the technical assistance center on social emotional intervention … · 2016-07-28 · the roadmap...

...The Pyramid model The Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children Fact Sheet Need an easy reference that provides a quick overview of the Pyramid Model? Whether you are new to the Pyramid Model or have been implementing it for years and just need a reference, this four-page fact sheet is

for you! This guide walks you through the three-tiered framework of intervention practice (universal promotion, secondary preventions and tertiary interventions) and discusses the essential elements that must be in place in order the Pyramid Model to be implemented.

Response to Intervention and the Pyramid ModelResponse to Intervention (RtI) offers a compre-hensive model for the prevention of delays in learning and behavior. While this problem-solving framework was initially designed for application within Kindergarten to 12th grade programs, there is substantial research that supports the value of the model for application

within early childhood programs. How does this relate to the Pyramid Model? This paper explores that question by providing an overview of RtI and discussing the Pyramid Model and its application for promoting young children’s social competence and preventing behavior challenges.

...PosiTive Behavior suPPorT Complete Guide to Positive Behavior SupportEverything you ever wanted to know about PBS! This Word document is a complete reference that outlines the entire PBS (Posi-tive Behavior Support) process. While origi-nally created as a “take-away” tool to accom-pany the TACSEI Six Steps of PBS learning modules (see www.challengingbehavior.org/

explore/pbs/process.htm), this comprehensive reference also can be used on its own. In addition to detailed information about the PBS process, it includes links to all the forms, information sheets and worksheets described in the learning modules as well as websites and resources in easy-to-access sections at the end of the document.

Creating Teaching Tools for Young Children with Challenging Behavior Now Includes Strategies for Toddlers! Teachers! Looking for materials you can use in your classroom? One of TACSEI’s most popular products, this toolkit is made up of a

variety of handouts, worksheets, techniques, strategies, visuals and other resources that can help teachers create a plan to support young chil-dren who are having challenging behavior. Visit the TACSEI website to download the Teaching Tools either as a "zip" file, which means that you can download all nine folders in one convenient package, or browse the Table of Contents to download only the files that you want.

The Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children

ProduCT GuIdETechnical Assistance Center

on Social Emotional Interventionfor Young Childrenfor Young Childrenfor Young Children

Take a Detour through TACSEI to Learn More About...

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The Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children Fact Sheet

THE TIERED FRAMEWORK OF THE PYRAMID MODEL

The Pyramid Model for Promoting the Social and Emotional Development of Infants and Young Children provides a tiered intervention framework of evidence-based interventions for promoting the social, emotional, and behavioral development of young children (Fox et al., 2003; Hemmeter, Ostrosky, & Fox, 2006). The model describes three tiers of intervention practice: universal promotion for all children; secondary preventions to address the intervention needs for children at risk of social emotional delays, and tertiary interventions needed for children with persistent challenges. The Pyramid Model was initially described as an intervention framework for children 2-5 years old within early childhood settings. However, newer iterations of the model provide guidance for the implementation of the framework with infants, toddlers and preschoolers, and include interventions needed to support children who are typically developing and who have or are at risk for developmental delays or disabilities (Hunter & Hemmeter, 2009).

TIER 1: UNIVERSAL PROMOTION

The first tier of the Pyramid Model involves two levels of practices that are critical to promoting the social development of young children. The first level of practices is the provision of nurturing and responsive caregiving relationships to the child. This includes the family or primary caregiver and the caregiver or teacher

within an early childhood program. In addition to a focus on the relationship to the child, this level of the pyramid also describes the need for developing partnerships with families and collaborative relationships among intervention or classroom team members.

There is ample evidence that the provision of a responsive and nurturing relationship is pivotal to a child’s development (National Research Council, 2001; Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000). In their early years, children exist within a web of relationships with parents, teachers, other caring adults in their lives and eventually, peers. This web supplies the context within which healthy social emotional growth and the capacity to form strong positive relationships with adults and peers develop. The relationships level of the pyramid model includes practices such as: actively supporting children’s engagement; embedding instruction within children’s routine, planned, and play activities; responding to children’s conversations; promoting the communicative attempts of children with language

Response to Intervention and the Pyramid Model

June 2009

Lise Fox, Judith Carta, Phil Strain, Glen Dunlap,

& Mary Louise Hemmeter

Technical Assistance Centeron Social Emotional Intervention

for Young Childrenfor Young Childrenfor Young Children

Positive Behavior Support

Lise Fox Michelle A. Duda

Created by and available online from the Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children at

www.challengingbehavior.org

...simPle Things you can do noW To helP Kids WiTh challenging Behavior Positive Solutions for Families Does this sound familiar? “I can’t get my child to listen! I just don’t know what to do anymore!” You are certainly not alone. This four-page brochure provides parents with eight straightforward and practical tips they can use when their young children exhibit challenging behavior. Even better, each tip includes a brief explanation and a real-life example to show parents how they might use the specific approach with their own family. This useful product is also available in Spanish.


