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Parents Guide Book And Useful Advice

By Yaniv Rozen

(M.A)

All Rights Reserve Copyright 2006

Many families encounter the day to day difficulties of bad behaviour in children. This manual will try to advise parents that encounter behaviour difficulties of children and provide efficient solutions to many of the problems. Parents place boundaries on their children (or at the least try to). They demarcate for them the things that are allowable and those which are forbidden in family life in particular. It is possible to place boundaries by means of words or deeds. The reasons for and the possibilities related to the boundaries on children are great, beginning with eating and sleeping habits in infancy and ranging in older children from viewing television, dress code, curfews at night, to absenteeism from school. Boundaries exist for the safety of the child, like do not run into the street or careful of the electricity, and boundaries exist for the social benefit of the child, like do not stand on the table and do not hurt other children etc. Social boundaries are less clear and depend on the culture and character of the family. Parents might create boundaries to serve their own needs. Parents can concede on boundaries. They might be satisfied with few boundaries or may place excessive boundaries on children. The reasons for that are many. Therefore we attempt to help parents teach their children to act within social boundaries using an efficient exploratory method. We create a treatment personal to the parents to help set boundaries on their children and to improve the mood at home and in the family. The programme specializes in families with children suffering behavioural problems. This method of behaviour modification uses a token economy and is an institutionally planned method of behavioural based treatment. The tokens economy is parallel to basic economic ideals of supply and the demand. The child is offered a reward / reinforcement on suitable behaviour (from eating and sleeping habits to watching television and doing homework.) The higher the investment of the child in changing the behaviour, the higher the payment for investing in that change (the more radical the change, the stronger the reinforcement in token values). In the program the reinforcements are replaced in a concrete way by means of tokens, gold stickers or labels, which constitute symbolic reinforcements. Later the child will be able to exchange the concrete tokens with certain reinforcements as explained in this guidebook. The token will represent your approval to your child. Your child will understand the value of the token as you agree. Using the token it's impossible for the child to have instant gratification. The receipt of the prize, the tangible reinforcement, is postponed.

The time that passes between the behaviour and the retribution is of great importance because satisfaction is postponed. By understanding this ideal you will be able to obtain advisable results - as you minimize the number of the tokens, gradually, the immediate actual satisfaction becomes unnecessary. Your child will act well from full comprehension of what is required of him and what is important to do.

How to operate the program (stages of action and preparation)

Accurate definition and measurement of the behavioursThe first step to changing behaviour is the identification of the problem. The problem should be defined in detail and accurately. The following list of examples is specific to behaviour problems. Parents can use this to design behaviour for doing home work, waking up and / or sleeping on time, sitting quietly at the dinner table, quarrelling, cleaning of the bedroom, dressing, throwing objects etc. At this stage the goal is to define the target behaviour in detail according to what is acceptable. Then parents need to identify areas of change. Parents must make observations of target behaviour and record everyday behaviour and reactions to the environment (members of the family, friends in class) The definition and recording will include the frequency the target behaviour (retrospectively) and if a change indeed occurs after the implementation of the program. After observation it will be easier to locate and formulate behaviours that need to be changed and those that need to be preserved and to see the effect of the programme at its conclusion. In summary: Identify the problematic behaviour in accurate terms. Include examples and characteristics that are measurable. Be specific and clear. It is highly recommended to watch the target behaviour (the behaviour we want to change) in different environments and during different times of the day. For example Different locations- School, play yard, friends or familys house. Different timesMorning, noon and evening. This entire process is designed to lead you to understand the triggers of the target behaviour, that is, how the environment is manipulated by the behaviour causing by the

triggers. Using this information you can create a new environmental responds and to control the triggers by appropriate preparation, primary expectation, teaching alternative behaviour, giving useful advices (what he should do if ) and practicing the acceptable behaviour. Its always critical and crucial to have all this information. The more information we have the higher the chance of changing behaviour. It is very important to know whether the reason for the behaviour is frustration or the need for attention. You will deal with the problem in a different way. If the child is behaving badly because he cannot concentrate we teach him how to concentrate but if he is behaving badly because he wants attention we need to modify his behaviour differently.

Introducing Program Rules

The next stage is presenting the program to your child. This includes explanations on essence and goals of the program. Collaboration is important therefore demonstrate the program as new game or as deal between the sides. You have to explain to your child that his good behaviour will gain him credit in tokens or points that later he will be able to convert into different prizes. The program regulation should be clear in order that your child understand what to do and what to avoid.

Determining Reinforcements and their exchange rates

In token economy reinforcement is the main variable of the program therefore parents must be accurate in choosing the most significant reinforcements for the child. A creation of different variety of reinforcements is highly recommended. Parents must also decide on different fines (in tokens) for bad performance. The best way is to ask the child directly which reinforcements he prefers. The reinforcement must be adapted to his desire. It is forbidden for the parents to choose reinforcements for him. The reinforcement must be adapted to the effort the child needs to make in order to change his behaviour. Do not give an impressive reinforcement on simple trivial assignment and the other way around. Likewise it is important to remember to avoid saturation of reinforcements in order to avoid the loss of their significance. It is therefore important to change the reinforcements [not the tokens though they can also be changed] so that the child will not lose interest.

