Using Skills to Change Behavior: A Strength Based Approach

Talon Greeff, LPC

Residential Care Director

Utah Youth Village

This training and additional resources can be found at

www.utahparenting.org

Overview

Introduction Research-based Approach Identifying Strengths Developing Strengths into Skills Conclusion

Introduction

Following Instructions Activity Steps to following instructions

Eye contact Say OK Do task Check back

Boss or parent who was not clear? Move the card “Be quiet”

Research-based Approach

Teaching-Family Model “is one of the few evidence-based residential treatment programs” (APA Online, 2009)

Skills development within caring relationships lead to lasting changes in behavior

Based in Social Learning Theory by Albert Bandura Direct Observation teaches behavior Behavior which is reinforced is maintained or

strengthened Bandura’s initial research was focused on aggression

in children

Skills Change Behavior

Skills are a series of behaviors that are linked together for a purpose

The Teaching-Family Model has demonstrated that teaching youth skills “using empirically validated methods” effectively addresses negative youth behavior (APA Online, 2009)

Rewards and consequences are used to motivate youth to learn the skills being taught and reinforce their use

Changing behavior through skills rather than consequences Helps work with your clients be more

pleasant, relaxed and fun Much more enjoyable to recognize and praise

positive behavior rather than address negative behavior

Skills can be used to positively address negative or problematic behavior

Produces better long-term results for the children and youth in our care “Forced” change is not long-term change

Strengths as Skills

Every child or youth has strengths Survival skills are often strengths A series of behaviors linked together are skills Strengths and skills may be hidden in negative

behaviors What is the youth doing that would be positive if

viewed by another person or in another environment? Negative behavior – “telling you no” Positive use of this behavior - resisting peer pressure

What are they doing now? How could it be worse? Example - Youth late home from school Could be worse if youth did not come home at all

Building on Strengths and Skills

Reinforce what they do well with specific descriptions “What can we praise?” Data shows that typical parents reinforce

behavior 1:17 Youth behavior improves with 4:1 ratios Set timer for 15 minute intervals and find

something to praise – “It’s hard” Sandwich positive interactions between

negative interactions Avoid negative spiral Forces you to find and reward strength or

positive behavior

Building on Strengths

You can address problem behavior with strengths or current skills working in other settings Praise and reward the strengths or positive behavior

that is opposite of the behavior you are concerned about

Develop strengths to address problem behavior “Map” over success and strengths onto problem

behavior Example: If the youth has grades that are an A and a D

ask “What works for you in the class with the A you can use in the class with a D to improve the grade?

“You get along great with Billy. What do you do with him that can help you get along with Sally?”

Help youth figure this out and help them develop it through skill refinement and praise

Strength-based Exercise

Behaviors that children who are in care may exhibit: Skipping school Disruptive in school Yelling Hitting Refusing to do chores Refusing to follow laws

Skills to Teach and Reinforce

Problem behaviors Skipping school Disruptive in school Yelling Hitting Refusing to do chores Refusing to follow rules

Skills to teach or reinforce Social interactions with peers Able to be on task with reading or drawing Assertiveness Concern for others Taking care of their room Rules the youth do follow or suggested rules

Develop Skills Based on Strengths

Identify the strengths that the youth have List what strengths they identify Others identify such as parents or foster parents What you see while they are with you

List the skills that you want the youth to learn or they identify that they want to learn

Take the strengths that you see and add the other strengths or steps that the youth need to learn a skill that helps them

Focus on the strengths that will have the most impact Shape and develop strengths into skills

Example:

Skill#: : Staying Calm Behavior- identifying ABC’s

Behavior- deep breathing

Behavior- counting to 10

Behavior- leaving situation

Behavior- voice/body check

Behavior- think of consequences

Behavior- relax arms and face

Skill#: : Following Instructions Behavior- maintain eye contact

Behavior- calm facial expressions

Behavior- calm voice tone

Behavior- acknowledgement

Behavior- completion of tasks immediately

Behavior- checking back

Focused Teaching

Skill #1 Once this skill is taught, then reinforce the use of the

whole skill – remember demonstration and roleplay Skill #2

When beginning to teach the second skill, stay FOCUSED on this skill

Begin to intermittently reinforce the first skill Once the second skill is taught, then reinforce the use

of the whole skill Skill #3

When teaching the third skill, stay FOCUSED on this skill

Intermittently reinforce the skills that have already been taught

Trouble Shooting

Teaching skills through roleplay Behavioral contracting or charting with “super

reinforcers” Chunk it down

Teaching Skills Through Roleplay

1. Describe the behavior you are teaching

2. Give a reason using an if/then statement

3. Demonstrate the behavior for the child

4. Have the child engage in the behavior and practice three times

5. Reward

Charting or Behavioral Contracting

Use a “super reinforcer” or reward Don’t just focus on the negative consequences Setup contract for youth to stretch, not generate a

new behavior Stretching positive behavior or a strength is much

more likely to lead to success Jumping to a new skill or behavior, especially if it is

difficult, is much less likely to be successful Avoid language that a dead person can do i.e. Don’t

yell, don’t swear.

Chunk it Down

If your youth or child is having difficulty doing a task, even if they have been successful in the past “chunk it down”

Chunking it down means dividing the task into parts that the youth or child can do

They may be frustrated, overwhelmed or unable to do the task, chunking it down makes it possible – “Kitchen chore”

Chunk the task down to pieces that play to youth skills and strengths

Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behavior It is easy to get frustrated with problem behavior and

apply a negative consequences Focus instead on reinforcing positive behavior It is a simple concept: praise and reward behaviors or

skills that are the opposite of the behavior you don’t want to see

The trick is to reward the skill or behavior that prevents them from doing the bad behavior

You cannot yell if you are using a normal voice, so praise a normal voice

You cannot be hitting if you are touching softly, so praise touching softly

Praise and reward a strength that makes it impossible for the youth to do the problem behavior

Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior Identify the problem behavior Identify the skill or behavior that the youth

have or you would like them to have Reinforce the behavior or skill you want to

have rather than the problem behavior We do this all the time with toddlers who ask

for a drink “Say please” “please” rather than “drink”

Conclusion

Creates a more enjoyable treatment experience

Produces a more pleasant home environment More effective results for children and youth

This training and additional resources can be found at

www.utahparenting.org