CPS Advanced Course - Session 1 of 2 - Ross W. Greene, PH.D

 Moving From Power and Control to Collaboration and Problem Solving (and Meeting Kids Where They're At)

• Prioritising / Triaging: You can’t solve everything at once.
• Expectation management: Remove expectations that are out of reach at this stage of development.
• Stabilising: Unsolved problems that have been put on hold don’t cause concerning behaviour. (Stabilization comes before education)

The Science Lab is a stabilising strategy we use at West Melton School, not a long-term one. Learners will do well if they can, and they need time to learn strategies to do so.

Drilling Strategies

Top Three Drilling Strategies:

1. Reflective listening and clarifying statements

2. Asking ”W” questions (the who, what, where, when of the unsolved problem)

8. Summarising (recapping and asking for more concerns)

3. Asking about the situational variability of the unsolved problem

4. Asking kids what they are thinking in the midst of the unsolved problem

5. Breaking the problem down into its component parts

6. Discrepant Observation

7. Tabling (“removing” and asking for more concerns)

If you are doing the empathy, you need to be happy with the answer, even if it is negative against you, or the child will not feel like they can tell you, as you are the one making it hard to meet the expectation.

Use the CHEAT SHEET!

Plan B: Empathy Step - never think of solutions in this step!

The kid says something

Additional Pointers:

• You’re not thinking about solutions in the Empathy step (it’s a “Solution-Free Zone”)
• Remember, “drilling” isn’t “grilling”…it involves “listening,” not “lessoning” or “lessening” (dismissing) or ”trumping” - where your concerns are more important than the childs
• Stay neutral and non-defensive throughout the Empathy step (suspend your emotional response…this step isn’t about you)…the information is more important than style points
• Don’t rush (the Empathy step is not a mechanical formality…you’re really curious…you really want to know!) - Curious not Furious!
• Don’t freak (“I don’t know”, and silence are pretty standard)
• Keep drilling

Other Responses to “What’s Up?”

”I don’t have a problem with that” or “I don’t care”

That’s the beginning of their concern or perspective…start drilling!

Other Responses to “What’s Up?”

”I don’t want to talk about it right now”

• First, assume they have a good reason
• Next, give them permission not to talk
• See if they’ll talk about why they don’t want to talk about it
• Don’t do anything today that will reduce the likelihood of the kid talking to you tomorrow

This is not a trickery model, it is a comfort model!

You can always wait until tomorrow, as these unsolved problems have been here for a while; one more day won't hurt.

Other Responses to “What’s Up?”

Defensiveness: ”I don’t have to talk to you!”

The kid may need reassurance that you’re not using Plan A

• I’m not going to tell you the solution”
• “You’re not in trouble”
• “I’m not mad at you”
• “I’m just trying to understand”

Plan B: Define Adult Concerns Step

Goal:

Enter the adult’s concern or perspective into consideration in a way that doesn’t cause the child to feel that their concerns are being dismissed or disregarded (beginning with “The thing is…” or “My concern is…”).

We often don't know what the true concern is as we are already coming to and imposing solutions!

Our concern is: why is it important that this expectation be met?

What’s Hard: Adults frequently don’t know what their concerns are…adult concerns are the answer

To this question: Why is it important that the expectation be met?

Two Possibilities:

1. How is the unsolved problem affecting the kid?

2. How is the unsolved problem affecting other people?

(Typically: Health, safety, learning, fairness)

Plan B: Invitation Step

Goal: Collaborate on a solution that is realistic and mutually satisfactory.

CPS Introductory Course - Session 2 of 2 - Ross W. Greene, PH.D

The ASUP is a Game Changer

Caregivers come to recognise that a child is struggling with multiple skills and having difficulty meeting expectations.

Are they all important? Which ones do we work on first?

• Can the kid reliably meet them all?
• Caregivers may begin to regret how they’ve been treating the child.
• Caregivers recognise that unsolved problems are predictable and can therefore be solved proactively. Do not wait till the problem pops up; pre-teach to solve the problem.

How do we prioritise?

