Summary of The Explosive Child by Ross W. Greene, Ph. Chap!

er " The Waffle Episode This is a case study of a child. Chap!er # Children o Well $f They Can

Childrens skills develop unevenly in maths, reading , physical skills. Explosive children lag behind in acquiring skills in flexibili!y and frus!ra!ion !oleran%e. Explosive children do not choose to be explosive in the same way that children who have reading and mathematical difficulties do not choose to do so. The interpretation of the childs explosive behaviour will be linked to how you try and change the behaviour. Explosive behaviour reflects a developmental delay skills of flexibility and frustration tolerance. a learning disability in the

!n explosive outburst occurs when the cognitive demands being placed on the child outstrip the childs capacity to respond adaptively. Chap!er & Pa!h'ays and Tri((ers "eed to understand what makes it hard for the child to #do well keeping in mind that children #do well if they can. $athways represent skills that need to be trained and are explanations and not excuses for the behaviour. Each pathway sets the stage for explaining specific thinking skills. %. '. ). +. -. Executive &kills (anguage $rocessing &kills Emotion *egulation &kills Cognitive ,lexibility &kills &ocial &kills

!lthough rewards and punishments can and may have a place, they do not train the child in the above skills.

Exe%u!ive S)ills &hifting cognitive set .&hifting from one mindset to another e.g. moving from one environment .recess/ to a completely different environment .e.g. reading/. This requires a shift from one mindset to another p. '- '0 *r(anisa!ion and Plannin(. Explosive children are unable to identify the problem that frustrates them which leads them to saying #no. Thinking clearly and problem solving is easier if a person has capacity to separate or detach themselves from emotions cause by the frustration . +an(ua(e Pro%essin( S)ills E.C. lack basic vocabulary for expressing and categorising feelings. This leads to swearing and other inappropriate language. (anguage enables people to solve problems Emo!ional Re(ula!ion S)ills p.,, &ome children experience irritability, agitation, crankiness and fatigued mood more often and more intensely that others. This leads to an increase in difficulty to cope with frustration tolerance and flexibility. This may be caused by brain chemistry. Explosiveness can be fuelled by a chronic state of irritability and agitation. !nxiety can be added to the list that leads to irrational thought . Co(ni!ive -lexibili!y S)ills. Explosive children are black and white thinkers stuck in a grey world. ! lack of cognitive flexibility skills lead to difficulties in approaching the world in a flexible and adaptable way. They struggle when events are not predictable. They have difficulties seeing the #big picture. !dults around these children need to be flexible. So%ial S)ills Explosive children have difficulty in attending to social cues and nuances and connecting cues to past experiences. 1hen we think in terms of $athways being explanations, the door opens to the process of thinking about how to help the child. Tri((ers p ./ Triggers are a situation or event that routinely precipitates explosive outbursts. Tiggers are problems that have yet to be solved. $athways set the stage for a child to be explosive. Triggers are situations or events over which the child is exploding. '

Chap!er . Pa!h'ays and Tri((ers brou(h! !o +ife 0 %ase s!udies1 Chap!er , The !ru!h abou! %onse2uen%es &tandard behaviour management approaches assume that the child has learned. &tandard behaviour management may help but some find they dont help the child to change his behaviour and can lead to an increase in explosive behaviour. *ewards and punishments do not teach skills. p. 22 lists % 0 of what are viewed as #good parenting skills. These approaches may help but may not. $nflexibili!y 3 $nflexibili!y 4 Explosion Conse2uen%es teach basic lessons about what is right and wrong. 3otivate people to behave appropriately 45T the Explosive children already knows what is right and wrong and #children do well if they can. Chap!er 5 Plan 6 Collabora!ive Problem Solvin( 0CPS1 !ll the adults involved with the child need to have a clear understanding of the childs difficulties 3ay be necessary to put your parenting .teaching/ agenda on the back burner temporarily. 6t may be necessary to reduce the demands on the childs flexibility and frustration tolerance. "eed to come to terms with the fact that the child is different. 3ost explosions are predicable. .Triggers and problems that have yet to be solved./ *ecommendation to keep a record of problems that cause the child to be frustrated. &ome triggers7 waking up, getting out of bed, getting ready for school, sensory hypersensitivity, homework, getting ready for bed, boredom, shifting from one activity to another, siblint interactions, being hungry, 8ust before dinner, food choices 9 quantity, clothing choices, sudden change of plans, taking medication

Three Ways !o mana(e !he Explosive Child 7 8se Plan 9, Plan 6 or Plan C )

Plan 9

:andles a problem by imposing the adult will. !n explosive outburst occurs when the cognitive demands being placed upon a person, outstrip that persons capacity to respond adaptively 6f a $lan ! is thrown at a child who doesnt have a $lan ! brain, you place a cognitive demand upon the child that outstrips the childs capacity to respond adaptively. $. ;% <rop the expectation for now to avoid an explosion. This doesnt mean you #give in. 6t would be giving in if you started with $lan ! and then went to $lan C. The idea of using $lan C is to be proactive and to prevent an explosion. 6f you predict that a particular trigger will lead to an explosion, you are being realistic and can focus on the bigger stuff. 5sing $lan C can lead to stability. =ou might use $lan C for homework, using good table manners, getting to school on time, swearing. Eventually $lan 4 will be used for these. Collaborative $roblem &olving .C$&/. This involves engaging the child in a discussion in which the problem or unmet expectations are resolved in a mutually satisfactory manner.

