| Daycare experts help aggressive children avoid being typecast |
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| 08 décembre 2008 | |
Université de Montréal program aims to prevent developmental problemsAnnie knocks Melissa to the floor and run off with her doll. Alexis screams at Ben for taking his toy truck. Every day, in daycares across Quebec, similar disputes are observed by early childhood educators who foster calm by encouraging kids to express their anger and frustration in more constructive ways.  Jacinthe Guèvremont Yet the interim director of the daycare warns against labeling kids between the ages of four and five as aggressive or problematic children. “Giving a child a reputation as trouble-maker risks making him feel like that the rest of his life and unable to see himself as anything else.” The program she’s introduced at the daycare consists of a series of observation sessions of children that incorporate personalized strategies and approaches for helping those with behavioral difficulties. “This has to be done as soon as the child is in daycare,” says Guèvremont. “Once children enter school it’s often too late. They get labeled very quickly.” Guèvremont, who has worked with young children for close to 20 years, says behavioural problems aren’t always the result of violent tendencies: “Sometimes, we wrongly believe the child has behavioural problems, when in fact he or she suffers from other things, such as sensorial hypersensitivity.” Such children, she says, can’t stand to be touched. Others are very sensitive about the texture of food in their mouths or noise. After a couple of observation sessions, Guèvremont will suggest, for example, that a sensitive child sit at the head of the table during lunch, which can provide extra space and limit contact with others that could upset him. For other children, they simply have to be briefed on what awaits them in any given day, so they aren’t upset by surprises. Daycare workers, Guèvremont points out, are very experienced and know how to manage a group. Yet solving problems among 15 children can be difficult. “If children are raised in surroundings where they are supported, they learn to control their aggression and emotions and can become very sociable,” Guèvremont says. On the Web: About the Université de Montréal Complete French version of this news item Media contact: Sylvain-Jacques Desjardins International press attaché Université de Montréal Telephone: 514-343-7593 Email: sylvain-jacques.desjardins@umontreal.ca |
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