Sensory vs. Behavior... Why is my Child Acting This way?

Children act out for different reasons in different situations. Often children are responding to challenging situations, other times they are “acting out” for attention or manipulation. As parents and teachers, it can sometimes be difficult to assess in the moment why the child is exhibiting challenging behaviors. This presentation will discuss a variety of reasons for challenging behaviors, including sensory integration dysfunction, as well as the functions that these behaviors serve. This will be followed by guidelines for determining if the challenging behavior is sensory based or strictly ‘behavioral’, as well as suggestions for dealing with challenging behaviors, whatever the reason. Case studies will be used to demonstrate the differences between sensory based behaviors and purposeful behaviors. Time will be allowed for discussion and questions.