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University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Academic Conference Planning & Management

Committed to Excellence

The Angry Child/When the Kid Who Can, WON'T

The University of Nebraska - Lincoln Department of Academic Conferences is offering two half-day workshops of proven interventions and strategies. The Angry Child and When The Kid Who Can, WON'T are designed to assist special education/regular education teachers and paraprofessionals, counselors, administrators, inclusion and alternative education specialists, assessment personnel, special education, supervisors/directors, school nurses, child care specialists, and others who work with behaviorally problematic youth. Attend both sessions at a discount for a full day of practical techniques for dealing with these youngsters.

The morning workshop, The Angry Child, focuses on the cause and scope of persistent impulsive and aggressive behavior, and offers practical, useable ideas and strategies for effective intervention and management.

The afternoon workshop, When the Kid Who Can, WON'T, takes a hard look at defiance and noncompliance and offers interventions for dealing with them. Target behaviors include defiance, procrastination, pouting and stubbornness, obstructionism and forms of noncompliance and intentional inefficiency, such as "forgetting", task refusal and chronic episodes of missing or incomplete school work.

Read on or Register Now


Morning Workshop

The Angry Child

Insights and Strategies for Helping the Volatile, Impulsive and Aggressive Youngster

Program Focus

This program will focus on the cause and scope of persistent impulsive and aggressive behavior, and it will offer practical, usable ideas and strategies for effective intervention and management.

Participant Benefits

This workshop will improve participants' ability to:

Understand factors and issues that most influence impulsive and aggressive behavior.

Redirect behaviors that can threaten the safety of this child and others.

Increase confidence in teaching this child long-term skills of impulse control.

Learn new prevention and intervention techniques that are effective in different settings.

Intended Audience

This program is designed to assist educators, administrators, counselors, practitioners, clinicians and allied health service professionals in working more effectively with the emotionally fragile youngster who easily is given to episodes of impulsivity and overly aggressive behavior.

Needs Addressed

Why is it that some youngsters can recite the behavior rules and consequences chapter and verse ... yet still violate those rules over and over again?

Why is it that it takes only one "cocked to explode" youngster to damage the learning environment for everyone?

Why is it our best strategies for managing the volatile, impulsive and aggressive youngster often don't work ... or seem only to make things worse?

These are not easy questions to answer. It's tough enough for anyone, but it's especially difficult for a child to control behavior that is slipping out of control.

Program Description

There's nothing new about the need for anger management with this youngster. What is new is information affecting the way we look at the issue of problematic anger and how we manage it.

We know, for instance, that aggressive behavior is primarily learned behavior and that, regardless of how it looks from the outside, the aggressive child feels like a victim. This affects how the child thinks, or, in some instances, doesn't think. The highly impulsive youngster and the highly creative youngster are alike in one sense; they operate more out of "images" than traditional language. The problem is that the images of the impulsive and aggressive youngster are not pretty ones. Their behaviors follow the images.

The slowing down of impulsive thought and the damage it can create involves increased facility with language, the capacity to self-sooth and manipulate images, and the ability of youngsters—with assistance—to rid themselves of victim status and accurately evaluate their progress. This program addresses these skills.

Program Objectives

Through this workshop and materials, participants will be able to:

  1. Internalize the two factors that researchers agree most influence impulsive and aggressive behavior.
  2. Address why the angry child looks like an abuser, but feels like a victim.
  3. Overcome what a youngster might experience as "advantages" of staying angry.
  4. Grasp the concept of Emotional Bandwidth as it accounts for "normal" and problematic psycho-emotional functioning.
  5. Understand how rage operates primarily on images (Image Streaming), not language.
  6. Address the characteristics of behavior that becomes "desperate."
  7. Learn how language can be used to "slow down" and even contain the rage response.
  8. Teach a youngster the powerful connection between Needs, Feelings and Freedoms, and how to use them to achieve healing and better behavioral control.
  9. Implement a detailed, step-by-step process for teaching a child the skills of anger management and interpersonal empowerment.
  10. Employ an intervention that shows the child how to "manipulate" negative images using visualization and metaphor.
  11. Consider other modalities for helping a youngster gain control over anger and destructive impulse.

Morning Agenda

7:45-8:30 a.m.

Check-in and registration

8:30-10:00 a.m.

Part 1
Introduction
Emotional bandwidth
Anger at the speed of light
Image streaming
Desperate behavior
Patterns in behavior

10:00-10:15 a.m. - Break

10:15 a.m.-Noon

Part II
Language lanes: needs, feelings, freedoms
Affirmation and empowerment
Disruption of negative patterns
Teaching the skills of anger control
Teaching noncoercive response
Image "manipulation"
Other modalities of intervention
Closing

Register Now


Afternoon Workshop

When the Kid Who Can, Won't

Working with the Defiant and Noncompliant Child

Angry Child

Program Focus

This program provides insights and interventions for teachers and classroom paraprofessionals in working with capable—but defiant and noncompliant—students. Target behaviors include defiance, procrastination, pouting and stubbornness, obstructionism and forms of noncompliance and intentional inefficiency, such as "forgetting," task refusal and chronic episodes of missing or incomplete school work.

