Understanding & Dealing with the Difficult & Disruptive –

YOU CAN’T CHANGE WHAT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND…

- Bob Dylan, 1961

A LOOK AT CONDUCT DISORDERS

UNDERSOCIALIZED SOCIALIZED AGGRESSIVE AGGRESSIVE UNDERSOCIALIZED NON-AGGRESSIVE SOCIALIZED NON-AGGRESSIVE

Do We Want to Understand Them?

3 MAJOR RISK FACTORS

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BORN WITH DIFFICULT TEMPERAMENT

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PARENT W/ MARGINAL DISCIPLINE & NUTURING SKILLS

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PARENTS UNDER EXCESSIVE STRESS

Little more detail for those not ready to take a nap

Difficult temperament due to biochemical anomalies < epinephrine ^ serotonin < monamine oxidase ^ dopamine-beta- hydroxylase

POOR or No Parenting Skills

INCONSISTENCY SPARE THE ROD….

WON’T STOP TIL YA HIT EM!

COERCIVE HYPOTHESIS

COERCIVE HYPOTHESIS OR

HOW TO RAISE A NON-COMPLIANT CHILD IN 5 EASY STEPS

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

PARENT ASKS KID TO DO SOMETHING CHILD REFUSES RISING WITH EMOTIONS PARENT REPEATS REQUEST CHILD RESPONDS WITH ABRASIVE DEFIANCE PARENT WITHDRAWS REQUEST TO AVOID UNPLEASANT CONFRONTATION

STRESS – INSIDE & OUT

SINGLE PARENTS NO ASSISTANCE NO RELIEF MARITIAL DISCORD LOW MARITIAL SATISFACTION = NEG. PERCEPTION OF KIDS DEPRESSION or MOOD DISORDER

OPPOSITIONAL RISK FACTORS

1 OUT OF 3 = At-Risk As At Risk #’s > OD > All 3 = Unavoidable

Why Have Conventional Approaches Failed???????

PUNISHMENT

= < Chance of response recurring

FLAWED ASSUMPTIONS

1. CONSIDERED CONSEQUENCES 2. WEIGHED CHANCES 3. DELIBERATLELY MISBEHAVED

HOWEVER… the OD CHILD’S NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR STEMS FROM:

An UNPREMEDITATED IMPULSE OR AN OVERWHELMING EMOTIONAL OUTBURST

IGNORING THE BEHAVIOR

REMOVE THE REWARD AND THE RESPONSE WILL CEASE

=

EXTINCTION

PROBLEM IS …

MANY ARE NOT SEEKING ANYBODY’S ATTENTION

How about ‘REWARDS’ ???

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RESPONSES AT A LOW RATE WILL > WITH A REWARD

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FIXED INTERVAL REINFORCEMENT USUALLY WORKS

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FALLS APART AFTER COUPLE OF DAYS

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OD kid quits trying

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learns not to invest in any behavior plan teacher attempts

HOW COME ???

I THOUGHT REWARDS WORKED WITH EVERYBODY?

WELL, BECAUSE…

REWARD SYSTEMS ARE A CRUEL HOAX FOR SOME KIDS !

lack that level of controls DISENGAGE FROM THE TEACHER SMELLS CONTROL CONFIRMS FAILURE

IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM Power Struggles Your “FAV” verbal defiance's Some non-verbal active defiance's

Think about a challenging student How do you typically react ?

So how is that working for you?

How would you like to start reacting to the kid or situation?

What is getting in the way?

WHAT DOES WORK?

Understand the 3 underlying motivations LACK OF RESPECT LACK OF BELONGING LACK OF POWER or CONTROL

#1 ASSUMPTION

ALL

BEHAVIOR IS GOAL DIRECTED

BEHAVIOR= an attempt to meet a NEED

THEREFORE… IT HAS MEANING IDENTIFY THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENT TEACH MORE APPROPRIATE WAYS

THEY DO IT FOR A REASON

IT AIN’T RANDOM BEHAVIOR

And … so do we!

Every action … has a reaction Even a non reaction… is a reaction Maintain in a low-stress level

Who are you?

EDUCATORS CHECKLIST

TRUE 1 2 3 4 5 FALSE

Unless my students and the staff approve of me, it indicates I’m inadequate as an educator.

If I fail as a teacher, I fail in life.

A good teacher is respected by students and should never be challenged.

TRUE

1 2 3 4 5

FALSE I can’t stand to have my class ‘out of control’.

