The Challenge Software Program & Self-regulation Training Framework

Self-regulation Training Book Now Available!

2012-01-08T11:41:00.000-08:00

After several requests, we are proud to announce that the Self-regulation Training information is now available in a workbook.

"Helping Young People Learn Self-regulation" is now available through Youthlight Publishing. Self-regulation includes a universal set of skills necessary for academic success, emotional control and healthy social interaction. With this single resource you will be able to address children's anger problems, academic performance challenges, anxieties, school safety issues, self-esteem, social skills and much more.

As the term “self-regulation” suggests, this approach focuses on teaching children how to regulate their own emotions and behaviors. The authors have split the self-regulation training process into three functional area: physical, emotional, and cognitive. Using strategies based soundly upon the evidence base of cognitive-behavioral psychology, this resource will help you move children progressively through skill areas in each of these three domains.

Please contact author/trainer Brad Chapin, LCP, LMLP for more information about conducting a training in your area.
Brad.chapin@cpschallenge.com

Give the Gift of Self-regulation to a Child this Season

2011-12-08T17:04:00.000-08:00

Teaching your children to regulate their own emotions is a gift that will stay with them throughout their lives and help them reach their goals. We all run into difficult situations, even during the holidays. These situations are perfect opportunities to model for our children how to handle stress.

Hopefully you will have some extra time to spend with your children this holiday season. Here are a few simple things you can do to improve your child's self-regulation:

Take a little extra time to spend one-on-one with your children. It's easier to hear what they have to say and to communicate what you would like for them to hear from you when there are just two of you.
Tell stories of your family traditions and how they came to be. Family traditions provide a child with a strong sense of identity and connectedness that serve as the foundation for healthy self-control.
Communicate the need to be thankful for what they have, and the importance of helping others. The holiday season provides opportunities to give back to those who may be less fortunate.
Try and remember to "guide" children to come to a healthy conclusion when they struggle with social/emotional issues. We are often too busy, or have a strong desire to "fix" things quickly. Helping children learn to problem-solve on their own is a skill that will help them to be more successful no matter what challenges they may face.

Taking a few minutes to help your children learn self-regulation is a gift that will continue to produce rewards in all areas of their lives. Those who regulate well are more successful:

in social relationships
in school with better grades
in self-care and physical health
in sports
at achieving their goals
in life in general

Enjoy your holiday season and give a gift that truly keeps on giving.

Brad Chapin, LCP, LMLP
brad.chapin@cpschallenge.com

Computer-assisted Counseling Resources for Children

2011-09-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

Children are spending the majority of their waking hours interacting with technology. Why aren't we aggressively tapping into this time and using their interest to teach them useful skills?

To engage today's youth, we adults must be aware of the youth culture. What do you think a child would do if you gave them the option to learn something in a workbook, or learn it while interacting with a computer?

Resources that involve videos and interactive games engage children on "their turf." They feel less threatened because the technology is familiar to them. Their defenses are often lower when watching, or interacting, with characters in a computer program because it's less direct. They are able to relate to the situations and characters, but it's much less intimidating than a direct line of questioning.

We have been noting the benefits of computer-assisted counseling techniques for several years while developing the Challenge Software Program for children (a program that uses video scenarios and games to teach children the basics of self-regulation). From our experience, there is really no comparison between the engagement of children when it comes to computer-assisted counseling techniques and traditional interventions. If you don't believe it, ask a child. Or better yet, try it for yourself:)

Brad Chapin, LCP, LMLP
brad.chapin@cpschallenge.com

Using REBT to Promote Self-reguation in Children

2011-08-24T07:22:00.000-07:00

The Challenge Software Program for children was designed to help children establish healthy thinking patterns and learn to identify and effectively challenge thoughts that are unhealthy.

Over the past few years this program has helped hundreds of children do just that. We continue to hear examples where the program is being used to help children struggling to learn how to regulate their mood and behavior. These examples come from children who have experienced trauma, depression, anxiety, and numerous other issues.

Here is an example submitted by one of the children using the Challenge Software Program. Think about how powerful this change in thinking will be for this child.

"I remember a family friend giving me and my friend a bath when we were young.

He put us in the tub and touched me in ways he shouldn't have.

The child reports thinking, "Oh...this is terrible. I am bad and feel worthless."

After using the Challenge Software Program and understanding that she can control her own

thoughts and feelings about herself, she writes a new belief:

"It was not my fault. I was a small child. I can be okay even though a bad

thing happened to me."

I recently presented at an Innovative Counseling conference in San Antonio (click here for slides from the presentation on slideshare). It was great to see the innovation and creativity that is still alive in developing new tools to reach the children of today. It was also great to see that these creative strategies are based soundly on solid approaches like Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT).

We must continue to innovate and create new ways of reaching today's youth. If we do not help them create and maintain healthy beliefs, they will struggle to regulate their mood and behavior their entire lives.

Brad Chapin LCP, LMLP

brad.chapin@cpschallenge.com

3 Reasons Why Every Parent Should Know about Self-regulation Training

2011-01-15T11:41:00.001-08:00

As parents, we receive lots of advice about the "Do's and Don'ts"of parenting. It's sometimes difficult to know what to do with our children.