Plan C

Plan 6

There are # 'ays !o do Plan 6 Emer(en%y Plan 6 use as the child begins to become frustrated Proa%!ive Plan 6 > gets the problem solved proactively before the child heats up. 6t is done by discussing the problem & S!eps for doin( Plan 6 Empathy <efine the $roblem 6nvitation

Empa!hy : keeps people calm. 6t keeps the child rational so the conversation can take place. !cknowledges the childs problem &howing empathy does not lead to a loss of adult authority . ;o' !o Empa!hise *epeat the childs concern back using the childs words +

Children often are not able to verbalise a concern so the adult needs to ask ?1hats up@A 6f the child cant articulate, the adult needs to take an educated guess. Beep it simple. ,or Example if the child says #6 want piCCa, the adult response would be #=ou want piCCa, whats up@A *eassure the child by saying ?6m not saying you have to do anythingA or ?6m not saying #no. This neither agreeing or disagreeing. 6t keeps the child calm. $. %D'. efine !he problem <efine your problem and the childs problem. 6f you only define the childs problem, you are using $lan C. $nvi!a!ion The child and the adult brainstorm the solutions to the defined problem. ?(ets think about how we can solve the problem. <o you have any ideas@A p.%D2 &omewhere between the childhood and adulthood, someone has concluded that the only person to come up with a good solution is an adult. $roblem solving takes time explosions take longer. 1hilst the adult might have something in mind, it is important not to have a predetermined solution. !n ingenious solution is one that is doable, realistic and mutually satisfactory. 6f the child comes up with a one sided solution, the response might be ?Thats one idea, however the solution has to work for both of us.A &ome problems require more than one conversation The rest of this chapter gives examples Chap!er / +earnin( Curves Thin(s !ha! %an (o 'ron(. P "&# Ever relying on Emergency $lan 4 5sing $lan 4 as a last resort =ou may be putting solutions on the table instead of concerns =ou may be entering $lan 4 discussions with preordained solutions =ou may be agreeing to solutions that are not realistic, doable or mutually satisfactory =oure feeling as if youre not very good at $lan 4 yet, so youre still using a lot of $lan ! instead. *emember empathy .not #no/ is the first step of $lan 4. 3issing one of more of the three steps empathy, define the problem, invitation. The child might be lacking skills crucial for participating in $lan 4. Responses to commonly held beliefs and attitudes -

When 'ill !he %hild be held a%%oun!able for his a%!ions< 3any people believe that accountability is a code for punishment. &ome believe that if consequences the child has received for his explosions havent stopped him exploding, it must be because they didnt cause the child enough pain. The ma8ority of explosive kids experienced a great deal of pain. 6t is the assumption of this book that the child already knows what is right and wrong and is motivated. 3any explanations for the childs behaviour are clichFs such as7 ;e =us! 'an!s a!!en!ion : we all want attention. This cannot explain the explosions ;e =us! 'an!s his o'n 'ay : we all want our own way. This does not explain the explosions. ;e =us! 'an!s %on!rol : we all want control. &ame deal ;e 'on>! %oopera!e : if youre talking about the true meaning of the word cooperate ?to collaborate, to come together then it may be that the child has not been given a chance to do this. ;e>s manipula!ive : Good manipulation requires forethought, planning, impulse control, organisational skills. Explosive kids are poor manipulators. ;e =us! needs !o s!ep up !o !he pla!e : this is not possible because the child does not have the skills to do this. 6f the child is given the skills he needs so that he doesnt explode anymore and so he doesnt need help anymore, he can be held accountable . Common Con%erns and ?ues!ions and Responses p ".5 7 $eople worry that by not using $lan !, the child is not having limits set. (imit setting means that your needs are met and the childs needs are met. $lan 4 sets limits. &afety 6ssues $roblems that cause children to be unsafe are not solved with $lan !H they get solved with $lan 4. $lan ! of course is used, for example to stop a child from running in front of a car. The adult will use physical restraint and go into $lan 4 after. 6f the child is exploding, theres a good chance that $lan ! is being used. &TE$. Go to $lan 4 if possible otherwise go to $lan C and at the next opportunity go to $roactive $lan 4. $lan 4 takes too long7 5nsolved problems take more time than solved problems. The amount of time will decrease as the skills are developed $artner wont do $lan 4 p %-+ The child wont do $lan 4 this may be because the child lacks the skills to do $lan 4 Child says he doesnt care about my concerns. The child doesnt have to care about your concern s. =ou own them. =our concerns have to be taken into account for a mutually satisfactory solution. 0

*ewards for doing $lan 4 fewer explosions and getting along better will usually be reward enough Time out time is often used as a punishment and can exacerbate explosions. En the other hand, it can be productive for a child and adult to go separate ways so that a discussion can resume after. 1orking with an explosive child is exhausting and requires a lot of energy

