1. Strategies for Guiding Behaviour and Decision-Making
1. What strategies and interventions could you use to support the learners in the case study to make decisions and guide their own behaviour?
2. How you would prepare the physical and social environment to contribute to the child’s relationship with others and learning?
3. What specific involvement would external agencies and professionals have in the strategies outlined in your response to the case study?
4. What are the family, cultural and ethical considerations related to the case study?
5. How can you make effective use of policy frameworks and external support organisations in response to this case study?
6. What behaviour framework, strategy and model would you apply in response to your chosen case study?
7. What theories have you used to guide your approaches to behaviour management in your case study response?
1. Ahmad behavior showed lack of communication to interact in school and classroom settings. Therefore, school interventions and strategies are important that would help Ahmed and his family to cope with this kind of behavior. A creative, understanding and patience environment is required to guide this kind of behavior (Christophersen &Vanscoyoc, 2013). An active and positive approach is required for guiding his behavior and encouraging them to achieve positive self-esteem, achieve success and increase his competence. Therefore, behavior guidance strategies need to be adopted by the family members and school staffs who would constantly help him to establish positive relationships and feelings of security (Wheeler & Richey, 2014). By establishing routines (e.g. always starting the day with a quiz or a story), children feel safe. A consistent routine with no major surprises helps to build a trusting relationship between children and teachers (Smart Classroom Management, 2016). Children need to feel ownership about the decisions they make and their learning. An intervention requires a structured plan with a set of actions, a timeframe and subsequent review (Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, 2010). He should not be forced to communicate or participate in any kind of activities. Moreover, he should be engaged in activities in which there is no requirement of spoken language like board games, writing and silent reading. He needs to be communicated in a different way like through gestures, symbols and verbal reports (Maag, 2016). The school should make sure that he is engaged in group activities or teams despite of his restricted communication. He should be praised for his activities and also help him to talk with the help of a peer.
2. Preparation of the Physical and Social Environment
These interventions are advantageous for Ahmad as it can assist him in dealing with his changed behavior and provide emotional support. It would give him a secured environment where he would feel comfortable to interact and express his feelings. This kind of environment would assist him to respond to his needs. Group engagement would help him to be communicative and engaged in nature. Therefore, he would become more expressive and engaged in school.
2. Learning, safe and comfortable environment is required for Ahmed where he feels relaxed to communicate and become socially engaged with others in school as well as at home. An environment where he would fell loved, engaged and free from any kind of threats. He should be provided with such an engaging environment where he takes part in activities like school plays, parks, outdoor games that would promote communication outside his home (Harms, Clifford & Cryer, 2014). Age appropriate equipments and materials in the classroom would help him to participate actively and provide him space so that his choices are met properly. He should be encouraged to participate in drama and group activities in the class along with support from the teacher. The play area should be well spaced with less number of kids and provide opportunities for independent and solitary play. This kind of physical environment would help him to be confident and engaged.
The social environment should be very engaging and communicative for Ahmed. He should be encouraged to take part in birthday parties and school plays. He should be rewarded for his social communication at school that would encourage him to take part in social activities in school (Wells, Evans & Cheek, 2016). He should be encouraged to participate and communicate in class. Concisely, a safe environment where he can express his feelings is required for Ahmed to cope up his behavior.
3. External agencies (both government and commercial) are required to facilitate change. And professionals are required for helping Ahmed manage his behavior and provide behavior guidance and manage his behavior. The non verbal communication would help to enhance his communication skills and empower his social skills. Moreover, the implementation of the policy like Behavior Support Policy would help to guide his behavior in schools. The Supporting and Managing Children’s Behavior would also help him in providing a learning, creative and supportive environment for Ahmed. The Department of Education and Children’s services in Australia helps the children and their families to manage and guide this kind of behavior (Bower, van Kraayenoord& Carroll, 2015). The support services meant for children to address this kind of behavior can be contacted through telephone. They provide various services that would help Ahmed and his family like assessment of the behavior, individual behavior plan, counseling for his family and support from various agencies. These services also help them to consult with professionals like guidance counselor, behavior therapist, preschool field officer or inclusion support facilitator. These professionals work in collaboration with child’s family, carers and teachers. Moreover, early year educators and preschool teachers would implement behavior management strategies to provide help to Ahmed and his family. The professionals like behavior expert or school psychologist also help them to coordinate with families and school authorities to plan the behavior assessment and guidance.
3. Involvement of External Agencies and Professionals
After contacting this support service, they would help them to assess Ahmad’s behavior and provide appropriate program evaluation for him as well as for the family. They would equip him with support like trained therapists and counselors who would provide support in school and in providing early child care. They would also provide access to quality learning environment for Ahmad to manage his behavior both at school and at home. They would also provide him secured and comfortable environment where he could respond to his behavior. They would also teach his family to cope up with this kind of behavior. They would also assist him in school so that he is able to overcome and manage his behavior.
4. In this case, Ahmad behaves normal at home and believes there is no problem with him. Howver, the teacher should have a sensitive approach towards Ahmad’s family so that they do not act defensive and try to understand his changing behavior. They might wait for the condition to outgrow in him. Therefore, his school teacher should talk to his parents so that they understand his changing behavior as he behaves normal at home. They might not be aware of the key signs and symptoms and might relate to shyness or avoidance or phobia (Dingwall, Eekelaar& Murray, 2014). Therefore, while assessing his behavior, they should be able to put Ahmad’s needs and best interests and assess him.
