Question: How can parents use behavioral therapy with children?

Answer: Behavior therapy involves developing a system of dealing with the child’s behavior to curtail problem behaviors and to increase self-control and compliance. Two techniques are involved: The first aims to increase positive behaviors by identifying the triggers and creating strategies to reduce negative patterns. The second deals with the way adults react to how the child acts and entails creating a set of consequences.

Examples include: ignoring outbursts that seem to beg for attention; listening

and responding to your child’s needs; rewarding positive behavior changes (even if the behavior isn’t perfect); using the right discipline for “wrong” behavior; using the right language when talking about behavior (for example, saying “appropriate” and “inappropriate” instead of “good” and “bad”); and praising the child’s obvious efforts to improve. Most importantly, catch your child being “successful” and praise him for it.