Maybe we should just start by asking what we would wish for our children. Check out this list of wishes:

I want my children to live a long life

I want them to be healthy and happy

I want them to be successful

I think many parents would include these items in their top 5 wishes for their children. Please feel free to comment if you have other wishes for your children that you would like to share.

The question is, "As parents, what can we do to help make this list of wishes become a reality?" This question is quickly followed by, "How much time and energy do I have as a parent to learn everything about parenting, and how will I be able to apply all of that information to help these wishes come true?"

As a parent of 3 myself, I strongly believe in usefulness and practicality. If it's not realistic or practical to implement, it's just not happening. Thankfully, there is a relatively simple and straightforward set of skills that we can help our children develop. A healthy dose of Self-regulation is related to:

Longevity - self-regulation is highly correlated with living longer

Academic Success - self-regulation predicts academic success better than IQ

Health and Wealth - those that learn to regulate themselves fair much better

If we focus our efforts on teaching our children how to regulate their own thoughts, behaviors and emotions, we will give our children the best chance of reaching their potential, and realizing the wishes we have for them. The great thing about this concept is that Self-regulation can be taught:)

Brad Chapin, LCP, LMLP brad.chapin@cpschallenge.com

http://www.cpchallenge.com/

Autism Spectrum Disorders and Self-regulation

2011-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

With statistics from the Center for Disease Control now indicating Autism Spectrum disorders being present in approximately 1 out of every 110 births, questions about treatment strategies continue to rise.

As we know, children with Spectrum disorders often struggle with:

Social interaction

Moderating sensory responses

Appropriate Emotional responses

Communication

Each of these areas directly relates to Self-regulation. For example, having an average, or moderate, response when someone says "Hello" works much better socially than saying nothing, or shouting. In social situations, being able to appropriately regulate ones response can have a significant impact on making and keeping friends.

When addressing Self-regulation issues, it can be helpful to simplify the behaviors down into two main categories:

Over-responding: An extreme outward response to an event that most individuals would see as ordinary (e.g. - Screaming when a door opens)

Under-responding: Little or no response to something that most individuals would have an external response to (e.g. - Eye contact, social greetings or pain)

When assisting children with special needs, we spend a great deal of time working on eliminating "extreme" responses to neutral stimuli (e.g. - sounds, clothing or transitions).

Many people draw upon Behavioral interventions (eliminating triggers, applying consequences, modeling, etc.) to reduce these extreme responses.

However, it's also important to address the Emotional and Cognitive aspects of Self-regulation to increase the chances of success. This can include:

Teaching the child how to implement his/her own appropriate calming techniques

Breaking interactions down as they happen to process responses together

Utilizing stories, games, and videos to teach appropriate emotional expression

Our goal as parents is for our children to be able to regulate themselves effectively. This process happens over time and on a continuum. Be sure to remind yourself that any movement down the continuum toward Self-regulation is a step toward Success:)

*If you work with children who have an interest in computers or technology, it may be beneficial to use an intervention tool like the Challenge Software Program to help engage them in the process.

Brad Chapin, LCP, LMLP

email: brad.chapin@cpschallenge.com

Outcomes & Evidence-based Interventions are on Everyone's Mind

2010-12-12T09:05:00.000-08:00

For or better or worse, the days of selecting interventions that we "feel" are going to work are over.

Having a solid framework has never been more important. Our framework for working with children needs to be soundly based on outcomes and research. In addition to these pressures, are the ever-increasing demands to do More in Less time and with Less resources.

I believe that is why so many of us have migrated toward the use of Cognitive-behavioral psychology. I also believe that these pressures have forced us to address "global" themes of behaviors (like self-regulation) that can affect many areas of functioning to maximize the effectiveness of our interventions.

The model in the picture above is soundly based on Cognitive-behavioral psychology and encourages addressing Self-regulation to maximize results in several areas. This practical framework provides an Evidence-based approach, but still allows for creativity in the selection of specific interventions that are consistent with the philosophy.

Improving Self-regulation can impact a broad variety of issues including:

Academic Success
ADHD symptoms
Behavioral issues
Mood problems
Self-esteem
Social Skills

This list is not complete, but it's an indication of how targeting Self-regulation and training children how to better regulate themselves can impact their level of functioning in many areas.

The Challenge Software Program utilizes technology and animated scenarios to engage children quickly and teach them the basics of Self-regulation.

by Brad Chapin LCP, LMLP

email: brad.chapin@cpschallenge.com

What Works: Innovative, Practical & Evidence-based

2010-10-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

Brad Chapin, LCP, creator of the Challenge Software Program for children, presented his innovative, yet practical approach to addressing children's issues to an interactive group of participants at ESSDACK in Hutchinson, Kansas on October 25th.

"You have a gift for breaking down all the research and information out there into something we can understand and use," remarked one participant.

Brad has spent the past few years developing an innovative approach to improving Self-regulation in children, with a solid evidence base in Cognitive-behavioral psychology. Self-regulation is related to many of the issues we see children struggling with every day including poor academic achievement, social interaction and emotional control.