Creating Teaching Tools for Young Children with Challenging Behavior is a FREE product developed by the Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Interven‐tion for Young Children (TACSEI) that gives teachers practical strategies, developed from TACSEI’s research activities and experiences in Positive Behavior Support, to create a plan to support young children who are having challenging behavior.

The Teaching Tools provide:

(1) easily accessible ideas and materials such as handouts, worksheets, techniques, strategies, and visuals to support children in the classroom and other learning environments

(2) ideas of effective intervention approaches for children who do not need a func‐tional assessment to determine the function of the child’s problem behavior or a team‐based process to address persistent challenging behavior.

How are the Teaching Tools Organized?

The Teaching Tools are organized around the User's Manual which explains how to use the tools and provides all of the technical information you need to access the hyperlinked visual supports and materials. Also included within the Teaching Tools is the Routine Based Support Guide. The Guide is a document that accompanies all of the tools and is organized in routines and activities that typically occur in early child‐hood programs. It assists teachers in developing a support plan.

How Can I Get the Teaching Tools?

The Teaching Tools were originally created to be distributed on a CD. However, the contents of the CD are now available for download as a "zip" file from our website at www.challengingbehavior.org . This means that you can download the User's Manual, Routine Based Support Guide and all the accompanying handouts, visuals and other materials that are organized in a series of nine folders in one convenient package. Simply go to the website, click on “Browse Resources” then “Tools” to find the Teaching Tools, then follow the download instructions.

The Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Chil‐dren, also known as TACSEI, is a five‐year grant made possible by the U.S. Depart‐ment of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. TACSEI takes the research that shows which practices improve the social‐emotional outcomes for young children with, or at risk for, delays or disabilities and creates FREE products and resources to help decision makers, care‐givers, and service providers apply these best practices in the work they do every day. Most of these free products are available from our web‐site for you to view, download and use.

Examples of Materials you will find in the Teaching Tools

Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children University of South Florida Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute Department of Child & Family Studies 13301 N. Bruce. B. Downs Blvd, MHC2‐1134 Tampa, FL 33612‐3807

Phone: (813) 974‐9803 Fax: (813) 974‐6115


♦ The Visual Strategies folder includes visual schedules, choice boards, cue cards, and activity sequences. A variety of pictured examples are provided to help teachers develop their own visual supports.

♦ The Feeling Vocabulary folder contains an article about appropriately expressing feelings, visuals depicting a variety of emotions, a feeling wheel, and a feeling chart.

♦ The Home Strategies folder helps link home and school and, among other materials, includes a questionnaire that offers critical information about the child and a scripted story which is provided to help children with first time transitions to school.

What are the Teaching Tools?

The roadmaP To effecTive inTervenTion PracTices series Need help sorting through the research? The Roadmap series provides summaries of existing evidence in a useful, concise format on topics related to assessment and inter-vention for social-emotional challenges of young children. Additionally, each install-ment in the series includes extensive refer-ences to more complete descriptions of vali-dated assessment and intervention practices.

Titles in the series currently include:

1. Screening for Social Emotional Concerns: Considerations in the Selection of Instruments

2. Evidence-Based Social-Emotional Curricula and Intervention Packages for Children 0-5 Years and Their Families

3. Promoting Social Behavior of Young Children in Group Settings: A Summary of Research

4. Technical Assistance to Promote Service and System Change

5. Family-Focused Interventions for Promoting Social-Emotional Development in Infants and Toddlers with or at Risk for Disabilities

Visit our website to download these and other FREE materials from TACSEI.

www.challengingbehavior.orgThis document is public domain and may be reproduced without permission. The development of these products were supported in part by a grant

from the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education (H326B070002). Opinions expressed herein are the author’s and do not reflect necessarily the position of the US Department of Education, and such endorsements should not be inferred.

Check out these four popular series from TACSEI… New titles are continually being added!

