You can tell a lot about how things that have happened have affected a child by observing their behaviour. Every child's experience of inconsistency, neglect or loss is unique and every behaviour is a form of communication. Children may communicate these experiences in different ways. Some may have physical behaviour patterns or symptoms; some may demonstrate their experiences through social behaviour, and some may communicate through emotional behaviour patterns. Read now some of the physical, emotional and social behavioural patterns a child may experience.
Using what you've learned from the previous screen, let's now look at some of the common behaviours found among children in residential care that are challenging. Look at the behaviours below and, for each, think about: what the child may be thinking and feeling why they are behaving in this way We have included a possible explanation for each (of course there may be other explanations you may have thought of that are plausible).
These are only some of the multitude of reasons for different behaviour. You need to make a unique plan for each child. Remember - there can also be straightforward reasons, like they are feeling unwell or have not taken their medication properly. Check these reasons out too.
In this section we have looked at communication in its many expressions, some case examples and ways of assessing and planning to support positive behaviour. We're now going to look in more detail at how we can understand and intervene in behaviour and situations that are challenging.