The main idea is to use creative strategies, often involving technology, to engage children quickly and teach them the skills necessary for healthy Self-regulation. Brad is sensitive to the time and budget constraints of the current economy and has approached these difficult issue with this question in mind:

"If you only had 5 or 10 minutes to spend with a child, what would be the most important skill you could teach them?"

For more information about how Brad can help your organization or school district implement these practical and effective strategies, please email us at brad.chapin@cpschallenge.com.

New Interactive Calming Exercise Coming Soon!

2010-10-03T07:03:00.000-07:00

In addition to Emotional Regulation, the ability for a child to calm down physically is crucial in the development of healthy Self-regulation.

We are currently developing an Interactive exercise that will be added to the Challenge Software Program. This activity is also interactive, like the other activities in the Challenge Software Program, and utilizes technology to engage the child in the experience.

This new physical calming exercise called "Cooling the Flame" involves the child first rating their level of Anger or Frustration and then engaging in the Guided Calming Process. The process involves completing a series of deep breaths while receiving feedback from the engaging objects on the screen.

We are very excited about this New exercise! With the addition of this new component, the Challenge Software Program will address both the Emotional and Physical aspects of Self-regulation.

The Challenge Software Program is soundly based on the principles of Cognitive-behavioral psychology and utilizes technology to engage today's children in the process quickly to teach them the skills necessary for Healthy Self-regulation. Self-regulation is related to academic success, social skills, emotional control, and many other common problem areas.

Brad Chapin LCP, LMLP
brad.chapin@cpschallenge.com
http://www.cpschallenge.com

Does Reality TV Promote Poor Self-regulation?

2010-09-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

Millions of us watch hours and hours of Reality TV. Something draws us to our TV to find out:

Who's going to have break-down?

Who's going home this week?

What's their reaction going to be?

It seems like the more outrageous, out-of-control, extreme behaviors get the most air-time. I often wonder what drives this need for us to watch these "train-wrecks." I don't imagine that any of us would like to see our children, or anyone we care about, in these situations. Maybe it's a need we have to see that someone else is doing worse than we are.

Whatever the reason, the fact remains that examples of Poor Self-regulation appear to get a lot of attention and reinforcement. This presents a formidable challenge to us as parents and professionals who are trying to encourage and model healthy behaviors. We spend a great deal of time and energy trying to discourage responses, like those seen on Reality TV, and encourage healthy responses and social interactions.

In an effort to frame this issue positively, I guess these shows provide us with several examples of "What Not to Do."

Brad chapin, LCP, LMLP

brad.chapin@cpschallenge.com

http://www.cpschallenge.com/

Children Need Our Help to Beat a Troubling Thought

2010-09-05T15:37:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been cruising right along with your day and then.... WHAM! You've just been hit with this thought about something that you "know" isn't healthy or positive. You try to push it out of your mind, but the harder you push, the more you think about it.

Maybe the thought is connected to some demons from your past, or to some areas that you feel are weak in your life.

Children struggle with this problem also. Knowing how difficult it can be as an adult to handle this situation, imagine being a child that's never read or heard about what to do.

Let Children Know:

It's okay to talk to you about what they are thinking

You won't be critical or judgemental when they do share their thoughts

Everyone struggles with troubling thoughts. Normalize it.

We often need to ask others for help to challenge these negative ideas

You can help them think of alternative ways to look at the situation

Teaching children how to regulate their own thoughts is a big part of helping them develop Self-regulation and grow into a well-balanced, healthy adult.

Please email us here at Challenge Software if you have questions or need ideas for helping children challenge unhealthy thinking.

We'd be happy to help:)

brad.chapin@cpschallenge.com

Cognitive-behavioral Therapy in Schools

2010-08-24T05:55:00.000-07:00

As schools are being pushed harder than ever to show measurable results, there are appears to be a natural shift toward Evidence-based approaches. This is leading many schools to select programs or philosophies that are based soundly on the principles of Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).

Now, after decades of research and over 450 randomized studies showing positive results, it seems as No surprise that CBT is the philosophy of choice to get results.

Other factors that seem to influencing this choice include:

Ease of Application - the ideas are simple and easy to understand

Face Validity - the interventions make sense to teachers, parents, and children

Psycho-educational Emphasis - CBT is a very open model that involves a "teaching" approach

As a clinician, it is quite refreshing to see this shift, and the incorporation of the Cognitive aspect of interacting with children, in addition to the Behavioral. The Cognitive portion of CBT focuses more on the development of Healthy thought patterns that will result in healthy behaviors.

As I travel around and meet with School professionals, the interest appears to be very High. I have also learned of grants that have been made available to implement CBT in schools.

If you have questions about implementing CBT in your school, please email me. I would be happy to discuss this option with you, or even come to do a training in person.

If you are looking for a Fun way to engage children in the process and learn these skills, please visit http://www.cpschallenge.com/ and check out the Challenge Software Program.

Brad Chapin, LCP, LMLP brad.chapin@cpschallenge.com

Self-regulation Simplified

2010-08-21T06:55:00.000-07:00

As parents and professionals, we hear a lot about what we can do to help children. Improving Self-regulation is one of the most basic, but also one of the most important abilities we can help our children develop.

