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Good day everyone! We can’t thank you enough for reading our blog and for liking and sharing our Facebook page! A hundred views and a bunch of likes may be little for some but to us, each person who reads our posts means one more individual informed and empowered. It is our hope that you stay with us as we build, as we’ve mentioned in previous posts, something great.  Speaking of building great things, a little update on the renovation of our clinic…  

We realize this is the first time that we are mentioning the therapy center we are putting up and that the only thing you know about us is that we are a speech pathologist and an occupational therapist, so along with a couple of pictures of the construction site that is our clinic currently, please allow us to shed just a little more light on our professional background.  We are graduates of BS Occupational Therapy and BS Speech Pathology of the University of the Philippines College of Allied Medical Professions (UP-CAMP). We passed the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) licensure exam and received the Philippine Association of Speech Pathologists (PASP) certification the same year we graduated, in 2010. We practiced in the Philippines (in Cavite, Laguna, Bicol, and in different parts of Metro Manila to be more precise) for 2-3 years until we decided to improve our practice by working abroad for another 2-3 years. Now that one of us is back and the other one on the way, we are working on putting up this therapy center in Imus, Cavite.    We haven’t started handling clients yet, but right now, it feels good to be back in our own country, in our home. Ignite Therapy Center, with its ongoing renovation, already feels like home to us. And here’s hoping the children and families with whom we will work will also find our the place as such.

– D&I

On Behavior Management Techniques…

Q: The doctor recommended for my child to have occupational therapy with focus on BMTs. What exactly are these BMTs and how do you do them?

A: Behavior Modification Techniques or BMTs as they are more commonly known, are strategies used to modify or change behaviors. To explain further, modifying or changing means to increase or decrease the frequency of a certain behavior. Ideally, the behaviors one wants to increase the frequency are the good ones and the ones that need to be decreased are the maladaptive ones. There are many different kind of BMTs. Psychology books and the Internet are full of them. But before reading one of those online articles and applying the coolest sounding one the next time your child misbehaves, bear in mind that BMTs, like most if not all therapeutic interventions, should be child-specific. What works with this child might not work with that other one, and vice-versa. 

There is a saying among therapists that when it comes to behavior management, “whatever works” is the principle. This can be misleading. First, that “whatever” should of course be within professional, ethical, and legal limits. Needless to say it should always consider the child’s safety, otherwise, forget about doing it. Second, that whatever that works SHOULD ACTUALLY WORK. It should increase or decrease the frequency of a target behavior, and they have to be done efficiently. For BMTs to be efficient, keep in mind the following principles:

1. Consistency is key. You will realize as you read on that this principle is all you need in order to execute BMTs efficiently. Behaviors change when rules and consequences are applied consistently, regardless of what the child does (usually crying, throwing tantrums, bargaining, etc.). Likewise, reinforcements (praise, treats, etc.) should be given consistently following good behavior. 
2. Everyone should be involved…and be consistent. It’s a common misconception, even amongst professionals, that occupational therapists are the only ones who target behavior management (notice that I sometimes use this interchangeably with behavior modification). The truth is every adults who works with the child (parents, therapists, teachers) should know how to manage the child’s behavior. And as with number 1, everyone must be consistent with applying BMTs. 
3. They should be applied everywhere – clinic, home, school…and be consistent. To build up on 1 and 2, behavior management should be done by everyone, everywhere the child goes. It does not stop in school or in the therapy clinic. Rules need to be followed even when the child goes to the mall, the market, to church, and all other possible contexts in which the child interacts. 
4. Upgrade expectations as the behavior improves…and still be consistent. As the child gets better, standards for good behavior should be raised accordingly. We cannot just keep doing the same behavior chart with the same number of stars/stickers needed for six months. There has to be a regular setting of expectations, and once the rules are set, stick to them. And speaking of regular…
5. Consult with a professional regularly…and consistently. As said earlier, BMTs should be child-specific. It’s a good thing for families to be empowered enough to try to manage their child’s behaviors themselves, but in more specialized cases, at least a consultation with the the therapist should be in order. Good therapists will let the family do behavior management themselves, but will offer tips and tweaks specific to the child’s needs to maximize the effect of the BMTs done. 

-I