Family-Focused Interventions

for Promoting Social-Emotional

Development in Infants and

Toddlers with or at Risk for

DisabilitiesDiane Powell and Glen Dunlap

September 2010

ROADM

AP TO

EFFECTIVE

INTERVENTION

PRACTICES


5

Technical Assistance

to Promote Service

and System Change

Karen A. Blase

November 2009

ROADMAP TO EFFECTIVE

INTERVENTION PRACTICES


4

Promoting Social Behavior of Young Children in Group

Settings: A Summary of Research

Glen Dunlap & Diane Powell

August 2009

ROADMAP TO EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION PRACTICES


3

Evidence-Based Social-Emotional Curricula and Intervention Packages for Children 0-5 Years and Their Families

Diane Powell & Glen DunlapJune 2009

ROADMAP TO EFFECTIVE

INTERVENTION PRACTICES


2

Screening for Social

Emotional Concerns:

Considerations in the

Selection of Instruments

Jasolyn Henderson and Phillip Strain

January 2009

Roadmap to

EffEctivE

intERvEntion

pRacticEs


1

maKing life easier series This series of tipsheets is designed specifically for parents and caregivers and contains valuable information on how to make often challenging events easier to navigate, and even enjoyable, for both caregivers and children.

Titles in the series currently include:

• Bedtime and Naptime• Running Errands• Diapering

issue Brief series The TACSEI Issue Brief series provides important information on a number of topics:

• Preventing the Use of Restraint and Seclusion with Young Children: The Role of Effective, Positive Practices

• Integrating Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation with the Pyramid Model

• Administrator Strategies that Support High Fidelity Implementation of the Pyramid Model for Promoting Social-Emotional Competence & Addressing Challenging Behavior

• Promoting Social, Emotional and Behavioral Outcomes of Young Children Served Under IDEA

recommended PracTices series Want to know the facts? The Recommended Practices handouts have the facts! This series provides professionals and family members information on evidence-based recommendations for a variety of topics. Examples of titles include:

• Supporting Infants and Toddlers with Challenging Behavior

• Linking Social Development and School Readiness to Behavior

• Identifying and Monitoring Outcomes Related to Children's Social-Emotional Development

• Preventing Challenging Behavior in Young Children: Effective Practices

Visit challengingbehavior.org to download these handouts as well as other topics in the series.

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Issue BriefPromoting Social, Emotional and

Behavioral Outcomes of Young

Children Served Under IDEA

Lise Fox & Barbara J. Smith, January, 2007

Why are social, emotional and behavioral

outcomes an essential priority?

A growing body of evidence confirms that serious and persistent

challenging behaviors in early childhood directly relate to later

problems in school success, social relationships, educational

and vocational success, and social adjustment 1. Conversely, key

social skills associated with learning in group settings include

being able to get along with others, follow directions, identify

and regulate one’s emotions and behavior, think of appropriate

solutions to conflict, persist on tasks, engage in social conver-

sation and cooperative play, and correctly interpret other’s

behavior and emotions 2.

Challenging behavior is a substantive problem of concern

because:• The prevalence rates for young children with chal-

lenging behavior ranges from 10 to 30% 3

• Social and behavioral competence in young children

predicts their academic performance in the first grade over

and above their cognitive skills and family backgrounds 4

Challenging behavior is a particular concern for students with

disabilities because:• Students with disabilities have more than three times

the number of serious misconduct incidents per 1,000

students than do typically developing students 5

• Over 1/3 of adolescents with disabilities have been

suspended or expelled 6

• Challenging behavior is evident in even the youngest

children served by IDEA. The NEILS study indicates

that 10-40 % of children served in Part C programs

have behavioral concerns 7

The following facts show that when challenging behavior is

not resolved, outcomes are poor:

• Young children with challenging behavior are more

likely to experience early and persistent peer rejection,

mostly punitive contacts with teachers, family interac-

tion patterns that are unpleasant for all participants,

and school failure 8

• Over 65% of students identified with emotional and

behavioral disorders drop out of school leading to

poor job outcomes, limited income and a pattern of

failure that persists into adulthood 9

• Childhood ratings of behavior problems at age 3 and 5

are the best predictors of later antisocial outcomes 10

• Around 48% of children with problem behaviors in

kindergarten have been placed in special education by

the 4th grade 11 W

hat are the osep, idea part c and b/619

requirements related to social, emotional

and behavioral outcomes?

