Early social and emotional development includes the ability for young children to “form close and secure adult and peer relationships; experience, regulate, and express emotions in socially and culturally appropriate ways; and explore the environment and learn — all in the context of family, community, and culture” (Yates et al., 2008, p. 2). This describes the way infants and toddlers understand and communicate their emotions to build healthy relationships with those closest to them.

When you think about social and emotional development, all of the words above may come to mind. Each word is a critical component of social and emotional development. In early intervention, all practitioners play a key role in supporting the emotional well-being of every young child and their family.

Why and What You Can Do

“Social and emotional experiences with primary caregivers as well as interactions with other children and adults early in life set the stage for future academic and personal outcomes, and undergird other areas of development” (Darling-Churchill & Lippman, 2016, p. 2). You have a unique opportunity to nurture the connection between the caregiver and child and promote successful outcomes for each child you serve.

Here are eleven easy strategies you can implement to support social and emotional development:

1. Boost the parents’ confidence. This is a hard time for many parents. Parents may feel responsible for their child’s developmental delay. Building their confidence empowers them to feel competent. When someone feels good, it makes them happy. This helps promote positive parent-child interactions.

2. Support the child’s self-esteem. Children tend to avoid difficult tasks. After all, nobody likes failing. Boosting a child’s self-esteem gives him/her confidence to explore and try new things.

3. You can never give too much information. Explain what you are doing and why you are doing it. This helps parents understand the reasoning behind the intervention strategies you suggest or model.” Give parents plenty of opportunities to ask questions.

4. Focus on increasing positive parent-child interactions. Many children may resist demands placed on them. A positive parent-child interaction removes the feeling of a demand and makes the interaction playful and fun. It enhances the bond between the caregiver and child.

5. Read cues and intervene before a child is in his/her red zone. There are four stress responses a child may experience: Green zone, red zone, blue zone, or combo zone. Click here to read the checklist that identifies different behaviors associated with each zone. Positive emotions are associated with the green zone and negative emotions are associated with the other stress responses. Children are more likely to come back and stay in the green zone when parents are attuned to their moods and feelings. Becoming a detective for your child’s stress cues can be a great tool to improve attunement.

6. Model the behaviors you wish to see. We can help parents learn to model behaviors they want to see in their children as they grow into adults. Children learn how to manage big feelings in large part by watching their adults manage big feelings.

7. Explain the importance of comfort. Comfort is a big part of secure attachment. So often parents get mixed messages about comfort from society – sometimes it seems as if comfort is the same as creating a weak child. We can bust that myth by sharing the information we know about the role of comfort in early brain development.

8. Provide structure and routine. Routines are the safe walls around a child’s day. There is no RIGHT kind of routine but whatever it is, the more predictable for the child, the better. Routines that are repetitive for a child help them make sense of the world. They will always have another chance to practice the things they struggle with most.

9. Use positive behavior supports. A positive and proactive approach to supporting behaviors helps reduce parental stress and increase positive behaviors in children as they aim to please their parents. These strategies decrease reactivity and should be individualized for each child and situation.

10. Label emotions. Language is a major learning tool for children and during the young toddler and preschool years, we learn and use language as a way of making sense of the world. Putting words to feelings helps children learn that feelings are generally transient and aren’t a permanent state of being. This is something we should be regularly talking about with our parents.

11. Increase parent responsiveness. Parent responsiveness nurtures a safe, secure attachment allowing a child to explore and thrive in their environment as the child becomes more resilient and independent. Wonder with the parents about what their child may be feeling or thinking so they can respond in an intentional and positive way. 

What challenges or barriers do you face as an early interventionist supporting social and emotional development?

What other strategies would you add to support each child’s social and emotional development?

Additional Resources:

DEC Child Social-Emotional Competence Checklist

Supporting Social and Emotional Development: What ALL Early Interventionists Can Do Handout

References

Darling-Churchill, & Lippman, L. (2016). Early childhood social and emotional development: Advancing the field of measurement. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 45, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2016.02.002 

Yates, T., Ostrosky, M., Cheatham, G., Fettig, A., Shaffer, L., & Santos, R. (2008). Research synthesis on screening and assessing social–emotional competence. Retrieved from Center on the Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/documents/rs_screening_assessment.pdf

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When talking to parents and caregivers, it can be helpful to ask them what they know about temperament and assess their understanding of how their temperament matches (or doesn’t match!) their child’s. Parents may be able to talk about their child’s response to different environments, sensory preferences or reaction to change and may not have thought about their own response. Parents and caregivers may not be able to recognize ways in which their own temperaments impact the behavior of their child.

