Strategies for Helping Parents of Young Children Address Challenging Behaviors in the Home

Including parents in the process of Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) improves both child and family outcomes. This article provides background information on understanding challenging behaviors in young children, the importance of involving families, and working with families from diverse backgrounds. Specific strategies are provided to help early childhood teachers successfully collaborate with parents in the home setting to plan and implement Positive Behavior Supports by determining the function of the challenging behavior, and identifying prevention strategies, new skills, and new responses to challenging behaviors based on students’ needs and preferences within the context of families’ unique cultural and linguistic backgrounds.