| Answer: Thank
you, Miss Saunders
Dear Miss Saunders,
There are a number
of things I don't know that might make a difference in how I would answer this
question, such as grade level, success as a student, popularity with peers, and
family support. But, all things considered, some questions that I think would
be pertinent in any case are:
- Always ask: What is the function
of the behavior?
- Is it to get attention? (she
seems to relish the attention she gets when she is caught)
- Is
it to get material things? (her family cannot or will not give her items she desires
and she feels deprived
- Is it to get expelled? (e.g.,
her friends all go to the continuation school)
- Are
some people victims more than others? (is it is a crime of opportunity or revenge?)
- Is it to make friends (she gives the stolen items
away)
- Does it seem that this
behavior is in the child's control? (and not a compulsive behavior driven by impulse)
- Data is helpful:
- Does
she steal particular items? (food? cool school supplies? colorful hair ties?)
- Does she steal at particular times or places
|
In other words, you need to know WHY she is stealing. You
may be the person who can find this out or she may need to be seen by a mental
health professional. But until you understand why she is stealing, you cannot
replace this behavior with a more adaptive one.
Once you do know this,
follow the usual steps of positive behavior support:
- Note specifically when and where this happens
- Change the environment to discourage
stealing
e.g., all backpacks must be put away
- Teach
her new ways to get her need met
e.g., if it's attention from peers, provide
her with social skills training; if it's to feel better about herself, pursue
therapy through a 26.5 referral
- Reinforce
her for every small increment of time when stealing doesn't happen Involve her
in plan, if possible. Let her know that you want to help her have her classmates
like her and she can change the way they see her. (I would use a self-management
system.)
| While you can
treat this as a "behavior", and address it with a Positive Behavior Support Plan,
it is likely that, given it's seemingly all pervasive character, it may require
an FAA and mental health involvement.
I hope this is not too little,
too late. Let me know what happens, and thanks for writing.
|
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