Helping Parents with Challenging Children Positive Family Intervention Facilitator Guide

Challenging behavior, while common, can have a significant negative impacton the lives of children and their families. A child's behavior problems canexacerbate developmental setbacks and disrupt overall family functioning.Furthermore, families of children with behavior problems are often at risk fordrop out of intervention programs. This facilitator guide, along with thecorresponding workbook, aims to assist parents who have difficulty completingparent training and implementing interventions. It uses a fresh and resourcefulapproach, combining principles of applied behavior analysis, tools of positivebehavior support (PBS), and cognitive restructuring techniques. Parents begin begathering information about what sets off their child's problem behavior, aswell as what their child gets or avoids from misbehaving. They then learnstrategies to prevent problems, manage consequences, and teach their childskills. A behavior support plan is designed that fits the family's needs andgoals. Once the plan is put into place, it is monitored for effectiveness andadapted as necessary. Throughout the program, parents practice positive thinkingskills, which can enhance their parenting abilities. This guide gives detailedinstructions for conducting the optimism training and steering parents throughthe PBS process. The parent workbook provides assessment tools and forms to helpthe family carry out the intervention steps and track progress. The positivefamily intervention program may be useful for a variety of behavior problems andin conjunction with treatment for other disorders. It can be used with a rangeof ages and family situations. Facilitators working with families of childrenwith challenging behavior will find this an invaluable guide.