Participant Benefits

This workshop will improve participants' ability to:

Understand behaviors of defiance and noncompliance ... and how to deal with them.

Realize more on-task performance and achievement from this youngster.

Implement interventions that reduce conflict and bring more harmony into the classroom.

Increase confidence in influencing long-term positive growth in student behavior.

Intended Audience

Special education/regular education teachers and paraprofessionals, counselors, administrators, inclusion and alternative education specialists, assessment professionals, special education supervisors/directors, school nurses and child care specialists.

Needs Addressed by this Program

Peggy and Greg are bright and capable. Achievement testing indicates that both youngsters function at or above grade level. Both of them, however, are failing in school. They are never prepared for class and homework is rarely completed and turned in.

The noncompliance of these two is a serious concern. Parent-teacher conferences have done little to create positive change at school ... and things aren't much better at home.

In addition to their achievement problems, Peggy and Greg also seem to be two unhappy youngsters.

Program Description

Defiance and noncompliance are especially big concerns in the schools today. This program will look closely at these behaviors in the youngster who is capable, but is not performing to potential.

Dr. Sutton will demonstrate the critical difference between coercive and non-coercive noncompliance, and will share current ideas and strategies for the redirection of inappropriate behavior. Eight categories of intervention for improving task-related compliance will be covered.

Dr. Sutton will also present the concept of the "Reasonableness Quotient," which—when combined with a system of prioritizing expectations—can greatly reduce conflict with this youngster.

Program Objectives

Through this workshop and materials, participants will be able to:

  1. Understand why it is important to "fail" faster with the difficult student.
  2. Consider how emotional factors contribute more to motivation and success than intellectual processes.
  3. Support three "fundamentals" that will essentially guarantee at least some improvement in the behavior of all students.
  4. Grasp the notion that behaviors (good and not-so-good) always track a payoff and leave a pattern.
  5. Gain skills for determining the "location" of the problem fueling inappropriate behavior.
  6. Review the most common classroom behaviors of defiance and noncompliance.
  7. Internalize the critical difference between coercive and non-coercive noncompliance.
  8. Avoid seven of our most typical responses to this youngster that only serve to make behaviors worse.
  9. Identify and Implement achievable qualities of teachers who experience a measure of success with this youngster.
  10. Gain an effective process for clarifying and prioritizing expectations with the difficult student ... a method that substantially can reduce conflict.
  11. Engage and confront this student more effectively.
  12. Achieve eight categories of intervention (the foundation for hundreds of specific strategies) for improving task-directed compliance.
  13. Review additional options for programming and discipline at school.
  14. Conference comfortably and effectively with this student's parents.

Afternoon Agenda

12:15-12:45 p.m.

Afternoon check in and registration

12:45-2:00 p.m.

Part I
Opening
What failure can teach us
Covering the fundamentals
How behavior follows the payoff
The nature of noncompliance
Common defiant and noncompliant behaviors
The "no-lutions"

2:00-2:15 p.m. - Break

2:15-3:00 p.m.

Part II
Why some folks are "naturally" successful with this youngster
Prioritizing expectations to stimulate more compliance
Constructive confrontation
Improving task-directed compliance
Programming and discipline
Parent conferences
Closing


Your Presenter

James D. Sutton, Ed. D

As an educator, Dr. James Sutton has taught everything from grade school to graduate school. His interest in working with emotionally troubled youngsters motivated him to earn a doctorate in psychology. Today, Dr. Sutton addresses the needs of young people as a consulting psychologist, an author, and an accomplished speaker. His years of service to young people, and those who serve them, have included consultation with public and private schools and school districts, educational service centers, hospitals, residential treatment and group home facilities, juvenile probation authorities, special education cooperatives, and child service agencies.

As evidence of his platform skills, Dr. Sutton was granted Professional Member status into the prestigious National Speakers Association, and he holds the designation of Certified Speaking Professional, the highest earned designation possible in the speaking profession.

Dr. Sutton has authored many books, guides and cassette training programs for child service professionals. His book If My Kid's So Nice...Why's He Driving ME Crazy? was named "Editor's Choice" by Learning magazine, and he is the author of the best-seller, 101 Ways to Make Your Classroom Special: Creating a place where significance, teamwork, and spontaneity can sprout and flourish.


