The Total Transformation Program is a behavior modification program for children and teens. The program was developed by social worker James Lehman, who worked as a child counselor for 30 years. Lehman treated troubled teens and children with behavior problems in treatment centers, public and private school systems and in hospitals. He also trained teachers and staff at the facilities how to manage troubled youths. The main tenets of the program are teaching youngsters day-to-day coping skills and providing parents with tools to assist with the process.
Understanding
The program begins with parents and therapists getting to know the child in order to understand why his behavior has become unmanageable. The program provides counselors and parents with a script designed to draw out the child to discover underlying motivations. Once parents and educators understand why a child behaves the way he does, they can then target the behavior and help the child learn new ways of coping. The interview format provided in the program, which can be purchased through the Total Transformation website, also provides parents with a self-assessment guide so they can understand their role in the child’s development.
Responsibility
Once a child’s behavior patterns and origination are fully understood, parents and teachers need to hold children accountable for their actions, according to the Total Transformation Program. The program instructs caregivers to stop rewarding negative behavior and hold kids responsible with specific consequences. Children should know what will happen if they misbehave and parents must follow through with the consequences and provide rewards only when tasks have been fully completed and the child has maintained his positive behavior.
Strategies
The Total Transformation Program includes parenting strategies important to the overall success of the behavior modification program. For example, in the program parents are not allowed to change rules to accommodate a child’s tantrums or demands. Boundaries must be set and firmly maintained. According to Lehman, children often push boundaries just to test parents and teachers and really are not all that invested in the outcome. Once they win one battle, they are more prone to keep testing their limits. Discipline should not be viewed as a game to be won or lost but a reality which children should be taught that will subsequently help them get along in the world as they mature. Parents also are given direction on how to serve as positive role models and teach appropriate behavior through example.