Safety - Unsolved problems contributing to unsafe behaviours

Frequency - Unsolved problems occurring most often

Gravity - Unsolved problems having the greatest negative impact on the kid or others

The Problem Solving Plan

Who will solve the problem? Often, the person to whom the child is sent is not the right person to solve the problem. Once a problem is solved, it is removed from the plan, and the next one is added. Two sheets (ASUP and The Problem Solving Plan) are needed are free on the Lives in the Balance Website. 

Options for Handling Unsolved Problems

Plan A - solve the problem unitlaterally - the adult solves the problem by themself

The adult decides what the solution is and imposes it, often accompanied by adult-imposed consequences (“I’ve decided that…”)

• …causes concerning behaviours
• …is not a partnership
• …does not involve kids in solving the problems that affect their lives
• … provides no information whatsoever about the factors making it difficult for the kid to meet a given expectation… solutions arrived at through Plan A are “uninformed”

Plan B -  Solve the plan collaboratively - 

Empathy Step - Gather information from the child about what’s hard about meeting the expectation.

Goal: Gather information from kids to understand what’s making it hard for them to meet the expectation.

Introduction: The Empathy step begins with the words “I’ve noticed that” followed by an unsolved problem and an initial inquiry (“What’s up?”)

What happens after “What’s up?”

1. The kid says something

2. The kid says nothing or “I don’t know”

3. The kid says, “I don’t have a problem with that” or “I don’t care”

4. The kids say, “I don’t want to talk about it right now”

5. The kid responds defensively (“I don’t have to talk to you!”)

The kid says something

Top Three Drilling Strategies:

1. Reflective listening (mirroring) and clarifying statements

2. Asking ”W” questions (the who, what, where, when of the unsolved problem). Very rarely, why!

8. Summarising (recapping and asking for more concerns)

The kid says something

Drilling Strategies, cont.:

3. Asking about the situational variability of the unsolved problem

4. Asking kids what they are thinking in the midst of the unsolved problem

5. Breaking the problem down into its component parts

6. Discrepant Observation

7. Tabling (“removing” and asking for more concerns)

The kid says something

Additional Pointers:

• You’re not thinking about solutions in the Empathy step (it’s a “Solution-Free Zone”)
• Remember, “drilling” isn’t “grilling”…it involves “listening,” not “lessoning” or “lessening” (dismissing) or ”trumping”
• Stay neutral and non-defensive throughout the Empathy step (suspend your emotional response this step isn’t about you)…the information is more important than style points
• Don’t rush (the Empathy step is not a mechanical formality…you’re really curious…you really want to know!)

The kid says nothing or “I don’t know”

A few tips:

• Don’t freak (“I don’t know”, and silence are pretty standard)
• Keep drilling

Figure out why: Adult Factors

• You used Plan A
• You used Emergency Plan B instead of Proactive Plan B
• The unsolved problem wasn’t worded according to the guidelines
• Demeanour (facial expression, tone of voice, etc.)

Figure out why: Child Factors

• The kid doesn’t trust you and/or the process yet (due to lots of experience with Plan A)
• The kid has lost faith and doesn’t see the point in talking anymore
• Strategy: “Was it always so?”
• The kid needs time to think (adults better get comfortable with silence)
• The kid just doesn’t know or is having difficult putting their thoughts into words
• Strategy: “Do you know what you want to say but you’re not sure how to say it? Or are you not sure what you want to say?”
• Strategy: Educated guessing/ hypothesis testing

Plan B with Non-Speaking Kids

Some strategies:

• Five-finger method
• Yes/No
• Pictures/Google Images
• Apps
• Assistive technology

Plan B with High-Support Needs Kids Building toward Plan B:

• Finding a way for the child to communicate somehow about something (this means that)
• Something: preferences, that something is wrong, pain or need for sensory input
• Somehow: gestures, grunts, hand signals
• Your eyes are your most important assessment tool…often you’re not asking…you’re observing
• Your reference point is infants

Other Responses to “What’s Up?”

• ”I don’t have a problem with that” or “I don’t care”

That’s the beginning of their concern or perspective…start drilling!

Other Responses to “What’s Up?”

