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Behavior

The most common thinking behind children's behavior is, children do well if they want to. However, is this accurate? We believe a better way to view behavior is, children do well if they can. Children with persistent challenging behaviors often exhibit difficulties with certain skills. Therefore, remediation of those difficulties will result in reduction or elimination of the challenging behaviors. Here you will find a complete walk through behaviors, what they are, when they are typical, and how to deal with when they are not.

What is Behavior?

Behavior is:

the manner of conducting oneself
a response to a stimulus
Pretty much, everything we do is behavior!

But, most importantly, behavior is communication. It is the outward expression of ones internal state.

When is Behavior a Problem?

According to Problem- Behavior Theory, a problem behavior is defined as a behavior that is:

not socially appropriate
a source of concern
undesirable by the social and/or legal norms of conventional society and its institution of authority.
stopping a child from participating

Behaviors commonly described as challenging or problematic:

Aggression towards others or self-injury
Destruction of property
Defiance, disobedience or non-compliance
Intense emotional responses, tantrums, or meltdowns
Manipulation of a situation for own benefit
Disregarding needs of other (It is normal for a toddler to do this occasionally as they do not understand needs of others. Check developmental milestones.)
Non-conformity with social norms or expectations.

Remember, in order for a behavior to become a problem it should be persistent. If a child exhibits one of these behaviors once or twice, it may just be part of typical development.

Typical, Difference, or Disorder?

When looking at behaviors, start first by asking, "Is it typical?" Sometimes a behavior may just be a part of development or it may be a typical behavior that may be occurring at an unexpected age.

If the behavior is not typical, is it just "different"? And if so, is is significant enough to be a disorder?

Video: Extreme Toddler Tantrums - What's Normal? What's not?

Early Development Insights