Chap!er @ Tea%h your %hild 'ell S)ills re2uired for a %hild !o par!i%ipa!e in Plan 6 The %hild needs !o be able !oA articulate his concerns consider possible solutions and be able to reflect on the feasibility and likely outcomes of solutions and the degree to which they are mutually satisfactory . Concerns ,inding out #1hats up@ might require questioning, and making suggestions about possibilities. Considering a Range of Possible Solutions &olutions to problems encountered by human beings fall into one of three general categories 9s) for help Bee! half 'ay C (ive a li!!le o i! a differen! 'ay. Reflect on the Likely Outcomes of Solutions and the Degree to Which They are Feasible and utually Satisfactory 6nitially, children may fail to follow through on an agreed upon solution. This may be because the solution was unrealistic, or may have failed to address the childs concern. Ether children have difficulty thinking about the likely outcomes of solutions they consider Ethers have difficulty thinking about whether the solutions under consideration are truly realistic and address both concerns. !dult response7 6 know that solution would make you happy but it would not make me happy. (ets try and think of a solution that will make us both happy. 2

Trainin( o!her s)ills 'i!h Plan 6 Language processing skills : teach the language of feelings. !"ecuti#e Skills : planning, organisation, shifting cognitive set and separation of affect using $roactive 4 can help with this !motion Regulation Skills 3edication @ @ 4y solving problems using $lan 4, a childs anxiety and irritability can be reduced.

Cogniti#e Fle"ibility Skills Empathy and *eassurance is crucial for these children because they often overreact when faced with the realisation their rigid notions about how events should unfold will not be fulfilled. <efining the problem helps the child do something hes never been good at7 taking another persons concerns into account. The invitation .)rd step of $lan 4/ helps the child do something hes never been very good at ad8usting to the idea that there might be some shades of gray and that there is a variety of ways to solve a problem. Social Skills Teaching these skills takes less time than not teaching them. &ome children automatically and inaccurately interpret their experiences and the intentions as #6ts not fairA, ?=ou always blame meIA, #"obody likes me,A ?6m stupid. These interpretations can cause spontaneous combustion if unchallenged. &ee p %;; 'D+ for samples of discussions with a child to disconfirm the above beliefs. :elp child to look at exceptions through questioning. Chap!er D -amily Ba!!ers 0Eeeds !o be read1 Chap!er "F 6e!!er +ivin( Throu(h Chemi%als 0needs !o be read1 Chap!er "" The Plan 6 Classroom 4ecause of policies of inclusion, typical classrooms have a range of students with both behavioural and cognitive special needs. 3any schools follow $lan ! &tandard school disciplinary practices do not work for the students to whom they are most frequently applied, and arent needed for the students to whom they are never applied. &tudents who behave well do so because they can. There is little to be shown for detentions, suspensions and expulsions. J

Common response !o applyin( s!andard dis%iplinary pro%edures $We ha#e to set an e"ample% 1hen a school continues to apply interventions that dont help a child to behave adaptively, it gives the message that people are not sure how to help the child. 6s there a likelihood that students who arent explosive will become explosive if you do not set an example@ Wha! messa(e is (iven !o !he explosive %hild if !he s!ra!e(ies !ha! are applied are no! 'or)in(< The child becomes more alienated. 8nder 'ha! %ir%ums!an%es do 'e have !he bes! %han%e of helpin( !he %hild !o learn and pra%!i%e be!!er 'ays of dealin( 'i!h a %hild>s inflexibili!y and lo' frus!ra!ion !oleran%e : in s%hool or suspended from s%hool<

$mpor!an! for a s%hool !o have !he philosophy !ha! Children do 'ell if !hey %an TimeA taking time to try and fix the problem takes less time than not fixing the problem Expertise7 !n understanding of the three domains $athways, three $lans and the three steps for doing $lan 4. 9 plan 6 Road Bap !chieve a consensus on the students pathways and triggers. $rioritise which problems are to be proactively solved .triggers/ and which skills need to be proactively taught .pathways/ Create a community of learners by using $lan 4 with all students that is a social curriculum which accentuates differences. *b=e%!ions !o Plan 6 for an individual s!uden! &' can%t ha#e different sets of rules for different kids( 'f ' let one child get out of or get a)ay )ith something* my other students )ill )ant to as )ell(+ Teachers have different expectations for different children. Fair does not mean equal. Thats why some students receive special help in reading while others are notH some students participate in other programs. ? everyone in our classroom gets what he or she needs. If someone needs help with something, we all try to help him or her. And everyone in our class needs something special. 6t is no different when a child needs help with flexibility and frustration tolerance. 6f a child in the class challenges why an explosive classmate is receiving special accommodations and assistance, the response can be veryone in our classroom gets what she or he needs. If someone needs help with something, we all try to ;

help him or her. !ecause you are very good at handling frustration, I "et you could "e helpful to # ne$t time he gets frustrated. Ether children will not want to become explosive. Children are good at understanding the fair does not mean equal concept and at making exceptions for children who need help. 6t is adults who struggle with this. Chap!er "# Eo' is !he Time This chapter recaps what has been in the other chapters.

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