”I don’t want to talk about it right now”

• First, assume they have a good reason
• Next, give them permission not to talk
• See if they’ll talk about why they don’t want to talk about it
• Don’t do anything today that will reduce the likelihood of the kid talking to you tomorrow

Defensiveness: ”I don’t have to talk to you!”

• The kid may need reassurance that you’re not using Plan A
• “I’m not going to tell you the solution”
• “You’re not in trouble”
• “I’m not mad at you”
• “I’m just trying to understand”

Define Adult Concerns Step - Identify adult concerns.

Goal: Enter the adult’s concern or perspective into consideration in a way that doesn’t cause the child to feel that their concerns are being dismissed or disregarded (beginning with “The thing is…” or “My concern is…”).

What’s Hard: Adults frequently don’t know what their concerns are…adult concerns are the answer

to this question: Why is it important that the expectation be met?

Two Possibilities:

1. How is the unsolved problem affecting the kid?
2. How is the unsolved problem affecting other people? (Typically: Health, safety, learning, fairness)

Invitation Step - Collaborate on a solution that is realistic and mutually satisfactory.

Goal: Collaborate on a solution that is realistic and mutually satisfactory.

What’s hard: The Wording 

- Recap the concerns: ”I wonder if there’s away for us to do something about/make sure that (one party’s concerns) and also do something about/make sure that (the other party’s concerns).” 

- The kid is given the first opportunity to generate solutions (“Do you have any ideas? ”), but the resolution of the problem is a team effort (collaborative)

• The goal is to show kids that you’re as invested in getting their concerns addressed as you are in getting your own addressed.
• You don’t know where the plane is landing before it takes off (no preordained solutions).
• If there are multiple concerns that cannot be addressed by the same solution, prioritise which concerns are going to be addressed in this Plan B and which may be addressed in a subsequent Plan B.

Plan C - Put the Expectation on Hold for Now

• Prioritising / Triaging: You can’t solve everything at once.
• Expectation management: Remove expectations that are not realistic at this stage of development.
• Stabilising: Unsolved problems that have been put on hold don’t cause concerning behaviour. (Stabilisation comes before education). 

Do not be too keen to meet our expectations before the children are ready.

Put the Expectation on Hold for Now

Proactive C:

• Don’t bring it up - expectation example of brushing teeth - just do not mention - if they don't brush, they don't brush.
• An agreed-upon interim plan for putting the expectation on hold for now (not the same as modifying or adapting the expectation)

Emergency C:

“OK”, e.g., "I am not doing my social science project", answer "ok"

Fair does not mean equal… you’re aiming for EQUITY, not equality

We are educators, meaning we are in the equity business ....Your goal is to meet every kid where they’re at

Antecedent Interventions

✓ Modifying the environment to make it less aversive

✓ Changing task demands to make them easier, shorter, and less aversive

✓ Incorporating student interest and preferences

CPS Introductory Course - Session 1 of 2 - Ross W. Greene, PH.D

 Moving From Power and Control to Collaboration and Problem Solving (and Meeting Kids Where They're At)

Risk Factors

Being a Girl,  a boy, LGBTQ+, white, black or brown, caregiver mental health, decline of religion, high-stakes testing, neurodivergent, home and family life, politics and social media

As teachers or leaders, we can be highly aware and empathetic toward our students because of the many risk factors. Then adjust our interactions accordingly.

What should the protective ecosystems look like?

Paradigm Shift / Key Themes #1 - emphasis is on problems rather than on behaviours.

Concerning behaviour is often best thought of as a frustration or distress response. Behaviour is the signal the child communicates that they are having difficulty meeting certain behaviours.

• Concerning behaviours can be "lucky" or "unlucky"
• Less emphasis on unmet needs ...
• You're improving their behaviour by solving the problems that are causing it
• An unmet expectation is still an unsolved problem, even if not shown concerning behaviour
• We will require different assessment practices
  

In this model, we are the problem solvers, not the behaviour modifiers!

Paradigm Shift / Key Themes 2 - the problem-solving is collaborative, not unilateral (Ask the kid).

