DESCRIPTION:

The toddler years are exciting years! But challenging behavior can turn a classroom-or a home-upside down. Teachers and families sometimes find themselves at a loss, unable to turn things around or help the child behave appropriately.

Fortunately, there are strategies that can help turn surviving the toddler years into thriving. During this webinar, participants will learn about several strategies that can help to positively address difficult moments. These strategies are based on the big idea that behavior communicates.

Everybody communicates through behavior. An infant may cry when she is hungry or tired, just like an adult may become sarcastic when he is irritated at work. Difficult behavior is an indication that something needs to be addressed. Caregivers must understand the message in order to effectively address the behaviors.

When we approach children with this mindset, we can better understand and help them to change their behaviors. Changing these behaviors takes support and patience. Finding positive ways to help children communicate their needs more effectively should be the goal of any behavior plan.

Join Mickey in this Talks on Tuesday to learn strategies that help you address the challenges of difficult behavior!

MEET THE PRESENTER:

Mickey VanDerwerker

Mickey graduated from JMU with double major in Special Education. She received her Master's degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. Currently she works for the Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Tech. She is the Coordinator of Positive Behavior Supports and Low Incidence Disabilities. She actively assists teachers in developing plans to address difficult and challenging behavior across Southwest Virginia. This past year, her focus has been on understanding students with ADHD and developed professional learning activities to help teachers work more effectively with these students.

Prior to coming to TTAC, she taught students with moderate and severe disabilities from birth to 22. Mickey was named the Virginia Teacher of the Year in 1986 and the program she set up in King William County schools was named Outstanding Program in Inclusion of students with disabilities in 1987 by the American Council on Rural Special Education. Mickey spent several years with Project Daniel, working with infants and toddlers in their homes.

Mickey is the mother of five children, all of whom are in or done with college but, because she had the five of them in the course of five years, had her own "preschool" for many years!