OSEP requires states to demonstrate that children served by

IDEA are benefiting from those services. In doing so, OSEP

Technical Assistance Center

on Social Emotional Intervention

for Young Children

for Young Children

for Young Children


The development of this paper was supported in part by a grant from the Office of Special Education Programs,

U.S. Department of Education (H326B070002). Opinions expressed herein are the author’s and do not reflect

necessarily the position of the US Department of Education, and such endorsements should not be inferred.

This document is public domain and may be reproduced without permission.

1

Administrator Strategies that Support

High Fidelity Implementation of

the Pyramid Model for Promoting

Social-Emotional Competence &

Addressing Challenging Behavior

Melissa Mincic, Barbara J. Smith, & Phil Strain, July 2009

IntroductIon Implementing the Pyramid Model with fidelity and achieving

positive outcomes for children and their families requires

that administrators understand their roles in the implementa-

tion process. Every administrative decision impacts program

quality and sustainability. This Policy Brief underscores the

importance of facilitative administrative practices that provide

sustained commitment, timely training, competent coaching,

the use of process and outcome data for decision-making, and

the development of policies and procedures that are aligned

with high fidelity implementation.What Is InterventIon FIdelIty?

Administrative vigilance and support of high fidelity implemen-

tation of the Pyramid Model is critical if children are to benefit.

Intervention fidelity is defined as the degree to which interventions

are accurately and consistently carried out as originally specified

by the developers1. Implementing intervention procedures with

fidelity is absolutely necessary in order to achieve the intended

outcomes. The only way to know if a practice or intervention is

being accurately applied with fidelity is to measure implemen-

tation. The measurement tool used for the Pyramid Model for

preschool programs is the Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool

(TPOT)2; and for birth-2 programs, the Teaching Pyramid Infant

Toddler Observation Scale (TPITOS)3. The TPOT and TPITOS

are used by an observer/coach to measure whether an early child-

hood professional is using the practices with fidelity.

Administrative support is key for achieving, as well as

sustaining, the implementation of intervention methods with

fidelity. Administrators can provide a number of supports

to help personnel responsible for implementing intervention

procedures overcome typical challenges along the way. These

essential supports are described next.It takes tIme Administrators and practitioners implementing intervention

procedures need to focus on small steps and on incremental

improvements in staff skills and related child outcomes.

Realistic expectations for children’s developmental outcomes

are important to prevent personnel from getting frustrated

and abandoning the intervention prior to reaching fidelity4.

Building a strong program that supports children’s social

emotional development cannot be achieved overnight, and

implementing and sustaining an intervention with fidelity

requires resources, supports and time. Personnel and families

need time to learn the new practices, time to practice them

and receive feedback, and time to collect data. Administra-

tors need time to develop procedures and written policies that

support these effective and necessary strategies. Intervention

fidelity is not a point in time. It is a journey! Based upon initial

data, we believe that most programs require two years to reach

satisfactory levels of fidelity using the Pyramid Model.




on Social Emotional Interventionfor Young Children

for Young Children

for Young Children

Policy Brief

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www.challengingbehavior.orgThis document is public domain and may be reproduced without permission.

Policy BriefIntegrating Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation with the Pyramid ModelDeborah F. Perry & Roxane K. Kaufmann, November, 2009

IntroductIon

A growing number of states and communities are implementing the Pyramid Model in early care and education settings, and in many of these places there are also early childhood mental health consultation (ECMHC) programs operating. This policy brief provides an overview of ECMHC, how it can support the imple-mentation of the Pyramid Model and the policy issues that arise when administrators seek to integrate these two approaches at the state and local levels. Mental health consultants can: (1) serve as coaches for implementing the Pyramid practices; (2) serve as adjuncts to coaches, by working with children, families and teachers; and (3) use the Pyramid Model to inform and organize their own strategies for working with teachers and families.

What Is early chIldhood mental health consultatIon?

Mental health consultation is a systematic approach to building the capacity of an early childhood professional to promote young children’s social-emotional and behavioral development. In early childhood mental health consultation, a mental health profes-sional partners with an early childhood educator and models strategies that promote healthy social-emotional development, prevent the development of problematic behaviors and reduce the occurrence of challenging behaviors. Typically, these services are provided in an early care and education (ECE) setting. However, services can also be delivered in homes or community settings.

Early childhood mental health consultation focuses on increasing the skills and expertise of the adults in the child’s life (i.e., teachers, parents, early intervention providers), rather than providing thera-peutic services directly to the child (Cohen & Kaufmann, 2005).

