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3

The ABCs of Challenging Behavior

By | Nesca Notes 2023

By: Erin Gibbons, Ph.D.
Pediatric Neuropsychologist, NESCA

When a child or adolescent is exhibiting challenging behaviors, it is helpful to understand why the behaviors are occurring. The first step is to analyze the situational factors surrounding the behaviors:

A: Antecedent. What is happening right before the behavior occurred?
B: Behavior. What is the specific behavior that the child/adolescent exhibited?
C: Consequence. What happened right after the behavior occurred?

By looking at the ABCs of a particular behavior, we can start to understand the function of the behavior. That is to say, why is the child/adolescent engaging in the behavior? How is the behavior being reinforced?

Let’s look at an example:
Tom is in 6th grade. He arrives to math class, and the teacher distributes a worksheet. Tom rips up the math sheet and throws it on the floor. The teacher sends him to principal’s office.

A: Math class, being given a worksheet
B: Ripping up the paper
C: Being sent to the principal/leaving the class

In this example, the aversive situation might be math class itself, it could be the worksheet, or it could be the specific concept being worked on (e.g., multiplication is hard for Tom). Alternatively, something might have happened right before math class that upset him.

The consequence is that Tom is allowed to avoid the problematic situation. Thus, the teacher is inadvertently reinforcing the behavior. Tom has learned that if he refuses to do the work, he gets to leave class.

The more effective intervention would be to understand why he refused the work. In this case, it would be important to have a conversation with Tom. Was the work too hard? Does he need extra explanation of the concepts being covered in the worksheet? Did something happen before math class that Tom was still upset about? If the teacher is not able to engage him in this type of conversation, perhaps it would be better to send him to the school counselor as opposed to the principal.

As you think about your own children, it might be helpful to consider the ABCs of any challenging behaviors that are occurring. What was happening right before? If you can identify antecedents, you might be able to make some concrete environmental changes in order to avoid the behavior. What happened right afterward? Did your reaction to the behavior somehow reinforce it? Could you do something different next time the behavior occurs that would be more effective?

Resources
The Explosive Child by Ross Greene
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
The Behavior Code Companion by Jessica Minahan

 

About the Author

Erin Gibbons, Ph.D., evaluates children presenting with a range of attentional, learning, and developmental disabilities. She has a particular interest in children with autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities, and those with complex medical histories.

If you are interested in booking an evaluation with a NESCA neuropsychologist/clinician, please fill out and submit our online intake form. 

NESCA is a pediatric neuropsychology practice and integrative treatment center with offices in Newton, Plainville, and Hingham, Massachusetts; Londonderry, New Hampshire; and the greater Burlington, Vermont region, serving clients from infancy through young adulthood and their families. For more information, please email info@nesca-newton.com or call 617-658-9800.

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Interview with Dina DiGregorio Karlon, NESCA North Transition Specialist

By | NESCA Notes 2019

By: Kelley Challen, Ed.M., CAS
Director of Transition Services, NESCA

 

What are Transition Services?

Transition means the process of moving from one life stage to another. In context to NESCA, we are referring to the transition from high school to post-secondary life, and we specialize in working with nontraditional students who often have had accommodations or special education services. While the prospect of leaving high school is exciting, it can be overwhelming as well. The prospect of figuring out what you want to do with your life causes some level of anxiety in all of us; transition services helps to relieve this anxiety by working with individuals in setting short and long term goals and participating in guidance and psychoeducation related to college and/or employment.

How did you get interested in this field?

Helping people understand their strengths and weaknesses while exploring their vision for adulthood is my passion. Upon reflection, I believe that I have always been a transition specialist, long before there was a name for this work. Having worked with adolescents and young adults for more than 25 years, I understand the demands and expectations placed on them and how that can be daunting. Helping people to recognize that their path may be different than they expected is very rewarding, and I do not take that responsibility lightly.

What do you like about your job?

I particularly enjoy working with adolescents and families through the college process; while the process is not difficult to understand, it is time-consuming and can often feel overwhelming. I enjoy assisting students and helping them to accomplish new tasks. I love to help people identify their strengths and use those to minimize and overcome their challenges. Being able to assist people in setting their own personal goals and achieve them is very gratifying to me. Getting to know new people, teaching important skills, presenting a different perspective, piecing together a plan; these are all things I love about the work I do.

Do you have a specialty? What do you specialize in?

I specialize in both college and career counseling. I am experienced in working with high school students as well as young adults.

What do you enjoy about your job?

