using skills to change behavior: a strength based approach talon greeff, lpc residential care...
TRANSCRIPT
Using Skills to Change Behavior: A Strength Based Approach
Talon Greeff, LPC
Residential Care Director
Utah Youth Village
This training and additional resources can be found at
www.utahparenting.org
Overview
Introduction Research-based Approach Identifying Strengths Developing Strengths into Skills Conclusion
Introduction
Following Instructions Activity Steps to following instructions
Eye contact Say OK Do task Check back
Boss or parent who was not clear? Move the card “Be quiet”
Research-based Approach
Teaching-Family Model “is one of the few evidence-based residential treatment programs” (APA Online, 2009)
Skills development within caring relationships lead to lasting changes in behavior
Based in Social Learning Theory by Albert Bandura Direct Observation teaches behavior Behavior which is reinforced is maintained or
strengthened Bandura’s initial research was focused on aggression
in children
Skills Change Behavior
Skills are a series of behaviors that are linked together for a purpose
The Teaching-Family Model has demonstrated that teaching youth skills “using empirically validated methods” effectively addresses negative youth behavior (APA Online, 2009)
Rewards and consequences are used to motivate youth to learn the skills being taught and reinforce their use
Changing behavior through skills rather than consequences Helps work with your clients be more
pleasant, relaxed and fun Much more enjoyable to recognize and praise
positive behavior rather than address negative behavior
Skills can be used to positively address negative or problematic behavior
Produces better long-term results for the children and youth in our care “Forced” change is not long-term change
Strengths as Skills
Every child or youth has strengths Survival skills are often strengths A series of behaviors linked together are skills Strengths and skills may be hidden in negative
behaviors What is the youth doing that would be positive if
viewed by another person or in another environment? Negative behavior – “telling you no” Positive use of this behavior - resisting peer pressure
What are they doing now? How could it be worse? Example - Youth late home from school Could be worse if youth did not come home at all
Building on Strengths and Skills
Reinforce what they do well with specific descriptions “What can we praise?” Data shows that typical parents reinforce
behavior 1:17 Youth behavior improves with 4:1 ratios Set timer for 15 minute intervals and find
something to praise – “It’s hard” Sandwich positive interactions between
negative interactions Avoid negative spiral Forces you to find and reward strength or
positive behavior
Building on Strengths
You can address problem behavior with strengths or current skills working in other settings Praise and reward the strengths or positive behavior
that is opposite of the behavior you are concerned about
Develop strengths to address problem behavior “Map” over success and strengths onto problem
behavior Example: If the youth has grades that are an A and a D
ask “What works for you in the class with the A you can use in the class with a D to improve the grade?
“You get along great with Billy. What do you do with him that can help you get along with Sally?”
Help youth figure this out and help them develop it through skill refinement and praise
Strength-based Exercise
Behaviors that children who are in care may exhibit: Skipping school Disruptive in school Yelling Hitting Refusing to do chores Refusing to follow laws
Skills to Teach and Reinforce
Problem behaviors Skipping school Disruptive in school Yelling Hitting Refusing to do chores Refusing to follow rules
Skills to teach or reinforce Social interactions with peers Able to be on task with reading or drawing Assertiveness Concern for others Taking care of their room Rules the youth do follow or suggested rules
Develop Skills Based on Strengths
Identify the strengths that the youth have List what strengths they identify Others identify such as parents or foster parents What you see while they are with you
List the skills that you want the youth to learn or they identify that they want to learn
Take the strengths that you see and add the other strengths or steps that the youth need to learn a skill that helps them
Focus on the strengths that will have the most impact Shape and develop strengths into skills
Example:
Skill#: : Staying Calm Behavior- identifying ABC’s
Behavior- deep breathing
Behavior- counting to 10
Behavior- leaving situation
Behavior- voice/body check
Behavior- think of consequences
Behavior- relax arms and face
Skill#: : Following Instructions Behavior- maintain eye contact
Behavior- calm facial expressions
Behavior- calm voice tone
Behavior- acknowledgement
Behavior- completion of tasks immediately
Behavior- checking back
Focused Teaching
Skill #1 Once this skill is taught, then reinforce the use of the
whole skill – remember demonstration and roleplay Skill #2
When beginning to teach the second skill, stay FOCUSED on this skill
Begin to intermittently reinforce the first skill Once the second skill is taught, then reinforce the use
of the whole skill Skill #3
When teaching the third skill, stay FOCUSED on this skill
Intermittently reinforce the skills that have already been taught
Trouble Shooting
Teaching skills through roleplay Behavioral contracting or charting with “super
reinforcers” Chunk it down
Teaching Skills Through Roleplay
1. Describe the behavior you are teaching
2. Give a reason using an if/then statement
3. Demonstrate the behavior for the child
4. Have the child engage in the behavior and practice three times
5. Reward
Charting or Behavioral Contracting
Use a “super reinforcer” or reward Don’t just focus on the negative consequences Setup contract for youth to stretch, not generate a
new behavior Stretching positive behavior or a strength is much
more likely to lead to success Jumping to a new skill or behavior, especially if it is
difficult, is much less likely to be successful Avoid language that a dead person can do i.e. Don’t
yell, don’t swear.
Chunk it Down
If your youth or child is having difficulty doing a task, even if they have been successful in the past “chunk it down”
Chunking it down means dividing the task into parts that the youth or child can do
They may be frustrated, overwhelmed or unable to do the task, chunking it down makes it possible – “Kitchen chore”
Chunk the task down to pieces that play to youth skills and strengths
Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behavior It is easy to get frustrated with problem behavior and
apply a negative consequences Focus instead on reinforcing positive behavior It is a simple concept: praise and reward behaviors or
skills that are the opposite of the behavior you don’t want to see
The trick is to reward the skill or behavior that prevents them from doing the bad behavior
You cannot yell if you are using a normal voice, so praise a normal voice
You cannot be hitting if you are touching softly, so praise touching softly
Praise and reward a strength that makes it impossible for the youth to do the problem behavior
Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior Identify the problem behavior Identify the skill or behavior that the youth
have or you would like them to have Reinforce the behavior or skill you want to
have rather than the problem behavior We do this all the time with toddlers who ask
for a drink “Say please” “please” rather than “drink”
Conclusion
Creates a more enjoyable treatment experience
Produces a more pleasant home environment More effective results for children and youth
This training and additional resources can be found at
www.utahparenting.org