The Behavior Help Coach begins by meeting with the child care provider and the child’s parents/guardians to understand the behaviors taking place. Using a formal observation tool called the Climate of Healthy Interactions for Learning & Development (CHILD), the Coach will assess relationships and interactions in the care setting.

The goal of this step is for the Coach to gain a clear understanding about: 

• The behaviors of concern 
• When the behaviors occur 
• The nature of adults’ relationships with the child 
• Any major events or transitions in the child’s life 
• What has and has not previously worked for the child 

This is a process that may take multiple conversations and it is essential to informing the Coach’s tailored strategies to improve outcomes for the child.

Once the Coach has gathered the necessary information, they will shift gears and begin creating a plan of approaches and strategies for the care provider to try with the child. This step is done in collaboration with the care provider and the parents/guardians.

Every intervention plan is unique based on the needs of the child and the care provider, the information gathered in Step One, and the strengths of the learning environment. The plan is designed with the goal of supporting social and emotional development by enhancing learning environments and positive relationships between adults and children. This will then promote pro-social skills and emotional regulation in the child, which will reduce challenging behaviors.

All Behavior Help services use a strength-based, relational, and culturally attuned approach. This evidence-based approach will strengthen the social-emotional development of young children as identified in the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards.

The plan will be put into action with collaboration between the important adults in the child’s life. During this time, the Coach is available to provide support to the care provider and parents/guardians as needed. This can include:

• Teaching strategies
• Providing tools
• Modeling behaviors
• Observing the new strategies and providing feedback
• Facilitating communication between the care provider and parents/guardians
• Making specific recommendations based on the learning environment
• Adjusting the plan as needed

These services typically last 6-12 weeks. You and your Behavior Help Coach can determine together the frequency of visits and communication based on the situation and the Coach’s recommended strategies. Generally, you can expect that at the start of services you will be in regular communication with your Coach, then as you begin implementing new strategies the Coach will schedule times for check-ins. Of course, you are welcome and encouraged to reach out to your Coach anytime via phone or email. 

With the new strategies in place, the Behavior Help Coach will reassess the learning environment using the same CHILD observation tool.

The Coach will remain available to answer questions from the child care provider and parents/guardians. Three months after the conclusion of the implementation stage, the Coach will conduct a formal check-in to evaluate the ongoing effectiveness of the newly implemented strategies.

No. Behavior Help Wisconsin does NOT formally diagnose or medically evaluate children. Participation is confidential and children’s information is not shared with outside parties, with the exceptions of mandated reporting of child abuse or neglect, or if a parent/guardian requests the information be shared for the purposes of coordinating care with additional professionals who are in a role to support the child (for example, a child’s pediatrician or therapist). 

Behavior Help Coaches work mostly with the child care provider, not the child. The goal of Behavior Help is to equip the adults in a child’s life with strategies that allow them to meet the child’s needs in a way that encourages social-emotional growth and positive behaviors. 

Behavior Help Coaches have expertise in optimal learning environments and relationships that support children’s social and emotional development. But there are times when the factors contributing to a child’s behavior may be more complex or nuanced. A Behavior Help Coach may choose to include in the process a Social Emotional Development Consultant when the challenging behavior is influenced by factors such as exposure to traumatic events, interpersonal conflicts between caregivers, or important caregivers who may be struggling with their own mental health concerns. Social Emotional Development Consultants, in addition to their knowledge of early childhood care environments and relationships, have additional clinical expertise in Infant Mental Health. 

Or, if strategies and techniques that typically yield positive results in care environments are implemented by the Coach, care provider, and child’s parents without success, the Coach may choose to bring in a Consultant because, as always, two heads are better than one.

Social Emotional Development Consultants also have the training and expertise to provide Reflective Supervision Consultation to child care providers. Reflective Supervision Consultation is a tool that can help child care providers better recognize mental states (feelings, thoughts, and intentions) in themselves and others, and understand the link between those mental states and behavior. Reflective Practice recognizes that working with families is relational and complex, and that healthy relationships are where both children and adults thrive. Reflecting on these relationships helps professionals carry forth positive qualities with families — using their relationship to bring out the families’ strengths and resiliency. Regularly practicing reflection and integrating it into the routine structure of an agency has proven beneficial to direct providers, supervisors, consultants, and agencies.