EARLY CHILDHOOD BEHAVIORAL SPECIALIST
AN INTERVIEW

By Beverly Gould

An interview with Paula Tripp, Anita Hoag, and Jeannie Liwanag EOC Head Start of San Luis Obispo, California

Question: Why did your program choose to develop the Early Childhood Behavioral Specialist position?

Answer: Teachers in our Head Start classrooms have been encountering children’s behaviors that are becoming more difficult and at times even violent. We have children with severe temper tantrums, children with rage, and children that bite others. Early childhood educators have not been receiving the training and resources they need to address these behaviors.

Head Start values each child as an individual and the development of self-esteem in the early years is what Head Start philosophy is about. Promoting the mental health of a child is a challenge for any teacher, however skilled, and we needed to support the staff members who deal with these children and families.

Question: What do you see as the reasons for the increase in unmanageable behaviors?

Answer: Children experience violence in the media, on the street, and at home. Some children deal with this as well as parental substance abuse, incarceration of a parent, and other situations. Children exposed to these situations are more likely to display violence and atypical behavior.

Question: Can you describe how you developed this model?

Answer: Our program addressed the increase in children’s behavioral concerns in a unique way. We studied the referrals made to the disabilities and mental health areas of the program for the past two years. Sixty percent of all referrals were behavior related. We employed a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and a Mental Health Assistant to support children, families, and staff, but this model only addressed about ten percent of the referrals because of the intensity of the intervention needed by the children. The timelines from referral to intervention were also a problem. Sometimes the parents were not brought into the center to discuss their children’s difficulties. In addition, the mental health staff (LCSW and assistant) had no formal early childhood education and therefore, were only performing triage and giving community referrals. This model did not seem to be meeting the needs of the classroom staff. The staff informed us, through surveys and interviews with a consultant, that they needed someone who would respond rapidly, directly model how to intervene, help them develop behavior plans, and locate resources. They also wanted someone with experience in a preschool setting.

Question: How were you able to fund these positions in your Head Start programs?

Answer: The changes took place when the new performance standards were introduced. We decided that we needed to reorganize the program and change some of the management positions to accommodate the mental health needs. We developed a position entitled Early Childhood Behavioral Specialist (ECBS). The ECBS was not trained in mental health, but had a very strong early childhood education background. A Mental Health Consultant was brought in to do intensive training. The ECBS (there were two hired for a program of 387 children) also attended training on the “Second Step” conflict resolution/anti-violence curriculum, as well as other training on children’s behavioral issues.

Question: What exactly does the Early Childhood Behavioral Specialist do?

Answer: In the ECBS model, they are the first to respond to referrals. They are reachable during working hours or after hours for behavioral emergencies. They perform triage over the phone and personally go to the classroom or send another person.

Specialists meet with staff and families to develop behavior plans. They refer families and children to mental health professionals in the community who are able to work with them while they are in our program and after they move on. The specialists also maintain a database to provide handouts to parents and staff about specific behavior concerns.

Question: Why did you choose to hire teachers to fill the ECBS role?

Answer: We needed someone with a strong early childhood background. Teachers know child development so well that they can distinguish between age-appropriate behavior and behaviors that should cause concern. Teachers can identify with the frustrations of other teachers and there is an easy rapport. Teachers are able to model appropriate guidance in the classroom, review environments, and support the teachers’ group management skills. They can identify needs and plan training for the staff in behavioral issues. They can go into a classroom for consecutive days to help bring the classroom under control.

Question: What specialized training does the Behavioral Specialist have?

Answer: Our ECBSs have many years experience as classroom teachers and a knowledge base in both mental health and education. They have learned about theories and interventions through extensive workshops and ongoing collaboration with our mental health personnel, who are available for regular consultation. It is important for them to have a grounding in the behavioral sciences and comfort with the social, emotional, cognitive, academic, language, sensory, motor, and physical domains. For example, it is helpful to know about brain development and how certain brain-related difficulties affect a child’s behavior and learning potential. This allows the teacher to plan strategies that aim for that child’s strengths.

Question: Can you describe a case to to illustrate how the ECBS would operate?

Answer: One child recently came to our center with no background information and fairly soon, began to curse, hit, and bite. We observed that he had poor social skills, was easily over stimulated, had poor impulse control, and became aggressive when his demands were not met. We learned that his mother had had substance abuse problems throughout her pregnancy and was currently incarcerated. First, this boy was referred for play therapy and seen on-site twice a week. The therapist, teacher, and his grandparents developed a plan of action for him. An instructional aide was assigned to shadow him to support his developing self-control and determined that the interventions were working.

Question: What have been some of the other positive effects of this model?

Answer: This model just ended its third year and the number of referrals drastically decreased. Specialists provide instant help and intervene before negative behavior escalates. The instructional aides in the classroom also provide support. They do not function as playmates, but are close by to help when necessary, which frees the teacher to interact with all of the children and helps them avoid feeling burned out. The classroom staff members feel that specialists have been the greatest addition to the program in years. n

Beverly Gould was a 2000-2001 Head Start Fellow, T: 202-554-0484; E: priyadarsa@aol.com.