Behavior
When a child exhibits challenging behaviors, it can have an impact on the whole family. This page of the website will contain resources about Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and other strategies that may be helpful for families.
- Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
- Bullying
- Challenging Behavior
- Mental Health
- Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
Showing Results 1 - 50 of 347
Description: Text and Online Acronyms Parents Need to Know - When it comes to texting, parents and children don’t speak the same language. Texting often includes acronyms. An acronym is an abbreviation, that consists of the initial letters of the other words and is pronounced as a single word. When you look at your child’s text messages or online chats, you likely won’t understand these acronyms. But they are popular on the internet and found mostly on social media platforms because they...
Description: People with disabilities often encounter challenges when seeking out effective and accessible mental health care, whether it’s in-person or virtual communication barriers making it difficult to interact with a mental health professional or the lack of reliable transportation for a person with a mobility-related disability. Warning Signs and Symptoms - Trying to tell the difference between what expected behaviors are and what might be the signs of a mental...
Description: Autism and Challenging Behaviors: Strategies and Support - Challenging behaviors represent some of the most concerning and stressful features of autism. These behaviors can often cause harm or damage, family and staff stress, isolation, and caregiver burnout. Parents may feel guilty or responsible, but it is important to know that you should not blame yourself for behaviors that you find difficult. Sometimes, the extraordinary steps parents go through for their children with complex needs...
Description: Factsheet for Virginia’s Parents Supporting Positive Behavior in Young Children - Addressing challenging behavior in a positive manner brings results. Strategies for young children will be different than those for older children, but families and schools, including preschool, benefit from using the nationally recognized approach called Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS). PBIS is an approach to resolving challenging or disruptive behaviors that recognizes that behavior is...
Description: How to Help Your Child Get Motivated in School - What You'll Learn: Why do some kids have trouble getting motivated in school? How can parents help their children try harder in school? It’s common for kids to lack motivation in school. Sometimes, this happens because the child has ADHD, anxiety, social challenges, or a learning disability. But other times, kids without a diagnosable problem still have trouble living up to their potential in school. This article provides a few ways that...
Description: Manifestation Determination Reviews (MDRs) Toolkit - PEATC has developed another Toolkit to help parents navigate complex special education processes. An MDR is a process used when a student with an IEP has violated the Student Code of Conduct at their school and a change in placement is being considered. The MDR review determines whether the student’s behavior is a manifestation of their disability. If it is, then certain protections under IDEA apply for that student. Our toolkit provides...
Description: Parents and families are critical partners in supporting students with intensive academic and behavioral needs. It is important to recognize that every parent and family member is different, with varying levels of knowledge and comfort with school; they may not consider their involvement in the school in the same way that the school perceives it. As a result, our approach to parent and family engagement should be differentiated. It is important to: share information about the school’s...
Description: How to help your child manage back-to-school anxiety - Going back to school can be a stressful time for kids and families. There may be big changes like switching to a new school or having more than one teacher. Kids who learn and think differently can be particularly anxious about keeping up or fitting in. Experts weigh in: "How can I get my young child less anxious about starting school?" - Starting school can be exciting for young kids. It can also be scary. That’s true whether this is...
Description: How to Help Kids Stop Bedwetting - It’s normal for very young children to have accidents or wet the bed at night. But if a child continues to struggle with these behaviors past the age of five, and they’re doing it several times a week, it may be a sign of a disorder called enuresis. A doctor can diagnose a child with enuresis — peeing at inappropriate times, either on purpose or by accident — after ruling out medical issues like diabetes, sleep apnea, or a urinary...
Description: Self-Care Exercises and Activities- The topics provided cover ways to maintain your physical health, decrease stress, increase relaxation and equanimity, and deal with challenging emotional situations (including work situations). We invite you to find the ones that are applicable to your life and situation.
Description: The Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids Pre-K Project is a video series, based on mental health research, created to make important mental health skills available to preschool children (age 3 to 5). These videos introduce important ideas, taught the way young children learn best: through entertaining, relatable stories set in a vivid, imaginary world. Each video features a memorable song that reinforces the key messages. We invite you to watch the complete series with your children or students. You can...
