Promoting Positive Behaviour

Your loved one may express their emotions and behave in a way that could be harmful to themselves or others. For instance, they may express anger through physical aggression such as banging their head or hitting others. They may also show repetitive behaviours such as rocking or hand flapping to convey their discomfort. These behaviours often arise in response to triggers experienced (e.g., sudden changes in routine, sensory disturbances) or needs that your loved one may not be able to otherwise express e.g., hunger or pain.

In exploring your loved one’s triggers, it would be helpful to keep in mind their usual preferences and unique behaviour patterns¹. You can also track your observations of the events leading up to the display of their challenging behaviours to identify common patterns and possible triggers². Discussing such observations with professionals may also help as it is likely they have experiences in dealing with similar cases.

Professionals such as occupational therapists can help you in identifying and addressing behaviour that is sensory-related. Understanding the reasons for your loved one’s behaviour will help you pre-empt these triggers and find ways to overcome them. For example, you can teach your loved one techniques like counting down, focusing on deep breathing and using stress balls to self-regulate. Additionally, exposing them to alternative modes of communication may help to reduce their frustration and challenging behaviour.

As your loved one learns to manage their behaviour better, you can encourage them with praises and words of affirmation.

To further help you in managing challenging behaviour, you can:

• Attend training programmes catered to your needs based on the age range of your loved one:

- Signposts for Building Better Behaviour onsite programme is for parents of children 7 – 12 years old and online programme is for children aged 3 – 6 years old
- Positive Parenting Programme (Triple P Level 3 - Online). Read more about Triple P programme here.

You can sign up for these programmes directly with the social service agencies via the links above, or speak to your loved one’s mainstream or special education school to find out if you can sign up through them. If your child is a patient at KK Women's and Children's Hospital, you might also be referred to attend Signposts Training.

• Participate in caregiver coaching programmes such as Family Empowerment Programme (FEP).
• Reach out to professionals like social workers, psychologists, or teachers who are supporting your loved one.
• Consult psychologists who are trained in Positive Behaviour Support³ and can help you put this approach into practice.