routinesRestlessMoody

Working with temperament to influence behavior (cont)

Withdraws <----------------------------------> Approaches

Forthcoming and open kids

Slow to warm or withdrawn kids

Working with temperament to influence behavior (cont)

Slow to Adapt <-------------------------------> Adapts Easily

Adaptable childrenGood coping mechanismsMental flexibility

Rigid childrenCautiousLess susceptible to influence

Working with temperament to influence behavior (cont)

Negative <------------------------------------------> Positive

Each child is predisposed toward a generally positive or negative mood.

Characteristics of negative children

Characteristics of positive children

Working with temperament to influence behavior (cont)

Less Responsive <-------------------------> More Responsive

Intense children “Wear emotions on their sleeves”

Harder to read childrenExhibit greater perceived control

Working with temperament to influence behavior (cont)

High persistence kidsCorrelated with academic successRisk of perfectionism or OCD behaviors

Low persistence kidsGives in too easilyMay not realize potential

Working with temperament to influence behavior (cont)

High Distractibility <------------------> Low Distractibility

Distractibility is not the opposite of persistenceA child can be easily distracted and yet show high

persistence by returning quickly to the task at hand. A distractible child notices everything going on around

her and may even be diverted by her own thoughts and daydreams.

The opposite behavior in a child means she can concentrate despite any interruption. However, she may also tune out signals when it's time to move on to something different.

“Other factors”

Parent temperament

Individual and family stressors

Parent psychopathology (depression, anxiety, substance abuse, anger management.

Multiple siblings

Co-parenting issues/single parenting

Extended family members

Parenting with a temperament focus

Here are principles to keep in mind as you strive to achieve this fit. Be aware of your child's temperament and respect his or her

uniqueness without comparing him or her to others or trying to change your child's basic temperament.

Be aware of your own temperament and adjust your natural responses when they clash with your child's responses.

Communicate. Explain decisions and motives. Listen to the child's points of view and encourage teamwork on

generating solutions. Set limits to help your child develop self-control. Respect opinions but remain firm on important limits. Be a good role model because children learn by imitation. Enjoy the dance.

Structured Routines

Kids and even adolescents thrive in structured environments

Expectations are clear

Days are predictable

Consequences are clear and enforced

Communication is reciprocal

Decisions are made through a process of discussions with family members; Choices are given.

Support vs. Punishment

Children's challenging behavior can be reduced with support, not punishment.

Stop Reacting and Start Responding!

When children feel respected and have their needs met, there is often a reduction in challenging behavior and communication changes from behavioral to verbal.

Making the Adjustment

Adults can learn to understand and interpret children's challenging behavior.

Make no mistake: parents need to adjust to meet their child…not the other way around!

All children, but especially those who display challenging behavior, need the consistency of a reliable and loving adult who will provide support and guidance, especially during difficult times.

Just as it is important to find meaning in children's behavior, it is equally important for adults to be aware of the meaning in their own behavior.

Are you willing to make the change??

Persistent Behavior

Certain situations/families/kids need professional guidance

Individualized Positive Behavior Support plans focus on creating supportive environments for children that reflect their individual preferences, interests, needs, and strengths.

This approach uses specific strategies to: 1) understand the purpose of the challenging behavior, 2) find ways to replace the challenging behavior with

more acceptable behaviors,3) prevent the behavior from occurring in the future.

Final Comments and Questions