When children engage in challenging behaviors, it can be a difficult and emotional experience for everyone involved; however, these behaviors can be a form of communication–we just have to put on our detective hat!
The Importance of Challenging Behaviors
When a child is crying, hitting, screaming, or throwing things, it’s hard to see an upside, but these behaviors tell us the child has a need that is not being met. For some children, this may be the only way they can successfully express something is wrong. It might look like a tantrum on the outside, but the child could be experiencing physical or emotional needs that we can’t see. Challenging behaviors can be very effective in communicating “Stop!” “I don’t like that!” or “I don’t feel good.”
What do Challenging Behaviors Communicate?
If you are a clinician, take time to build rapport with the child and family, observe, and ask questions. Consider the context the behavior is occurring in. What is happening before and after challenging behaviors occur?
Speech-language pathologists know about different functions of communication, including:
Requesting items or activities
Requesting attention
Labeling and describing
Commenting
Protesting
Expressing feelings
Asking and answering questions
As you work with a child and family, you may be able to pinpoint communicative functions that the child is expressing through challenging behaviors. For example, are they hitting a caregiver as a way of protesting? When told it’s time to go, are they screaming and throwing toys to protest that they are not ready to leave?
The child could also be seeking sensory input, trying to regulate their energy, or responding to internal events, like pain.
The Role of the Speech-Language Pathologist
A speech-language pathologist can help children develop communication skills that will allow them to express their wants and needs without resorting to destructive, aggressive, or self-injurious behaviors. Depending on the severity of challenging behaviors, the speech-language pathologist may need to collaborate with other professionals or make referrals to ensure the child and family is receiving the support they need.
It can take time to teach a skill in speech therapy, see the child acquire the skill, and apply it to their daily life. Educating parents, grandparents, teachers, and other caregivers also plays an important role in development and carryover of communication skills. Throughout this time, challenging behaviors are likely to continue to occur during therapy sessions, and that’s okay! This can provide an opportunity for the child to learn and be supported by the adults around them. Caregivers can be an anchor in the storm as the child learns how to navigate their feelings and communicate using the tools provided in speech therapy.
I hope you enjoyed this "funtastic" blog post!
-Marissa Swanson, MA, CCC-SLP
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