Understanding Challenging Behavior for Pediatric Therapists

presented by Renee Watling, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

12-Month Subscription

Unlimited access to:

Thousands of CE Courses
Patient Education
Home Exercise Program
And more

Subscribe Now

First Chapter Free Buy This Course

Accrediting Body:

Target Audience:

Levels:

Disclosure Statement:

Satisfactory completion requirements: All disciplines must complete learning assessments to be awarded credit, no minimum score required unless otherwise specified within the course.

MedBridge is committed to accessibility for all of our subscribers. If you are in need of a disability-related accommodation, please contact [email protected]. We will process requests for reasonable accommodation and will provide reasonable accommodations where appropriate, in a prompt and efficient manner.

Accreditation Check:

This course will examine the challenging behaviors that occur in pediatric clients, give current statistics of challenging behavior in children and discuss the social implications of these behaviors. Challenging behavior will be defined and described as a foundation for further information including functional analysis of behavior. Behavior theory will be presented with detailed discussion of antecedents and consequences to the behavior. The content of this course will assist pediatric therapy practitioners in better defining and describing the challenging behaviors their clients demonstrate, the function of the behavior and the factors that maintain the behavior. These elements lay the foundation for the next course in this series that examines the clinical reasoning process that therapists use when planning intervention for challenging behaviors.

Meet Your Instructor

Renee Watling, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA

Dr. Watling has been a pediatric occupational therapist in Washington State since 1992. She has worked in clinic, school, and private practice settings; has lectured extensively at state, regional, and national conferences; and has published extensively on the topics of sensory processing, sensory-based occupational therapy intervention, and issues related to services for children with autism.…

Read full bio

Chapters & Learning Objectives

Download Learning Objectives

1. What is Challenging Behavior?

This chapter provides a foundation for understanding challenging behaviors and the effects they have for the child and those around the child. Concepts from behavior theory and occupational therapy theory are introduced.

2. An Introduction to Behavior Theory

An introduction to behavior theory lays the foundation for developing operational definitions of behaviors, determining antecedents to behavior, and identifying consequences of behavior. These factors are critical for designing effective interventions for challenging behaviors.

3. Functions of Challenging Behaviors

All behaviors serve a purpose. Understanding the purpose of a particular behavior is the first key in addressing the behavior. This chapter explores the three primary functions of behaviors and discusses how to determine the function of a particular behavior.