There exists a plethora of theories, methods, systems, approaches and strategies for the causes of challenging behaviour and response models to deal with or modify maladaptive behaviours.

It is not feasible for busy staff to take time out to read and evaluate such a wide variety of material.

There are some young people with an alphabet soup of diagnoses; the accuracy and validity of such diagnoses notwithstanding, a diagnosis does not, in itself, offer a solution. Indeed there are many times when it can be counter-productive if we only see the 'label' and not the child.

 

School will have their own systems for the recording of challenging behaviours. One of the most effective approaches which aids the development of a hypothesis for the function of the behaviour is the use of the A(antecedent) B (behaviour) C (consequence) structure.

Click here to access a modified version of this approach together with guidance notes here.