Emotionally Intelligent Children: Less Anger AND Improved Social Skills

The most misunderstood and poorly executed intervention is anger management. The most sought after, and most varied intervention for children is social skills. But why is this the case? Why aren’t these topics more frequently intertwined? And why do we wait so long to provide children support in this area?

In this seminar, you will learn how to use an emotional intelligence curriculum, designed by your instructor, to effectively address both anger and social skills deficits. You will discover the benefits of this curriculum for children as young as 4 years old, and how it helps them manage their anger, cope with disappointments and frustrations, and even learn how to be good friends. Case studies and group roleplays will give you a much deeper understanding and appreciation for how to use stories, illustrations, and re-enforcers to teach the Good Choice Wheel, a visual tool that embodies 4 coping strategies that every child needs.

Course Outline

THEORETICAL BACKGROND AND BASICS OF MODEL

• A positive approach: “You don’t have to be sick to get better”
• Why early intervention?
• Behavioral therapy and social skills

THE ROOTS OF ANDERSON & ANDERSON IN ANGER MANAGEMENT INTERVENTION AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE COACHING

• Modeling good behavior: “To teach kids, we must be able to teach ourselves”
• Defining Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
• Our approach: history and current uses
  • Psychotherapy-Domestic Violence-Anger Management-EQ
  • Problems with other approaches
  • EQi model and coaching
• Including adults—parents AND teachers
• Contrasting Wheels of Behavior and the EQ assessment and Post-Test debrief
• Reinventing the wheels into child-friendly and visual lessons
• Activity: Which areas of emotional intelligence do you think are most vital for clinicians and teachers?

ANGER (AND OTHER CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS) IN CHILDREN

• Focus must be on both anger and social skills
• Lack of coping skills for anxiety or frustration
• How anger develops in children – a developmental review
• How parents reinforce bad behavior, and how teachers can make it worse

MOST COMMON CHILDHOOD CHALLENGES THAT CAUSE ANGER AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS

• Frustration tolerance
• Sensory overload
• Trouble sharing
• Inability to communicate
• Inability to identify and express emotions
• Not listening
• Hurt feelings
• Rigidity
• Diagram of good choices and wheel intersecting with these challenges

GRAB THE WHEEL™ CURRICULUM

• Child-friendly language and visual learning
• The Good Choice Wheel: 4 coping strategies every child needs
  • Strong words
  • Listening
  • Say how I feel
  • Try something different
• Teach the wheel using social stories, illustrations
  • Emotion ID
  • Empathy
• Tools to encourage use of more positive skills
  • Re-enforcers
  • Illustrations
  • Others
• Goals

CASE STUDIES AND GROUP ROLEPLAYS

Objectives

• Explain the importance of including both behavioral therapy and social skills training with children
• Describe how the Anderson & Anderson Contrasting Wheels of Behavior can be reinvented for work with children
• Examine the role of parents and teachers in reinforcing and worsening the bad behavior of children
• Identify common childhood challenges that cause anger and social problems
• Apply the Good Choice Wheel, using case studies and group roleplay

Who Should Attend

Psychologists

Social Workers

Licensed Professional Counselors

Adoption Counselors

School Guidance Counselors

Marriage and Family Therapists

Educators

Case Managers

Foster Care and Adoption Workers

Pediatric Rehabilitation Professionals (Occupational Therapists, Speech-Language Pathologists)

Psychiatrists

Psychiatric Nurses

School Nurses

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners

Child Advocacy/Protective Service Staff

Pastoral Counselors/Clergy

Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors

Professional Comments

“I loved Bryan's Grab the Wheel anger management program as soon as I learned about it at a socio-emotional conference for K-12 educators. My elementary school immediately implemented Bryan's program and we have already seen positive results. I can't wait to also share this program with our parents so they can reinforce these simple but effective strategies at home.”

--- Dr. Meg Palisoc, Former Teacher, Co-Founder and CEO, Synergy Academies

“The Grab the Wheel presentation was not only intriguing but a true eye opener! Brian has giving a whole new meaning to thinking outside of the box!”

--Christian Broussard