Description: Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. Youth Mental Health First Aid is primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical...
Description: Children and Mental Health: Is This Just a Stage? - Raising a child can be challenging. Even under the best circumstances, their behaviors and emotions can change frequently and rapidly. All children are sad, anxious, irritable, or aggressive at times, or they occasionally find it challenging to sit still, pay attention, or interact with others. In most cases, these are just typical developmental phases. However, such behaviors may indicate a more serious problem in some children. Mental...
Description: Teen Depression: More Than Just Moodiness - Being a teenager can be tough, but it shouldn’t feel hopeless. If you have been feeling sad most of the time for a few weeks or longer and you’re not able to concentrate or do the things you used to enjoy, talk to a trusted adult about depression. Do I have depression? How do I get help for depression?
Description: The focus of the March 2024 Natural Resources listserv is play for each and every child and family.
Description: The Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids Project is a series of 20 free videos that feature more than 150 caregivers, kids, and experts talking about some of the most pressing, confusing, and challenging questions that parents face. With support from California Governor Gavin Newsom, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and the Department of Health Care Services, these videos are designed to help every parent and caregiver in California and beyond support their kids’ mental health...
Description: Resilience for Kids With Dyslexia, Learning and Attention Issues - Hear from Fumiko Hoeft, M.D., Ph.D., a psychiatrist and a cognitive neuroscientist, about how resilience can help kids with dyslexia succeed in school and in life. Learn how you as a parent can build resilience by showing support, providing mentorship, focusing on strengths, and building social/emotional resilience. With these tips, you can create a resilience framework for your child with learning and attention issues....
Description: The Family Resource Center provides information to support children who are struggling with mental health, behavior or learning challenges.
Description: Ultimate Behavior Toolkit: What Works (CIEES at ODU) - The use of evidence-based practices in the classroom is more important than ever. Fortunately, there are many practices that are simple to use. This series will provide a toolkit of strategies to assist school personnel to implement evidence-based practices that promote positive student outcomes. Elementary Video Modules- These modules will help elementary school teachers with evidence-based strategies for 11 common...
Description: Intervention Central provides teachers, schools and districts with free resources to help struggling learners and implement Response to Intervention and attain the Common Core State Standards. (A new, streamlined version of this site will be available soon.)
Description: Boundaries: What are they and how to develop your own - Setting healthy limits, or boundaries, in our lives allows us to take care of our health and well-being. In this resource, we’ll cover different types of boundaries, how to set them and ways to communicate to others what you will and will not tolerate to protect yourself and take charge of your life. (NAMI = National Alliance on Mental Illness)
Description: Understanding the Wellness Wheel: 7 Dimensions of Wellness - The wellness wheel is a tool for self exploration that promotes the concept that balance is the key to wellbeing. When it was first conceived by Dr. Bill Hettler, he outlined six dimensions of wellness as markers to help individuals accomplish a well rounded, healthy lifestyle and live a life of value and meaning. Over time, the wheel has grown to include seven categories. Today, the dimensions on the wellness wheel include:...
Description: Challenging Behavior Tips for Families - Young children need help from adults to learn how they are expected to behave in social situations. Check out these helpful tips for how families can promote their child’s positive behavior during common routines that can sometimes be challenging. Disabilities coordinators can download and share the handouts with educators to use during home visits and family nights, or directly with families. Coordinators and education staff may consider creating a...
Description: 24 Tips for Traveling With Children - This article discusses how to make flights and road trips easier for children with autism, anxiety, and other challenges. What You'll Learn: How can families help kids with special needs prepare for air travel? What are some ways to make road trips easier for kids with special needs? How can families make hotel stays work for kids with special needs? Hidden Disabilities Sunflower - Some disabilities, conditions or chronic illnesses are not immediately...
Description: 8 tips for helping kids with social skills challenges cope with the holiday season - Kids who have trouble with social skills can find holiday events stressful. From conversation starters to role-playing, discover simple tips that can help your child cope. Download: Help your child get ready for an event - Help make holiday events less stressful. Fill out this worksheet with your child. It breaks down key event details so that kids feel more comfortable about attending new events.
