Transcript Document
Acknowledge, Ask, Adapt
Training Strategies to Improve Communication
with Family Members in Collaborative Relationships
Laurie Beckel, MA/LPC
Pyramid Model Coach/Trainer
Permission to use materials given by:
The Teaching Pyramid Promotes
Social-Emotional Competence
Program Philosophy
Teacher Training
and Implementation
Administrative
Supports
Well-defined
procedures
Module 3a, 3b
Individualized
Intensive
Interventions
Social-Emotional
Teaching Strategies
Module 2
Designing Supportive Environments
Module 1
Building Positive Relationships
Why Build Relationships?
• Relationships are at the foundation of
everything we do. Build relationships early
– don’t wait until there is a problem.
• Children learn and develop in the context
of relationships. Adults too!
• Children with the most challenging
behaviors especially need these
relationships, and yet their behaviors often
prevent them from benefiting from those
relationships.
Building Positive Relationships
• Adults’ time and attention are very important to
children.
• We need to give time and attention at times other
than when they are engaging in challenging
behavior.
• Family members and other colleagues (mental
health providers, therapists) are critical partners
in building children’s social emotional
competence.
• We should all work together to ensure children’s
success and prevent challenging behavior.
Acknowledge, Ask, and Adapt
• Acknowledge
Recognize the difference between your thoughts and
the thoughts of another person (often cultural)
With an adult, this is usually done verbally
• Ask
Respectfully ask the adult for more information in
order to more fully understand and clarify the issue
• Adapt
Seek out a common ground when possible
Come to resolution that addresses the real issue
Program for Infant Toddler Care, (PITC) WestEd
Potential Outcomes
When resolutions address real issues, several outcomes are
possible
• Resolution through mutual understanding & negotiation
Both parties see the other’s perspective and give a little or a lot
These conflicts result in a “win-win” negotiation with
movement from both sides
• Resolution through teacher education
Teacher sees the family’s perspective. Teacher changes.
• Resolution through family education
Family sees the teacher’s perspective. Family changes.
• No resolution
Agree to disagree and learn to cope respectfully
Neither changes and conflict continues
Janet Gonzlez-Mena
Negotiation
“[With negotiation] it’s not a
question of giving up everything
we know. It’s a question of
balancing what we know and
what the parent knows, and
figuring out together what would
be in the best interests of the
child.”
Practice Always Helps
• Listen as Linda and Sandi
have a conversation using
Acknowledge, Ask & Adapt
(A-A-A)
• Read over the story
• Notice what the “mother”
didn’t share
• Now you practice this same
conversation
• One person be the teacher,
one be the mother
• The third person, watch
them to see what they do
well
Guidelines for Teachers
• Same initial paragraph, then teacher specific:
Provides the teacher’s perspective (which might
not match yours)
You initiate the conversation with the family
member
- Feel free to be warm and say nice things about their
child to start with (relationship building!)
- The Acknowledge and Ask sections give you some
ideas for starting that conversation
- Stay in the “Teacher” mode and be as real as possible
Guidelines for Family
Members
• Same initial paragraph, then family
specific:
You can be the mother, father, grandparent, or
anyone else who is actively raising this child
(unless it states otherwise)
The “teacher” has been given some ideas of
how to start the conversation with you
- You can respond to the teacher in any way that
feels natural to you in your role as the family
member
- Try and respond with answers that come from the
perspective points listed for the family member
Let’s Practice
Acknowledge, Ask, & Adapt
• Same groups
• Everyone does three
vignettes, switching roles
from observer, to teacher,
to parent or other staff
member
• Use Practice Feedback form
as the observer to help
guide your feedback
• Stay in your role!
• Share all perspectives at the
end of each vignette
A-A-A Has Many Uses
• Staff members also have different
“buttons,” different beliefs and values,
differences about how to approach
behavior
• We can use this process of “Acknowledge,
Ask, and Adapt” as a way of having
dialogue and respectful conversations
• Sometimes the presence of a facilitator can
be helpful for tense conversations
• There are many “right” ways to do things!