• Something you are doing with the kid rather than to them
• even if the kid can talk, but isn't or aren't talking because they can't
• Engaging kids in solving the problems is more effective at holding them accountable. Not as accountable when they are passive recipients of adult-imposed consequences
• T-I-M-E

To hold kids accountable, have them engaged in the process

Paradigm Shift / Key Themes #3 - the problem-solving is proactive, not proactive. (Don't be late)

• These kids are highly predictable, if we answer two questions proactively

1. Why do some kids respond so poorly to problems and frustrations? Answer - struggle with skills that are involved in responding to frustrations (flexibility/adaptability, frustration tolerance, problem solving, emotion regulation)
2. When do kids exhibit concerning behaviour? Answer - when they're having difficulty meeting certain expectations

• Once skills and unsolved problems are identified, intervention can largely be proactive.

Set Up to Be Late

• Give the kid a break
• Send the kid to the calming corner
• call for crisis managers
• Teach coping strategies - 90% should be helping kids anticipate and solve problems before they're frustrated
• de-escalation, restraint, seclusion
• Discipline referral, detention, suspension, expulsion
  
  

Thought - reframe the structure in the school to be a strength-based approach to ensure we are early with a child, not late?

Teaching coping strategies is generally for those who are not coping when they are frustrated. 

Paradigm Shift / Key Themes #4 - kids do well if they can

If kids could do well, they would do well - not kids do well if they wanna! Doing poorly does not work out better for the kid!

Not true: 

Attention-seeking - the kid has the skills to seek attention the right way, but chooses the wrong way cause it makes their life go better - not true, why would they? If behaviour were a lucky response, would they still be attention-seeking, or would they get comfort?

Manipulative

Coercive

Unmotivated

Limit-testing

Once we have a closer look using the assessment tools, we can see what unmet needs or skills they need support with.

Paradigm Shift / Key Themes #5 - Doing well is preferable

Solved problems don't cause concerning behaviours .... only unsolved problems do

Key Skills - flexibility/adaptability, frustration tolerance, problem solving, emotion regulation 

Enhancing skills takes longer than solving problems

Identifying skills and unsolved problems helps make the intervention proactive rather than reactive

Solve problems collaboratively and proactively - promotes a partnership, engages kids in solving the problems that affect their lives. 

Assessment of Skills and Unsolved Problems (ASUP 2024)

Step 1: 16 skills moved past the 4 global skills

The ASUP is a discussion guide, not a checklist or mechanism for quantifying.

ASUP helps us focus on what we can do to support the child

We are not trying to explain how the behaviour comes about - circle of control, what we can influence and what we cannot influence.

Guideline for Wording Unsolved Problems 

• free of concerning behaviours
• Unsolved problems start with the word "difficulty" followed by a verb
• eg difficultly getting started on ...

• free of adult theories -because we want to believe our theories are always right
• Our theories are often wrong
• assumption-free living - when not assuming gives you the power to ask instead of guess

• split not clumped
• Micro, not macro, e.g., difficulty being safe, getting along with others, following instructions
• "preferred" and "unpreferred" are clumped (and are also theories)

• as specific as possible
• Asking "w" questions (who, what, where, when ... not why!) Why means 20 minutes of assumptions of why they do something.
• Asking "what expectation is the child having difficulty meeting?"

A few more guidelines

• verb selection is the hardest part - use these - (completing, getting started on, participate in, get along with, going to, coming back from.
• "Upstream" unsolved problems are better than "downstream" unsolved problems.
• Desired behaviour is OK ......... concerning behaviour is not. Eg concerning behaviour - calling out to ask a question - desired behaviour - Difficulty raising a hand to ask a question.
• The wording of unsolved problems should be kid-friendly
• The unsolved problem is the "conversation" .... it's the "entry point".
• Even if the kid sometimes meets an expectation but not others, any expectation that a kid has difficulty reliably meeting is an unsolved problem.

Unsolved Problem Example

Nigel has difficulty getting started on keeping his workspace tidy.

The Core Philosophy: "Kids Do Well if They Can"

The fundamental shift is moving from the belief that kids do well if they want to (motivation-based) to the belief that kids do well if they can (skill-based). If a child is struggling, it isn't because they are manipulative or unmotivated; it is because they lack the skills to meet a specific expectation.