Self-regulation is related to academic achievement, social skills, happiness, mental health issues, and self-esteem.

Sometimes it's easier to break Self-regulation down into 3 categories:

Physical - The ability to calm our body down when our Fight/Flight response is activated

Emotional - The ability to have our emotional response match the situation

Cognitive - The ability to plan and problem-solve

This is a good list to use when evaluating whether or not to try a new intervention or activity with your child. Ask yourself if it fits into one of these three categories.

Physical strategies usually have to do with teaching calming techniques. The Emotional strategies are geared toward appropriate labeling and expression of feelings. And the Cognitive aspect will involve things like making lists, problem-solving strategies, or engaging in higher order thinking.

There are many activities out there to choose from, but it really helps to have a "framework" to know what you are working on, and what you are looking for. Keep Self-regulation in mind when interacting with children, and remember that the end goal of Self-regulation is for children to grow up and know how to regulate themselves, not to learn how to be regulated by their environment.

Brad Chapin, LCP, LMLP

brad.chapin@cpschallenge.com

http://www.cpschallenge.com/

Stick-people Can Help with Anger

2010-08-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

How many hours a week do the young people you know spend interacting with technology? If it's anything like my household, I'm guessing A LOT.

Like many of you, I sometimes feel guilty and frustrated about it. I "hope" they are learning something and that the experience is fun. But I would also like for it to add something meaningful to their life and their development.

In the process of developing the Challenge Software Program for children, I began to look at other ways to engage children through technology and teach them something useful.

This simple video is an example of how to use a Free program to create something that's Fun and educational. The video uses technology and humor to engage children in a conversation about Self-regulation. Children like animated stick-figures and they can relate to feeling angry. They can also see the positive outcome of using calming skills to diffuse the anger. Projects like this can also easily be shared to help others. What a great concept!

This movie was created by Easton, age 12, using a Free download of the Pivot Stickfigure Program.

Brad Chapin, LCP, LMLP

brad.chapin@cpschallenge.com

Who Controls Your Mood?

2010-05-15T08:43:00.000-07:00

I'm often asked to help others change their Mood. In working with many of these individuals, I have found the common issue of looking outside oneself for change to be a primary obstacle.

I sometimes think, "Wouldn't it be nice to have control over everything around us that upsets us?"

But I am quickly drawn back to reality. We have very little control over anything outside of our own Thoughts and Desires.

What do you make of this statement?

"He makes me so mad!"

We hear statements like this all the time. The problem with these types of thoughts is that when we start down that line of thinking, we are giving control over our Mood to someone, or something outside of ourselves. The irony here is that we are typically giving to someone, or something, that we are very upset with. Think about that for a moment:)

In order to change our Mood, we must first understand that we have control over our Mood. Our thoughts and perceptions significantly impact our Mood. We have control over our thoughts and perceptions. They are ours.

I sometimes use the analogy of a Remote Control. I discourage people from giving the Remote that controls their Mood to someone, or something they are upset with. Take the Remote back and change the channel yourself.

This principle also applies to helping others. We are only able to help others change their Mood as much as they are willing to change it themselves.

Our goal is to try and have our Mood Match the Event with regard to intensity and duration. One way to think about this is to ask yourself, "If 1000 people experienced what I just experienced, what would the average response be?"

Hopefully we are all helping the young people around us learn this important concept and striving to practice this in our own lives.

The Challenge Software Program is a web-based program that utilizes animated scenarios to engage children quickly and teach them this principles. Visit http://www.cpschallenge.com/ for more information.

Brad Chapin

mailto:Chapinbrad.chapin@cpschallenge.com

Balance Your Approach to Helping Children

2010-05-07T06:14:00.000-07:00

Think about your style of interacting with children in times of stress or conflict.

What is the Goal?

If a child is acting out, what would you like to happen?

Hopefully your answer includes the word "learning." We are wanting children to learn from their behaviors. Usually when learning is the goal, we want to offer some teaching. We can use several different approaches to teach children, and sometimes several different methods are necessary.

Think about Balancing your Approach.

Many parents and professionals teach children by applying consequences. This is similar to the way our judicial system works (search Behaviorism for more info). If applied consistently and correctly, this method can be effective for teaching children what happens when we don't follow the rules. But, is this all we want them to learn?

No. We also want them to learn Self-control. If they are simply making good choices because they are afraid of the consequences, that is not going to be effective in the long term.

For a balanced approach, to instill long-lasting change, one must consider adding other elements as well. What we refer to as Cognitive psychology, offers many ideas for teaching children how to improve Self-control. Cognitive psychology includes teaching empathy, mindfulness, self-awareness, and recognizing the relationships between thoughts, feelings and behaviors. It also focuses on the identification and processing of thoughts and feelings in healthy ways.

