A for Argumentative: Positive Behaviour Support

Supporting an argumentative child is exhausting. You feel as if you’re walking on eggshells because you don’t know what’s going to upset them, and every demand you place on them results in an argument. For example, what may seem to be a simple instruction such as ‘sit on the mat’ or ‘join a group activity’ may result in a straight out ‘No’, and if the adult doesn’t back down then a heated argument result. Adults also become wary of confronting the child because the child sees themselves as right and others as definitely wrong, which means that it’s difficult to reason with the child or back down. It can leave everyone feeling perplexed because nobody knows how to set limits and get the child to do what they are supposed to be doing.

Based on the evidence-based Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) approach this user-friendly guide, A for Argumentative, will help you develop a comprehensive PBS plan step-by-step. You will learn how to do the following:

Determine why your child is argumentative (assess),
Respond appropriately when your child is argumentative (manage), and
Minimise or eliminate the occurrence of argumentative behaviour (prevent).

Use the practical tools (forms, checklists, and strategies) provided to develop PBS plans that can be used to support children of all ages consistently in all contexts. This invaluable resource is useful for parents, childcare educators, early childhood workers, primary and secondary school educators, supervisory, allied health professionals, and mental health professionals.

Download Accompanying Forms Resource