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:
- How is the unsolved problem affecting the kid?
- 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