What is Temperament?

Temperament is generally defined as consistent individual differences in behavior that are biologically based and are relatively independent of learning, system of values and attitudes. One key concept to remember is that temperament is biologically based, not made up of characteristics that are chosen. As such, an individual does not have the ability to change their temperament but rather use their knowledge to adapt to the environment. As an example, for individuals who become overwhelmed by noise, the volume of the television or radio could be turned down, voice tones can be adapted and strategies for calming in loud environments can be taught. Conflict can arise in the parent-child relationship when a parent perceives a child is acting in a particular way “on purpose” or “to make them (the parent) upset.” It is important to recognize that a child’s behavior is often a reflection of his or her temperament. Like many other developmental skills, parents need to be able to teach their children how to appropriately respond to their internal triggers.

Parent and caregiver understanding of how to support a child’s temperament style is crucial in the development of social-emotional skills. When parents can help children adapt to their environment and understand their own preferences, children will be better prepared to adapt to different environments using coping skills and resources available.

Having Conversations about the Parent’s Temperament

I often get questions about how to have conversations with parents and caregivers about temperament. Beginning by asking questions can be a good place to start. Helping parents to gain insight about their own temperament can help them to be more in tune with the actions of their child. Oftentimes, parents have insight into their child but may not have thought about their own preferences or strengths. Parents may not recognize the role that their temperament plays in the dynamic of the relationship with their child. Some questions that could be helpful to ask parents include:

• How do you manage your emotions?
• What are your sensory preferences (e.g. light, sound, etc.)?
• How do you respond to change?
• How do you communicate your wants and needs?

When parents and children have mismatched temperaments, strain in the parent-child relationship can be magnified. Parents may incorrectly attribute differences in interaction style to a child’s developmental delay, ascribing intent behind behavior or believing a child can simply change his or her temperament. Parents may not be aware of their own needs or have the capacity to understand how to adjust in order to have their needs met. When mismatched temperaments are not understood, parents may expect more of their child or believe that their child can change their behavior independently. This can lead to frustration and increased stress for parents. In addition, parents may feel as though they do not have the ability to meet their child’s needs or parent effectively. Children rely on their parents to be emotional co-regulators. This means that especially when children are young, they look to their parents to model how to manage uncomfortable emotions, changes to routine and internal triggers. When parents are calm, children can de-escalate more quickly. As children learn to understand their own temperaments, they can build their abilities to navigate different situations and interactions and become more effective in developing social-emotional regulation.

Talking about the Child’s Temperament

As providers, when parents talk about the ways in which they interact with their children, we can then begin to ask questions to help identify children’s temperament styles and explore which interventions are available to build family capacity. Once a parent can begin tuning in to the child’s unique temperament, the parent can then work to develop strategies for supporting the child’s needs. Here are some questions that you could help the parent to consider when trying to understand their child’s temperament:

• How does my child express their feelings?
• How does my child engage in play?
• How does my child respond when they experience discomfort?
• How does my child react to change?
• What does my child do when going through transitions?

When parents are in tune with their child’s temperament, they are able to support their child’s behavior more effectively. Parents can then understand their child’s needs to provide opportunities for learning new coping skills.

When children are young, it is important for parents to give a lot of support in helping their work through challenges. As children get older and can understand their own temperament style and what they need to be successful, the interactions become more balanced. When parents and caregivers are able to understand the ways in which temperament plays a role in the behavior and interactions of their children, stress is reduced and successful intervention strategies can be realized.

Now that you have some more tools to understand temperament, how can you help parents recognize and respond to their child’s unique characteristics?

Share your ideas by leaving a comment below!

For more information about this topic, check out Naomi’s 2-part webinar series on the VA Early Intervention Professional Development Center:

Foundations of Social Emotional Development: Temperament – Part II

Foundations of Social Emotional Development: Attachment – Part I

Also, be sure to visit the Social-Emotional Development topic page!

