They Did What? Understanding and Managing Challenging Childhood Behavior
by Jennifer Arnold, MS and Lori Warner, PhD
Q: I've heard that we should use time out when my son misbehaves. But we've tried it and it doesn't work. He just plays in his room!
A: Time out can be a very effective tool, when used properly! First of all, not ALL behavior problems will be reduced with time out. Time out is actually intended to be "time out from something fun", so if the activity in which the problem occurred was not fun in the first place, time out won't work.
Also, if the time out location has access to toys, time out won't work! Finally, if there is much extra attention being paid to the child when s/he misbehaves, that can create a situation in which the behavior will actually increase when you "punish" with time out. We will explain exactly how this works in our lecture!
Q: Our daughter almost always seems to have a huge meltdown whenever we take her out in public. It's so embarrassing that we end up giving in to her just to get her to calm down. We know it's probably doing more harm than good. What should we do instead?
A: There is no quick answer to this question, but first we need to understand why she is tantrumming, and decide what strategies will work best. Most of us want to know what to do when a tantrum happens, but just as important is understanding how to prevent or minimize such problems in the first place. "Proactive" strategies are things we set up before problem behaviors occur; sort of like setting someone up for success. "Reactive" strategies are what we have planned to do if and when a problem behavior occurs. We will discuss both types of strategies in detail during our talk!
Q: We have a 3-year-old who won't sleep! He won't go to bed until at least 9:30 and we have to lie down with him for an hour beforehand, which causes problems spending time with our older kids or each other.
A: Again, not a quick fix! However, establishing solid bedtime routines and being willing to tolerate some discomfort on both child and parents' parts will help you solve this nighttime nightmare. Both proactive (setting the stage for a good night's sleep) and reactive (kindly but firmly placing him back in bed when he gets up) strategies will be essential.
Jennifer Arnold is a limited-licensed psychologist who earned her Master's degree at Eastern Michigan University. Jennifer is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She works at Beaumont Children's Hospital's Center for Human Development as a behavioral consultant. Jennifer specializes in helping families of children with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities, and also has expertise in toilet training, parent training to manage challenging behaviors, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. She can be reached at 248-691-8148 or
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Dr. Lori Warner is a Licensed Psychologist and Director of the HOPE Center, Center for Human Development at William Beaumont Hospital in Berkley. She can be reached at (248) 691-4774. Visit their Web site at www.beaumonthospitals.com/hope.
SAVE THE DATE
"They Did What? Understanding and Managing Challenging Childhood Behavior"
Wed. March 10, 2010 (6:30-8:00pm)
Presenter: Jennifer Arnold, MS and Lori Warner, PhD
Beaumont Hospital, Grosse Pointe, Connelly Auditorium, 468 Cadieux, Grosse Pointe
No Fee
RSVP by March 3 @ 313.432.3832
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