COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING (CPS) Developed by Dr. Ross Greene Session Highlights Philosophy of the CPS model Basic steps Video clips- CPS in action Opportunities to practice Common Points of View “He just want the attention” “She is making bad choices” “They have a bad attitude” “He just wants his own way” Philosophy Behind CPS Model “If kids could do well they would do well”- If the kid had the skills to exhibit adaptive behavior, he wouldn’t be exhibiting challenging behavior “Behind every challenge behavior is an unsolved problem and a lagging skill” Identify Unsolved Problems & Lagging Skills Identify the unsolved problem(s) • Shifting from one specific task to another • Getting started on/completing class assignments Hypothesize what lagging skill(s) is contributing to the unsolved problem • Difficulty handling transitions, shifting from one mindset or task to another • Difficulty persisting on challenging or tedious tasks A tool to assist this process is the Assessment of Lagging Skills and Unsolved Problems (ALSUP) Can’t fix everything at once- will need to prioritize problems Collaborative Problem Solving (Plan B) • Once lagging skills and unsolved problem are identified, it is time to begin CPS with the student 3 ingredients to the process: 1. Empathy Step- This is where you gather information so as to clarify the student’s concern or perspective on the unsolved problem 2. Define the Problem Step- Here, the teacher communicates their concerns or perspective on the unsolved problem. 3. The Invitation Step- Student and teacher brainstorm solutions to address the concerns Step 1: Empathy This is where you gather information so as to clarify the student’s concern or perspective on the unsolved problem Goal is to get the student talking to obtain the best possible understanding of the unsolved problem Important to start with a neutral statement “I’ve noticed…” “What’s up?” “Tell me more about it” “I am wondering what is going on?” Be willing to be patient- allow for silence if needed *** Step 2: Define the Problem Here, the teacher communicates their concerns or perspective on the unsolved problem Generally adult concerns fall into 3 categoriessafety, learning, or how the behavior is affecting one’s self or others Sample statements to use: “My concern is…” “The thing is…” *** Step 3: The Invitation Step Student and teacher brainstorm solutions to address both concerns Must let student know you want to get both concern’s addressed The step involves restating the two concerns so as to summarize the problem to be solved Sample statement: “I wonder if there is a way…” Then give the student the first opportunity to generate a solution Sample statement: “Do you have any ideas…” Brainstorming Solutions Solution must be realistic and mutually satisfactory Sample statements: “ Hey, there’s an idea. The only problem is I don’t know if its realistic for you to ______ . Let’s see if we can come up with a solution that you can do…” “Well, there’s an option. The only thing is if I let you do______ your concern would be addressed but my concern wouldn’t. Let’s see if we can come up with a solution that works for both of us.” Video Clip- Plan B in Action http://www.livesinthebalance.org/simple-plan-b http://www.livesinthebalance.org/plan-b-goesawry-part-1 http://www.livesinthebalance.org/plan-b-goesawry-part-2 Three Options for Unmet Expectations There are three ways in which adults try to solve problems (unmet expectations) with kids: o Plan A (impose teacher will) o Plan C (temporarily dropping problems) o Plan B (that's the one you want to get really good at). Final Notes Plan B works best when it is proactive- don’t wait until the problem behavior is occurring to have the discussion There is often no quick fix to helping students with challenging behaviors- often the first solution you agree to won’t fix the problem Helpful Resources www.livesinthebalance.org http://www.livesinthebalance.org/sites/default/f iles/ALSUP-Likert-Scale-12-5-08.pdf Lost at School by Dr. Ross Greene Your PBS External Coach