Naomi Grinney, LCSW has worked in early intervention for the past five years. Prior to working in EI, Naomi worked as a community-based mental health crisis response provider, as social worker in a psychiatric hospital and as a behavioral interventionist at a residential treatment center. Naomi is passionate about supporting the social emotional development of children and building family capacity and has worked with kids and families for twenty years. As the parent of a child who received Early Intervention services, Naomi brings a unique perspective to her role in providing tools and resources to empower parents in supporting their child’s development. Naomi can be reached at naomi.grinney@fairfaxcounty.gov. 

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So far in this series, you’ve learned about the importance of two interventions associated with positive outcomes for children and families. In Part 1, we explored strategies that emphasize caregivers’ awareness and interpretation of their own actions. In Part 2, you learned how to help caregivers identify and use everyday learning opportunities to enhance child development. Now, let’s focus on the third intervention: supporting caregivers’ responsiveness to their children (Dunst & Trivette, 2009; Mahoney, 2009; Swanson, Raab, & Dunst, 2011). For some caregivers, responsiveness comes naturally, especially when there is naturally a good fit between how the child interacts and communicates and how the caregiver parents. When it doesn’t come naturally or the caregiver struggles with responsiveness, it can have a significant impact on the parent-child relationship and the child’s development. Let’s think more about what this looks like and what you can do to support responsive interactions.

Supporting Caregivers’ Responsiveness to their Children

Responsiveness – how a parent or caregiver responds to and meets the needs of a child – has been found to have significant connections to communication and social-emotional development during early childhood (Mahoney, 2009). Responsiveness is one of those concepts that we know when we see it. We know it when we see a mother who reads her child’s cues, even the subtle ones, like when he shifts his gaze to make a choice about which book he wants her to read. We see it when a father hears his baby cry and immediately picks her up, bounces her and pats her back while soothing her with his voice. We see it when a childcare provider uses a warm expression and voice to calm a toddler then invite him into a turn-taking game of blowing bubbles. All of these interactions teach young children that they are important, that adults care, and that their attempts to communicate and engage with others and the environment have meaning.   

Responsiveness is also something that jumps right out at us when it’s not there. Think of the grandmother who ignores her grandson’s vocalizations because he “doesn’t make sense” and who swats him when he acts out from frustration. Think about the mother who misreads her daughter’s arching back and gaze aversion as a personal offense, which negatively impacts their attachment to each other. Or, consider the father whose depression makes it hard for him to respond to his child’s needs consistently or at all. There are many factors that can interfere with a caregiver’s ability to be responsive, and truthfully, we are not always able to mitigate them. We can, however, keep our eyes on responsiveness and encourage it, celebrate it, teach it, and praise it whenever we have the opportunity.

What Does This LOOK Like in Practice?

Here are a few strategies you can use to support responsive interactions between caregivers and children:

Label it when you see it – When you notice a parent being responsive, talk about it. Describe what you saw the parent do and how the child responded. Ask the parent questions to help her identify responsiveness and the impact, such as “What did you do that made Elena smile?” or “What did Elena do after you smiled at her?” Point out the delight the child showed when her parent interacted with her and praise the parent’s efforts.

Model and facilitate contingent interactions – In the context of interacting with the parent and the child together, model contingent interactions that are responsive to the child’s communication and social cues. Talk about what you are doing and why. Coach the parent to notice the child’s communication attempts, movements, or behaviors and help him/her interpret them with meaning. Point out what the child did before and after the interaction and talk about what the parent could do to respond, keep the interaction going, help the child be successful, etc. Just be careful to turn the interaction back over to the parent after modeling so he/she can practice engaging the child. You may be great at using a responsive strategy but that only matters if the parent can learn from you and use the strategy successfully with the child.

Use your voice and facial expressions – Affect is an important part of responsiveness (Mahoney, 2009). Using a warm voice and expressive facial expressions that convey that you are present, engaged, interested, and enjoying the child send an important message. Talk about the importance of affect and provide specific feedback to parents when they are using their affect in responsive ways. This is especially important when interacting with children who struggle with social-communication or who have sensory differences.

Encourage imitation and turn-taking – Use imitation and turn-taking as the vehicles for building responsiveness. When a caregiver struggles with responsiveness, help her understand the back-and-forth nature of interactions and communication. Use simple turn-taking games to entice the parent and child into interactions. Look for turn-taking games that they can enjoy and sustain (for a reasonable amount of time depending on the child’s age and developmental level). Start small, with the parent imitating the child’s actions or sounds, and shape these interactions into turn-taking. Help the parent look for ways he can take a turn whenever the child does something and vice versa. Encourage the parent to expect, wait for, and prompt the child to respond whenever there is an opportunity. Responsiveness is reciprocal but the parent sets the tone.