Description: This 2023 Children’s Mental Health Report takes a close look at the following topics to see what can ve done to remedy this urgent problem: What we know about how reading difficulties can affect kids’ mental health The latest brain-based research on how children learn to read, and how the brains of children with dyslexia are different What the evidence tells us about the most effective ways to teach children to read How we can work together to help the next generation of American...
Description: Over eight short episodes, you can learn practical strategies to help you respond more effectively to your child’s outbursts — and manage your own stress along the way. Host Dr. Andrew Kahn is a licensed psychologist who has been working with kids, teens, and adults for more than 20 years. In this how-to podcast, he offers tips you can use in the moment and skill-building exercises you can practice ahead of time. Listen to "What Now? A Parent's Guide to Tantrums and Meltdowns"...
Description: The holidays are hectic. And if your child has ADHD, it can create extra challenges. Here are some tips to make the season easier to manage. Pick and choose holiday events. Give your child a heads-up. Explain the “house rules” of wherever you go. Check in with your child at events. Find an escape space. And more...
Description: Getting and staying organized is tough for many kids. Learn why kids might struggle with organization skills. Plus, get tips to help them learn how to keep track of things, manage time, and more. Understanding why kids stuggle with organization How to teach your grade-schooler organization skills 7 color-coding tips to get your child organized
Description: Hanover reviews definitions and key components of digital citizenship, and provides guidelines on how to teach and promote students’ digital citizenship skills. In addition, this research brief provides guidelines on the effective use of technology in and outside the classroom.
Description: Mental Health America recognizes with their Back-to-School Toolkit that our youth are having “All the Feels” as they enter the new school year. These resources look at the issues young people face that are having an impact on their mental health and offer tips on how to deal with them and the resulting emotions. The MHA toolkit can also help parents and school personnel better understand the issues, such as the effects of social media on youth mental health and how to be...
Description: Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) report mental distress almost five times more often than adults without disabilities. Despite the prevalence, little is known about the best approaches for supporting the needs of people with IDD and co-occurring mental health challenges. In the stories shared in this issue of Kindred Stories of Disability, we see consistent themes. Tennesseans with co-occurring disabilities and mental health concerns face: Increased stigma due to...
Description: School Success Kit for Kids With Executive Functioning Issues - For kids with executive functioning issues, challenges with school can range from staying on top of homework to finding their shoes in the morning. This article provides some tools to help kids who struggle to stay organized and focused. How to Help Your Child Get Motivated in School - Start by showing kids that you care about their schoolwork. Check in with them about how classes are going. Let them know that you’re there if...
Description: These three articles share things that families can do to help prepare their children for a successful school year.
Description: What to Do if You're Worried About Suicide - If you think your child might be feeling suicidal, talk with them about it. Sometimes people are afraid that if they bring it up, it will make the child more likely to attempt suicide, but that’s not true. Showing your child that they have someone safe to talk to makes them feel understood. What You'll Learn (in this article): Does talking about suicide make a child more likely to attempt suicide? What should I say to a child who is...
Description: Depression at Different Ages - Depression can affect people of any age, but it can be confusing because it often looks different in children, teens, and adults. Depression is typically characterized by feeling sad, empty, or hopeless most of the day, nearly every day. For kids and teens, however, irritability can replace sadness. What You'll Learn (in this article): How does depression look different in children, teens, and adults? How can parents help their kids deal with depression?
Description: Everyone deserves to experience intimate relationships if they would like to. However, parents and educators need to teach individuals with autisms the skills to keep themselves and others safe. These skills can help to reduce the likelihood of behaviors that can lead to negative consequences including social isolation, misinterpretation of social cues, and victimization. We must consider the need for age- and developmentally-appropriate instruction and support to address these skills.
Description: Building relationships with your students and their families is important at the start of any school year. Depending on what school looks like for you and your students this year, it may be more challenging to make those connections. But more than ever, partnering with families can help you support students, both academically and emotionally.