Important Information

Included in the Registration Fee:

  • This program involves a lecture methodology, with planned activities and group "brainstorming."
  • Handouts & materials
  • Continuing Education Units - The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Academic Conferences is granting .275 CEUs (2.75 hours) for EACH workshop, for a total of .55 CEUs (5.5 hours) for those who attend the full day.
  • Refreshment breaks

Registration to attend BOTH WORKSHOPS - $139.00 before the early registration deadline, $159.00 after that date (see the appropriate deadlines for each location in the Workshop Locations section).

Registration to attend only the morning session, entitled "The Angry Child" - $79.00 before the early registration deadline, $99.00 after that date.

Registration to attend only the afternoon session, entitled "When the Kid Who Can, WON'T" - $79.00 before the early registration deadline, $99.00 after that date.

Register or choose your location from the Workshop Location section below.

Cancellation: If you register but can not attend, you may transfer your registration fee to a colleague, attend an alternate site, or request a refund. Cancellations can be made by calling the conference office at (402) 472-2423 or fax (402) 472-1264. Cancellations will be accepted until one week prior to each conference and registration fees will be refunded less a $30 processing fee. No refunds will be accepted within one week prior to the conference.

Questions or trouble registering?: Contact us
Email: conferences@unl.edu
Phone: (402) 472-2423
Fax: (402) 472-1264

You will receive an email confirmation notice immediately after completing your online registration. If you do not receive this confirmation notice then you are NOT registered for his conference. Please contact us.

Contact Information

Academic Conferences
Benton Hall
PO Box # 866100
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-6100


Locations of workshops

Mississippi-Alabama

Jackson, Mississippi - Tuesday, March 4, 2008
The Jackson workshops will be held at:
Clarion Hotel and Suites
5075 I-55 North
Jackson, MS 39206
Rooms can be reserved by calling (601) 366-9411.
Register now for this location

Hattiesburg, Mississippi - Wednesday, March 5, 2008
The Hattiesburg workshops will be held at:
Holiday Inn and Suites
10 Gateway Dr (I-59 exit 67B, then first left onto Classic Dr)
Hattiesburg, MS 39402
Rooms can be reserved by calling (601) 296-0302
Register now for this location

Mobile, Alabama - Thursday, March 6, 2008
The Mobile workshops will be held at:
Holiday Inn Mobile Historic District
301 Government St
Mobile, AL 36602
Rooms can be reserved by calling (251) 694-0100
Register now for this location

New Mexico-Texas

Albuquerque, New Mexico - Tuesday, April 8, 2008
The Albuquerque workshops will be held at:
Radisson Hotel Albuquerque
2500 Carlisle Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87110
Rooms can be reserved by calling (505) 888-3311
Register now for this location

Las Cruces, New Mexico - Wednesday, April 9, 2008
The Las Cruces workshops will be held at:
Best Western Mesilla Valley Inn
901 Avenida de Mesilla
Las Cruces, NM 88005
Rooms can be reserved by calling (575) 524-8603
Register now for this location

El Paso, Texas - Thursday, April 10, 2008
The El Paso workshops will be held at:
Holiday Inn Airport
6655 Gateway Blvd West
El Paso, TX 79925
Rooms can be reserved by calling (915) 778-6411
Register now for this location

Minnesota

St Paul (Eagan), Minnesota - Wednesday, April 23, 2008
The St Paul (Eagan) workshops will be held at:
Best Western Dakota Ridge
3450 Washington Dr
Eagan, MN 55122
Rooms can be reserved by calling (651) 452-0100
Register now for this location

Mankato, Minnesota - Thursday, April 24, 2008
The Mankato workshops will be held at:
Mankato Country Inn and Suites
1900 Premier Dr
Mankato, MN 56001
Rooms can be reserved by calling (507) 388-8555
Register now for this location

St Cloud, Minnesota - Friday, April 25, 2008
The St Cloud workshops will be held at:
Best Western Kelly Inn
100 4th Ave S
St Cloud, MN 56301
Rooms can be reserved by calling (320) 253-0606
Register now for this location

Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa - Tuesday, April 29, 2008
The Iowa City workshops will be held at:
Quality Inn and Suites
2525 N Dodge St
Iowa City, IA 52245
Rooms can be reserved by calling (319) 354-2000
Register now for this location

Waterloo, Iowa - Wednesday, April 30, 2008
The Waterloo workshops will be held at:
Ramada Hotel and Convention Center
205 W 4th St
Waterloo, IA 50701
Rooms can be reserved by calling (319) 233-7560
Register now for this location

Des Moines, Iowa - Thursday, May 1, 2008
The Des Moines workshops will be held at:
Holiday Inn Downtown at Mercy Campus
1050 6th Ave
Des Moines, IA 50314
Rooms can be reserved by calling (515) 283-0151
Register now for this location