All three of the interventions you’ve learned about in this series have responsiveness at their core. When caregivers are more aware of how important their own actions and interactions are, understand the learning opportunities they can facilitate during daily interactions, and recognize how to engage and respond to their children to facilitate development, you increase the chances of intervention happening everyday. You also help build stronger parent-child relationships that last well beyond EI. Like I said before, that’s powerful stuff.

Now it’s your turn.

What is your favorite strategy for supporting caregiver responsiveness?

Share your ideas in the comments below!

References:

Dunst, C. J., & Trivette, C. M. (2009). Using research evidence to inform and evaluate early childhood intervention practices. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 29(1), 40-52.

Mahoney, G. (2009). Relationship-focused intervention (RFI): Enhancing the role of parents in children’s developmental intervention. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education, 1(1), 79-94.

Swanson, J., Raab, M., & Dunst, C. J. (2011). Strengthening family capacity to provide young children everyday natural learning opportunities. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 9(1), 66-80.

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Tantrums are a normal part of every young child’s life. If we are honest, we throw our own “tantrums” as adults. When working with young children, especially those with a language delay, we have to understand that tantrums are a mode of communication when emotions become overwhelming. Marci Melzer offers five steps to handle tantrums with late talkers. 

Watch the video here and we will explore each step. 

Children under three are driven by emotions and not logic (Prencipe & Zelazo, 2005). Think about this statement and what it means for the families you serve. Often, a parent’s expectations for a child’s behavior may be unrealistically high for the child’s developmental age. Further, tantrums are stressful for the caregiver and the child. In order to access the frontal lobe (top brain) to make good decisions, the reactive part of the brain (bottom brain) needs to calm to access the top functions of the brain. The caregiver needs to be calm to make good decisions on how to react and support the child. The child needs to be calm in order to learn. This is why each of the steps Marci Melzer provides can be helpful. Let’s discuss each step.

Step 1: Acknowledge and react as if the child was injured.

Marci describes this as the “stop, drop, and roll” method. This is where a tantrum first sparks and you need to put out the fire by providing an empathetic response. “You have to give that tantrum the same kind of attention as if was an accident or illness because in your child’s heart, in their feelings, they feel the same when they want a cookie and they can’t have it as they do when they are running and skin their knee and get hurt physically.” The difference is the empathetic response given by the caregiver in both situations. The child feels the same because both situations are out of their control and they are communicating those feelings. You would give the tantrum the same response of love in both situations (cookie before dinner vs falling and getting hurt). Both instances are “bummer situations.” Once you respond and the child knows you care about the message he/she is communicating, you move to the next step. 

Step 2: Understand the message the child is trying to tell you.

In this step, the caregiver is calm and can access his/her frontal lobe to problem-solve what message the child is trying to tell him/her. Every behavior is communicating a message (hungry, too loud, attention). 

Step 3: Be a language facilitator and translate the message.

The caregiver now becomes the language facilitator for the child by helping to find the words to express the message. Supporting the caregiver to model the words the child is trying to communicate is key. “You deal with the behavior with hugs and cuddles, but you translate this communication into words” (for example, modeling “all done” instead of throwing a cup off the high chair). Marci makes a good point; most caregivers are already translating their child’s language in their heads (“Oh…he is hungry). It is a matter of modeling the language for the child, but step four takes that a bit further.

Step 4: Model the message in words the child can process.

Most children in early intervention are late talkers. This is where we want to make sure that we are modeling the language on the child’s level. This may be a single word or short phrase. It is important to make sure the child is calm and engaged or go back to step 1. After you model the message when the child can process and understand, move to the final step.

Step 5: Make sure the child is ready to move on.

This is all about empowering the child. You acknowledge the feelings and calm the child, understand and translate the message, make sure the child understands the replacement behavior, and then check in with your child and make sure he/she is ready to move on with the next thing to do (such as help make dinner). 

A big mistake many caregivers make is redirecting or distracting without going through and acknowledging all five steps. Without going through each step, children not learning how to handle the big emotions they feel inside. This type of facilitation shows it is okay to have big feelings and how to properly deal with them over time. Remember, children under three react based off their emotions. It is not until after age three where logic starts to be used and there are a lot of emotions children feel as they learn to walk, talk, and interact with others.  

