Anti-Racism & Equity Advocacy Resources
- Anti-Racism Resources for Families
- Articles, books, films, podcasts, organizations that work to promote equity, and resources for white parents aiming to raise anti-racist children
School Closure / Coronavirus: Mental Health Promotion Resources for Families
For Kids:
Breathe, Laugh, and Play Together with Sesame Street's Caring for Each Other
COVIBOOK from Mindheart (Available in multiple languages)
What Is The Coronavirus? Social Story from Little Puddins
My Hero is You from the Interagency Standing Committee (Available in multiple languages)
Coronavirus (4-minute video, activities, and games) from BrainPop
Just for Kids: A Comic Exploring the New Coronavirus from National Public Radio
For Parents/Guardians:
How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus (includes a list of videos, games, and activities about hand-washing and staying healthy at the bottom of the article) from PBS Kids
At Home Activity Guide from Zero to Three
Five Ways to Promote Kids' Resilience During the Pandemic from Child Trends
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) COVID-19 Resource & Information Guide
Supporting individuals with Autism Through Uncertain Times (AFIRM)
Building Blocks | Creating Structure | Essentials | Parenting Information
Steps | Time-Out | Essentials | Parenting Information
Activities for Kids in Coronavirus Quarantine
21 indoor games and activities
Breathe, Laugh, and Play Together with Sesame Street's Caring for Each Other
COVIBOOK from Mindheart (Available in multiple languages)
What Is The Coronavirus? Social Story from Little Puddins
My Hero is You from the Interagency Standing Committee (Available in multiple languages)
Coronavirus (4-minute video, activities, and games) from BrainPop
Just for Kids: A Comic Exploring the New Coronavirus from National Public Radio
For Parents/Guardians:
How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus (includes a list of videos, games, and activities about hand-washing and staying healthy at the bottom of the article) from PBS Kids
At Home Activity Guide from Zero to Three
Five Ways to Promote Kids' Resilience During the Pandemic from Child Trends
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) COVID-19 Resource & Information Guide
Supporting individuals with Autism Through Uncertain Times (AFIRM)
Building Blocks | Creating Structure | Essentials | Parenting Information
Steps | Time-Out | Essentials | Parenting Information
Activities for Kids in Coronavirus Quarantine
21 indoor games and activities
What is an FBA?
An FBA (Functional Behavior Assessment) helps your child’s school team to be thoughtful about all of the factors relating to particular challenges that your child may be having with behavior at school and how those factors may be working together to impact your child’s school success.
As an integral part of your child’s team, your feedback and participation in the process of FBA development will be essential. The FBA will help your child’s school team to better understand why the challenging behavior keeps happening. In other words, they will help your child’s team understand what your child is trying to communicate with their behavior..
A completed FBA focuses on at least one challenging behavior (the target behavior) with the goal of pointing to one or two reasons that fuel the behavior (the functions of the target behavior). There are four behavioral functions: sensory, escape/avoidance, attention, or tangible. Through the use of the assessment the school team will be able to come to an understanding about which function or functions are behind the challenging behavior. Once the team has identified the likely function of the behavior, they will be able to customize an intervention plan designed to meet your child’s specific needs.
As an integral part of your child’s team, your feedback and participation in the process of FBA development will be essential. The FBA will help your child’s school team to better understand why the challenging behavior keeps happening. In other words, they will help your child’s team understand what your child is trying to communicate with their behavior..
A completed FBA focuses on at least one challenging behavior (the target behavior) with the goal of pointing to one or two reasons that fuel the behavior (the functions of the target behavior). There are four behavioral functions: sensory, escape/avoidance, attention, or tangible. Through the use of the assessment the school team will be able to come to an understanding about which function or functions are behind the challenging behavior. Once the team has identified the likely function of the behavior, they will be able to customize an intervention plan designed to meet your child’s specific needs.
What is a BIP?
A BIP (Behavior Intervention Plan) is the plan created to address the factors named in the FBA which are contributing to your child's challenging behavior at school. As a member of your child’s team, It gives you and all of the adults working with your child at school a chance to be on the same page about which interventions will have the best chance of helping address your child’s specific needs.
