Resource Database

Center for Evidence-Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behavior

Description

From the website: The Center for Evidence-Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behavior is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs to raise the awareness and implementation of positive, evidence-based practices and to build an enhanced and more accessible database to support those practices. The mission of the Center is to promote the use of evidence-based practice to meet the needs of young children who have, or are at risk for, problem behavior. Evidence-based practice refers to the use of interventions and supports that have research documenting their effectiveness. The identification of evidence-based practices promotes the use of approaches that are linked to positive outcomes for children and families. Practices that are considered evidence-based are ones that have been demonstrated as effective within multiple research studies that document similar outcomes. Challenging behavior - for the purpose of the Center, challenging behavior is defined as any repeated pattern of behavior, or perception of behavior, that interferes with or is at risk of interfering with optimal learning or engagement in pro-social interactions with peers and adults. Challenging behavior is thus defined on the basis of its effects. While some children’s challenging behaviors are developmentally normative and effectively addressed by adult vigilance and the use of appropriate guidance procedures, the Center is focused on identifying evidence-based practices that prevent and/or address challenging behaviors that are persistent or unresponsive to those approaches. For infants and toddlers, challenging behavior must be considered within the context of the relationship of the child to caregivers. Behavior that is challenging, for example, may manifest as attachment difficulties, sleeping and eating difficulties, excessive crying, and difficulty in soothing. Challenging behaviors may be defined as behaviors that interfere with the development and maintenance of reciprocal, positive, and nurturing relationships with the parent or caregiver. Challenging behavior, as a pattern of behavior, is noted by considering the relationship of the child and adult and the difficulties that are manifested in the dyadic exchange.

Topic(s): Emotional Development, Social Development

User Type(s): Academic, Educator, Policymaker

Address

Department of Child and Family Studies
MHC 2113A, Louis de la Florida Mental Health Institute
University of South Florida, 13301 Bruce D. Downs Blvd.
Tampa, Florida 33612-3807

Contact Information

Phone(s): 813-974-6100
E-mail(s): (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
URL(s): http://challengingbehavior.fmhi.usf.edu

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