Functional Assessment: Assessment of challenging behaviour is essential to work out why the person does it, prior to any attempts to incorporate any management strategies. Each behaviour serves a specific function to each individual (it achieves something for them!). Only having identified that function am I able to attempt to retrain that individual to achieve that same objective by exhibiting a more acceptable behaviour. Behaviour often compensates for a child's inability to communicate effectively, not only 'what they want' but also 'how they feel'. Through observations and gathering detailed recording, as well as using certain assessment tools, I am more able to accurately understand what the child is trying to say with or gain from their behaviour. (Functional Analysis Tools)
Interviews, Observations & Reports: Being able to talk to as many people as possible who have contact with or a relationship with, the child, creates opportunity to develop a more detailed picture of how the child's behaviour might have developed over time. Understanding the relationships that the child has with other people and what their perceptions of the behaviour are, creates a better idea of how to move forward. Better behaviour management is about change for all, not just the child. Obviously meeting the child and observing how the child interacts with the environment and the people in it, in various settings, has to be an intregal part of assessment. I can provide detailed and structured reports on such findings for a variety of purposes, from giving parents or carers an independent perspective to help enable them whether they feel any further input might be in their interest or for service providers in assessing the degree of support they might need to provide, now and or in the future.
Baselines & Monitoring: Clarity around severity and frequency of behaviour is very often hindered by people's involvement, anxiety and emotions. I am able to provide various methods of establishing how often the behaviour occurs and how difficult or severe it actually is. This is critical in determining what level of support is required and to what degree the behaviour is likely to impact on the child's life. If any strategies are to be adopted with the hope of changing this child behaviour, then improvements are more often likely to be slow and gradual. It then becomes easy to forget how things were before or not realise how well you and the child are doing. Monitoring is therefore essential in providing a comparative picture of things both 'before' and 'after'.
Advice, Support & Management Plans: Advice is based on all the above assessment, monitoring and observations etc. The subsequent advice therefore applies only to the child on whom all this work has taken place. The advice is as individual as the child itself. I am able to provide written and verbal advice in the format of behaviour modification strategies aimed at minimising the frequency, duration and severity of the behaviour, as well as more immediate plans to deal with the behaviour when it does actually happen, in order to maintain safety of all, as far as is reasonably possible. Advice will be subject to regular review for the duration of time of my input and follow up behaviour support and advice will be available by e.mail and hopefully, eventually an online, supportive, 'live' discussion and support forum. (Basic one-off email consultancy available from £22 - please contact me for further information)