I particularly enjoy working with adolescents and families through the college process; while the process is not difficult to understand, it is time-consuming and can often feel overwhelming. I enjoy assisting students and helping them to accomplish new tasks. I love to help people identify their strengths and use those to minimize and overcome their challenges. Being able to assist people in setting their own personal goals and achieve them is very gratifying to me. Getting to know new people, teaching important skills, presenting a different perspective, piecing together a plan; these are all things I love about the work I do.

What brought you to NESCA?

My experience as a school counselor and a vocational rehabilitation counselor have given me a unique skill set and provide me with the experience needed to do transition planning for students who are college bound and also students or adults who are seeking employment or support with career exploration. My passion for working with adolescents and helping them maneuver the challenges of early adulthood matches the philosophy of NESCA and I am eager to work as part of a team of specialists providing this support to young people.

What are you most looking forward to about working full-time at NESCA?

I am excited to work with adolescents to help them with the journey into adulthood. The variety of clients and their needs at NESCA is a real draw for me. Whether my work takes me to teaching a teenager how to do laundry, practicing interviewing for a first job or new school, or identifying a college list, it all sounds challenging and rewarding to me.

Who are your favorite students/clients to work with?

I have a lot of expertise in working with all kinds of students. I have worked with students who have been identified with Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADD/ADHD, mental health disorders, and other profiles. With the myriad of clients I worked with at Vocational Rehabilitation, I have developed a solid understanding of many diagnoses and disabilities and how clients’ lives are impacted by the related challenges. I have often worked with students who face multiple barriers; seeing those students work through their challenges and develop resiliency is professionally rewarding.

What advice do you have for parents or young adults who are not sure if they need a transition specialist?

Working with a transition specialist can be very helpful for parents to understand what their children’s strengths and weaknesses are in relation to adult-readiness. Are they ready for a 4-year college? Do they need a gap year? What would that look like? Do they know how to interview for a job? Do they need help getting a job? Do they know what kind of job fits their skills? Do they know to self-advocate? Do they know how to access resources?

Teenagers will often not work with their parents to do goal setting and transition planning, so having a transition expert to work with can often help. Working with a transition specialist can also be a great step toward a student taking ownership of their future planning and a parent releasing some control and responsibility. Most teenagers or young adults would benefit from doing transition planning; but it is a highly personal family decision as to whether to work with a transition specialist.

If you are not sure if you need a transition specialist, you can always come in for a consultation appointment. This is a one-hour meeting that helps a family determine if this is the right time to work with a transition specialist and what type of transition service may be best. For example, does the family need assessment and a report for an IEP process or just help with appropriate college planning? Talking things through with a transition expert can be extremely helpful for knowing what is needed and when.

We are very excited to announce that as of February 1, 2019, Ms. Karlon is working as a full-time staff member delivering assessment services in the state of New Hampshire and college and career coaching services to clients throughout New England! NESCA is thrilled to be able to offer these expanded transition services in our New Hampshire Office in addition to the services we already offer in Newton, MA.

To schedule an appointment with Dina DiGregorio Karlon in Londonderry, please complete our online intake form: https://nesca-newton.com/intake-form/  The address of NESCA-North is 75 Gilcreast Rd #305, Londonderry, NH 03053.

 

Neuropsychology & Education Services for Children & Adolescents (NESCA) is a pediatric neuropsychology practice and integrative treatment center with offices in Newton, Massachusetts, and Londonderry, New Hampshire, serving clients from preschool through young adulthood and their families. For more information, please email info@nesca-newton.com or call 617-658-9800.

8

I’m Too ____ or _____ for Yoga: Yoga Myths Dispelled

By | NESCA Notes 2018

 

By: Ann-Noelle McCowan, M.S, RYT
Guidance Counselor; Yoga Specialist

As yoga continues to expand its popularity and presence many people still worry that there is something that prohibits their beginning a yoga practice. Yoga increases strength, balance and flexibility while decreasing stress. Yoga increases athletic performance, improves respiration, and promotes better sleep quality. It has been used successfully as a complementary therapy for mood disorders such as anxiety and depression, addiction and chronic pain.  As an “inflexible” yogi who has worked with a broad range of yogis, both as a student and a teacher I have seen that yoga truly is for anyone. May this review of some if the most common misconceptions to yoga reduce the roadblocks and invite you to step onto a mat in 2019.