In general, the Early Childhood Mental Health (ECMH) consul-tant provides strategies for individual children who might be mani-festing problematic behaviors, referred to as “child-/family-focused consultation”; or they may seek to change the environment for a group of children, referred to as “programmatic consultation” (Cohen & Kaufmann, 2005). In practice, these often occur in tandem. Another hallmark of ECMHC is the emphasis on building a collaborative relationship between the consultant and the early childhood professional, as well as with parents. The mental health consultant adopts a posture that acknowledges the experience and insights of the consultee and avoids the role of “expert” (Johnston & Brinamen, 2006). Finally, most ECMHC models do not follow a specific manual or curriculum, but instead are grounded in a “mental health perspective” using a variety of approaches in the support of the practitioner, children, and the families. This perspec-tive encourages both parties to look at the behavior of young chil-dren in the context of their significant relationships, developmental expectations and their environment (Cohen & Kaufmann, 2005).

What skIlls and qualIfIcatIons do ecmh consultants have and need?

There is a growing consensus about the skills and qualifications that mental health professionals working in early childhood settings need to be effective consultants (Cohen & Kaufmann,

Technical Assistance Centeron Social Emotional Intervention

for Young Childrenfor Young Childrenfor Young Children

NATIONAL CENTER FOR

EffectiveMental HealthConsultation

Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development

NATIONAL CENTER FOR

EffectiveMental HealthConsultation

Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development

1

In recent years, there have been major concerns expressed

regarding the use of restraint and seclusion to control the

behavior of children with disabilities and/or challenging

behavior. In May of 2009, for example, the US Government

Accountability Office (GAO) released findings regarding a

number of cases in which seclusion and restraint were abused

to the point that children were physically and psychologically

injured. Some children even died while being restrained.

The great potential for abuse and injury has led many school

districts, state agencies, and state governments to issue policies,

regulations and laws that limit the use of restraint and seclu-

sion. Many of these regulations and statutes effectively prohibit

the use of restraint and seclusion except in cases of ortho-

pedic necessity and obvious emergencies in which a child is in

imminent danger. Still, there remains uncertainty about what

constitutes restraint and seclusion and what should be done as

an alternative. The purpose of this document is to review these

issues and discuss positive strategies that can be used to prevent

behaviors that could lead to considerations of these invasive and

potentially-dangerous practices.

What is seclusion?

Seclusion refers to the involuntary confinement of a child alone

in a room or isolated area from which the child is prevented

from leaving. Seclusion may include having a door locked or

blocked with the child being alone, or having a child placed

away from peers and caregivers for a period of time with no

access to social interaction or social activities.

Seclusion can be confused with “time out” (as in “closed door

time out”), however time out is defined simply as an interven-

tion that involves removing or limiting the amount of reinforce-

ment or attention that is available to a child for a brief period

of time. Time out can be used as a component of an approved

behavior support plan when it involves removing a child from

an activity, taking materials or interactions away, or having the

child sit out of an activity away from attention or interactions.

It is important to emphasize that time out does not require or

imply seclusion. For more information about time out, readers

are referred to “What Works Brief #14” at www.vanderbilt.edu/

csefel/resources/what_works.

Seclusion (involuntary confinement) is an extreme procedure

that is not developmentally appropriate and should serve no

purpose as an intervention with young children. In the authors’

opinion, young children must never be alone in a room or

isolated completely from social interaction.

What is restraint?

Restraint is the use of physical force (e.g., holding a child), a

mechanical device (e.g., a chair with straps to hold the child)

or chemicals (e.g., tranquilizers) to immobilize a child and

to prevent the child from engaging in freedom of movement.

Mechanical and physical restraints are most relevant for the

current discussion. Mechanical restraint is defined as the use of

any device or equipment to restrict a child’s freedom of move-

ment. However, the term is not applied when devices are used

Preventing the Use of Restraint and

Seclusion with Young Children: The

Role of Effective, Positive Practices

Glen Dunlap, Cheryl Ostryn, & Lise Fox, February, 2011


on Social Emotional Intervention

for Young Children

for Young Children

for Young Children

Issue Brief


The development of this paper was supported in part by a grant from the Office of Special Education Programs,

U.S. Department of Education (H326B070002). Opinions expressed herein are the author’s and do not reflect

necessarily the position of the US Department of Education, and such endorsements should not be inferred.