How do you support caregivers in understanding their children’s behaviors in your program?

How do you communicate typical development for children to caregivers?

Share any successful strategies you have in your tool bag.

Reference: Prencipe, A. & Zelazo, P.D. (2005). Development of affective decision making for self and other: Evidence for the integration of first- and third-person perspectives. Psychological Science, 16, 501-505.

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“Emma runs away every chance she gets. Open a door and she bolts. Try to walk with her into a store and she screams until she wiggles free. We can’t take her anywhere!”

This is how Emma’s mother describes one of the family’s main concerns. Emma’s behavior is difficult for them to manage, and one of the routines that is especially problematic is taking her on errands. Emma seems to crave movement and dislikes being contained; she doesn’t like having her hand held, being in the shopping cart or riding in a stroller. Because of this, her family is unable to go out together, as one parent must stay at home with her. This is disruptive for the family and limits Emma’s learning opportunities too. If you were Emma’s EI service provider, how could you help?

Typical Toddler Behavior or Something More Challenging?

This is a rather common scenario for many toddlers. At one point or another, they grow out of wanting to be contained, or even slowed down. Most will move through this phase without too much strife. For some children, though, this time can be very disruptive for the whole family. It can also be complicated by a child’s limited expressive and receptive language skills, lack of attention to safety, or sensory processing differences. Improving a frequent routine like running errands can be equally, if not more important, than teaching a child a specific skill, like asking for juice or waiting her turn.

Baby Steps to Successful Behavior

Here are a few ideas for addressing this challenging behavior in the context of Emma’s family’s errand-running routine:

Find out what everyone does before, during, and after running errands – Look and listen for clues about what motivates Emma to continue running. Is there something that happens before the errand that preps her for an uncomfortable experience – like being snatched up to get in the car without warning? Is Emma somehow rewarded for the behavior (ex: she gets her mom’s phone to play on as a distraction after she tries to run – big reward!).

Ask the parent what she would like to have happen instead – Be sure to ask and not assume. What the routine looks like when it’s successful may be unique to that family, and may be different from what you envision.

Break the routine down in to its small steps… – Especially when it’s a big challenge that has been going on for a while, back up with the parent and talk or walk through the smaller steps, like getting Emma ready to get in the car, buckling her in, riding in the car, getting her out of the car seat, walking across the parking lot, putting her in the shopping cart or stroller, etc. The solution probably lies in one of these steps.

…Then break the strategies down further into baby steps – Rather than tackling the entire routine at once, start at the very beginning and inch toward a solution. For example, if Emma runs as soon as she’s out of the car, start there. Help Emma’s mother teach Emma to hold her hand in the parking lot. Coach her through taking Emma’s hand, taking a step, and stopping if Emma pulls or tries to drop to the ground. Coach her through stopping each time Emma fusses, waiting for Emma to settle down before taking another step, then praising Emma as soon as they are able to walk again. Help Emma’s mother teach her daughter what the expectations are for going out on errands. Prepare her for the time, consistency, and practice needed to teach Emma a new way of being during outings. Look at it as if you are addressing a routine within a routine; the baby steps make up the big journey – especially when improving a challenging behavior.

Be there when the parent practices – Stand beside the parent as she tries out these strategies in the parking lot. Reflect with her on what works and what doesn’t. Model if needed, but more importantly, coach her in the moment and share feedback to help her learn how to teach her child. Overcoming a challenging behavior like this can be such a confidence booster for a parent. Having someone there beside her, someone who won’t judge her and who is there to as a problem-solving partner, can not only help her help her child, but also improve the family’s quality of life and that’s a powerful thing.

Thinking about behavior in terms of the routine in which it occurs can help the service provider frame intervention strategies in a real world context. It’s only so helpful to talk about general strategies a parent might use…the “have you tried…?” way of addressing a family concern. Just talking is not very likely to help the parent change the child’s behavior or the situation. Jumping in and joining the troublesome routine is always the best way to go, but this can be unnerving for the parent who is probably afraid of what will happen with you watching. Taking a routines-based approach to challenging behavior and addressing the challenge in baby steps can be a very effective, non-threatening way to support families and make the intervention strategies you develop together much more manageable and meaningful.