After finding a variety of reinforcements, parents have to define the exchange rate, number of points or tokens the child can accumulate for good behaviour. Data can be registered on a board at home or in personal ticket etc. Presenting data in visual way enables the parents and the child to know if improvement occurs within the program. Commendation and encouragement must be spoken after each given reinforcement

The next chart marks the retribution in token for good and bad behaviour:
behavioural
M

Good beha
T W T

2. Bad beha .1
F S S

Total Good beha

Total Bad Beha

Total points

remarks

Screaming: mo

1 2

1 1 1

1 2 2

1 2 1 1 1 1

1 1 1

1 2 2

15

G-15*5=75 B-6*4=-24 51=75-24 Total achieved: 51 G- 2*3=6 B- 5*3=-15 9- =15 -6 Total achieved: -9 G- 5*2=10 B- 2*2=4 6 =10-4 Total achieved: 6 G- 4*5=20 B- 1*5=5 15=20-5 Total achieved: 15 63=51-9+6+15 Total weekly achieved 63

noon evening Having bath on time

On Saturday Behaved very badly Screamed allot and for long .time Refused to have bath on time for the most days of .the weed There is enormous Improvement from last week Behaved very good except tue-had difficulties in mat

1 2

Tidy his room

1
Making h.w (all and on time (15.00

1 1

1 1

Total weekly achieved

15+3 +6+4 =5+4 =2+1 27 13

SCREAMING- 4 POINT WILL BE TAKEN (FINE) ANY TIME THE CHILD IS BREAKING THE RULE. FOR EXMPLE IF THE CHILD SCREAMED 5 TIMES IN A DAY 20 POINTS WILL BE TAKEN (5*4=20).

* Each behaviour target must have a baseline before the intervention begins.

The next chart demonstrates different reinforcements and their values in the tokens:
Going for a Rugby Game Going on Safari Trip New Jeans Favorite Activity with Parent Going to a Movie Tokens 200 Tokens 150 Tokens 120 Tokens 80 Tokens 70

The next chart shows the rate of good behaviour and fines for not achieving target behaviour:
Morning, Noon and Nigh scream didnt ing- Morning, Noon and Nigh scream bath on time having do his bath on time didnt .Tidying The Room Untidy Room all his hw on time did complite all his hw and not on time didnt token 5, time each token fine for each time- 4 many time as its happen Tokens 3 Fine 3 Tokens 2 Tokens Fine 2 Tokens 5 Tokens fine 5

Running the programAfter all the preparatory stages are done its possible to start implementation of the program. All suitable behaviour performed must appear immediately on the chart and additionally parents have to commend and to encourage the continuation of good behaviours. Consistency in response and accurate recording (or proportional fines) are necessary, do not forget it. Consistent demands are easier to understand and to obey than discontinuous demands which confuse the child. Reminders: - Programs rules must be clear to your child. - Each given reinforcement most be followed with commendation and encouragement. - Achievement tokens are not for immediate use. - Analyze your childs behaviour at the end of each day so he will know which behaviour he still needs to put effort into and what is done well. Important to know: The final goal of the program is a creating balance between giving positive attention to the child and implementation good behaviours.

When you, the parents, know that a significant improvement occurred in the childs behaviour it's possible to start planning the end of the program. This must be done step by step in gradual way. It is highly recommended to raise number of tokens that is accepted for behaviour and then to exchange gradually the tokens for positive verbal social reinforcements.

Is punishment required?
As aforesaid, it is better to withhold the reward than to use punishment, for example, a child is obstructing their homework aiming to avoid doing the homework; the best remedy is to enforce the completion of the homework. This way the child is not rewarded for their bad behaviour. If the child is screaming to gain attention the resolution is to withhold attention. If the child is screaming because of boredom, then the resolution is to keep the child busy. There are cases in which no alternative to punishment exists. When all other methods have had failed, parents may decide to use punishment but only once they understand the following: It is critical that the child understands what kind of behaviour he is punished for. It is advisable that a child be warned once before punishment is administered so that he has the opportunity to correct the behaviour. It is very important to establish a connection between the behaviour and the punishment. An arbitrary punishment creates embitterment and does not achieve its goal. Punishment which is significant to the behaviour is more effective. If for example, a child is hitting his sister, his punishment should be to bring her three bunches of wild flowers per day and make her dinner. Disappointment, annoyance and irritation are also punishments for a childs behaviour. Everything that creates an unpleasant sensation for a child is also a punishment. An especially effective punishment for smaller children is time-out. In this instance the child can physically be placed in a quiet room for an agreed period of time where he can relax and calm down. It is critical that the parent keeps the child in this room for the agreed period. Parents must be able to hear the child and understand his reaction to timeout.

Good luck!!!