Beyond Telling: Improving Initiation and Self Advocacy for Behavioral Challenges
Presentation Abstract
Too often, students may not consistently use and generalize the positive behavioral supports developed for them because of initiation and self-monitoring deficits that are key components of executive dysfunction. Teams often feel frustrated that a student has been taught behavioral skill(s) but does not generalize the use of those skill(s) independently. Teachers frequently rely on “telling” and reminding the student to practice the skills they have been taught. As a result, individuals who should be more independent in their actions still rely on frequent cuing from teachers, parents, or support specialists, thereby, missing opportunities to self-initiate or self-monitor their own skills. Continued and frequent verbal reminders become the entrenched trigger for the use of the behavioral supports and become more and more difficult to fade from use, perpetuating the ongoing need for direct, intrusive and, in some cases, increased support.
In Beyond Telling, the conditions of weak initiation and poor metacognition as a part of executive function weaknesses are defined. Numerous antidotal experiences are shared throughout the presentation to illustrate the key principles. Specific intervention activities are provided for a variety of daily activities occurring at school, at home, and in the community for individuals of all ages. It is critical that we target these areas that so frequently impact our client successes to support growth in the independent use of behavioral supports and self-advocacy.
Recommended Citation
Walters, Sharon and Delvin-Brown, Angela, "Beyond Telling: Improving Initiation and Self Advocacy for Behavioral Challenges" (2017). Georgia Association for Positive Behavior Support Conference. 59.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gapbs/2017/2017/59
Beyond Telling: Improving Initiation and Self Advocacy for Behavioral Challenges
Too often, students may not consistently use and generalize the positive behavioral supports developed for them because of initiation and self-monitoring deficits that are key components of executive dysfunction. Teams often feel frustrated that a student has been taught behavioral skill(s) but does not generalize the use of those skill(s) independently. Teachers frequently rely on “telling” and reminding the student to practice the skills they have been taught. As a result, individuals who should be more independent in their actions still rely on frequent cuing from teachers, parents, or support specialists, thereby, missing opportunities to self-initiate or self-monitor their own skills. Continued and frequent verbal reminders become the entrenched trigger for the use of the behavioral supports and become more and more difficult to fade from use, perpetuating the ongoing need for direct, intrusive and, in some cases, increased support.
In Beyond Telling, the conditions of weak initiation and poor metacognition as a part of executive function weaknesses are defined. Numerous antidotal experiences are shared throughout the presentation to illustrate the key principles. Specific intervention activities are provided for a variety of daily activities occurring at school, at home, and in the community for individuals of all ages. It is critical that we target these areas that so frequently impact our client successes to support growth in the independent use of behavioral supports and self-advocacy.