While providing him support, priority should be given to his needs and concerns. He should not be judged or considered as a different child. The people around him should behave normally with him while providing him a communicative and engaged environment (Martin & Pear, 2015). Moreover, he should not be forced to communicate forcefully with people around him and should be sensitive while providing him support. He must be dealt in such a way where he should not feel isolated or deprived due to his changed behavior.
5. By combining strategic approaches and policy frameworks, can develop a behavior support plan. A behavior support plan is a school-based document designed to assist individual students who have experienced this kind of changed behavior.
This support plan is an initiate that helps in achieving the behavioral change and teaching skills. Effective classroom support is required for a positive behavior and most importantly teacher tools are required. The teachers would benefit from this plan by reinforcing Ahmad in managing his behavior. It would provide a user manual to the teachers on technical skills that would focus on teaching Ahmad new communication skills and help him to be engaged. The written document would help Ahmad’s teacher to focus on the priority areas like enhancing of communication that would help to assess the cause of his changed behavior. The assessment of the incidents that trigger this kind of behavior, problems related to his behavior and the consequences would help his teacher to find out the cause of his changed behavior. This program would help the teacher to manage his behavior at school and provide him a caring environment where he would be able to response to his needs.
4. Family, Cultural, and Ethical Considerations
The Behavior Support Policy for Early Childhood Services is a policy that supports the teachers, educators in achieving a positive learning and behavioral outcomes and environment that support their behavior (Hinkley, Carson &Hesketh, 2015). They are aimed at providing the high quality and developmental programs that targets children’s emotional and physical well-being and help them to achieve successful learning. This policy would be helpful as it is applied in all departments like preschools, play centers, child parent centers. Moreover, this policy is also recommended for early childhood educators and care providers who would also help Ahmed to manage his behavior and seek support. This policy would also help to describe the roles and responsibilities of the different departments that would support Ahmed and seek help for his behavior. It also gives a constructive approach in guiding and management of behavior. It would also address the needs of Ahmed and enhance his capacity to participate in learning and avoid social isolation.
6. The socio-communication model is one of the approaches that goes beyond the speech and includes the non-verbal behavior from the socio-communication model perspective (Pickles et al., 2016). The non-verbal training therapy would reinforce the eye contact and targets activities like the standing, clapping and facial movements that helps to produce speech in them. The alternate methods of communication like writing are also taken into consideration in this model. The non-verbal participation in various joint activities like the fade support that involves physical manipulation of hand that show objects to communicate with others to participate in games (Constantino et al., 2016). The water coloring, joint attention by eye gaze and roles in the activities like drama are some of the non-verbal methods encouraging non-verbal communication. The non-verbal communication involves in activities like facial expression, picture reading and voiced laugh would be helpful for Ahmed to get engaged in the social settings and enhance communication.
This model consists of approaches that would help Ahmad to enhance his communication skills in school and manage his behavior. As it contains non-verbal therapy and communication, it would help him to communicate and be socially engaged. It would also aid him to take active participation in the classroom activities. Moreover, this approach would help him to assist in non-verbal communication and help in getting engaged with other children.
7. Two theories had been used to guide the approaches to behaviour management in the case study response; Jean Piaget’s behavior management theory and Maslow’s need theory. As per the theory of Jean Piaget, knowledge ofcognitive development in children is necessary to manage their behavior and apply proper techniques. The theory states that the knowledge children have regarding reality can be realized through observation and touching. This concept is used as constructivism. Jean recognized that there are developmental stagesin knowledge acquisition (Neisser, 2014). Therefore attempts were made to stimulate these needs for developing a positive experience. The second theory that was applied is Maslow’s need theory. This theory is underpinned by theory of motivation. The theory of human needs lay out three assumptions; human needs are difficult to satisfy, human behavior is motivated through the need for satisfaction and needs may be classified as per the hierarchical structure of importance (Buss, 2015). The needs of the Ahmed were therefore taken care of for managing his behavior. Emotional as well as physical needs were fulfilled to the extent possible so that he could achieve better outcome. The priorities were stability, emotional security, freedom and protection. Help was provided to develop a sense of self-confidence.
References
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Buss, D. (2015). Evolutionary psychology: The new science of the mind. Psychology Press.
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Dingwall, R., Eekelaar, J., & Murray, T. (2014). The protection of children: State intervention and family life (Vol. 16). Quid Pro Books.
Harms, T., Clifford, R. M., & Cryer, D. (2014). Early childhood environment rating scale.Teachers College Press.
Hinkley, T., Carson, V., &Hesketh, K. D. (2015). Physical environments, policies and practices for physical activity and screen?based sedentary behaviour among preschoolers within child care centres in Melbourne, Australia and Kingston, Canada. Child: care, health and development, 41(1), 132-138.
Maag, J. W. (2016). Behavior management: From theoretical implications to practical applications. Cengage Learning.
Martin, G., & Pear, J. J. (2015). Behavior modification: What it is and how to do it. Psychology Press.
Neisser, U. (2014). Cognitive psychology: Classic edition. Psychology Press.
Pickles, A., Le Couteur, A., Leadbitter, K., Salomone, E., Cole-Fletcher, R., Tobin, H., …&Aldred, C. (2016). Parent-mediated social communication therapy for young children with autism (PACT): long-term follow-up of a randomised controlled trial. The Lancet, 388(10059), 2501-2509.
Wells, N. M., Evans, G. W., & Cheek, K. A. (2016).Environmental psychology. Environmental Health: From Global to Local, 203.
Wheeler, J. J., & Richey, D. D. (2014). Behavior management: Principles and practices of positive behavior supports. Pearson.
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