Over the past eight years and three children with varying needs and obstacles, I have covered a myriad of therapies and parent coaching methods. I take what works for our family and run with it. I consider our approach an a la carte approach to behavioral therapy. Laugh if you will but it works for us and I think you should take a listen.
If there is a SINGLE piece of overlap between the five+ types of therapies that we’ve been exposed to as a family is the FACT that as a parent or educator trying to work with a child with challenging behaviors FOCUSING ON ONE BEHAVIORAL ISSUE at a time is CRITICAL.
Related Read: The 6 Stages of Parenting a Child with SPD
Make a list of behavior, typically small with details (e.g. he doesn’t want to brush his teeth). Prioritize the items. Tackle them one at a time, knocking one off and moving onto the next.
My friend, Dayna, over at Lemon Lime Adventures says “Despite what we want to happen, change does not happen overnight, nor does it happen all at once. By focusing on just one behavior you can learn exactly what is causing your child’s behaviors – what revs them up, what calms them down, what helps them focus, and what makes them feel overwhelmed. Better yet, you can help your child notice these behaviors and regulate on their own.”