Description: Back-to-school: A 4-week plan for a great start - Is your child heading back to school soon? There’s a lot going on — and a lot to keep track of. Download this one-month planner, which has daily tips to help your child start the new school year right.
Description: Bullying is a widespread epidemic that negatively impacts many students. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2019-20, student bullying and cyberbullying were among the most common discipline problems reported by public schools. Fifteen percent of public schools reported that bullying occurred at least once a week. The Virginia General Assembly passed two bills (SB 1072 and HB 1592) that became law on July 1 that address when parents need to be notified about alleged...
Description: Explore 10 Day Mindfulness Challenge - Learn evidence-based tools and techniques that will help you stress less, focus more, and feel more calm. In this 10-day mindfulness challenge we will share a variety of practices that promote healthy management of anxiety, present-moment awareness, and overall wellbeing. The goal of this 10-day Challenge is to kickstart a mindfulness practice for those who are new to the idea and to offer new exercises and approaches for all participants, even those with...
Description: Journeling for Well-Being - Journaling can strengthen your well-being because it allows you to build intention, reflection, and mindfulness into your life. It’s fairly easy to start a habit of journaling. You don’t need a lot of time or supplies for journaling, and you can choose from many different forms of journaling to discover a journaling practice that works best for you. Here are the key well-being benefits of journaling and how to get started journaling for well-being.
Description: Caring for Your Mental Health (available in Spanish) includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, act, make choices, and relate to others. Mental health is more than the absence of a mental illness—it’s essential to your overall health and quality of life. Self-care can play a role in maintaining your mental health and help support your treatment and recovery if you have a mental illness. About Self-Care When to Seek Professional Help What...
Description: Schools and families can promote and foster kindness all year. These ideas are simple day-to-day acts of kindness to enable our schools, communities, and state to be a kinder, safer, healthier and more inclusive place to live, work, learn and play. The Kindness Classroom Resources include videos with discussion questions and a kindness book list (elementary).
Description: Building Authentic School-Family Partnerships Through the Lens of Social and Emotional Learning - The SEL Innovations series aims to help the field imagine new, more expansive and equitable approaches to SEL and wellness to ensure that all children, adolescents, and adults feel safe, supported, and seen so that they can thrive. This report focuses on the conditions and guiding actions to foster authentic school-family partnerships.
Description: New Critical Crossroads video and print resources are available. Designed for families of children and youth with disabilities and the professionals who work with them, the videos, infographics, and checklists provide an understanding of how trauma affects children and youth with disabilities and the ways in which trauma-informed care can improve outcomes in all areas of children’s lives. These resources offer strategies to help families advocate for trauma-informed care in school, health...
Description: The CARD™ Toolkit helps educators, parents, and healthcare professionals support youth struggling with anxiety. The CARD™ system (Comfort, Ask, Relax, Distract) is a science-based, proven framework to help prepare children for stressful events, like school-based vaccinations, presentations, and examinations.
Description: Resources for Educators, Resources for Families and Caregivers, Resources for Spanish Speakers - What is Unstuck? A curriculum and a set of easy to use tools that employ cognitive behavioral techniques to improve flexibility, planning and organization. Unstuck consists of small group lessons and simple, everyday strategies that build a common language for better regulation of feelings, behavior and thinking. Who is Unstuck for? Does it Work? Unstuck is for school-age youth...
Description: Traumatic Brain Injury: A Roadmap for Accelerating Progress - Every community is affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI). Causes as diverse as falls, sports injuries, vehicle collisions, domestic violence, and military incidents can result in injuries across a spectrum of severity and age groups. Just as the many causes of TBI and the people who experience it are diverse, so too are the physiological, cognitive, and behavioral changes that can occur following injury. The overall TBI ecosystem...
Description: Behavior Problems - Behavior issues are a common problem for many families. Understanding what’s behind a child’s behavior is often the first step to helping. Additional information is provided on the following topics: Behavior Basics Toddlers and Young Children, Managing Big Emotions, Common Behavior Issues, Behavior and School, Strategies for Managing Behavior, Mental Health and Problem Behavior and Treatment for Problem Behavior.