Understanding Child Behaviour

It’s human nature to behave differently. Behaviour is how we communicate. It helps us understand each other.

Challenging behaviour in children can leave carers frustrated and confused. But most children display challenging behaviour at times. So how do you initiate behavioural change? 

This course explores Kaupapa Māori and Western principles. You’ll discover what to do when challenging behaviour becomes frequent and intense, making communication difficult. You’ll learn which resilience and risk factors contribute to challenging behaviour which will help you encourage positive behaviour.

You'll use the knowledge you gain to determine what influences child behaviour and complete a Functional Behavioural Assessment (FBA). These skills will help you implement a positive behaviour strategy and create customised support plans for each child in your care.

Module 1:  Theories of behaviour
Explore behavioural principles from Kaupapa Māori and Western viewpoints. These cultural theories will help you understand early development behaviour. 

Module 2:  Functions of behaviour
Start thinking critically about why behaviour happens and determine which factors influence it. 

Module 3:  Measures of behaviour
Why assess and measure behaviour? Simple – as humans what we think and what we do can be very different. Learn to use evidence-based tools to measure and collect data on behaviour so you can understand the differences. 

Module 4: Positive behaviour support
What do we mean by positive behaviour, support prevention, and intervention? These are strategies to help you prevent challenging behaviour from escalating. 

• Assignment on completing a Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA) – 40% 
• Assignment on implementing a positive Behaviour Strategy – 50%
• Engagement activities throughout the course – 10%

Dr Cara Swit

Senior Lecturer Above the Bar

• parent-child 
• teacher-child 
• peer-peer
• sibling-sibling