Temperament

1
Temperament Self- Regulation in Early Childhood

• Keys to Supporting Young Childrens Adjustment
  Development
• Evelyn Reed-Victor, PhD
• Department of Special Education Disability
  Policy
• School of Education,
• Virginia Commonwealth University

2
What is Temperament?

• Biological basis for individual differences in
  behavior
• Physiological responses to experience
• Includes both reactions self-regulation
• Functional impact
• Affects attention, social interaction,
  adaptability

3
Temperament in Context

• Risk protective factors for resilience
• Developmental perspective
• School adjustment
• Work adjustment
• Stability v. malleability of temperament

4
Persistence

• Low
• Easily distracted
• Gives up when task becomes difficult
• Moves on when challenged

• High
• Continues to work at task when it gets hard
• Returns to task when interrupted
• Insists on finishing

5
Activity Level

• High
• On the move
• In a hurry
• Enjoys physical activity
• Runs down stairs

• Low
• Dawdles
• Slow in completing tasks
• Prefers quiet activities

6
Intensity

• High
• Loud
• Strong expression of feelings
• Large movements

• Low
• Quiet
• Hard to read
• Appears apathetic
• Mild responses

7
Adaptability

• Quick
• Adjusts to changes easily
• Doesnt mind change in routine or environment
• Rolls with punches

• Slowly
• Likes stable routine
• Prefers same foods, people
• Difficulty changing gears
• Resists new activities

8
Approach/Withdrawal

• Approach
• Enjoys new people places
• Moves towards novel or new experiences

• Withdrawal
• Shy
• Uncomfortable
• Pulls back from new people, places, foods

9
Mood

• Negative
• Serious
• Discontent
• Moody
• Frustrated
• Upset

• Positive
• Light-hearted
• Smiles laughs
• Friendly
• Glass half full
• Not easily upset

10
Other dimensions

• Perceptual sensitivity
• Frustration tolerance
• Regularity
• Soothability

11
Dimensions/Terminology

• Various instruments use different names for
  temperament dimensions
• Differences in terminology across researchers
  writers
• Lumpers - use larger factors (which combine
  smaller facets)
• Splitters focus on smaller facets

12
Using Temperament to Help Children in Everyday
Extraordinary Situations

• Assessment
• Informal formal observations
• Routines-based assessment
• How is the child typically interacting in
  everyday environments (home, school, community)?
• How does the child handle their typical schedule
  of activities?
• What happens when there are major and minor
  changes in the environment or schedule?

13
www.preventiveoz.org

• Website for families of children birth to 5 years
• Funded by Kaiser Permanente, based on effective
  prevention/intervention program
• Includes assessment tool strategies to support
  children with different temperament profiles
• Kristal, J. (2005). The Temperament Perspective
  Working with Childrens Behavioral Styles.
  Baltimore Brookes.

14
About temperament
Parenting Resources
Image of Your Child
15
Temperament Atypical Behavior Scale (Bagnato,
Neisworth, Salvia, Hunt, 1999)

• Focus on identification of atypical temperament
  and self-regulation behavioral patterns
• Temperament
• behavioral style activity level, excitability,
  consolability, engagement with others,
  self-control
• Age range 11-71 months
• Screening completed by caregivers
• Assessment completed by caregivers normative
  comparisons items gleaned from clinical practice
• Subscales Detached, Hyper-sensitive,
  Underreactive, Dysregulated Composite TRI

16
Assessment-Intervention Link

• Use assessments to understand
• Childs profile, typical behavior
• Challenges/benefits in environment
• Different adults perspectives
• Develop intervention plan
• Acknowledge influence of temperament
• Understand transactions in key environments
• Improve goodness of fit for child in
  environments

17
Using Temperament Assessment to Support Childs
Self-Regulation

• Affirm the child (positive language)
• Help child learn to adjust
• Help adults understand the influence of
  temperament
• Help adults modify the environment/demands/support
  s

18
Promoting the Goodness of Fit

• Pelco, L.E., Reed-Victor, E. (2007).
  Self-regulation and learning-related social
  skills Intervention ideas for elementary school
  students. Preventing School Failure,51(3), 36-42.
• Reed-Victor, E. (2004). Individual differences
  and early school adjustment Teacher appraisals
  of young children with special needs. Early Child
  Development Care.
• Pelco, L.E. Reed-Victor, E. (2003).
  Understanding and supporting differences in child
  temperament strategies for early childhood
  settings. Young Exceptional Children, 6(3), 2-11.

19
Temperament Resilience

• Some children are naturally caring, confident,
  competent
• Other children need more support to learn to
  regulate their emotions, behaviors, attention
  to various expectations
• We are important protective influences for
  children who struggle with adapting who faces
  major challenges

20
Understanding Temperament Makes a Difference!

• After using the temperament assessment with the
  childs mother and understanding how it
  influenced the childs difficulties, a preschool
  teacher said
• It took the blame off the child, it took the
  blame off the parent, and it took the blame off
  me! Ill never approach my classroom or this
  child in the same way again!

21
For more information

• Please feel free to contact me
• Evelyn Reed-Victor
• ereedvic_at_vcu.edu