Temperament Self- Regulation in Early Childhood

							   Temperament & Self-
Regulation in Early Childhood
  Keys to Supporting Young Children’s
      Adjustment & Development


              Evelyn Reed-Victor, PhD
  Department of Special Education & Disability Policy
                 School of Education,
         Virginia Commonwealth University
         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
 Temperament in Context

 Risk & protective factors for
 resilience
   Developmental perspective
   School adjustment

   Work adjustment

        v. malleability of
 Stability
 temperament
                   Persistence
   Low                       High
      Easily distracted          Continues to work at
      Gives up when               task when it gets
       task becomes                hard
       difficult                  Returns to task when
                                   interrupted
      Moves on when
                                  Insists on finishing
       challenged
           Activity Level

 High                 Low
   On the move         Dawdles
   In a hurry          Slow in

   Enjoys physical      completing
    activity             tasks
   Runs down           Prefers quiet

    stairs               activities
                Intensity

   High                 Low
     Loud                  Quiet

     Strong                Hard to read
      expression of         Appears
      feelings               apathetic
     Large                 Mild responses
      movements
                 Adaptability

   Quick                      Slowly
       Adjusts to                 Likes stable routine
        changes easily
                                   Prefers same foods,
       Doesn’t mind                people
        change in routine
        or environment             Difficulty “changing
       Rolls with                  gears”
        punches                    Resists new activities
       Approach/Withdrawal

 Approach             Withdrawal
   Enjoys new           Shy
    people & places      Uncomfortable
   Moves towards        Pulls back from
    novel or new          new people,
    experiences           places, foods
                 Mood

 Negative          Positive
   Serious           Light-hearted
   Discontent        Smiles & laughs

   Moody             Friendly

   Frustrated        Glass half full

   Upset             Not easily upset
        Other dimensions

 Perceptual  sensitivity
 Frustration tolerance
 Regularity
 Soothability
        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
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?
        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 Children’s Behavioral Styles.
    Baltimore: Brookes.
About temperament

                                     Parenting Resources
               Image of Your Child
    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
Assessment-Intervention Link

   Use assessments to understand
       Child’s 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
 Using Temperament Assessment to
   Support Child’s 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/supports
    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.
    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
     Understanding Temperament
         Makes a Difference!
   After using the temperament assessment with the
    child’s mother and understanding how it influenced
    the child’s 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! I’ll never approach my classroom
      or this child in the same way again!”
          For more information

   Please feel free to contact me:
       Evelyn Reed-Victor
       ereedvic@vcu.edu