The Challenge Software Program teaches children the basics of Self-control and encourages them to utilize the power they have to change their behavior. This Interactive Web-based program is based on the fundamentals of Cognitive Psychology.

by Brad Chapin brad.chapin@cpschallenge.com

www.cpschallenge.com

Bullying Prevention and Self-Regulation

2010-04-16T06:13:00.001-07:00

It's hard to escape the news of tragedies connected to Bullying in our schools these days. The headlines of the extreme cases are everywhere. And what about the thousands of stories that go untold?

Recently, the story of the South Hadley student that took her own life as a result of feeling bullied and ultimately so powerless that she saw suicide as her only option.

Mandy parents and professionals also feel powerless and confused about how to address the issue of Bullying. From experience, I can tell you that the likelihood of eliminating Bullying is slim to none. We should be focusing on how to "manage" this behavior in our children and in our schools. We need to give children the "tools" to cope with difficult social behaviors and develop the skills to respond in healthy ways.

Integrating Self-regulation training is crucial in this process. Self-regulation training gives children the Understanding about self-control, mindfulness, and empowerment that they need to cope with difficult situations in a healthy way.

The Challenge Software Program is an Interactive, Web-based tool designed to engage children quickly. It utilizes animated scenarios and games to teach children these skills. The program also has Scenarios that specifically address Bullying from the Bully's perspective and also from the Victim's perspective.

Brad Chapin

brad.chapin@cpschallenge.com

Twitter ID: chapin55

OCD in Children - Using Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions to Create Flexibility

2010-02-07T07:02:00.000-08:00

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is not just a problem for adults. Children often develop significant levels of Anxiety. Many times a child will develop "rituals" or "ritualistic thinking" the cope with the high levels of Anxiety.

From my experience in working with individuals with symptoms of OCD, the most devastating effect can be the Rigid Core belief structure that develops. As human beings, our most valuable asset is the ability to adapt to new situations. Becoming Rigid in our thinking inhibits this ability tremendously.

Cognitive-behavioral interventions have repeatedly been shown to be very effective in reducing symptoms of OCD in children and adults (Science Daily). By implementing behavioral relaxation strategies, practicing response prevention, and challenging rigid thinking, one can restore Cognitive Flexibility.

The Challenge Software Program can help. This program is designed to target Rigid, unhealthy thinking and promote Cognitive Flexibility in children. This Web-based program engages children quickly with animated scenarios and games. Click here for a 30-day Free Trial.

by Brad Chapin, LCP, LMLP

brad.chapin@cpschallenge.com

You Are What You THINK

2009-12-27T08:39:00.001-08:00

We've all heard the old saying "You are What you Eat." I'd like your help in making the title of this Blog Post just as popular.

"YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK"

Just as there is evidence to support the "you are what you eat" saying from dietary science, so is there ample evidence from the field of psychology to support the notion that "you are what you think."

Humans have a way of creating self-fulfilling prophecies. If you believe you will succeed at reaching a goal, you have a much greater chance of doing it, versus if you believe you won't succeed. If you don't believe, you don't put forth your best effort and you often miss opportunities.

The GREAT thing about this is, just as you can control what you eat, you can also control the way you think. You choose what to believe and what not to believe. You choose what to pay attention to and what to ignore.

Please share this idea with a child this year and help them understand

"You are What you Think."

brad.chapin@cpschallenge.com

Visit http://www.cpschallenge.com/ for more info about how to teach this idea.

Social Stories with an Upgrade

2009-12-02T06:30:00.001-08:00

Social Stories have been an integral part of helping children who struggle with regulation and social adjustment for many years. Recently, I was speaking at conference when one of the attendees spoke up and said that the Challenge Software Program "seems like Social Stories with an upgrade."

The program utilizes filtered video scenarios of real-life situations that children often struggle with. The scenarios are interactive and feature alternate endings to the story based on the child's navigation through the decision-making process.

This program takes the traditional social story to a whole new level of interaction and engagement that cannot be achieved through a workbook. The "Social Story" connection adds another dimension to the cognitive-behavioral approach of the program.

brad.chapin@cpschallenge.com

CS and Depressive Symptoms in Children

2009-09-29T19:33:00.000-07:00

I'm frequently asked about how to address Depressive symptoms in children.

Depression can look different in children than in adults, but from my experience, two common themes are typically poor self-regulation and distorted perceptions. Poor self-regulation often leads to Low Self-esteem because the individual feels powerless, has unsuccessful social interactions, receives negative attention, and fails at work or school. All of these failures begin to paint a very negative picture of the future, which contribute to extreme and unhealthy ideas of one's self, others, and the outside world.

We can target Self-regulation and these Depressive thoughts with Cognitive and Behavioral interventions. The Challenge Software Program addresses the mis-perception that the child has no control over his/her responses and increases Self-regulation. This interactive, online program also offers several video scenarios featuring children in different situations, and teaches them how to challenge these extreme and unhealthy thought patterns.

We can effectively treat Depressive Symptoms in children and adults. We continue to try and help other professionals quickly engage children and utilize technology to help those children who are struggling with these difficult issues.
Brad Chapin LCP, LMLP

brad.chapin@cpschallenge.com

Evidence-based Interventions for Children

2009-08-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

Brad Chapin continues to present across the nation
on evidence-based interventions for children who
struggle with mood and behavior problems.
Recently he has covered 8 cities and 7 states.

