18/02/2021
Love this idea!
Kids Do Well If They Can- No “Behavior Plan” Needed.
Very often, it’s the “go to” intervention in school. A child has difficulty meeting expectations, it presents as challenging behavior, and a “behavior plan” is created.
The image is very similar to the countless behavior plans I’ve seen working in the schools for two decades. Behaviorists LOVE behavior plans. However, the overwhelming majority of kids DO NOT LOVE behavior plans. Let’s talk about WHY they don’t love them.
This behavior plan for a child who is diagnosed with ADHD. This child is impulsive, sensory seeking, “on the go”, brilliant, creative and just generally awesome.
First, the point system:
1= I did it.
0= oh no! I had a hard time.
In the example, the child had to assign a number for their behavior. If they had a hard time, they had to circle zero, awarding zero points. If you were that child, HOW WOULD THAT MAKE YOU FEEL? What if they felt they tried their hardest, but still had to give themself a zero? That’s demoralizing!
Next, the Categories:
Did I try not to disrupt others with my words or body?
In a “Kids Do Well If They Can” mindset, we need to assume kids are ALWAYS trying.
Did I do what the teacher told me to do?
If they’re going to fill the chart out at the end of class, they may not have a clue about WHY they weren’t able to do what the teacher told them to do. The teacher may have an opinion, but it may not be accurate. With no input from the child, the child won’t have an understanding of what their body needed to meet expectations, and therefore won’t have the tools to improve their performance next time.
Did I try my best to do my work?
This child circled “NO” on “word study”, and they were really, REALLY sad about it. They didn’t want to circle “NO”. They told me they DID try their best. I believe it. This child always tries their best. It doesn’t help AT ALL to ever believe that this child, or any child, doesn’t try their best.
Finally, the Scoring System:
If the child earns 10 or more points, they’re rewarded by being able to take a break. However, if they earn less than 6 points, they have to take a break? I thought the break was the reward? It appears that after already demoralizing this child, they've decided that punishing them by withholding a “privilege” is an effective strategy to improve behavior, which we know it’s not.
Let’s say the child earns 7 points, allowing them 5 minutes of device time (an arbitrary number). They choose a favorite 5 minute video on YouTube, however they lost a minute or two cleaning up, retrieving their device, and returning to their seat. The child will not have enough time to watch the complete video. That’s a very difficult transition for a neurodivergent child, which may lead to more challenging behavior after they just received their “reward” for good behavior. It’s an endless cycle of “behavior management”.
Behavior plans are not best practice. There’s a better way.
Plan B from Ross Greene’s evidence-based Collaborative and Proactive Solutions Model was consistently an effective problem-solving solution for this child. But, the school liked their charts and they liked their data.
This impulsive, sensory seeking, “on the go”, brilliant, creative and just generally awesome child was able to proactively solve problems when:
1) I noticed they were having a hard time and asked what’s up
2) I expressed my adult concerns and
3) I invited them to help solve the problem with me.
100% of the time, we were able to provide the support they needed in order to meet expectations and get their work done, and we did it collaboratively!
No. Behavior. Plan. Needed.
This child hates their behavior plan. A lot of kids hate their behavior plan.
Behavior plans are demoralizing, kid blaming, kid shaming and controlling. Although they give you lots of data, they SOLVE NO PROBLEMS.
We solve problems DURABLY by bringing kids into the problem-solving process. Data can never take precedent over basic humanity.
If we maintain a Kids Do Well If They Can mindset, we soon realize that behavior charts like this are unnecessary. We need to change our mindset. The research supports a change in mindset.
Our kids need us to change our mindset.
Link to information regarding the CPS Model in the comments.
