Child Misbehavior
Goals of Dr. Greenaway’s Treatment for Difficult Child Behaviors
Dr. Greenaway’s treatment plan has three overall goals, (1.) improving your child’s compliance by using behavioral techniques, (2.) reducing your child’s tantrums by helping him/her improve coping skills, and (3.) increasing positive interactions between you and your child. These three goals overlap, and improvement in any one area tends to improve the other two. The methods used are influenced by decades of empirical research and several well-documented programs. Each week, either your child, you, or both will meet with Dr. Greenaway. During the sessions, you will be exposed to techniques for shaping your child’s behavior, step-by-step. Although, there is a standard outline for treatment, the way the principles are applied will be catered to you and your child's particular needs. Keep in mind that for treatment to be effective, it will require commitment on your part. Research shows that approximately 12- 24 sessions are generally recommended for effects to be stable and long lasting.
Parent goups are also offered, which provide a place to learn specific techniques as well as to share and hear from other parents facing similar challenges. Groups are forming regularly. Inquire if interested.
Where does negative behavior come from?
Research has shown that children and adolescents with oppositional, defiant, or explosive behavior usually have deficits in at least one of the following five areas:
1. Executive Skills (planning ahead, organization, patience, problem-solving, staying focused)
2. Emotional Regulation Skills (ability to look on the bright side, handling frustration, controlling anger, self-soothing, reacting appropriately to upsets)
3. Language Skills (understanding what people say, understanding what is read, expressing self verbally or in writing)
4. Social Skills (making friends, keeping friends, conversation skills, appreciating the perspectives of others, recognizing one’s own and others’ feelings)
5. Flexible Thinking Skills (ability to change routine when needed, accepting changes in plans, understanding exceptions to rules, adapting to new people or situations)
Trouble in any of these areas leads to the child having problems tolerating frustration, being flexible, or thinking ahead. If your child is argumentative, aggressive, or has difficulty following rules, this may help explain why.
It’s usually not the parents’ fault
Some children, by their very nature, are more difficult to parent. They can be distractible, difficult to soothe, short-tempered, easily irritated, etc. We often refer to these children as “strong-willed,” “temperamental,” “oppositional-defiant,” “unmotivated,” “hyperactive,” and a host of other terms. These children often have some difficulty in one of the five areas mentioned previously, making it harder for them to tolerate frustration, be flexible, or think ahead. Blaming a parent for the child’s deficits in these areas would be similar to blaming parents for a child's learning disability. Like a learning disability, although the parents are not to blame, there are steps they can take to help manage the problem. Parents can also learn ways to give the child more opportunities to practice these skills.
It’s usually not the child’s fault
Common misconceptions are that these children are just stubborn, spoiled, or that they are trying to get attention by misbehaving. A more complete explanation is that they have skill deficits in
(1.) tolerating frustration, (2.) being flexible, or (3.) thinking ahead. A child is generally happier and more compliant if he/she is able to tolerate frustration, be flexible, adapt to new situations, and think through problems in order to solve them. These skills help us navigate through life with considerably less stress and aggravation. However, these are the exact skills that are usually lacking in children who are difficult to raise. Fortunately, through the use of researched-based techniques, children can get better at these skills.
Traditional discipline doesn’t always work
Traditional discipline systems focus on rules and punishments – break a rule, get punished, end of story. When parenting a child with a difficult temperament, this simplistic style of discipline is not enough. Oftentimes, punishments include being shouted at or spanked by an angry parent. Research shows that shouting, threatening, and other types of angry punishments sometimes stop the unwanted behavior in the moment but do not decrease the amount of times the child will engage in the negative behavior in the long run. In fact, these types of punishments often increase a child’s intensity. Traditional rules and punishments often work fine for the average child that has adequate ability to tolerate frustration or to be flexible. An easy child can make any parent look great; however, traditional disciplinary styles do not work with many children. Therefore, a new approach is called for. Learning a different perspective and implementing new strategies has been very beneficial to many parents .
