Understanding Children’s Behavior: Supporting the Individual Needs of Infants and Toddlers
The California Department of Social Services, Child Care and Development Division, in partnership with WestEd’s Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC), is providing the webinar series, Understanding Children’s Behavior: Supporting the Individual Needs of Infants and Toddlers, a process for educators to fine tune their understanding of behavior in order to support the social-emotional well-being of each child and the group.
Join PITC faculty Miriam Silverman and Cheryl Williams-Jackson as they share their learning from over 30 years of mental health consultation with educators to understand and meet the needs of all children, especially those whose behavior others find challenging.
This free webinar series explores the importance of understanding the meaning of communication that is often expressed through behavior for young children and offers tools and resources to support infant/toddler care educators to make meaning of children’s verbal and non-verbal cues. The presenters will demonstrate the use of tools and identify resources through exploration of case studies from family child care and center-based programs.
PART 1: Regulate, Relate, and Reason
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
6:30-7:30 p.m. (PT)
Presenters: Miriam Silverman and Cheryl Williams-Jackson
The first webinar focuses on the connection between behavior, which is communication, and the nervous system, to understand both the child’s message and current emotional state, as well as the state of the adult to support co-regulation. The caregiver’s emotional state influences both how the child’s message is understood and the interaction between the child and their caregiver.
- Session Recording
- Audio Recording
- Full Transcript
- PowerPoint Presentation (PDF) (for print only)
- Possible Causes of Behavior (for print only)
- Need/Desire Worksheet (for print only)
PART 2: Resources and Solutions
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
6:30–7:30 P.M. (PT)
Presenters: Miriam Silverman and Cheryl Williams-Jackson
The second webinar will use a case study to develop solutions using the Child-Caregiver Success Plan and the Child-Caregiver Success Plan Follow-Up to support behaviors that work for the child and others. Implementation of the Success Plans ensure that the caregiver and the family are partnering and documenting the ongoing development of strategies to support the child to move into an emotional “safe zone” to practice skills and behaviors that benefit the child and others in care.
Resources for caregivers will be discussed that provide advice and mental health consultation when additional support is needed to meet the child’s needs and to support the family and the caregiver.
- Session Recording
- Audio Recording
- Full Transcript
- PowerPoint Presentation (PDF)
- Child-Caregiver Success Plan (for print only)
- Child-Caregiver Success Plan Follow-Up (for print only)
Please contact PITCEvents@wested.org if you have any questions.
For previous webinars, please visit our Past PITC Webinar Events page.