Behavior Management

Behavioral interventions that honor the whole
individual and family

At Navesink Wellness Center, we understand that navigating challenging behaviors at home can be a complex journey. Our Behavior Management Services are designed to assist children and their families in establishing structure, promoting effective communication, and implementing appropriate discipline strategies to prevent oppositional and defiant behaviors.

How Behavior Management Is Different From Therapy:

Behavior Management….

→ aims to make direct connections between behaviors and solutions

→ takes an ongoing concern and looks for concrete behavioral changes to ultimately minimize the frequency and severity of the issue at hand.

→ focuses on the direct connection between what we think and feel, and what we actually do.

→ utilizes positive reinforcement to evoke change.

→ is based on the belief that we are influenced and learn from our environment; especially when that environment rewards damaging behaviors.

The ABC’s of Behavior Management

Antecedent:

An antecedent is what occurs right before the target behavior. It can be verbal (like a request or command), or physical (an object, sound, or something in the environment). This is commonly referred to as the “trigger.”

By understanding what occurs before a behavior, we gain better analyze the “why.”

Behavior:

A behavior is any action that can be observed, counted or timed. It can be learned through imitation or directly taught. Behaviors are what occurs in response to an antecedent.

Consequence:

The consequence describes what happens immediately after, or in response to, a behavior. It helps maintain or make the behavior more likely / unlikely to occur again.

Child Services

Program Details

At Navesink Wellness Center, our 6 session behavior management program utilizing the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis to assist young children struggling with noncompliance at home and in school.

Parents and child will work with our Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) to identify the child’s individual challenges and create a plan to decrease unhealthy behaviors and increase overall self control and awareness.

The initial session will be with the parents and clinician alone, usually at our office. This meeting provides the parents an opportunity to openly discuss their concerns and explain the observed behaviors in more detail.

Moving forward, the clinician will work with the family in their own home, providing an opportunity to see the interactions in a familiar environment. The clinician will provide a structured approach to address each behavioral concern, that will then be practiced in between sessions.

Specific Skills Addressed:

Cooperating with peers and siblings
Effective communication
Expressing needs and wants
Following directions
Frustration tolerance
Identifying and articulating feelings
Impulsivity control
Problem solving
Regulating emotions

Parental Involvement

A main goal of the program is to transfer knowledge, strategies and techniques that are used in treatment to other individuals in the child’s life.

It is essential for parents and caretakers to be actively involved in the process in order to implement these elements on a consistent basis.

The goal will be to reward the behaviors that are desirable and not give in to those that are unhealthy and inappropriate.

Adult Services

Program

The foundational basis on this approach is to not only accept where you are today, but to also strive to make changes and grow.

This 8 session program focuses on identifying the specific behaviors that are causing instability and working to find healthier, more appropriate ways to tolerate distress, regulate emotions and incorporate more appropriate and mindful behaviors.

Specific Symptoms Treated