help with severe behavioural issues

[dulciean]

well...what a week that was! I have been at my new job at a brand new Centre for 7 weeks and we are going through all the stages of establishing the many facets of a good Centre. there have been many 'teething problems' and kinks along the way but we are finally getting there. However- last week the owner of the Centre accepted enrolment of three children aged 1 year -4 years of age who are of Indegenous Australian heritage and also are from a very disturbing family background. The DOCS have put them in long day care in prefernce to being at home with their mother as the care standard is preferable at a Centre. I have been ( happily! ) placed as the 2IC in the Pre-school room ( permanent position) and 2 of these children are in this Room. The youngest is a boy aged 3. He is in ovious need of assessment for specialist support, and was asked to leave his previous Centre for ongoing violence towards staff and children.
He is a beautiful little boy, with haunting eyes and a broken spirit. In the span of a minute he is affectionate,needy, happy,angry and violent. The whole of our day is eaten up 'managing ' his behaviour ( essentially complete mistrust of adults and oppositional defiance)
His behaviour is rapidly unravelling the routines and rhythms of our room and other children are mimikcing his behaviour and refusal to listen/participate. I have been attacked by him several times already, as have other children. I have tried to speak with my Director, she commiserates but says " I have seen worse..." or platitudes to this effect.
PLEASE help me to know what on earth I can do to help this little one- I am seriously overwhelmed and already considering resigning as I feel so helpless. Look forward to any insights- Sarah

[Lorina]

Hey Sarah,

What a difficult situation that you are dealing with. I really do feel for these children. It's not their fault they are doing this, it's because of what they have observed and experienced at already such a young age. I do understand that you are trying all you can to support and minimize the difficult behavior.

When the child misbehaves how do you manage their behavior?

Now I know that when a child misbehaves that the techniques we use do have an impact on how the child responds. There are many different techniques you could use to try and deal with the behavior but from what I read and understood there has to underlying issues. So I honestly believe that you should get some additional help in order to help you support these children.

I went onto the DOCS website and they have funding available to most early childhood services that support children with additional needs (I don't know if they support all early childhood services). This also includes Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander children and children with challenging behaviors. I just had a quick glance through it and provides you with alot of information. Maybe you could recommend it to your director? Also since DOCS has placed these children at your service they should already be providing you with additional support to help the children. You should contact them to find out what they can do...

I am attaching the SCAN Funding document below:

[attachment=0]childcare_scan_funding.pdf[/attachment]
Let me know how it goes and I'll try and find out what else you can do...

Cheers ,
L.A

[fchaudari76]

Id say these children would be in need of some specialist help from someone who is better trained to deal with the issues they have.
Managing this behaviour would be pointless unless the root of the problem was targeted. I agree with LA if DOCS have placed them with you they must provide additional support for these children.
Poor kids, they really need help and its not fair on you guys to try and deal with managing behaviours that stem from them coming from the type of home that they do
Hope u manage to convince the Director to get support

[dulciean]

thanks for replying LA & fefe. just to update- the little boy i wrote of has settled a little and is beginning to develop trust for myself and the ECT in the room. We are not sure if there is a developmental issue or 'just' behavioural issues. its hard to tell at this stage. haven't made any headway with my director,ge the feeling she feels overwhelmed also. i feel the centre may be breaching part of our duty of care- not sure of the legalities. have been told he will be "assessed' at some point, but it all sounds quite vague. just trying to keep positive and am gratefully welcoming any small signs of improvement in the children's behaviour. if i haven't got a supportive response from management by the end of the week, i plan to contact DOCS directly for advice/information.i'm not one to shy away from a challenge, but i feel the right thing is just NOT happening in this instance!

[fchaudari76]

I think calling DOCS would be wise, even to give them a hypothetical situation and what one is meant to do.
Delaying getting help or assessing him just because everyone feels overwhelmed is plain silly, the DIrector and everyone would feel more in control if something was done about it and they had the skills to deal with whatever issues the child is having.
Not knowing how to help a child and trying this that and the other in the hope sometimes is not the right choice, esp for a child where you know what the background is etc

[dulciean]

here's an update. well we got a worker in from DOCS to assess the children's behaviour. he comes with a vault of paperwork and history already, seems to be one of those cases where his issues are known but there simply are not enough resources for children like these. it seems he is ineligible for a SNS worker ( through govt funding) as his issues are deemed behavioural not medical/developmental. there has been some improvement in his behaviour as he forms a relationship with us. He is at his worst during transitions and group time (OMG! and i mean BAD! ) so we will work on these areas. have also been told his cognitive and language development is lacking, so we will use pictures/images of daily tasks to help him understand how the day moves & the routines. hopefully this strategy will help. i just find it so heart-breaking knowing as i do that however much kindness,patience and affection we pour into him during his time with us, his outcome is ultimately affected by his family, which is where all his issues have stemmed. it feels terribly hopeless, and i am trying to not take it on too much, just focus on the small achievements and leave it in the hands of the gods. our job is so difficult in these instances.

[fchaudari76]

Good Luck with it, it certainly seems challanging and I hope u can make a difference in this child's life even if it is just during the time he is in care with you its better than nothing. Its so sad what these children endure through no fault of their own and sometimes are so affected they have a lifetime of problems

[Lorina]

Hey Sarah,

Thank you so much for your ongoing updates with this issue that you are currently dealing with. As I read through your post it gives me great satisfaction in knowing that there are childcare professionals like you that really uphold the term "duty of care". Through what you have said you are doing the best that you can and this little boy will have a chance to smile again because of the care and support you are providing. Even though it may be difficult in these circumstances and at times you feel helpless, I just want you to remember that you are making a difference!

Cheers ,
L.A

[dulciean]

hi L.A
Thankyou so much for that positive feedback...those words warm my heart ( and make it easier to face Monday tomorrow with a positive attitude! )

[fchaudari76]

I am sure you will be able to make a difference in this childs life. All they need is support and care and stability and I am sure you can provide that ... like LA I am glad to see someone really care and worry about the children esp these children who have such volatile backgrounds.
Its people like you who make the difference in this profession, good on you ... I see enough people who don't care enough to do the right thing or anything much to be honest so its refreshing to see this attitude
xxx