Friday, August 3, 2012

School is back!

School time is back!  Now is the time that many school systems are opening for the 2012-2013 school year.  With those first days comes some behavior issues with students.  Some students have difficulty transitioning from a more relaxed schedule at home to a more structured setting at school.  Today we are going to discuss the top five challenging behaviors that are seen with preschoolers.

The first behavior we will look at is delayed social skills.  Children this age might have difficulty wiating for a turn, sharing, following directions, joining a group, or respecting boundaries.  Simple interventions like redirecting a student to another activity or talking calmly with the student as you teach the target social skill work well.

The second behavior to discuss is adjusting to transitions.  Adjusting to changes in routine can be difficult for some children.  Some interventions such as singing a song, or making an announcement before a change in activity are helpful.

The third behavior to look at is aggressive behavior such as biting or hitting.  At the preschool age, children will often revert to physical means to communicate instead of using their words.  The adult should teach the child words to use, possibly using a social story to get the concepts across.

The fourth behavior with preschoolers that can be difficult to deal with is high activity levels in students.  Teachers can vary activities and ensure that movement is included throughout the day. 

The fifth most challenging behavior to deal with in preschoolers is disrupting class.  This can be characterized by blurting out, making noises (like growling), or talking excessively.  Teachers can use redirections, ignoring comments, and/or praising students who are quiet.

Preschoolers can exhibit challenging behaviors in the classroom setting at times.  These are just a few suggestions for how to respond.