This clip is from the National Relational Aggression conference and features clips on using cognitive-behavioral interventions to address bullies and victims of relational aggression. The presentation focuses on addressing the fundamental issues of Self-regulation.

If you would like to schedule Brad to come and speak to your organization please email Brad for dates and availability.

Please visit http://www.cpschallenge.com/ for more information on the Challenge Software Program.
This is an interactive web-based tool that uses technology to bridge the gap, engage children quickly and teach them the basics of Self-regulation. The program automatically calculates data to show numeric outcomes.

Back to School: Why is Self-Regulation So Important Now?

2009-08-12T17:19:00.000-07:00

Summer is coming to an end and the thought of returning to a structured setting after 2 1/2 months of sleeping in, eating whenever, and questionable bed-times may create some anxiety for parents and professionals over the next few weeks.

Self-regulation is always an important topic, but the first few weeks of school are so important for setting the tone of the school year, that there may be no better time to focus on it. Emotional control is a large part of self-regulation, but so are things like:

Organizing materials

Creating a schedule and following it

Choosing what to pay attention to

Choosing to follow the rules of the classroom

Choosing who to be close friends with

Many of these regulation topics, along with emotional control, will dictate the tone of the school year. Exercises and reminders about choices, personal responsibility and self-management are always helpful, but the beginning of the year presents its own challenges and may require some additional reinforcement:)

Please remember to Visit http://www.cpschallenge.com/ for more information on a Unique internet-based tool to teach the basics of Self-regulation.

Using Evidence-based Interventions with Victims of Relational Aggression

2009-07-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

Wow!
The response to the presentation on using Cognitive-Behavioral therapy (CBT) as an intervention for victims of bullying and relational aggression at the Youthlight conference in Las Vegas this past week was outstanding:) The recent surge in research regarding the efficacy of CBT with victims of Trauma fit very nicely with this topic.

We discussed the advantages of quick, effective intervention with this population and featured the bullying scenarios that are included in the Challenge Software Program. The ability to use technology to relate to these children and to give them visual examples of the feelings and behaviors seems to engage them in the process very quickly.

Brad Chapin, LCP, LMLP

Bullying Scenarios: 3 Important Things to Consider

2009-04-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

I see professionals and parents struggling a great deal with how to respond to bullying scenarios. Remember, we don't need to deviate from what we know are effective ways to change behavior.

#1 Self-Regulation: From either perspective (bully or victim), remember to teach the child how to focus on his/her responsibility in the situation. It is easy for the situation to become "cloudy" when several people are involved and "fingers are being pointed" in all directions. Visit www.cpschallenge.com for a tool to help you with this, from both the Bully's and from the Victim's perspectives.

#2 Motivation: What is the child's motivation for continuing the behavior? Is there a psychological need being met through the behavior? This is a definite area to explore if you are working with a Bully. Does this child have a strong need for leadership, group affiliation, adjusting for low self-esteem, being a comedian, or expressing anger? Help the child find a more healthy way to meet the need. Sometimes Victims are also having a psychological need that is being met by being "the victim." Don't forget to explore Motives.

#3 Use Cognitive & Behavioral Interventions: We know for a fact that Cognitive-behavioral interventions create change. So, if change is what we are after, don't shy away from what works. Gather some quick data, challenge the identified unhealthy thoughts leading to the unwanted behavior and maximize behavioral interventions including consequences (positive and negative), modeling, social pressures, and environmental changes. The Challenge Software Program can help with the Cognitive portion of this.

School Violence and Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention

2009-03-14T07:08:00.000-07:00

What causes these extreme cases of school violence? What could cause such an extreme act of violence like the recent mass shooting Germany?

It seems like each time we are faced with that question, most people end up agreeing that it starts with some type of mental health issues like depression, anger problems, self-esteem, difficulty coping with stress, or social incompetence. Yet, what things are put into place to prevent it from happening again?

If operating from a Cognitive Psychology Perspective, one understands that feelings and actions are precipitated by thoughts. Think for a moment about what must be going on in the thoughts of someone who commits such horrific actions. One thing is for sure. The thoughts must have been EXTREME. So extreme that the individual sees no other option. This is when violence toward self or others occurs.

This is a scary subject. After these events take place, it's difficult to think about your children sitting next to someone in class that has never been taught how to moderate their thinking.

This is more evidence to support the notion that we should be spending time teaching every child how to problem-solve and challenge their own extreme and unhealthy thoughts. The Challenge Software Program was designed to teach children how to moderate their thinking processes.

Teaching Cognitive-Behavioral Strategies to Small Groups of Children

2009-02-21T12:32:00.001-08:00

One of the most common questions I receive from school professionals about the Challenge Software Program is:

"Can I use this program with groups of children?"

The following feedback I received from a School Counselor this week does a fine job of illustrating how the Challenge Software Program can be used with small groups.