Making Life EasierBy Pamelazita Buschbacher, Ed.D. Illustrated by Sarah I. Perez

1

Many families find bedtime and naptime to be a challenge for them and their children. It is estimated that 43% of all chil-dren and as many as 86% of children with developmental delays experience some type of sleep difficulty. Sleep problems

can make infants and young children moody, short tempered and unable to engage well in interactions with others. Sleep problems can also impact learning. When a young child is sleeping, her body is busy developing new brain cells needed for her physical, mental and emotional development. Parents also need to feel rested in order to be nurturing and responsive to their growing and active young children. Here are a few proven tips for making bedtimes and naptimes easier for parents and children.

Tip: Establish Good Sleep Habits

� Develop a regular time for going to bed and taking naps, and a regular time to wake up. Young children require about 10-12 hours of sleep a day (see the box on the last page that provides information on how much sleep a child needs). Sleep can be any combination of naps and night time sleep.

� Make sure your child has outside time and physical activity daily, but not within the hour before naptime or bedtime.

� Give your child your undivided and unrushed attention as you prepare her for bedtime or a nap. This will help to calm her and let her know how important this time is for you and her.

� Develop a bedtime and naptime routine. Help your child be ready for sleep. Babies and young children thrive on predictability and learn from repetition. They like and need to know what is happening next. It

Bedtime and Naptime

1

Making Life Easier

By Pamelazita Buschbacher, Ed.D.

Illustrated by Sarah I. PerezR unning errands (e.g., going to the store, bank, etc.) is one of those

essential household routines that all families experience. It is often

thought of as a “maintenance” activity that is necessary for the

family, but not enjoyable for young children. However, there can be

huge benefits in taking your young child along. He learns about his commu-

nity while spending time with someone he loves and trusts, someone who can

help him understand the world beyond home and family. Running errands

together offers the chance to build self-confidence, curiosity, social skills, self

control, communication skills, and sensory exploration. He’ll have opportuni-

ties to greet and interact with other children and adults with your guidance and

support. He will also be able experience the myriad of smells, tastes, sounds,

and textures of the greater world within which he lives.

However, running errands can be extremely difficult if the child has chal-

lenging behavior. It’s not uncommon for families to feel overwhelmed by their

child’s challenging behavior and resort to only running errands when someone

else can care for the child at home. Sometimes, depending on the errand (e.g.,

a long shopping trip, parent visit to the doctor), that might be the best strategy.

Still, there are steps you can take to help you and your child get the most out

of these outings.

Tip: Plan for the transition from home

to going out.Let your child know where you both will be going. This can be done verbally,

visually (timer, gesture, using sign language) and/or with sound (timer, count-

down). Remember to allow time for the transition. Young children need time

to shift their focus from one activity to another.

� Provide a transition warning. It is a given that if you have a young child,

he is going to have some trouble with transitioning from one activity/place

to another. • You might try giving him a verbal warning and say, “Nashon, we have

to go to the store in 5 minutes. When you are done with your puzzle,

we can put your shoes on.”

Running Errands

1

Making Life Easier

By Pamelazita Buschbacher, Ed.D.

Illustrated by Sarah I. Perez

F or many families, changing a child’s diaper becomes a major battle.

This routine is one that is often not as scheduled or predictable as

other activities. It is often unpleasant for adults and not an activity

that the young child enjoys. As your child grows older and becomes

more mobile and interested in interacting with his

world, diaper changing might become even more diffi-

cult. While it can be challenging, it is also an opportu-

nity for building a positive, nurturing and responsive

relationship with your child. Several proven strategies

can help to make diapering a positive and relationship

building experience for both of you.

Tip: Prepare your child for

the diaper change.

Develop a predictable routine for diapering that can

change as your child grows and becomes more mobile

and independent. A routine helps the child understand

what will happen and what to expect. While changing

your child, give your child your undivided and

unrushed attention. The calmness in your voice and

manner will most likely calm him and encourage his

cooperation. Respond to his sounds and interactions

with gentle touch, nuzzles with your nose under his

chin, eye contact, soothing sounds and

words. Respond in soothing ways that

you know comfort him and you both

enjoy. Babies and toddlers thrive on

predictability and learn from repeti-

tion. They like and need to know

what is going to happen next. The

following are strategies that will help

your child learn to cooperate with the

diaper changing routine.

Diapering

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the technical assistance center on social emotional intervention … · 2016-07-28 · the roadmap...

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