  1. I’m too inflexible for yoga.  This may be the most common reason many people give, perhaps due to the images of bendy people in yoga poses on social media or in print. But do beginner Spanish speakers say they can’t take Spanish lessons because they don’t speak Spanish? Yoga classes will include multiple props (blocks, straps,  blankets) to help modify for all different bodies and continued practice will build greater flexibility. I love props and continue to use blocks in certain poses because that works for my body.
  2. I don’t have special yoga clothes or the right mat.  Having practiced in studios, homes, and schools you don’t need particular clothes to do yoga, just clothing that allows you to move is sufficient. Many yoga studios or gyms also offer rental mats, or mats to borrow which is the case at NESCA.
  3. I don’t have the right body/ want to lose weight first…  Similar to point 1 yoga is adaptable and designed for anybody. Blocks, blankets, and props are available. There is  a broad range of classes to try from beginner, or Yin to help increase your comfort in a yoga class.  A yoga practice can also help you be more accepting of your body and build healthy habits.
  4. I’m too old/young/ wrong gender to do yoga.   A quick Google search provides instructors of all ages and genders, from Tabay Atkins, an 11-year-old male yoga teacher, to  Tao Porchon- Lynch, at 100-year-old female instructor. There are resources and books designed for people age 1 to 100 and classes where parents can bring their baby to modified classes in chairs or entirely on the floor. My own teacher training there was a wide range of trainees, from their 20’s to grandmothers and they are the examples you may see leading your class. While yoga was originally taught by men to men, the focus has switched and classes now include both men and women.
  5. Yoga is too spiritual/ I don’t want a clash with my beliefs.  Yoga is taught in a broad range of locations and by different teachers. By reading the teacher bios you will get a sense of how they approach yoga. Classes range from a purely physical experience to ones that may include some chanting.  Many students find their yoga practice enhances their own compassion and in focusing on your own breath and experience you can take your practice in the direction you want, and not where you want.

Wishing you a happy holiday and that 2019 may be the year you add some yoga to your life!

 

About the Author:

Ann-Noelle provides therapeutic yoga-counseling sessions individually designed for each child. NESCA therapeutic yoga establishes a safe space for a child to face their challenges while nourishing their innate strengths using the threefold combination of yoga movement, yoga breath, and yoga thinking.

Ann-Noelle has worked with children and adolescents since 2001 and practiced yoga and meditation since 2005. Since 2003 she has been employed full time as a school counselor in a local high performing school district, and prior to that was employed in the San Francisco Public Schools. Ann-Noelle received her dual Masters Degree (MS) in Marriage, Family and Child Therapy (MFCC), and School Counseling from San Francisco State University in 2002, her BA from Union College in New York, and her 200 hour-Registered Yoga Credential (RYT) from Shri Yoga. Ann-Noelle completed additional Yoga training including the Kid Asana Program in 2014, Trauma in Children in 2016 and Adaptive yoga for Parkinson’s in 2014.

If you are interested in therapeutic yoga with Ms. McCowan,  please complete NESCA’s intake form today and indicate interest in “Yoga”

 

For more information on the therapeutic yoga at NESCA, please visit  https://nesca-newton.com/yoga/

 

 

 

Neuropsychology & Education Services for Children & Adolescents (NESCA) is a pediatric neuropsychology practice and integrative treatment center with offices in Newton, Massachusetts, Plainville, Massachusetts, and Londonderry, New Hampshire, serving clients from preschool through young adulthood and their families. For more information, please email info@nesca-newton.com or call 617-658-9800.

 

6

Preparing for the College Visit – for Juniors and Their Parents

By | NESCA Notes 2018

 

 

By: Dina Karlon, M.A.
NESCA Transition Specialist

So often students feel pressure to come up with a plan of what they want to do with their lives; college is expensive and it’s a big decision. I will say to you that while it feels overwhelming, there are things you can do to limit the stress. During the winter holiday season, college is likely one of the last things you want to think about as a junior or parent of a high school junior. But now is a great time to plan your college campus visits!  

While knowing what you want to do (and study) is important, it is not necessary to know that before deciding on a college. If you know you are going to college, you need to make sure it’s a place you can see yourself living at. Therefore, the feeling you get when on a campus is very important. That’s why I am suggesting you spend some time on it.  

