Wednesday, November 7, 2012

The Explosive Child: The Collaborative Problem Solving Approach

Dr. Ross Greene was speaking at the Centennial Theatre in North Vancouver last week. His delivery of the "collaborative problem solving approach (CPS)" has improved since I first heard of his work 5 years ago. And...the term "collaborative problem solving approach" will change....legal issues....

Anyway, I'm assuming you read my previous two posts. Remember...Explosive outbursts occur when the cognitive demands being placed upon the child (or person) outstrip that person’s capacity to respond adaptively. These kids are not "attention-seeking, manipulative, coercive, unmotivated, and limit-testing". Their parents are not "passive, permissive, inconsistent, noncontingent disciplinarians". Dr. Greene explained and it's written in "The Lives in Balance" website, "We now know that they (the children) are lacking skills, not motivation...skills like flexibility/ adaptability, frustration tolerance, and problem solving. That knowledge makes it possible for us to help these kids in ways that are much more humane, compassionate, and effective."

Anyway, Dr. Greene's workshop was very clear and informative and, basically, I feel like I can get started with his CPS model right away....with all my children....with everyone....it's really what we all should be doing....but I will not sit here right now and explain it to you because, honestly, I don;t have the time....instead, I'll write a series of blogs (what fun!) and we'll navigate the website The Lives in Balance together.

"The Lives in Balance" website is a great place to get started....but how to get started???? We first have to understand that:


Kids Do Well If They Can

This is the most important theme of Dr. Greene's model: the belief that if kids could do well they would do well. In other words, if the kid had the skills to exhibit adaptive behavior, he wouldn’t be exhibiting challenging behavior. That’s because doing well is always preferable to not doing well.

If we don't believe this, then the children won't. Along the way, they will start to believe that they can't do well. We need to believe in them. Watch Dr. Greene's explanation of Kids do well if they can. Watch Dr. Greene as he explains that "Your explanation for a kid's is challenging behavior has major implications for how you'll try to help." And you've noticed all the other video clips....

On my next blog entry, I'll look into the three options for solving problems, and then...we'll finally look at plan B and we can start solving problems collaboratively.....!

oh....by the way....you might want to subscribe to my posts...see links on the right. Eventually, I will figure out how to blog on my iPhone and then it will be way too difficult/confusing for me to email all my articles.


Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)

Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects at least one in twenty children. Children with SPD don't process or experience sensory information the way other typical children do; therfore, they don't behave the way other children do. They struggle to perform tasks that come easier for other children. Consequently they suffer a loss of quality in their social, personal, emotional and academic life.

The Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation is dedicated to continue their research into the knowledge and treatment of SPD, so that, as Lucy Jane Miller writes in her book "Sensations Kids", "the millions of sensational children currently "muddling through" daily life will enjoy the same hope and help that research and recognition already have bestowed on coutless other conditions that once baffled science and disrupted lives."