1. Assertive Parenting Group
Session 1

2. Outline Introduction, ground rules & goal setting
Definitions and language
Communication discussion.
Vulnerability factors
Describing behaviour
S.T.A.R approach

3. Introduction
Lets hear about the young people you're supporting – tell us about them making sure to name 2 positive things about them.
What needs to be in place to make people feel confident about sharing experiences?
What language do we want to use to describe these behaviours?
What are you hoping to get from the group? – goal setting.
Understanding the purpose of behaviours.

4. Types of behaviours that challenge…
Aggression - verbal and physical
Withdrawal
Inappropriate sexual behaviour
Self-injurious behaviour
Defiance and refusing to co-operate

5. What is the behaviour trying to tell us?
Challenging behaviour can be thought of as a form of communication.
If the young person has difficulty expressing what they are feeling they may act a certain way to try and express it.
How might additional learning needs affect our ability to communicate?
ASD – Difficulty in identifying/ understanding emotions, difficulty processing information, sensory needs
ADHD- Difficulty in taking in information, impulsivity
LD – Potential language difficulties, difficulty processing information, difficulty in expressing emotion

6. How does your young person communicate?
Think about this with the person next to you for a few minutes…
How do they communicate?
What are the barriers?
How might their communication difficulties create anxiety for them?
How do you support the young person to communicate?
Does anyone want to share their experiences?

7. Why do children become challenging?
Social Environment
Routine, meaningful activities/ structure/ predictability/Timetables/Visual plans
Emotional Factors
(anxious, sad, confused linking back to expressing emotions.)
History/Trauma
(Recent loss or change, difficult experiences, what may feel traumatic to them may not to others.
Functional Skills/ Independence
Can the young person do what has been asked of them.
Vulnerability Factors
Physical Environment
( Sensory needs/ busy, noisy, bright, hot)
Health
(pain, physical health conditions, illness)
Cognitive Factors
( language skills & comprehension, poor working memory)

8. So it may be understandable that these behaviours are the only way the young person feels able to express themselves. So it is understandable that this can create some worries and possible anxiety.

9. Anxiety Anxiety = Body/Mind/Behaviour Response to a Perceived Threat
The world can be unpredictable and confusing. Our minds can make up lots of different outcomes to an event. For children diagnosed with learning disabilities and neurodevelopmental conditions this is magnified. Consequently it is not surprising that 84% of children with ASD meet criteria for at least one anxiety disorder (Muris, 1998). Anxiety is when your child may think that there is a threat despite there not one being there. Yet, they experience an unpleasant feeling of dread about this threat which interferes with your child’s ability to function.
Lets think when this might happen for young people with ASD, ADHD and LD.
Anxiety = Body/Mind/Behaviour Response to a Perceived Threat

10. Anxiety and CB Flight e.g. Withdrawal Freeze e.g. Refusal to cooperate
So why would my child’s behaviour become challenging if they are anxious?
Everyone has a natural survival mechanism when faced with a threat…
Fight e.g. Aggression
Flight e.g. Withdrawal
Freeze e.g. Refusal to cooperate
Talk about evolutionary development of fight/flight/freeze responses.

11. If we start to see behaviour as a form of communication, then by thinking about why someone is acting the way they are, and looking at the patterns of behaviour, we can gain clues as to how to manage it.

12. TWO POINTS TO REMEMBER ABOUT CHALLENGING BEHAVIOUR
Challenging behaviour occurs for different reasons.
Your task is to be detective and find out what those reasons are.

13. TO UNDERSTAND CHALLENGING BEHAVIOUR…
Our aim is to construct a picture of the person that tells us what the person is trying to communicate through their behaviour. This helps us to make sense of the behaviour in a meaningful way.
Rather than looking at WHAT the person is doing, place the emphasis on WHY the person is doing it.
This is called the FUNCTION OF BEHAVIOUR

14. Problem behaviour checklist
What exactly happens?
How bad do you feel the problem is
right now (0-10)?
When does it happen?
When doesn’t it happen?
Who does it happen with?
Who doesn’t it happen with?
How often does it happen?
When does it happen less?
How long does it go on for?
When does it go on for less time?

15. S.T.A.R
Setting – Where did the behaviour occur? Was it crowded/ noisy? Trigger – What was happening immediately before the behaviour? Action – What was the behaviour exactly? Response – How did you or others respond?
Write a list of you child’s challenging behaviours
- Case Example

16. Describing challenging behaviour exercise
Clearly define the behaviour you wish to address.
If there are more than one, identify which one is most troubling.
Using the Behaviour Checklist, take 5 minutes to answer the questions about this behaviour.
What may be the triggers.
Think about the vulnerability factors.
What responses are given for the behaviour.
For the next session!

17. The end
Questions?
Comments?
Discussion?