"I used it during two social skills support groups. With the boys group, we all watched the same video and talked about the video and choices as we went. With the girls, they each watched different clips and then discussed them. The kids really liked playing the games. We talked a lot about healthy vs unhealthy choices and what happened when the unhealthy thoughts won. One of the girls was really excited to add her own scenario:)" ---Morgan, School Counselor

Group discussion about healthy and unhealthy thinking patterns can be very powerful. The group can very effectively generate several ways to Challenge unhealthy thinking and give powerful "evidence" for arguments that shoot holes in Negative thoughts.

Think of sharing a negative thought that is bothering you with one friend. You might say,
"I can't do anything right."
Then your friend says, "That's not true. You just helped me fix my paper for class and gave me good advice on what to wear tonight."

One person is helpful, but then think about how much support you would get from a GROUP of friends challenging your Unhealthy comment. The more evidence, the better!

If You're Not Using CBT, What Exactly are you Doing?

2009-02-12T18:06:00.000-08:00

With research mounting on how effective Cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT) are in treating mental health issues in children and adolescents, the question becomes:

If you aren't using some form of CBT in your interventions, then what exactly are you doing?

The studies have included depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, ADHD, and other issues. The UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence suggests that CBT should be the first-line intervention for children with all levels of depression. The Center for Disease Control reports CBT is effective for children and teenagers in treating anxiety, depressive disorders, and symptoms resulting from trauma.

As parents and professionals, we need to choose interventions that work, and use them as a First-line intervention. There are many other forms of intervention with little or no research to back them up.

With CBT interventions, like the Challenge Software Program, that are fun, affordable and easy to use, being made readily available, there seems to be no reason why children struggling with these symptoms aren't being given access to effective intervention.

Do you have the Courage?

2009-02-01T09:48:00.001-08:00

Having the courage it takes to incorporate Cognitive interventions requires a shift in traditional thinking. As parents and professionals, most of us are more "familiar" with traditional Behavioral interventions. For example, we tend to focus more on using Consequences and applying the "right type of discipline" to change unwanted behaviors. While Behavioral interventions alone can be effective, we must consider the cost.

Isn't the goal of our interactions with children, to help them reach the point that they will make healthy choices, even when noone is around to apply a consequence if they don't? Integrating Cognitive interventions will help to do just this.

To illustrate, lets take an example of two children arguing over a toy. Simply applying a Behavioral Consequence to this situation might look like this:
"You two share, or I'll take the toy away."
This solution deprives the children of learning problem-solving. It can also create a great deal of anger, as the children feel that they are being "controlled" and may lash out to "win" the power struggle.

In contrast, when integrating a Cognitive intervention, the parent or professional may say something like this:
"You both want the toy and are fighting about it. What is a better way to solve this?"
You will be surprised at how well children can solve these problems on their own. They are also gaining valuable competence and self-esteem for solving the problem on their own. Priceless:)

If applying a more Cognitive style makes sense to you and you would like to learn more,
Please take a look at the Challenge Software Program as a way to help you implement this approach in an Engaging and Interactive format.

3 New Scenarios Coming Soon

2009-01-29T19:43:00.000-08:00

Choosing scenarios to create for the Challenge Software Program is one of the most challenging things about this project. We continue to look for common issues that children struggle with. The next 3 scenarios to be released in the Spring of '09 will target Self-image, Peer Rejection, and Impulse control. Responding in a healthy way in these situations can be tough for anyone, but practice equals preparation.

One issue regarding the scenarios that may need some clarification is the fact that we will never be able to create a scenario for every situation. That is part of the beauty of this program. It is great if we have scenarios that fit with the exact issue the child is struggling with, but what we are really trying to do is teach children that they are an active participant in their life and have a great deal of power of their responses to events that take place around them, no matter what the situation might be.

CBT and Challenge Software: Recent Affiliation with Youthlight Inc.

2009-01-25T19:47:00.000-08:00

The Challenge Software Program has recently been endorsed by Youthlight Publishing. I am extremely pleased with this partnership, as Youthlight has a great reputation and experience in the area of school counseling. Reaching children in schools is exactly what we need to do. That is where they live for several hours a day throughout the year. I would eventually love to see these social and emotional "life skills" taught to every child as part of the regular curriculum. After all, you can be outstanding in reading, math, and science, but if you don't know how to Self-regulate well, your chances of success and happiness in life are low.

One would think that with the continued pressure for Evidence-based intervention, most professionals will be using some form of Cognitive-Behavioral intervention. There are several forms, but they share the common idea that the individual has the power to create change. We, as adults and professionals, have a duty to teach this idea to children. Visit http://www.cpschallenge.com/ for more information about a tool that can help you teach this idea to child in a fun and interactive way.

Challenge Software Program and CBT Getting Attention

2009-01-19T19:18:00.000-08:00

During its Beta Trial, the Challenge Software Program had over 750 Beta users around the world. The interest continues to grow regarding this "revolutionary" new program designed to teach children the basics of Cognitive-Behavioral interventions and put them into practice. Children all over the country have been watching and using the interactive scenarios of everyday situations. The program uses technology, including video games, to engage children quickly and hold their attention. The video games within the scenario represent the internal conflict, which must be resolved, that takes places when a decision is being made.

