Smart strategies for aggression

Help is at hand in dealing with behavioural problems, reports Helen O’Callaghan.

A programme developed by Canadian Carolyn Webster-Stratton is helping Irish children (aged three to eight) and their parents deal with aggression and serious behavioural problems, including hyperactivity and ADHD — problems estimated to affect onein-20 children here.

Incredible Years is one of the few behaviour programmes to be fully evaluated internationally and in Ireland.

A NUI Maynooth evaluation found up to 70% of Irish children, who had a social, emotional or behavioural problem in the clinical or high range, could be brought back to normative levels when parents completed Incredible Years.

A follow-up study found 71% of children continued to improve in their behaviour, with 40% showing big changes, a year after parents and teachers completed the programme.

Webster-Stratton’s approach focuses on simplicity and fun, using puppets and child-friendly methods to help children understand their feelings, control their anger, calm down and concentrate.

For example, children attending the social training and anger management group go to ‘Dinosaur School’, where they meet Wally, a puppet who’s particularly good at problem-solving.

Speaking to Feelgood, Webster-Stratton says it’s important to coach young children in four ways:

¦ Academic — preparing them to do well at school

¦ Persistence — coaching them to persist with something difficult

¦ Social — coaching them in social behaviours, effective communication, how to be friendly, take turns, share

¦ Emotional — teaching them the language of emotion, how to express it and recognise it in others.

“When playing with children, describe their emotions. It’s a combination of persistence and emotional coaching,” says Webster-Stratton.

Parents should model their own emotions. Mum or dad might say ‘I’m having a lot of fun with you’ or ‘I really like seeing you discover all this’.

They should also model less comfortable emotions, such as frustration: ‘I’m frustrated – I don’t know where I put my keys but I’m going to keep trying to find them – I’ll look in my coat pocket’.

In this way, says Webster-Stratton, you’re modelling for children how to stay patient with the process.

¦ For more info, visit www.archways.ie.

CHILD FOCUSSED

¦ Give attention when children are calm, patient, being persistent with a task.

¦ Frame requests in clear, positive, respectful language.

¦ Make your child the centre of your world for a minimum of 10 minutes a day.

¦ When doing chores, let your child know you’re thinking of them and noticing what they’re doing.