Because things are not going well now, it indicates things are going to get worse.

Some of these students are just bad kids and the only way they’ll change is to suffer.

RATIONAL or LIFE-ENHANCING BELIEFS “It would be nice if my staff & students approved of me, but if they don’t, I can still do a good job.” “My skill as a teacher and my value as a person are two different things.” “Having the student’s respect is nice, but not an absolute necessity. It’s uncomfortable to be challenged, but it’s happened before and I’ve survived .”

More Rational Thinking….

“It’s embarrassing and frustrating when my class gets out of control, but it’s not the end of the world.” “Just because things are going well right now, doesn’t mean things will get worse. It’s more likely they’ll get better.” “There’s no such thing as a rotten kid, only kids who ACT rottenly. A lot of kids misbehave but that doesn’t mean they should suffer.”

Attitudinal Therapy

Kid is being neutral to positive THEN… You be positive and engaging (

Give encouraging feedback & instruction) If Kid is being negative or worse… THEN You be neutral and business-like ( follow-through w/ pre-determined consequences)

AVOID

Over reacting Losing your temper Being inconsistent Creating “secondary gain” Embarrassing the student

SEEK INSTEAD

An atmosphere of respect Convey that you’re in

CONTROL

Learning through consistency Repetition of experience Following a posted agenda

CHANGING YOUR FRAME OF REFERENCE

REFRAMING: THE ART OF FINDING THE POSITIVE IN WHAT APPEARS TO BE NEGATIVE--- DISCOVERING THE SILVER LINING AND BUILDING ON IT.

SEEING IN A NEW LIGHT Loses temper = ___________ Argumentative ____________ Defiant ____________ Non-compliant ____________ Annoying ____________ Blaming ____________ Touchy ____________ Resentful ____________

UNDERSTANDING CRISIS STUDENTS IN Crisis

ARE GROWING WHERE THEY ARE NOW Must have confidence in your skills Need security, support and tolerance Need us to view problems as “helping cues” not disaster

Seven Behavioral Accommodations Reinforcers and Consequences Reinforcement Inventory Personal Prescriptions “Australia” – (grades K-12) Journaling The Turtle Technique – (grades K-5) Strategic Seating –(The docile/hyper/hostile shuffle) Enlist Support of Class

BASIC DEFUSING SKILLS LOOK AT THIS PHOTO… AND JUST

CHILL

MORE DEFUSING SKILLS

P.E.P.

STANDS FOR:

PRIVACY EYE-CONTACT PROXIMITY

NON-VERBAL or in-direct P.E.P.’s

INDEX CARDS & POST- IT NOTES CORRECTIVE OR APPRECIATIVE STATEMENTS COLOR CARDS FOR SIGNALS Pre-arranged, Non-confrontive signals for leaving room-

The Questions to open the RELATIONSHIP BOX Do you know exactly who revolves in their daily orbit?

Do you understand their chief concerns?

Are you aware of their secret likes and dislikes?

Does each one have a secret passion that he doesn’t share with anyone else?

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING Understanding your students' world not only strengthens the teacher-pupil relationship It can become the absolute difference between their success and failure

3 ways can you forge a better connection with your STUDENT instantly ...

1.

“Walk and Talk” with THIS student as many times as you can.

2. Find ways to get THIS student to follow your directions quickly and quietly, the first time given. FOCUS ON THIS --- job# 1 3. Get closer to THIS student --- even if you are afraid to or don't feel like it.

How to contact me for In services… Full day or ½ day

richard.palazzo@ tulsatech.edu

Cell # 918-381-7626

I apologize this is the only photo I have on my desktop…And besides …both Newt & Romney refused to pose with me.

References Azrin, N. H., & Besalel, V.A. (1980).

How to use over-correction.

Lawrence, KS:& H Enterprise.

Elliot, S.N., Racine, C. N., & Busse, R.T. (1995) Best practices in preschool social skills training Washington, DC: National Association of School Psychologists.

Frick, P.J., Lahey, B.B. Loeber, R., and Stouthamer-Loeber, M. (1992). Familial risk factors to oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder

. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

, 60, 49-55.

Glasser, W. (1965) Reality Therapy, a new approach to psychiatry. New York: Harper & Row.

Hall, R. V., & Hall, M.C. (1980) How to use planned ignoring. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.

White, J. L., Moffitt, T.E., Earls F., Robins, L., & Silva, P.(1990) How early can we tell?

Predictors of childhood Behavior Disorders. Criminology, 28(4), 507-528.