All of our kids get stuck in behaviors that are difficult for us and others to deal with--perhaps it's whining, interrupting, fighting with siblings, or defiance.

According to Chrissy Austin, a speech language pathologist with 17 years of experience teaching children social skills and communication, these neurological "loops" can be rewired.  She does it every day in her private practice, and, in this week's episode, she teaches us how to do it!  We can follow this simple three-step process with our kids, in our homes:

 
1) Identify the specific troublesome behavior, and then ask yourself, "What SKILL does my child need to learn in order to change this behavior?"

2) Sit down with the child and make a GOAL to learn the new skill.  Have him or her make it visual by writing it down and/or drawing a picture.  Consider adding a hand cue.

3) Offer positive reinforcement through verbal praise whenever the child is working on their goal, and consider adding additional reinforcement through earning privileges, if needed.
 

Chrissy offers so many fantastic tips and interesting bits of research throughout the interview.  You won't want to miss it, especially if you sometimes struggle with knowing how to help your children change.

Show Notes

-Michelle Garcia Winter: https://www.socialthinking.com/

-"Kids Beyond Limits" by Anat Baniel

-"Finally Focused" by James Greenblatt