Collab topic

BT Collab Topic:- Primary Behaviours Prepared by Manohar Behaviour Therapist. Primary behaviour is something a person does which you wish they wouldn’t, as it’s distracting to all. For example, a child: Getting out of their seat to simply wander around Fiddling with someone’s hair Rocking on their chair Secondary behaviour is what the person does in reaction to being told to stop doing whatever it is. Children and young adults are much more likely to be told off or to have their behaviour commented on than an adult (but that is not to say that it doesn’t happen to adults either). As many people know, it’s not very pleasant to be told off or to be picked up on your behaviour. Further to this, when a child is told to regulate their behaviour, they often feel guilty and embarrassed as they usually know that what they’re doing isn’t appropriate. These emotions then get transferred into secondary behaviour where the child tries to deflect the focus away from their behaviour. It’s then difficult to not react and become fixated to this secondary behaviour. You could tell the child that you’re not Mrs xxx, or get into an argument that the other person didn’t make them do it because you’ve been watching them, or argue that just because someone else is doing it doesn’t mean they should. The issue can then quickly escalate to you telling the child to go to the headteacher’s office, or that they have a detention/that they’re not allowed to go out and play. It’s essential to stay focused on the primary behaviour you want altering, rather than the secondary. Remind yourself of exactly what the child has done. For example, focus on encouraging the child to stay in their seat, remind them to not touch someone else’s hair, or to not rock in their chair.

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