Children with behavioral problems can be significantly helped with different treatment options. These include behavioral modification techniques, modeling and imitation methods, and the use of cognitive therapy. All of these are likely to be the most effective when provided by a professional such as a behavioral analyst or a psychologist. Yet many behavioral modification techniques are fairly easy for parents and teachers to learn and apply.
Behavioral Modification
Behavioral modification methods are based on an idea by Dr. Burrhus Frederic Skinner. He believed that behavior could be diminished or increased with the help of punishments and rewards. The challenge of this method is that the definition of what rewards and punishments are varies significantly among children. Thus, the first step when applying behavioral modification methods is to find out what that particular child finds rewarding. If the behavioral analyst does not know the child well, he typically uses food, such as cookies, as a reward. The goal is always to begin to use other rewarding methods, such as praise, as soon as possible. Importantly, the rewards should never be used continuously, because this type of rewarding encourages children to drop any progress they have made once the reward is removed.
Modeling and Imitation
Dr. Albert Bandura was the first psychologist to study how children learn certain behaviors by imitating and modeling other people. He noticed that a child is highly likely to imitate another person if this person is being rewarded for what they do. Dr. Bandura also found that children are most likely to imitate the behavior of people they like or respect. That is why actors and singers are such powerful role models for many teenagers. Parents can use this knowledge, for example, by letting their child know that someone their child admires does not use drugs or was a top student.
Cognitive Therapy
Cognitive therapy is based on the idea that a child's behavioral and psychological problems are caused by a distorted thinking process. The goal of a cognitive therapist is to change the way the child thinks. This type of change in thinking is believed to alter behavior. In cognitive therapy, a child learns not to talk down to herself or not to take responsibility for things that she cannot control. A parent may need to spend some time studying the main ideas of cognitive therapy before he can apply them. However, many of these techniques are not difficult to learn.