What strategies have you used with families to help them address challenging behaviors like Emma’s?

Share an example from your experience!

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Tyler is 20 months old and instead of playing with his toys or using his spoon to feed himself, he quickly throws them as soon as he picks them up. Tyler’s parents tell you that it’s really hard to manage during playdates or when they go out to eat. Tyler also rarely stays still to play, preferring to walk and climb on anything within reach. They wonder why he doesn’t play with his toys like other children at his playgroup?

Why is Tyler Throwing?

Did you think, well, he’s 20 months old so he’s naturally busy. Sure, that’s true, but most 20 month olds will sit and play to entertain themselves for a minute or two. A few other possible reasons for Tyler’s throwing might be:

Cognitive Delay – Tyler may be showing that he’s “stuck” at a cause and effect level of understanding. He may not understand how to play with his toys in a more purposeful way, only understanding them as separate pieces rather than as pieces that go together, such as with shapes and a shape sorter, cars and a toy garage, or his spoon and food in his bowl.

Fine Motor Planning Difficulty – Tyler might be having difficulty with planning the motor movements needed to complete a task. If he’s struggling to get his body to cooperate for activities such as turning pages in a book, manipulating switches on a pop-up toy, or combining toys to stack, fit together or scribble, then he might just throw the pieces instead. Motor planning comes naturally to most children as they learn how to intentionally manipulate things in their environment. Other children, like Tyler, need assistance with helping their bodies learn how to plan and execute tasks that require coordination.

Late Walker – Maybe Tyler is a late walker so he’s just really into exploring and testing out his body right now. Sometimes, late walkers seem so thrilled with walking that they abandon other activities in favor of moving and climbing for a while. However, if Tyler has been walking for a while, then that thrill of newfound mobility should have decreased by now.

How Can You Help Tyler Move Beyond Throwing?

Helping Tyler slow down, attend to and practice activities that expand his understanding and coordination should decrease his throwing because he’ll learn other ways to entertain himself. Of course, using a “no throwing” reminder is a good idea, but I’d bet that his parents have been saying that for a while. Rather than treating his throwing as a discipline issue, let’s consider some intervention strategies to teach him what TO DO, rather than focusing on what not to do:

Ask his parents for their insights first – Why do they think he throws? What they would like him to do instead? What have they already tried? Their insights are invaluable to developing useful strategies.

Give his throwing a purpose – Tyler is just randomly winging his toys and other items. Help him transition to more purposeful activities by making throwing a purposeful game. Encourage his parents to help him toss his toys into a clean-up basket or toss balls back and forth. Help him use the objects he wants to throw for their intended purposes.

Use hand-over-hand guidance – Take Tyler’s hand or forearm and guide him through a more purposeful activity. If he’s trying to help his mom plant seeds in the garden, she can guide his hand to dig the hole in the dirt and place the seed. Make hand-over-hand guidance brief and always be alert to backing off as the child gains more control.

Teach the “give me” command – Anticipate Tyler’s throwing by holding out one hand and guiding his throwing arm with your other hand so that his “throw” lands in your hand. This is a great strategy to teach parents. You, or they, must be quick and consistent. Always pair this strategy with a command such as “give me the ___” so that Tyler learns the words to go with the activity.

Practice fine motor activities – Find a place where Tyler is less mobile, like his highchair or the bathtub, and engage him in more focused fine motor activities. At first, these activities might be very short, but over time Tyler will learn to attend and persist a little longer. Help him complete one more step of the activity each time before the activity ends, like coloring one more scribble, nesting one more plastic bowl to clean up after lunch, or opening one more door on his pop-up toy.

Praise purposeful activity – Celebrate when Tyler is focused and accomplishes a task. By purposefully using praise for what you want Tyler to do, it will help him learn the self-control he needs to move beyond throwing.

Coach his parents in how to use these strategies – Remember that you might be able to teach Tyler not to throw when you’re around, but if he throws when you aren’t in the home, no one is really benefiting. Parents can skillfully use any of these strategies and you can be the person to help them learn too.

With time and practice, Tyler will learn how to play in other ways. Once he is throwing less, and his family can manage playdates with less worry and go out to dinner without forks flying, you’ll know that the intervention was a success!

How do you judge when intervention is needed for throwing? What other strategies do you use to help children move past throwing? 

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