| In aiding children with developmental challenges, | | | | included as much as possible with typical peers. |
| we must first realize that this requires a team | | | | They may need additional support and |
| effort and a strengths based approach. It is | | | | accomodations, but how will they begin to learn |
| necessary to not focus on what the child cannot | | | | important skills unless they have frequent and |
| do but look at what the child can accomplish and | | | | continuous exposure to the world around them. I |
| build upon this. Parents can enlist the support of | | | | have developed the use of what I term 'real life |
| professionals but must realize that it is they who | | | | rehearsals', where we may set up a particular |
| are the most important persons in the child's life | | | | social scenario for a child. It may be such a thing |
| and that furthering the development of their child | | | | as being able to make a purchase at the grocery |
| is not just the work of professionals but is a | | | | store. The therapist and parents guide and coach |
| collaborative effort from everyone involved with | | | | the child ahead of time in how to go about such |
| the child. It is neccessary that for any | | | | an activity and then have them actually |
| interventions to truly be effective and helpful, that | | | | demonstrate it. Social stories and comic strip |
| they must be consistent and constant. The | | | | conversations are very useful in conveying |
| interventions must be the same throughout all | | | | information as these children tend to be visual |
| domains that the child is present in.It is crucial for | | | | learners. Social stories can be simply made |
| us to understand the environmental responses | | | | booklets that the child helps to create where a |
| that children have, whether they have | | | | particular task or scenario is outlined with what |
| developmental concerns or even if they do not. If | | | | behaviors are expected. The comic strip |
| a teacher, parent, or other person has a hostile | | | | conversation is helpful in building empathic skills as |
| tone, a poor demeanor, a loud voice, etc. All of | | | | well as reflective thinking as we ask the child to |
| these things can be overwhelming to the child and | | | | develop captions for what different individuals |
| can provoke a behavioral response. All behavior is | | | | may state and think in various situations.Lastly, I |
| purposeful and should be looked upon as so, even | | | | think it is crucial, though it may appear |
| negative behaviors. Behaviors are a way of the | | | | controversial to some, to state that children with |
| child speaking to us about a distressing situation or | | | | developmental concerns can and will be benefitted |
| an apparent need or desire when they may not | | | | from a psycho-social and relationship based |
| be able to convey this to us verbally. Light, sound, | | | | approach alone. Some have decided to resort to |
| and other sensory stimuli can also produce | | | | medications, and I am placing no blame or |
| distress for a child. We need to create awareness | | | | condemnation on those who have made this |
| of what in the environment may serve as | | | | decision, however making a suggestion that there |
| triggers to distress and seek to modify the | | | | are alternatives and informing of these |
| environment to make it a more comfortable and | | | | alternatives as well as the hazards of psycotropic |
| safe place for the child. We must also be cautious | | | | medication usage. First, I will not argue that |
| in how we view children. If we look at a child | | | | medications can 'work' in the sense of subduing |
| displaying negative behavior as a 'monster' or feel | | | | behavior. However, strapping a child to a chair |
| that because a child may be rambunctious at | | | | would also work in regards to subduing behavior. |
| times that we must automatically resort to | | | | This would be aversive and quite possible illegal. I |
| medicating them, then we have taken a | | | | see little difference between such an approach |
| negativistic attitude that will surely be passed on | | | | and that of using psychiatric medication. The |
| to the child. Children are keenly aware, even | | | | difference is that one is a physical restraint, the |
| those with communication struggles, of adult's | | | | other a chemical restraint. When we say that |
| perceptions of them. We should look at our | | | | something 'works', often we are not looking at |
| children through the eyes of delight and address | | | | the mechanism by which it works. Dr. Peter R. |
| behavioral difficulties not in terms of how we can | | | | Breggin, MD compared the use of antipsychotic |
| subdue, but rather how we can meet needs and | | | | medications in children to 'chemical lobotomy' as it |
| resolve conflict and remove distress.The floor | | | | blunts the functions of the frontal lobes. Thr risk |
| time model is of particular usefulness in working | | | | of tardive dyskinesia, a permanent disfiguring |
| with children with communication and social | | | | neurological impairment exists with these drugs. In |
| struggles. For those children who are non-verbal, | | | | addition, such drugs as Risperdal are prescribed |
| we can begin to introduce hand signals, moving to | | | | off label and are not indicated for anyone below |
| use of pictures, and then gradually encouraging | | | | the age of 18 but continue to be prescribed.It |
| the child to make use of words or phrases to | | | | may require more diligence, effort, and patience, |
| indicate desires. It is not important initially whether | | | | but I remain convinced after working with over |
| the verbalizations are correct but rather that a | | | | 40 children with developmental challenges, that |
| verbal attempt was made. When a child displays | | | | relationship based approaches, rather than |
| such a behavior as spinning objects, in the floor | | | | chemical restraint, prove to be a true means to |
| time model, we would not be aversive, but rather | | | | teach our children skills, to focus on their |
| gently introduce a new toy or object and seek to | | | | strengths, to build on their development, and to |
| divert the child to a more productive activity. In | | | | help address challenging behaviors and to address |
| situations of echolalia, we can say such things as | | | | the real source of conflict and distress rather than |
| 'that's TV talk', and provide means to divert this | | | | just blunting it.Dan L. Edmunds is a doctoral |
| to a different means of conversing. It is important | | | | candidate (abd) in Pastoral Community Counseling. |
| to provide the child with understandable signals | | | | He is Board Certified in Sexual Abuse Issues via |
| and meaningful statements and phrases when we | | | | the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic |
| are desiring them to behave in a different way.In | | | | Stress. He has served as a therapist with a |
| order for children with developmental concerns to | | | | diverse population of children and adolescents |
| be able to integrate more into the social sphere, it | | | | including many with developmental challenges. |
| is necessary that they not be isolated into | | | | Edmunds serves as the county autism specialist |
| situations where they are labeled and shuffled | | | | for a private agency in Northeastern Pennsylvania. |
| away from typical peers. Rather, they should be | | | | |