The positive comments continue to come in from around the country from professionals and parents. It's great to hear that so many adults understand the importance of teaching this skill. I am especially encouraged when parents recognize that without the ability to self-regulate, life is very difficult to manage. Some of us take this issue for granted because we learned the skill very early on, probably from someone close to us. However, there are still many children, and adults, that may not have been exposed to, or taught how to stay calm and focus their energy on things that they can control. This is why we will continue to tell others about the Challenge Software Program.

Why Children Need Early and Effective Intervention

2009-01-14T18:57:00.001-08:00

What happens psychologically when you fail at something? What if you fail several times?

Let's take someone with ADHD for example. Over time they continue to fail at school because of poor organization and lack of focus. They fail socially because of impulsive behavior and poor emotional control. They can also feel like a failure within the family because they are constantly being reprimanded for behaviors.

The result is that they begin to feel powerless. Let me explain. Repeated perceived failures begin to negatively impact self-esteem. It can increase anxiety. It can also begin to lead to the "belief" that they are out of control and that "trying" is useless. At this point the ideas of "worthlessness" and "learned helplessness" begin to take over. These ideas are very serious and can set the foundation for the individual's Core Belief System, which are the building blocks for the person's personality and can cause life-long problems.

We need to be teaching parents and professionals to use Early and Effective Interventions to prevent and treat these issues. Everyone needs to have a chance to understand that they can have control over their own responses to situations, including "perceived failures."

Cognitive-Behavioral interventions have been shown to be very effective in treating this issue, but it is not being used enough. Check out the http://www.cpschallenge.com/ for a good example of what Cognitive-Behavioral intervention can look like. Help a child today:)

Helping Parents Become CBT (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy) Coaches

2009-01-10T14:26:00.001-08:00

What is more fulfilling than being a parent? But where are the directions for being an effective parent? I think we as professionals often make things too difficult for parents. We have extensive training in child development and therapeutic approaches. Most parents don't. They have the experiences that they were raised with from their own childhood. Cognitive-Behavioral psychology uses many natural skills that people have.

For example, when someone we care about is feeling down, we suggest some behavior that we know they will like. We might say, "Hey, instead of sitting around here dwelling on it, let's go catch a movie."

We also challenge the extreme language and thoughts of those we care about when they are struggling. For example, if a friend says, "Nothing is going my way. I can't do anything right." We don't just agree with them. We say, "I'm sorry your feeling that way, but I see several things that you've done very well since I've known you, and I can name some."

These are examples of how we can help our children by learning to become CBT Coaches at home. These are also the principles that the Challenge Software Program is based on.

CBT and Children

2009-01-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

The idea for the Challenge Software Program was born from my experience in working with adults and children. I began to wonder why certain individuals did not understand that they could exercise power over their mood. I repeatedly encountered children and adults that were operating from very powerless positions and spending a great deal of time and energy trying to change things that were out of their control (i.e.-other people).

I began to realize that these individuals had never learned "how" to impact their mood in a useful way and felt "out of control" and extremely frustrated. This prompted me to think of a way to teach this lesson to children. We know that children are beginning to form patterns and making judgements about their environment very early in life. These judgements form the building blocks for the rest of their lives.

As a parent myself, I know for a fact that children can see "cause/effect" relationships very early. They are making sense of their surroundings and beginning to establish a "belief system." This system will be a guide for their decision-making process in most situations. We must understand that children need some guidance during this process. I believe that the interest is continuing to grow in this area, but I may not be satisfied until this extremely valuable skill is taught to every child in school.

Visit www.cpschallenge.com to see what we are doing to teach children this skill using the Challenge Software Program.

Filming New Scenarios

2008-12-20T08:53:00.001-08:00

We are preparing to film 3 new scenarios for the Challenge Software Program next week. I am continuously accepting input for new topics. Please feel free to comment with ideas of common problem situations that children tend to struggle with. These can be at home or at school. We currently have 17 different scenarios and are always looking for more ideas.

I also wanted to announce that we will be featured in the January, 2009 Youthlight catalog. We continue to receive great feedback about the impact the program is having in children's lives! It's been amazing so far, and this is just the beginning. We are really looking to connect with school professionals, cognitive-behavioral therapists, and parents that are looking for a better way to engage children. I will continue to post new developments here. You can also follow me on Twitter. My ID is chapin55.

Launch of Challenge Software Program

2008-12-12T18:08:00.001-08:00

After a 10 month Beta Trial, we have just launched the Challenge Software Program to the public for use. The Beta Trial was very successful, with over 750 parents and professionals from around the world signing up. We've had such Great Feedback about the successes with children using the program that we're very motivated to keep on making it better.
I spent 3 weeks traveling to 5 states presenting on the program at various conferences. See http://www.cpschallenge.com/news.shtml for a list. I met so many wonderful people along the way. It was very rewarding and quite educational.
I recently signed a marketing agreement with YouthLight publishers for help with the marketing work. The program will be featured in the 2009 catalog.
The program is also beginning to gain international attention and we are getting requests from people in the media to review the program.
Next time, I'll speak a little more about the beginnings of this program and how it has come to this. Take care.
Brad

Listed as @chapin55 on Twitter. Follow me.