Goals of Dr. Greenaway’s Treatment for Difficult Child Behaviors
Dr. Greenaway’s treatment plan has three overall goals, (1.) improving your child’s compliance by using behavioral techniques, (2.) reducing your child’s tantrums by helping him/her improve coping skills, and (3.) increasing positive interactions between you and your child. These three goals overlap, and improvement in any one area tends to improve the other two. The methods used are influenced by decades of empirical research and several well-documented programs. Each week, either your child, you, or both will meet with Dr. Greenaway. During the sessions, you will be exposed to techniques for shaping your child’s behavior, step-by-step. Although, there is a standard outline for treatment, the way the principles are applied will be catered to you and your child's particular needs. Keep in mind that for treatment to be effective, it will require commitment on your part. Research shows that approximately 12- 24 sessions are generally recommended for effects to be stable and long lasting.
Parent goups are also offered, which provide a place to learn specific techniques as well as to share and hear from other parents facing similar challenges. Groups are forming regularly. Inquire if interested.
Where does negative behavior come from?
Research has shown that children and adolescents with oppositional, defiant, or explosive behavior usually have deficits in at least one of the following five areas:
1. Executive Skills (planning ahead, organization, patience, problem-solving, staying focused)
2. Emotional Regulation Skills (ability to look on the bright side, handling frustration, controlling anger, self-soothing, reacting appropriately to upsets)
3. Language Skills (understanding what people say, understanding what is read, expressing self verbally or in writing)
4. Social Skills (making friends, keeping friends, conversation skills, appreciating the perspectives of others, recognizing one’s own and others’ feelings)
5. Flexible Thinking Skills (ability to change routine when needed, accepting changes in plans, understanding exceptions to rules, adapting to new people or situations)
Trouble in any of these areas leads to the child having problems tolerating frustration, being flexible, or thinking ahead. If your child is argumentative, aggressive, or has difficulty following rules, this may help explain why.
It’s usually not the parents’ fault
Some children, by their very nature, are more difficult to parent. They can be distractible, difficult to soothe, short-tempered, easily irritated, etc. We often refer to these children as “strong-willed,” “temperamental,” “oppositional-defiant,” “unmotivated,” “hyperactive,” and a host of other terms. These children often have some difficulty in one of the five areas mentioned previously, making it harder for them to tolerate frustration, be flexible, or think ahead. Blaming a parent for the child’s deficits in these areas would be similar to blaming parents for a child's learning disability. Like a learning disability, although the parents are not to blame, there are steps they can take to help manage the problem. Parents can also learn ways to give the child more opportunities to practice these skills.
It’s usually not the child’s fault
Common misconceptions are that these children are just stubborn, spoiled, or that they are trying to get attention by misbehaving. A more complete explanation is that they have skill deficits in
(1.) tolerating frustration, (2.) being flexible, or (3.) thinking ahead. A child is generally happier and more compliant if he/she is able to tolerate frustration, be flexible, adapt to new situations, and think through problems in order to solve them. These skills help us navigate through life with considerably less stress and aggravation. However, these are the exact skills that are usually lacking in children who are difficult to raise. Fortunately, through the use of researched-based techniques, children can get better at these skills.
Traditional discipline doesn’t always work
Traditional discipline systems focus on rules and punishments – break a rule, get punished, end of story. When parenting a child with a difficult temperament, this simplistic style of discipline is not enough. Oftentimes, punishments include being shouted at or spanked by an angry parent. Research shows that shouting, threatening, and other types of angry punishments sometimes stop the unwanted behavior in the moment but do not decrease the amount of times the child will engage in the negative behavior in the long run. In fact, these types of punishments often increase a child’s intensity. Traditional rules and punishments often work fine for the average child that has adequate ability to tolerate frustration or to be flexible. An easy child can make any parent look great; however, traditional disciplinary styles do not work with many children. Therefore, a new approach is called for. Learning a different perspective and implementing new strategies has been very beneficial to many parents .
Now Available:
Dr. Greenaway's Home Video Program for Parents of Oppositional Children
In this series of 8 DVDs, Dr. Greenaway teaches you the techniques that have been shown by research to be effective for changing children's behavior. He explains the reasons why they work and demonstrates how to apply the strategies for virtually any behavior problem. Each video is approximately 50 minutes and covers a different technique for various types of negative behaviors. Use them at your own pace in the convenience of your home. It is recommended that you watch one per week and spend the week applying the technique discussed. Each video is $29.99, and many parents see improvement even after applying the ideas presented in the first video. The complete set of 8 videos is $210 if ordered together. Email Dr. Greenaway, and he will call you back for your payment information and answer any question. These are the same techniques that Dr. Greenaway and other behavioral psychologists discuss and implement with parents that need help managing their children's difficult behaviors.