Here are some tips for planning your winter and spring college visits: 

  1. School breaks are a perfect time to visit colleges. This is because colleges are in session when high schools have their breaks. You can always visit in the summer, but you will not get the same “feel” of how busy the campus is when the students are not there. 
  2. Register through the school website for the visit. Colleges do keep track of positive contacts from students (i.e., “points of contact”); it will demonstrate to the college that you are interested enough in the school to go and see it. If you just do a drive by or a self-directed visit, it doesn’t count with the college. You want them to know that you were on campus, so register!  
  3. What schools to look at? If you have narrowed your college list, you will know what schools to look at. If you have not, don’t worry. Just getting out there to see schools can help – you will be narrowing your search by visiting campuses as well. Remember, the feeling you get when you are on campus is just as important, probably more important, than anything else. If you are traveling out-of-state for the breaks, visit a college when you are out there. If you are staying home, do some local or in-state colleges – both 2- and/or 4-year schools.
  4. Remember when you go on a visit that they are trying to sell you the school. They should; that is their job! Your job is to be an educated consumer, so do your homework. Do a little bit of research before you go to the school. Treat it like a job interview – have a couple of questions that you want to ask. For example, ask: What kind of tutoring is there for students? Is it free? Who tutors? These are questions that may be of particular importance to you. One of my favorite questions is: How big is your commuter population? You may wonder, why is this important? Well, if it is a high number, that means that most people are not there during the weekend. If you are planning on being there on weekends, you don’t want to be alone. You want other students there. Schools that have a lot of people leave for the weekend are referred to as “suitcase colleges”. They are not as good for people who live on campus on weekends. 
  5. Go off the beaten path if you can. The student ambassadors giving the tour love the school and are likely being paid for the tour. They are often students with lengthy resumes about their involvement with the school (which is awesome but can feel intimidating). So if possible, talk with other students and ask them about their experience. 
  6. Eat in the cafeteria. You will likely be eating there for every meal (at least freshman year), so you want to know what that experience will be like. Are there a lot of options? Is it very busy? 
  7. Don’t schedule more than two visits in a day. Visiting schools can be exhausting and schools can all start to look alike after a while. Here is the itinerary: Visit one in the morning, eat lunch to debrief the first one (keep a notebook or digital notes/pictures), visit the second school in afternoon, and debrief that school during dinner or on the drive home. If you can do one a day, even better. But doing two in one day can be more time effective. Just don’t so more than two; you won’t remember them! 

So you went on a visit and you didn’t like the school. What a waste of time! You would never go there! Congratulations! You just started whittling your list and didn’t waste money going to a school that you wouldn’t be happy at. Also, you know more about what you do want to look for on your next college visit.  

On a personal note, I have two adult children of my own and have survived the college process. One of the college visits that stood out to me the most was one we attended on a cold, rainy, Friday afternoon. It was a college in a different state from where we live, so my daughter would be living there. Many people didn’t show up for the college visit (probably due to the timing and the weather). Because of that, we had our own tour guide. During the visit, the campus was very busy – students were walking around the campus on a late Friday rainy afternoon. It was clear that students were engaged and planning on being there for the weekend. My daughter ended up going there and enjoyed her college experience. There were obviously other factors that helped her with her choice, but that visit had a significant impact on her decision. 

 

 

About the Author:

Dina DiGregorio Karlon, M.A.  is a seasoned counselor specialized in transition issues. She has worked over 15 years as a school counselor in public high schools and has additional experience as a GED program coordinator, career center coordinator, and vocational assessment specialist. She has additionally worked for New Hampshire Vocational Rehabilitation as a rehabilitation counselor and also for the New Hampshire Department of Education.

At NESCA, Ms. Karlon offers coaching services as well as transition planning consultation to students, families, and fellow professionals in New Hampshire. In addition to her work at NESCA, Ms. Karlon is a Program Specialist for the New Hampshire Department of Education, specializing in the development of employability skills and job readiness skills for at-risk youth.  

When providing transition services, Ms. Karlon most enjoys the relationships that she is able to create with her clients and/or students and their families. She loves being part of helping them figure out their strengths and challenges and helping them realize their goals and dreams. Ms. Karlon knows that often the path after high school is not traveled from A to B, but rather it is A to E, to C, and then back to A. She works hard to help her clients view each setback as an opportunity for growth rather than a failure, to recognize their own strengths, and to overcome the barriers that may get in the way of setting goals, solving problems, and making progress. She brings extensive experience supporting clients with career and college planning and she is able to shift fluidly with clients along their paths in each of these domains. 

 

If you are interested in a consultation, pre-college coaching, or transition planning with Ms. Karlon, please complete NESCA’s intake form today and indicate interest in “Transition Consultation and Planning”

 

 

 

Neuropsychology & Education Services for Children & Adolescents (NESCA) is a pediatric neuropsychology practice and integrative treatment center with offices in Newton, Massachusetts, Plainville, Massachusetts, and Londonderry, New Hampshire, serving clients from preschool through young adulthood and their families. For more information, please email info@nesca-newton.com or call 617-658-9800.