CHLD 169: Positively Guiding Challenging Behaviors

Citrus College Course Outline of Record

Citrus College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Fall 2025
Credits: 1
Total Contact Hours: 18
Lecture Hours : 18
Lab Hours: 0
Hours Arranged: 0
Outside of Class Hours: 36
Total Student Learning Hours: 54
Strongly Recommended: ENGL C1000.
Transferable to CSU: No
Transferable to UC: No
Grading Method: Standard Letter

Catalog Course Description

This course provides an overview of challenging behaviors during early childhood, 0-5 years. Students will analyze behavioral issues and explore strategies for nurturing children's developmental needs in early childhood education. Students will develop positive guidance teaching techniques for modifying challenging behaviors. Additional topics of study include attention deficit disorder, aggression and other related topics. 18 lecture hours.

Course Objectives

  • Demonstrate understanding of developmental capabilities of the infant, toddler, and preschool aged child.
  • Describe challenging behaviors that place children "at risk" in the development of social and emotional skills.
  • Analyze behavioral cause and consequences of challenging behaviors and develop specific guidelines and techniques for developmentally appropriate intervention.
  • Demonstrate techniques for working with the family that incorporate and reflect sensitivity to the family's culture, social circumstances and lifestyle choices.
  • Evaluate options for making resource referrals to support services.

Major Course Content

  1. Challenging Behaviors During Early Childhood 
    1. Determining the Why of Challenging Behaviors
      1. Developmental Approach
      2. Assessment
    2. Developmental Considerations
      1. Infants & Toddlers
      2. Preschoolers
      3. Early School Age
  2. Effective Positive Guidance Techniques
    1. Behavior Modification
    2. Positive Discipline
    3. Responding to Challenging Behaviors
    4. Creating Environments and Nurturing Interactions to Reduce Challenging Behaviors and Increase Positive Behaviors
    5. Culturally Appropriate Guidance
  3. Challenging Behaviors: Specific Concerns
    1. Disruptive or Antisocial
    2. Aggression or Destructive behaviors
    3. Social Difficulties
    4. Emotional Difficulties
    5. Attention Deficit – Hyperactivity Disorders
    6. The Teacher’s Role
      1. Guidelines for Intervention
      2. Educational plans
      3. Treatments and referrals
  4. Family Dynamics and Children’s Behavior
    1. Dysfunctional Interaction
    2. Child Maltreatment
    3. Working with Families
    4. Parent Education

Suggested Reading Other Than Required Textbook

1. "Conscious Discipline: Building Resilient Classrooms" (2008) by Dr. Becky A. Bailey.
2. Web-Based Reading https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/mar2017/culturally-appropriate-positive-guidance "Culturally Appropriate Positive Guidance With Young Children," Young Children (2017), Volume 72., No. 1., National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Examples of Required Writing Assignments

Example 1: Develop written behavior modification plans for working with preschoolers with challenging behaviors. Example 2: Develop written plans for working with and providing appropriate resources and referrals to families experiencing children with challenging behaviors. Example 3: Interview an early childhood professional about challenges, issues and successes experienced when guiding challenging behaviors of preschoolers. Example 4: Interview a parent of a preschooler about challenges, issues and/or successes experienced when guiding challenging behaviors.

Examples of Outside Assignments

Example 1: Listen to a podcast, watch a video or read about strategies on the "free resources" webpage of the Conscious Discipline (Dr. Becky Bailey) website. https://consciousdiscipline.com/free-resources/
Example 2: Observe and analyze a teacher working with a child with challenging behaviors.
Example 3: Observe and analyze a preschooler with challenging behaviors and develop a positively plan to guide and support the child's development.

Instruction Type(s)

Lecture, Online Education Lecture