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A PARADIGM SHIFT FOR CAREGIVERS THAT WILL REVOLUTIONIZE THE WAY YOU APPROACH, TREAT OR PARENT A CHILD WITH CHALLENGING OR EXPLOSIVE BEHAVIOURS.

When you are confronted with a child who is troubled, disruptive, oppositional, defiant or angry – whether you are a parent or a teacher – it can be difficult to know the best way to support them. Traditional methods of ‘shaping’ a child’s behaviour can often be at best ineffective, at worst distressing, for child and adult alike.

Drawing on 30 years of experience, internationally known paediatric psychologist Dr Mona Delahooke describes these troubled behaviours as the ‘tip of the iceberg’, important signals that point to deeper, individual differences in the child that we need to understand and address before we can resolve behavioural challenges. Using the very latest neuroscientific research Beyond Behaviours makes the case that many children who can’t seem to behave simply don’t have the developmental capacity to do so – yet.

This book uses neuroscientific findings to help you deconstruct behaviour challenges, and to discover their cause and triggers for your child. It will show you how to apply this knowledge across a variety of behaviour spectrums, from children diagnosed with autism or other forms of neurodiversity, to those who might have been exposed to toxic stress or trauma during their early years. There are practical strategies to implement at every stage, backed up by impactful worksheets and charts, with a strong emphasis not on ‘managing’ behaviour, but instead on helping children and families build positive experiences to counteract the stress and pressure felt by everybody when you’re working, or living, with a child who has behavioural challenges.

Accessible, practical, warmly supportive and steeped in research and clinical expertise, Beyond Behaviours offers a break-through book which guides us – parents and caregivers alike – to the realisation that the most important tool in our toolkit is always our connection with the child standing in front of us.

Reviews

"Beyond Behaviors provides the basis for a paradigm shift in understanding and treating children with disruptive behaviors. this accessible and beautifully written volume, Dr. Delahooke pulls the veil off this myth and replaces it with a neurobiologically-informed treatment model that provides insightful directives leading to effective outcomes."
Stephen W. Porges, PhD, Distinguished University Scientist, Indiana University, Professor of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, and author of "The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe"
"As a developmental psychologist, compassion teacher, and autism mum, I can whole-heartedly say this book is brilliant. Traditional methods of 'shaping' children's behaviors typically ignore children's emotional state, at great cost to the child's ability to learn, develop, and form secure relationships. This book provides concrete ways to help understand safety as the foundation for children's learning, working with rather than against natural brain functions to maximize learning potential."
Kristin Neff, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, and author of "Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself"
"I love this book. It will be one I give and recommend over and over. Beyond Behaviors is succinct, accessible, practical, science-based. And it's a game changer. My hope is that not only parents, educators, clinicians, and all helping professionals read it, but that it becomes required reading for professionals in training."
Tina Payne Bryson, PhD, LCSW, Executive Director of The Center for Connection and co-author of the bestsellers "The Whole-Brain Child" and "No-Drama Discipline"
"This book will embrace every parent and professional puzzling over behavioral challenges and make you question the assumptions about their meaning and re-evaluate how to help. Beyond Behaviors will help every child and family progress, feel safe, enjoy relationships, and develop to their fullest."
Serena Wieder, PhD, Clinical Director, Profectum Foundation, co-creator of the DIR Model, and co-author of "The Child with Special Needs" and "Engaging Autism"
"Dr. Mona Delahooke is a child psychologist with over 30 years of experience working with children who have behavioral challenges. With compassion and insight, she guides us toward creating healing environments of safety and security."
Marilyn R. Sanders, MD, FAAP, Attending Neonatologist, Connecticut Children's Medical Center and Professor of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine
"I love Beyond Behaviors. One of the best features of this book are the practical, empowering, step-by-step ideas for finding the calm self-acceptance necessary for building a healing, supportive relationship with even the most challenging and frightened child."
Dona Matthews, PhD, Developmental Psychologist and co-author of "Beyond Intelligence: Secrets for Raising Happily Productive Kids"
"Brilliant! This book is an essential read for all people who care for or interact with children."
Megan Stilwill, DO FAAP, Paediatrician
"This is a wonderful book that takes complicated concepts and new ways of thinking about children and makes them digestible and useable for parents and professionals alike."
Mim Ochsenbein, MSW, OTR/L, Director of Education, The Star Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder
"This book should be required reading for frustrated parents and those of us in a position of diagnosing or creating behavior plans for children. Imagine the amazing outcomes if we followed Mona Delahooke's guide to empower and support children through their big feelings and behaviors, rather than focusing only on the tip of the iceberg."
Nicole Schwarz, MA, LMFT, Parent Coach
Essential reading for parents and professionals alike in supporting children and young people with behavioural challenges.
Dr Christopher Moore