Blog Category: Behavior
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Kids Need Predictability – COVID-19
by Torri Wright | March 26th, 2020
With a wide-spread panic, no one really knows what is going to happen or to come, how can we not panic? How can we confidently tell our children all is well, particularly those who are old enough to see media outlets. In all the years I have been working with children, in schools, private homes, and facilities, this is definitely the most widely panicked I have witnessed professionals becoming and understandably so. I wanted to share a bit about my thoughts as a professional and parent.
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Multiple Variable Observation Benefits: #7 of Seven Misconceptions Organizations Make When Tracking Behavior
by Torri Wright | February 12th, 2020
As we are collecting data, sometimes we get hyper-focused on one thing or the crisis itself and we miss key components that lead up to the dysregulation/crisis. Acknowledging the variables around a person as influencers help us to become more observant take a step back to see a bigger picture. The macro/micro is what I like to call this. When I can look at things from a bird’s eye view, I see the surrounding area and what is pushing one way or another.
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Trends and Patterns Within Behavior: #6 of Seven Misconceptions Organizations Make When Tracking Behavior
by Torri Wright | February 5th, 2020
When we collect on-going data, we begin to see trends or patterns that we otherwise would miss, given the information would be subjective and most often related to the most recent interactions. When individuals struggle with seasonal depression, trauma-related regression, changes in schedules or time changes, these show up clearly in data, over time. For these kinds of trends to be identified one would need to commit to collecting data for, at minimum a year, most effectively two years to have comparative data.
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Communicating Through Behavior: #5 of Seven Misconceptions Organizations Make When Tracking Behavior
by Torri Wright | January 29th, 2020
Sally is a 12-year-old who expresses a high-level of sensory seeking behavior, has notable anxiety related to social situations outside of familiar locations and people, and often recoils, both physically and verbally, when someone new steps within 3 ft or more of her proximity. Her parents have taken her to a variety of professionals, doctors and therapists. The diagnosis Sally currently has is sensory processing disorder with social anxiety and communication disorder. Her parents have struggled to understand what Sally needs, as she is not always able to accurately report. While she has great articulation and vernacular, she struggles with being able to identify her needs or connections to what is influencing her discomfort.
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Behavior and The Environment: #4 of Seven Misconceptions Organizations Make When Tracking Behavior
by Torri Wright | January 22nd, 2020
The environment is a critical variable, frequently discredited or undervalued in how variations of our environment can impact how we “feel” throughout our day. An example of this would be pollen count increase, along with high winds moving the pollen around. Due to the weather being nice, everyone goes outside to play and get fresh air. For an individual who may be sensitive or even highly sensitive, we are now exposing them to an element that not only will impact how they feel but will have a lasting impact.
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Behavior Happens Out of Nowhere: #3 of Seven Misconceptions Organizations Make When Tracking Behavior
by Torri Wright | January 15th, 2020
The notion of behavior happening out of the blue is mildly dangerous. When we fail to see the causation or influences leading to dysregulated behavior, we are only looking at the challenging/crisis behavior. If we are in an organization needing to support those with complex or challenging behavior, then this idea should be challenged every time it is brought up. The entire reason BEHCA was designed is to address the significant lack of awareness that our environment, health, and relationships significantly impact how we show up and become dysregulated.
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Assumptions - "They are doing it on purpose": #2 of Seven Misconceptions Organizations Make When Tracking Behavior
by Torri Wright | January 8th, 2020
The age old break down of assumption can be applied here, however, this goes beyond a general reaction. When we make assumptions, we are imposing our perspective as another person’s and failing to be person-centered. We are also failing to see “why” the behavior is present and what is the function for that person. In other words, what do they gain with the behavior and what were they trying to get before the behavior? If we step back and look past the behavior and observe the person within their natural environment and see how they interact with the world, those around them and the responses to each of those details, we begin to form a narrative that allows us to develop a hypothesis of why the behavior is there.
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Tick Mark Tracking: #1 of Seven Misconceptions Organizations Make When Tracking Behavior
by Torri Wright | January 1st, 2020
Tick Mark Tracking is a form of tracking behavior that only collects information on exactly how many times someone did one particular behavior, or perhaps a handful, such as hitting, kicking, biting, throwing objects, etc. This form of tracking behavior has been around forever and I when I would participate in this, many years ago, I was never really clear what this was telling us. In fact, I most often observed the individual becoming extremely angry, as they were aware of someone “writing” down what they were doing. It felt antagonizing and disrespectful. Plus, I still did not understand the “why.”