A child may be crying, shouting, screaming, refusing to participate, hitting others, hurting self, putting self in “danger”, not interacting with others, not motivated, not engaging…
But what is truly happening?
Is the behaviour a “signal” or “a call for help”?
What is happening “underneath” that behaviour?
More...
Is the *environment facilitating for the child’s learning and growth? (or is it inhibiting?)
Is the level of the *task “just right” for the child? (or is it too hard?)
Are the *ways of learning facilitating the child’s learning and growth? Do they match with the characteristics of the child? Are the ways facilitating the child to access, engage and express?
Are the *routines and schedules facilitating for the child’s learning and growth? Are they matching with the regulation needs of the child? (or are mismatched?)
What are the ways of interactions of the people around the child?
Is the child feeling *safe and secure? (or feeling endangered?)
Is the child facilitated to learn to *regulate self?
What is happening *“inside” the child? What is the child’s *need? (what would s/he say, if s/he can literally tell you?)
What is happening *"inside" us, the one who is interacting with the child?
…
Next time,
when we see a "behaviour"...
try to "see" through it...
see what is underneath,
because,
by having more understanding on what is truly happening,
we may choose,
to walk and work together with the child,
in the midst of challenges that the child is having.
...
(and who knows?
may be in the process of "seeing",
we may also meet with the inner child within each and every one of us...)