A BIP will include information that will tell adults what alternative behavior we hope the student will engage in instead of engaging in the challenging behavior. This is called a “replacement behavior.” The replacement behavior should be one that your child can use to get or avoid the same sorts of things they were getting or avoiding when they struggled before (this means it meets the same function as the previous behavior), and captures the school team's plan of action in writing.
The wealth of knowledge you have about your child is really important information that can help a school team design a BIP that's highly effective, and that's why so much input will be requested from you before, during, and after FBA and BIP development!
A BIP will include information that will tell adults what alternative behavior we hope the student will engage in instead of engaging in the challenging behavior. This is called a “replacement behavior.” The replacement behavior should be one that your child can use to get or avoid the same sorts of things they were getting or avoiding when they struggled before (this means it meets the same function as the previous behavior), and captures the school team's plan of action in writing.
The wealth of knowledge you have about your child is really important information that can help a school team design a BIP that's highly effective, and that's why so much input will be requested from you before, during, and after FBA and BIP development!
Resources for Parents / Guardians
- Tips for Helping Your Child grow socially, emotionally, and behaviorally - check out this "Backpack Connection Series," which includes handouts relating to 4 categories: Addressing Behavior | Emotions | Routines and Schedules | Social Skills (from the National Center for Pyramid Model Solutions)
- Family Resources & Tools (from the Center on Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning)
- Building Resilient Families blog (from Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health)
- What Parents & Caregivers Can Ask & Do to Help Children Thrive at School (from ed.gov)
- Parent's Toolkit for Teenagers (from the USC Center for Work and Family Life)
Community Behavioral Health Resources
Schenectady County Resource Booklet - Updated 2019
Effective Interventions: Try These At Home!
LIVES IN THE BALANCE
This website showcases Dr. Ross Greene's Collaborative Problem-Solving approach and offers parents, guardians, and families the chance to "Change the Conversation about, and with, Behaviorally Challenging Kids." Check out Dr. Greene's radio program and listening library!
CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Families are the experts on their children. When more people associated with the school--parents, educators, students, and clinicians--understand and work together to address children's mental health needs, the more success students can have in school. This website provides information for families on a variety of mental health and behavioral topics.
AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER
The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised (M-CHAT-R) is a free, validated screening tool that assesses a child’s risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder. If you have concerns about your child’s development, express your concerns immediately to your child’s pediatrician and request a referral to a specialist who can perform more thorough assessments.
Autism Live! Your source for Autism Information.
This website showcases Dr. Ross Greene's Collaborative Problem-Solving approach and offers parents, guardians, and families the chance to "Change the Conversation about, and with, Behaviorally Challenging Kids." Check out Dr. Greene's radio program and listening library!
CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Families are the experts on their children. When more people associated with the school--parents, educators, students, and clinicians--understand and work together to address children's mental health needs, the more success students can have in school. This website provides information for families on a variety of mental health and behavioral topics.
AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER
The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised (M-CHAT-R) is a free, validated screening tool that assesses a child’s risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder. If you have concerns about your child’s development, express your concerns immediately to your child’s pediatrician and request a referral to a specialist who can perform more thorough assessments.
Autism Live! Your source for Autism Information.
FOR FAMILIES
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Families of SCSD Students,
Our hope is that you will find useful ideas and resources here for supporting your children's emotional and behavioral needs, which will in turn allow them to reap the greatest benefits from our SCSD teachers' rigorous academic standards.
If you are looking for resources relating to a particular social-emotional-behavioral wellness topic that you do not find here, please don't hesitate to contact your building school psychologist, social worker, or school counselor.
Our hope is that you will find useful ideas and resources here for supporting your children's emotional and behavioral needs, which will in turn allow them to reap the greatest benefits from our SCSD teachers' rigorous academic standards.
If you are looking for resources relating to a particular social-emotional-behavioral wellness topic that you do not find here, please don't hesitate to contact your building school psychologist, social worker, or school counselor.